Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Holy Roman Emperor

A legend tells, that a city called Sybar existed at the time of the Trojan War. It was conquered by the Romans in the 3rd century BC, receiving the new name of Lupiae. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Lecce was sacked by the Ostrogoth troops of king Totila. In 549 it was taken by Byzantium and remained part of the Eastern Roman Empire for five centuries, interrupted by brief invasions by the Saracens, Longobards, Hungarians and Slavs. After the Norman conquest in the 11th century, Lecce regained commercial and political importance, flourishing in the subsequent Hohenstaufen and Angevine rule. From the 15th century, Lecce was one of the most important cities of southern Italy, and, starting in 1630, it developed into a centre of Baroque architecture. This was made possible by the soft tuff stone found in the area, perfect for that architecture. - The Porta Napoli is an "Arco di Trionfo" built in 1548 in honour of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Charles V, head of the House of Habsburg, had commissioned the fortification of Lecce and the erection of a castle. The reliefs of the gable depict armour, weapons and the Spanish coat of arms. The "Arco di Trionfo" was inaugurated during a state visit by Emperor Charles V.

The first (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of these structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. Already in 1019 this church got consecrated. The Muenster seen today is the third large church, erected 1180 - 1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) in 1356 during the worst earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe. Modern seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler, who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. About 1500 the Muenster was finally completed in a combination of late romanesque and gothic style. The restauration process started about 400 years later. Pollution caused a lot of damage and meanwhile many of the carvings outside the church have been replaced by copies. So many of the details seen on the shots may be - copies. Looking east to the choir. Some art historians have compared the structure of the side walls with the CLUNY III. The interior differs surprisingly from the Freiburg Muenster. The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland differed from that one in Germany, as the Swiss Reformators (Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin, Johannes Oekolampad..) had a way more radical approach, than their Lutherian collegues. During the 9th of February 1529 a group of about 200 people forced their way into this (at that time still catholic) church and in a kind of frenzy destroyed all reachable crucifixes, statues and altars, just everything what was connected to "idolatry" in their thinking. The same afternoon the iconoclasm extended to many other churches in Basel as well. I wonder, why the the fast and furious iconoclasts did not destroy the many works, done by the stone carvers in and outside the church. Obviously only "holy" objects had to burn. Here is one of the many capitals around the choir, unfortunately the light is a bit dim around the choir, so the photo is blurry (sorry!). This capital is one of the many parallels to Freiburg, as like in the Freiburg Muenster, here is Alexander the Great going up to heaven in a basket, powered by two griffins. Alexander controls the griffins by holding up two roasted puppies on sticks. The Alexander-theme is not "extremely" rare, but twice within 70kms cannot be just accidently.

The first proven (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of this structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. The church had a nave, two aisles - and parts of this church, consecrated 1019, can still be found. The Muenster seen today is the third large structure here, erected 1180 -1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) during the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe in 1356. Seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler (aka Johannes von Gmuend), who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. Once (of course) a Catholic cathedral this is now a reformed Protestant church. It is loaded with great architectural, artistic details - and offers thrilling and touching stories. I found the scaffolding so nice, that I just started a set "Great Scaffoldings"...

Bruges already had its city charter in 1128 and was a very important member of the Hanseatic League. It was the prospering center of the Flemish cloth industry. Most merchandise was punted on boats through the city. The large cog-ships were moored in the harbor. Between 1200 and 1500 Bruges had a kind of "Golden Era". Bruges was a leading European business community, - a large group of innovative and daring entrepreneurs. Bruges declined over the next centuries. There was no need for new buildings - and so many houses of the historic city centre, meanwhile a World Heritage Site of UNESCO, date back to the "Golden Era". About 2.000.000 tourists visit Bruges annually. Back to the "Grote Markt". The house with the (neo-)gothic facade and the little spire is the "Cranenburg House", where in 1488 Archduke Maximilian of Austria, King of the Romans (later "Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor"), was imprisoned for about 5 months. During the War of the Burgundian Succession, revolts had rosen in the Flemish region. Maximilian had come to Bruges to negotiate, but the guilds of Bruges, who joined the revolt, were in arms and imprisoned him. A torture rack was brought to the market and Maximilian´s minister Pierre Lanchals (aka "Lankhals") was beheaded in front of the house. The pope excommunicated the rebels, Maximilian's father Frederick III raised an army that reached Flanders in April 1488. Maximilian made a deal with his captors. He was to relinquish the title "Count of Flanders", leaving control of the province in the hands of a government, in exchange for a yearly fee. But as soon as he had left Bruges, he broke the oath. The rebellion continued, but was finally crushed in 1492, when German troops, supported by an English fleet, blocked Bruges' trade routes and ports, what paralyzed the city's trade. Bruges and other Flemish cities were forced to accept Maximilian as regent.

This is, where in 1077 the "Road to Canossa" (aka "Walk to Canossa") ended. Matilda of Tuscany (aka "Matilde di Canossa") had invited Pope Gregory VII to take refuge here in 1076/77 during the dispute with Henry IV, the Holy Roman Emperor. Gregory had imposed an excommunication on Henry during the Investiture Controversy. Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV then treked from Speyer over the Alps (in January!) to Canossa to obtain the revocation of the excommunication. Henry had taken on the behavior of penitence. He wore a hair-shirt and allegedly walked barefoot. On 25 January 1077, he reached the locked gates of the Castello di Canossa. Pope Gregory VII had ordered to refuse entrance, and so Henry was forced to wait on his knees for three days and three nights before the gate of the castle, while a blizzard raged. Pope Gregory VII finally let Henry in and absolved him. On 28 January Gregory VII, Henry IV and Matilda of Tuscany, who was Gregory´s policy adviser, shared communion in the castle´s chapel, signaling the official end of Henry's excommunication. This did not end the Investiture Controversy. The struggle ended with an agreement ("Concordat of Worms") between Pope Calixtus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, signed in 1122.

Bruges already had its city charter in 1128 and was a very important member of the Hanseatic League. It was the prospering center of the Flemish cloth industry. Most merchandise was punted on boats through the city. The large cog-ships were moored in the harbor. Between 1200 and 1500 Bruges had a kind of "Golden Era". Bruges was a leading European business community, - a large group of innovative and daring entrepreneurs. Bruges lost importance and declined over the next centuries. There was no need for new buildings - and so many houses of the historic city centre, meanwhile a World Heritage Site of UNESCO, date back to the "Golden Era". About 2.000.000 tourists visit Bruges annually. Back to the "Grote Markt". The house with the (neo-)gothic facade and the little spire is the "Cranenburg House", where in 1488 Archduke Maximilian of Austria, King of the Romans (later "Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor"), was imprisoned for about 5 months. During the War of the Burgundian Succession, revolts had rosen in the Flemish region. Maximilian had come to Bruges to negotiate, but the guilds of Bruges, who joined the revolt, were in arms and imprisoned him. A torture rack was brought to the market and Maximilian´s minister Pierre Lanchals (aka "Lankhals") was executed in front of the house. The pope excommunicated the rebels, Maximilian's father Frederick III raised an army that reached Flanders in April 1488. Maximilian made a deal with his captors. He was to relinquish the title "Count of Flanders", leaving control of the province in the hands of a government, in exchange for a yearly fee. But as soon as he had left Bruges, he broke the oath. The rebellion continued, but was finally crushed in 1492, when German troops, supported by an English fleet, blocked Bruges' trade routes and ports, what paralyzed the city's trade. Bruges and other Flemish cities were forced to accept Maximilian as regent.

The first (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of these structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. Already in 1019 this church got consecrated. The Muenster seen today is the third large church, erected 1180 - 1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) in 1356 during the worst earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe. Modern seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler, who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. About 1500 the Muenster was finally completed in a combination of late romanesque and gothic style. The restauration process started about 400 years later. Pollution caused a lot of damage and meanwhile many of the carvings outside the church have been replaced by copies. So many of the details seen on the shots may be - copies. Looking east to the choir. Some art historians have compared the structure of the side walls with the CLUNY III. The interior differs surprisingly from the Freiburg Muenster. The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland differed from that one in Germany, as the Swiss Reformators (Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin, Johannes Oekolampad..) had a way more radical approach, than their Lutherian collegues. During the 9th of February 1529 a group of about 200 people forced their way into this (at that time still catholic) church and in a kind of frenzy destroyed all reachable crucifixes, statues and altars, just everything what was connected to "idolatry" in their thinking. The same afternoon the iconoclasm extended to many other churches in Basel as well. I wonder, why the the fast and furious iconoclasts did not destroy the many works, done by the stone carvers in and outside the church. Obviously only "holy" objects had to burn. Here is one of the many capitals around the choir. The head of a melancholic human - and conjoined twins. I have often seen a pair of lions sharing one head, this is the first pair of monkeys.

The first (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of these structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. Already in 1019 this church got consecrated. The Muenster seen today is the third large church, erected 1180 - 1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) in 1356 during the worst earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe. Modern seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler, who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. About 1500 the Muenster was finally completed in a combination of late romanesque and gothic style. The restauration process started about 400 years later. Pollution caused a lot of damage and meanwhile many of the carvings outside the church have been replaced by copies. So many of the details seen on the shots may be - copies. Just below the windows runs a long frieze all around the choir. Everybody loves grapes obviously. The rooster to the left, the gnome with a cap to the right and even the monkey in the center.

The first (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of these structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. Already in 1019 this church got consecrated. The Muenster seen today is the third large church, erected 1180 - 1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) in 1356 during the worst earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe. Modern seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler, who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. About 1500 the Muenster was finally completed in a combination of late romanesque and gothic style. The restauration process started about 400 years later. Pollution caused a lot of damage and meanwhile many of the carvings outside the church have been replaced by copies. So many of the details seen on the shots may be - copies. The (dressed!) monkey twins pose for the photographer - and they do smile! CHEEEESE!!

The first (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of these structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. Already in 1019 this church got consecrated. The Muenster seen today is the third large church, erected 1180 - 1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) in 1356 during the worst earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe. Modern seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler, who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. About 1500 the Muenster was finally completed in a combination of late romanesque and gothic style. The restauration process started about 400 years later. Pollution caused a lot of damage and meanwhile many of the carvings outside the church have been replaced by copies. So many of the details seen on the shots may be - copies. A more detailed shot of the left elephant. This one does have (small) tusks - and so may be male. The trunk is pretty precise and now in a different position, proving the flexibility.

The first (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of these structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. Already in 1019 this church got consecrated. The Muenster seen today is the third large church, erected 1180 - 1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) in 1356 during the worst earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe. Modern seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler, who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. About 1500 the Muenster was finally completed in a combination of late romanesque and gothic style. The restauration process started about 400 years later. Pollution caused a lot of damage and meanwhile many of the carvings outside the church have been replaced by copies. So many of the details seen on the shots may be - copies. A more detailed shot of the right elephant. This one has no tusks - and so may be female. The trunk is pretty precise.

The first (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of these structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. Already in 1019 this church got consecrated. The Muenster seen today is the third large church, erected 1180 - 1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) in 1356 during the worst earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe. Modern seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler, who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. About 1500 the Muenster was finally completed in a combination of late romanesque and gothic style. The restauration process started about 400 years later. Pollution caused a lot of damage and meanwhile many of the carvings outside the church have been replaced by copies. So many of the details seen on the shots may be - copies. A pair of elephants hold the pillars, that flank the romanesque window. Like most medieval elephants these two seem the result of an artistic imagination, based on a faint rumour. Large ears, a trunk, strong legs to support the heavy weight. The left one even has tusks. Note the frieze, I´ll upload shots of that later..

The first (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of these structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. Already in 1019 this church got consecrated. The Muenster seen today is the third large church, erected 1180 - 1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) in 1356 during the worst earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe. Modern seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler, who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. About 1500 the Muenster was finally completed in a combination of late romanesque and gothic style. The restauration process started about 400 years later. Pollution caused a lot of damage and meanwhile many of the carvings outside the church have been replaced by copies. So many of the details seen on the shots may be - copies. Looking east to the choir. Some art historians have compared the structure of the side walls with the CLUNY III. The interior differs surprisingly from the Freiburg Muenster. The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland differed from that one in Germany, as the Swiss Reformators (Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin, Johannes Oekolampad..) had a way more radical approach, than their Lutherian collegues. During the 9th of February 1529 a group of about 200 people forced their way into this (at that time still catholic) church and in a kind of frenzy destroyed all reachable crucifixes, statues and altars, just everything what was connected to "idolatry" in their thinking. The same afternoon the iconoclasm extended to many other churches in Basel as well. I wonder, why the the fast and furious iconoclasts did not destroy the many works, done by the stone carvers in and outside the church. Obviously only "holy" objects had to burn. This mermaid is another parallel to the Freiburg Muenster, as there as well is a breastfeeding mermaid. The baby holds a fish. The mermaid has legs, at least one (on the left) is visible. The artistic composition differs fairly from her Freiburg-sister, but like there the place of the carving is dim - and so the photo is blurry.

The first (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of these structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. Already in 1019 this church got consecrated. The Muenster seen today is the third large church, erected 1180 - 1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) in 1356 during the worst earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe. Modern seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler, who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. About 1500 the Muenster was finally completed in a combination of late romanesque and gothic style. The restauration process started about 400 years later. Pollution caused a lot of damage and meanwhile many of the carvings outside the church have been replaced by copies. So many of the details seen on the shots may be - copies. An athletically trained merman with bulgy eyes and a bleak smile.

The first (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of these structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. Already in 1019 this church got consecrated. The Muenster seen today is the third large church, erected 1180 - 1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) in 1356 during the worst earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe. Modern seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler, who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. About 1500 the Muenster was finally completed in a combination of late romanesque and gothic style. The restauration process started about 400 years later. Pollution caused a lot of damage and meanwhile many of the carvings outside the church have been replaced by copies. So many of the details seen on the shots may be - copies. The beefy merman, just seen on the previous shoot, is accompanied by this very strange mergoat.