Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Halles

During the Reconquista, in 1233, King Ferdinand III conquered Ubeda to the Kingdom of Castile. In 1368, the city was damaged during the Castilian Civil War between Peter I of Castile and Henry II of Castile. This, combined with other circumstances, caused the worsening of the rivalry between the nobel families de Trapera and de Aranda at first, and the families de la Cueva and de Molina after. This political instability was solved when the "Catholic Monarchs" ruled as they ordered the Alcázar, used by the nobility as a fortress, to be destroyed. During the 16th century, these important Castilian aristocratic families from Úbeda reached top positions in the Spanish Monarchy administration. Notably, Francisco de los Cobos and Juan Vazquez de Molina became Secretaries of State for Emperor Charles V and Philip II respectively. Due to the patronage of arts of these competing families, Úbeda became a Renaissance focus in Spain. Ubeda and neighboring Baeza benefited from this patronage resulting in the construction of a series of Renaissance style palaces and churches, which have been preserved ever since. In 2003, UNESCO declared the historic centres and landmarks of these two towns a World Heritage Site. In contrast to the many magnificent Renaissance buildings, Ubeda's market hall looks downright sober, though it has a small touch of "rationalism".

Palencia was called Pallantia in ancient times and was the capital of a Celtiberian tribe. Palencia probably became the seat of a bishop as early as the 3rd century, and the city experienced its first heyday under the Visigoths in the 6th and 7th centuries. In the 8th century, the Arab-Moorish armies conquered the area around Palencia. In the 11th century the city was reconquered by the Christians (reconquista). The greatest supporter at the beginning of the 13th century was the Castilian King Alfonso VIII. Already during his lifetime, but mainly after his death (1214), the existing cathedral school was converted into one of the first universities in Europe. Mercado de Abastos

The island of Corsica is one of the 18 regions of France. It was colonized the Carthaginians, the Greeks, the Etruscans and the Romans. After the Roman empire collapsed, Corsica got invaded by the Vandals and the Ostrogoths. For a short while the island belonged to the Byzantine Empire, then the Franks granted the island to the Pope, in the early 11th century Pisa and Genoa together freed the island from the threat of Arab invasion. The island came under the influence of the Republic of Pisa, later it belonged to Genua for centuries. In 1755 after a long fight for independence from Genoa the independent Corsican Republic was proclaimed, but in 1769, when the island was conquered by France. As the areas near the coast over centuries have been threatened by attacks and raids of pirates many old hamlets and dwellings are wide inland, high in the mountains. During the time of the short living Corsican Republic the small fishing village was enlarged and became a trading port with city fortifications on order of Pascal Paoli in 1759. So the Republic had a Corsican port opposite the then Genoese Calvi. At that time the town was still named "Isola Rossa", as the official language upto 1848 was Italian. The neoclassical market hall was its 21 columns was erected 1844 - 1846 after the French had taken over Corsica.