Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Rococo

In 1668, Franciscans got the property of the Cistercian monastery of St. Petri, which was closeddissoluted during the Reformation. The monastery church dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua was built between 1670 and 1678. A century later it was vaulted and then refurnished in the Rococo style. It survived the secularization of the monastery in 1824. As part of a large-scale renovation to mark the 300th anniversary in 1978, the late Baroque appearance of the interior was largely restored.

In 1668, Franciscans got the property of the Cistercian monastery of St. Petri, which was closeddissoluted during the Reformation. The monastery church dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua was built between 1670 and 1678. A century later it was vaulted and then refurnished in the Rococo style. It survived the secularization of the monastery in 1824. As part of a large-scale renovation to mark the 300th anniversary in 1978, the late Baroque appearance of the interior was largely restored.

In 1668, Franciscans got the property of the Cistercian monastery of St. Petri, which was closeddissoluted during the Reformation. The monastery church dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua was built between 1670 and 1678. A century later it was vaulted and then refurnished in the Rococo style. It survived the secularization of the monastery in 1824. As part of a large-scale renovation to mark the 300th anniversary in 1978, the late Baroque appearance of the interior was largely restored.

The Premonstratensian Steingaden Abbey (aka "Welfenmünster") was founded in 1147 by Welf VI. son of "Henry the Black" and brother of "Henry the Proud". Welf VI was already a member of the "Younger House of Welf", as the "Older House of Welf" ended (male wise) with Welf III in 1055. Welf III´s sister had married into the Italian d´Este family - and so she had started the "Younger House of Welf". The Welfs have been powerful counterparts to the Staufers - and the Welfs still exist - all over the place. One branch leads to George I of England, whose grand grand....daughter is Queen Elizabeth II. Other branches take you to the late Frederica, Queen of Greeks and mother of Queen Sofia of Spain - and of course, one line leads to Ernst August of Hanover married to the Princess of Hanover, aka Caroline of Monaco (daughter of Grace Kelly). That is the thread leading from Steingaden - to London, Monaco and elsewhere. The abbey itself had a kind of volatile history. Over the first centuries, the buildings were altered from romanesque to gothic style - before they were burnt down and looted 1525 during the Peasant´s War. A couple of years later, it was rebuilt in the style of the Renaissance, to get burnt down again 1646 during the Thirty Year´s War. After a new start - now in baroque and rococo - it got secularized in 1803. Then most buildings of the abbey got demolished before the main church (the "Welfenmuenster") was turned into the parish church of the village of Steingaden. The interior has the structure of Romanesque basilica and the splendour of the Baroque and Rococo periods.

Reichenau Island is an island in Lake Constance. It lies west of the city of Konstanz. Since 1838 the island is connected to the mainland by a causeway. The island was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 because of the important Abbey of Reichenau founded in 724 by Saint Pirmin, with patronage that included Charles Martel, Count Berthold of the Ahalolfinger and the Alemannian Duke Santfrid (aka Hnabi). It gained influence in the Carolingian dynasty, by educating the clerks who staffed Imperial and ducal chanceries. An important book collection was built up here. The abbey housed a school, and a scriptorium and artists' workshop, that has a claim to have been the largest and artistically most influential centre for producing illuminated manuscripts in Europe during the late 10th and early 11th centuries, often known as the Reichenau School. The Abbey reached its apex under Abbot Berno of Reichenau (1008–48). During his time, important scholars lived and worked in Reichenau. In the second half of the 11th century, the importance started to wane owing to rivalry with the nearby St. Gall. In 1540, the Bishop of Constance, an old rival of the Reichenau abbots, became lord of Reichenau, and, under the control of the succeeding bishops, the abbey's significance dwindled. The first church dedicated to St. Peter in this place was built in 799 by Bishop Egino of Verona, who after his resignation moved here to a cella, where he died in 802. Egino had founded the cella with the permission of Abbot Waldo. Venerated and blessed Egino received a burial place in the choir of today's St. Peter und Paul (aka "Reichenau Basilika") in the 12th century. The first church had collapsed after a fire in 1080. St. Peter und Paul had been erected on the ancient foundations. Unfortunately, the interior of St. Peter and Paul was redesigned in the Rococo style around 1750/1760 when windows were enlarged, the originally flat wooden ceiling was replaced by a flat stucco vault. While the murals of the apse are comparably well preserved the (younger) frescoes of the narthex are faded away.

Reichenau Island is an island in Lake Constance. It lies west of the city of Konstanz. Since 1838 the island is connected to the mainland by a causeway. The island was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 because of the important Abbey of Reichenau founded in 724 by Saint Pirmin, with patronage that included Charles Martel, Count Berthold of the Ahalolfinger and the Alemannian Duke Santfrid (aka Hnabi). It gained influence in the Carolingian dynasty, by educating the clerks who staffed Imperial and ducal chanceries. An important book collection was built up here. The abbey housed a school, and a scriptorium and artists' workshop, that has a claim to have been the largest and artistically most influential centre for producing illuminated manuscripts in Europe during the late 10th and early 11th centuries, often known as the Reichenau School. The Abbey reached its apex under Abbot Berno of Reichenau (1008–48). During his time, important scholars lived and worked in Reichenau. In the second half of the 11th century, the importance started to wane owing to rivalry with the nearby St. Gall. In 1540, the Bishop of Constance, an old rival of the Reichenau abbots, became lord of Reichenau, and, under the control of the succeeding bishops, the abbey's significance dwindled. The first church dedicated to St. Peter in this place was built in 799 by Bishop Egino of Verona, who after his resignation moved here to a cella, where he died in 802. Egino had founded the cella with the permission of Abbot Waldo. Venerated and blessed Egino received a burial place in the choir of today's St. Peter und Paul (aka "Reichenau Basilika") in the 12th century. The first church had collapsed after a fire in 1080. St. Peter und Paul had been erected on the ancient foundations. Unfortunately, the interior of St. Peter and Paul was redesigned in the Rococo style around 1750/1760 when windows were enlarged, the originally flat wooden ceiling was replaced by a flat stucco vault. The large window damaged, but not destroyed the mural of the apse. The paintings stem from 1104 - 1126.

Reichenau Island is an island in Lake Constance. It lies west of the city of Konstanz. Since 1838 the island is connected to the mainland by a causeway. The island was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 because of the important Abbey of Reichenau founded in 724 by Saint Pirmin, with patronage that included Charles Martel, Count Berthold of the Ahalolfinger and the Alemannian Duke Santfrid (aka Hnabi). It gained influence in the Carolingian dynasty, by educating the clerks who staffed Imperial and ducal chanceries. An important book collection was built up here. The abbey housed a school, and a scriptorium and artists' workshop, that has a claim to have been the largest and artistically most influential centre for producing illuminated manuscripts in Europe during the late 10th and early 11th centuries, often known as the Reichenau School. The Abbey reached its apex under Abbot Berno of Reichenau (1008–48). During his time, important scholars lived and worked in Reichenau. In the second half of the 11th century, the importance started to wane owing to rivalry with the nearby St. Gall. In 1540, the Bishop of Constance, an old rival of the Reichenau abbots, became lord of Reichenau, and, under the control of the succeeding bishops, the abbey's significance dwindled. The first church dedicated to St. Peter in this place was built in 799 by Bishop Egino of Verona, who after his resignation moved here to a cella, where he died in 802. Egino had founded the cella with the permission of Abbot Waldo. Venerated and blessed Egino received a burial place in the choir of today's St. Peter und Paul (aka "Reichenau Basilika") in the 12th century. The first church had collapsed after a fire in 1080. St. Peter und Paul had been erected on the ancient foundations. Unfortunately, the interior of St. Peter and Paul was redesigned in the Rococo style around 1750/1760 when windows were enlarged, the originally flat wooden ceiling was replaced by a flat stucco vault.

Reichenau Island is an island in Lake Constance. It lies west of the city of Konstanz. Since 1838 the island is connected to the mainland by a causeway. The island was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 because of the important Abbey of Reichenau founded in 724 by Saint Pirmin, with patronage that included Charles Martel, Count Berthold of the Ahalolfinger and the Alemannian Duke Santfrid (aka Hnabi). It gained influence in the Carolingian dynasty, by educating the clerks who staffed Imperial and ducal chanceries. An important book collection was built up here. The abbey housed a school, and a scriptorium and artists' workshop, that has a claim to have been the largest and artistically most influential centre for producing illuminated manuscripts in Europe during the late 10th and early 11th centuries, often known as the Reichenau School. The Abbey reached its apex under Abbot Berno of Reichenau (1008–48). During his time, important scholars lived and worked in Reichenau. In the second half of the 11th century, the importance started to wane owing to rivalry with the nearby St. Gall. In 1540, the Bishop of Constance, an old rival of the Reichenau abbots, became lord of Reichenau, and, under the control of the succeeding bishops, the abbey's significance dwindled. The first church dedicated to St. Peter in this place was built in 799 by Bishop Egino of Verona, who after his resignation moved here to a cella, where he died in 802. Egino had founded the cella with the permission of Abbot Waldo. Venerated and blessed Egino received a burial place in the choir of today's St. Peter und Paul (aka "Reichenau Basilika") in the 12th century. The first church had collapsed after a fire in 1080. St. Peter und Paul had been erected on the ancient foundations. Unfortunately, the interior of St. Peter and Paul was redesigned in the Rococo style around 1750/1760 when windows were enlarged, the originally flat wooden ceiling was replaced by a flat stucco vault. The large window damaged, but not destroyed the mural of the apse. The paintings stem from 1104 - 1126.

Reichenau Island is an island in Lake Constance. It lies west of the city of Konstanz. Since 1838 the island is connected to the mainland by a causeway. The island was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 because of the important Abbey of Reichenau founded in 724 by Saint Pirmin, with patronage that included Charles Martel, Count Berthold of the Ahalolfinger and the Alemannian Duke Santfrid (aka Hnabi). It gained influence in the Carolingian dynasty, by educating the clerks who staffed Imperial and ducal chanceries. An important book collection was built up here. The abbey housed a school, and a scriptorium and artists' workshop, that has a claim to have been the largest and artistically most influential centre for producing illuminated manuscripts in Europe during the late 10th and early 11th centuries, often known as the Reichenau School. The Abbey reached its apex under Abbot Berno of Reichenau (1008–48). During his time, important scholars lived and worked in Reichenau. In the second half of the 11th century, the importance started to wane owing to rivalry with the nearby St. Gall. In 1540, the Bishop of Constance, an old rival of the Reichenau abbots, became lord of Reichenau, and, under the control of the succeeding bishops, the abbey's significance dwindled. The first church dedicated to St. Peter in this place was built in 799 by Bishop Egino of Verona, who after his resignation moved here to a cella, where he died in 802. Egino had founded the cella with the permission of Abbot Waldo. Venerated and blessed Egino received a burial place in the choir of today's St. Peter und Paul (aka "Reichenau Basilika") in the 12th century. The first church had collapsed after a fire in 1080. St. Peter und Paul had been erected on the ancient foundations. Unfortunately, the interior of St. Peter and Paul was redesigned in the Rococo style around 1750/1760 when windows were enlarged, the originally flat wooden ceiling was replaced by a flat stucco vault. But the murals of the apse got partly saved.

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has a long history, that starts around 8000 BC, but later there were Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman periods. After the Roman Empire had fallen apart the Vandals tried to take over the island but failed. Finally, the Ostrogoths took possession. Mid of the 6th century Sicily was conquered by troops of the Byzantine Empire. After the advent of Islam, Sicily got attacked by the Arab forces. Raids seeking loot continued until the mid-8th century. A Muslim army was sent to the island in 827 but met with much resistance. So it took a century to conquer it and even later revolts constantly occurred In 1038 the Byzantines invaded the island supported by Norman mercenaries, led by Roger. In 1072, after the siege of Palermo, most of Sicily was under Norman control. Roger´s son Roger II raised the status of the island to a kingdom in 1130. During this period, the Kingdom of Sicily was prosperous and powerful, The court of Roger II became melting out of culture from Europe and the Middle East. This attracted scholars, scientists, artists, and artisans. Muslims, Jews, Greeks, Lombards, and Normans cooperated and created some extraordinary buildings. In 1186 the last descendant of Roger, Constance of Sicily married Emperor Henry VI, the second son of Barbarossa. So the crown of Sicily was passed on to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. Frederick II, the only son of Constance, was crowned King of Sicily at the age of four in 1198. He became "Stupor Mundi", one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages. Palermo, founded in 734 BC by the Phoenicians, became a possession of Carthage and later was part of the Roman Empire. From 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule. Following the Norman conquest, Palermo became the capital of a new Kingdom of Sicily and the capital of the Holy Roman Empire under Emperor Frederick II and King Conrad IV. Once George of Antioch, Ammiratus (Admiral) of Rogers II of Sicily, who founded the Martorana, had his palace, where today Santa Caterina (here seen from the Martorana) is located between todays Piazza Bellini and Piazza Pretoria. In 1310 a nunnery under the direction of the Dominican Order had been founded, dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The existing church was rebuilt 1566 - 1596 and finally consecrated in 1664. The church combines Sicilian Baroque, Rococo and Renaissance styles.