Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Memento Mori

When Strasbourg was first mentioned in 12BC, it was the Roman camp Argentoratum. Strasbourg was probably a bishop's seat from the 4th century. Alemanni, Huns and Franks conquered the city in the 5th century. Strasbourg was then ruled by the Strasbourg bishops until 1262 when the citizens violently rebelled against the bishopric and Strasbourg became a free imperial city and so belonged to the Holy Roman Empire. Led by two rival patrician families (Müllheim and Zorn), the city prospered, although the town hall required two separate entrances for the two families. On February 14, 1349, one of the first and largest pogroms of persecution of Jews in connection with the plague in the German area took place here. In the course of the St. Valentine's Day massacre, several hundred (some say up to 3000) Jews were publicly burned, and the survivors were expelled from the city. Until the end of the 18th century, Jews were forbidden to stay within the city walls after 10 pm. Strasbourg came under French rule in 1681, after the conquest of Alsace by the armies of Louis XIV. However, the revocation of the Edict of Toleration of Nantes in 1685, which legalized the suppression of Protestantism in France, did not apply in Alsace, and religious freedom prevailed, even if the French authorities endeavored to favor Catholicism wherever possible. Strasbourg's Lutheran, German-influenced university continued to exist. Moreover, until 1789, Alsace was a de facto foreign province , separated from the rest of France by a customs border running along the Vosges Mountains. Therefore, the city and its surrounding area remained German-speaking. In the period of the French Revolution, the city became attractive for republicans from Germany and later an exile for German oppositionists. The Strasbourg Cathedral (German: Straßburger Münster) was built between 1176 and 1439 on the site of a previous church from the early 11th century that had burned down to replace a church from the Carolingian period that had burned down in 1007. Gothic style. At least from 1647 to 1874, the cathedral with its 142-meter-high north tower was the tallest structure in human history and the tallest structure of the Middle Ages. Important contributions from 1277 to his death in 1318 are attributed to the architect Erwin von Steinbach; he was succeeded by his son Johannes and his grandson Gerlach. The west facade was created by master Ulrich von Ensingen and his successor Johannes Hültz. With its characteristic asymmetrical shape (the south tower was never built), the Strasbourg Cathedral is the symbol of Alsace today. The building was damaged by bombardments in 1870 and 1944. The figural decoration and the interior decoration were damaged in the course of the iconoclasm of the Reformation, the re-Catholicization in 1681 and the French Revolution. The Strasbourg astronomical clock is the third clock on that spot and dates from the time of the first French possession of the city (1681–1870). The first clock had been built in the 14th century, the second in the 16th century, when Strasbourg was a Free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. This clock, completed in 1574, was created by Christian Herlin, Conrad Dasypodius, the Habrecht brothers and the painter Tobias Stimmer. It contained a clockwork-powered celestial globe designed by Dasypodius. The third clock was conceived by Jean-Baptiste Schwilgué, built 1838 - 43, and still works today. Its astronomical displays are, from top to bottom, a lunar clock, a planetarium, a clock with sun and moon hands, and a celestial sphere, also made by the clockwork is driven. Schwilgué partially adopted the heliocentric worldview in his clock. So he installed a planetarium on the site of the earlier astrolabe clock. Then the earth, together with its moon and together with other planets, orbits the standing sun. An attraction is the procession of the 45 cm high figures of Christ and the Apostles, which occurs every day at solar noon, while the life-size cock crows thrice. Of course, such a clock has a "Memento Mori", but nobody knows, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (Hemingway).

When Strasbourg was first mentioned in 12BC, it was the Roman camp Argentoratum. Strasbourg was probably a bishop's seat from the 4th century. Alemanni, Huns and Franks conquered the city in the 5th century. Strasbourg was then ruled by the Strasbourg bishops until 1262 when the citizens violently rebelled against the bishopric and Strasbourg became a free imperial city and so belonged to the Holy Roman Empire. Led by two rival patrician families (Müllheim and Zorn), the city prospered, although the town hall required two separate entrances for the two families. On February 14, 1349, one of the first and largest pogroms of persecution of Jews in connection with the plague in the German area took place here. In the course of the St. Valentine's Day massacre, several hundred (some say up to 3000) Jews were publicly burned, and the survivors were expelled from the city. Until the end of the 18th century, Jews were forbidden to stay within the city walls after 10 pm. Strasbourg came under French rule in 1681, after the conquest of Alsace by the armies of Louis XIV. However, the revocation of the Edict of Toleration of Nantes in 1685, which legalized the suppression of Protestantism in France, did not apply in Alsace, and religious freedom prevailed, even if the French authorities endeavored to favor Catholicism wherever possible. Strasbourg's Lutheran, German-influenced university continued to exist. Moreover, until 1789, Alsace was a de facto foreign province , separated from the rest of France by a customs border running along the Vosges Mountains. Therefore, the city and its surrounding area remained German-speaking. In the period of the French Revolution, the city became attractive for republicans from Germany and later an exile for German oppositionists. Around 600, a monastery with a church dedicated to the Apostle Thomas was founded at the current location. In the 9th century, a new church was built with an adjoining school. Both burned down in 1007 by lightning. After reconstruction, the monastery was converted into a collegiate monastery in 1031. Lightning struck again in 1144. The construction of a new building began in 1196, which combines Romanesque solidity with early Gothic details. The construction work ended in 1521 with side chapels in the late Gothic style. It is the main Lutheran church of the city since its cathedral became Catholic again after the annexation of the town by France in 1681. So it is nicknamed "la cathédrale du Protestantisme alsacien". It is the only hall church in the Alsace region. In the church, there are many tombs and monuments. A detail of the large baroque tomb of Mauritio Saxoni

Bari was an early settlement and passed under Roman rule in the 3rd century BC. It developed strategic significance as the point of junction between the coast road and the Via Traiana and as a port for eastward trade. The first bishop of Bari was Gervasius who is known from the Council of Sardica in 347. After the decline of the Roman Empire, the town was devasted and taken by Alaric´s Visigothic troops, then was under Lombardian rule, before the Byzantines took over. In 755 it was conquered by Pepin the Short (Charlemagne´s father) and from 847 on it was an Islamic Emirate. The Byzantine fleet returned in 871 and since 885 Bari was the residence of the local Byzantine governor. Following a three-year siege, Bari was captured by Robert Guiscard in 1071. After the relics of Saint Nicholas, which were brought from Myra in Lycia, arrived in Bari, the Basilica di San Nicola was founded in 1087. This attracted pilgrims, whose encouragement and care became central to the economy of Bari. After the murder of archbishop Griso in 1117 a civil war broke our and the control was seized by Grimoald Alferanites, a native Lombard, in opposition to the Normans. He later did homage to Roger II of Sicily, but rebelled and was defeated in 1132. The Castello Normanno-Svevo (aka "Castello di Bari") was probably built around 1132 by Norman King Roger II. When in 1155 the Baresi rebelled against the Normans, the castle got destroyed, so as a retaliatory action, William I of Sicily (aka "William the Wicked") had the city destroyed except for the cathedral and the Basilica of St. Nicola. Bari recovered and had its heydays under Frederick II. When he returned from his crusade after 1229, the city gates were locked so he had to use force to gain entry. Therefore, he probably had the fort built in 1233 to keep the city in check. On the other hand, he granted the city generous trade privileges and left it the leading role in the region. The macabre skeletal symbols on the door are meant to reinforce the concept of purgatory. Santa Maria del Suffragio (aka "Chiesa del Purgatorio") church dates from the 17th century, when the "Memento Mori" cult was very widespread. I have already uploaded many photos I took in Bari during previous visits, so I will only upload a few. If you want to see more, click here: www.ipernity.com/doc/323415/album/1333318

Already in 748, the place was a palace of the Agilolfinger, dukes of Bavaria. Forty years later it became the Carolingian royal palace. King Carloman of Bavaria (aka "Karlmann"), the oldest son of Louis the German founded a collegiate church in Altoetting in 876. This church got destroyed by Hungarian troops in 917. Only the octagon of the baptistery survived the destruction. The collegiate got refounded and the church got rebuilt later. In 1489 there were reports of two healing miracles which started the pilgrimage to Altoetting, that became one of the most important pilgrimage destinations of its time. The Collegiate Church belonged once to a community of secular canons that was founded in about 1228. The collegiate church was built on the site of the earlier monastic church. From 1489 however, the rapidly growing importance of Altötting as a place of a pilgrimage made a bigger church urgently necessary and it was largely rebuilt between 1499 and 1511 in its present form as a late Gothic hall church. The "Tod von Ending" is a 50cm high carved skeleton. It stands on a clock and swings the scythe every second. It was probably created within the 16th century during the time of the plague. Memento Mori!