Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Noah

The Iron Age castle rampart of "Old Sarum" was built in the 4th century BC. This was later used as a fortress by the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and finally, from the 11th century, by the Normans. At the time of the Saxon invasions, Old Sarum fell to King Cynric of Wessex. The Saxons favoured settlements in the lowlands and largely ignored Old Sarum until the Viking invasions prompted King Alfred of Wessex to rebuild the fortifications. However Old Sarum was abandoned by its inhabitants and was sacked and burnt down by the Danish-Norwegian king Sweyn Forkbeard in 1003. After the Norman invasion a castle was built by 1070, which was directly under the control of the Norman kings. In 1075, the Council of London installed the first Bishop of Salisbury, named Herman. He and his successor, Saint Osmund, began the construction of the first Salisbury cathedral, that was completed in 1092. In 1220, Bishop Richard Poore of Sarum began building a new cathedral about three kilometres away in the valley south of the fortress of Old Sarum. This was the nucleus of today's city of Salisbury, initially under the name New Sarum. Just seven years later, Salisbury was granted city rights. The cathedral was consecrated in 1258 after only 38 years of construction. Due to the short construction period of the cathedral, its architectural style largely corresponds to the early English Gothic style. The free building site and the generous financial support of Henry III were decisive for the rapid completion. The crossing tower, which was added in the early 14th century, has been the tallest church tower in Great Britain at 123 metres since 1561, after the collapse of the crossing tower of the old St Paul's Cathedral. The only major sections begun later were the cloisters, added in 1240, the chapter house in 1263, the tower and spire, which at 123 m dominated the skyline from 1330. In total, 70,000 tons of stone, 3,000 tons of timber and 450 tons of lead were used in the construction of the cathedral. In the 17th century, Christopher Wren designed restoration measures to strengthen the central pillars, which by then had visibly deformed under the weight of the tower and spire. Significant changes to the cathedral were made by the architect James Wyatt in 1790, including the replacement of the original rood screen and demolition of a bell tower which stood northwest of the main building. The floor plan of Salisbury Cathedral shows a three-aisled basilica with two transepts. The chapter house is notable for its octagonal shape, slender central pillar. A frieze, which circles the interior above the stalls, depicts scenes and stories from the books of Genesis and Exodus. Noah Drunken Genesis 9:20-23 "Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body."

Tangermünde Castle was first mentioned in 1009 as "civitate Tongeremuthi" because this is where the Tanger (Tongera) flows into the Elbe. The city was first mentioned in 1275. From 1373 to 1378 Tangermünde was the second seat of Emperor Charles IV, who appointed his 12-year-old son Wenzel Elector of Brandenburg in 1373. After the death of Emperor Charles IV, there was a turbulent development in the Mark, until the Hohenzollerns were enfeoffed with the Mark as electors in 1415 and initially resided in Tangermünde. The heyday of the Hanseatic city was the 15th century, when the city gates and the town hall were built in the North German brick Gothic style. At this time, St. Stephen's Church was expanded into a Gothic hall church. The city lost the Elector's favor after the uprising of 1488, when the citizens rebelled against the beer tax. In 1617 the city burned down almost completely. After the fire, many magnificent half-timbered houses were built. Due to the Thirty Years' War, however, the city became a rather insignificant country town. - The predecessor of St. Stephan was a Romanesque basilica. It was in existence by 1188. Parts of this original building were reused in the construction of the present church. The transept of the former building gave the width of the new nave. Emperor Charles IV, who lived in Tangermünde between 1373 and 1378, founded a house of Augustinian Canons, to which he gave the church as a source of income. The canons conducted the services. During the late Middle Ages the construction took place in several phases of today's triple-aisled Gothic hall church. Firstly, after 1350, the northern wall of the nave and the southern wall were built, and in about 1405, the roof and the rib vaults. The prominent octagonal pillars are unusual. The south tower remains uncompleted to this day. In 1450 work began on the construction of the new choir, followed by the outside walls of the new ambulatory and also the arms of the transept. Only then was the old choir removed. The choir was roofed in 1475. The city-wide fire from 1617 damaged the church and the top part of the north tower collapsed. It was not restored until after 1714, when the tower received its present Baroque roof. A "Biblia Pauperum" (Bible for the poor) was attached to the north gallery of the church in 1620. In this way, the parishioners who could not read were able to experience the stories of the Bible in pictures. Noah's Ark. In the backdrop the elephants are approaching the ark.

Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum (now Lyon) was an important Roman city in Gaul. It was the capital of the Roman province of Gallia Lugdunensis. The Christianization took place very early. In 177, the Christian community sent a letter naming 48 of their number who had been martyred. In 843 it was ceded to Lorraine and then passed to the Kingdom of Burgundy, whose dominion was entrusted to the Archbishop of Lyon by Frederick Barbarossa in 1157. In 1312 Philip the Fair incorporated Lyon into the kingdom of France. Lyon was the scene of an urban revolt in 1436 when Charles VII increased taxation. The uprising, mainly of small merchants, lasted a total of two months. During the reign of Louis XI. Four fairs were set up, attracting merchants from all over Europe, especially Italy. Lyon became an important center for the spice trade and, more importantly, the silk trade after François I granted the weaving rights, which until then had been an Italian monopoly. Florentine immigrants also made Lyon a financial center for banking and insurance. - It is often said that the most beautiful cities are located on rivers. Lyon is situated on two rivers, the Rhone and the Saone, which meet in the south of the city. - The Lyon Cathedral was begun in 1180 on the ruins of a 6th-century church and completed in 1476. In 1245, the church hosted the First Council of Lyon, where the Pope declared Emperor Frederick II deposed. In 1274, the Second Council of Lyon was held in the cathedral, mainly to discuss the union of the Catholic Church with the Greek Orthodox. On August 17, 1316, John XXII was elected pope in the cathedral. He was the second of the Avignon popes. In 1562 the church was devastated by Calvinist Huguenots. In 1600 the cathedral was the scene of the marriage between King Henry IV and Mary de Medici. The facade from the 14th and 15th centuries is influenced by the flamboyant Gothic style. Episodes from the Old and New Testaments are told in 300 picture panels. Noah´s Arc Genesis 7:8-9 "Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah."

Florentina was established in Roman times as a settlement for veteran soldiers. The name had changed already when young Charlemagne conquered the town in 774. It became part of the Duchy of Tuscany, with Lucca as the capital. Around 1000 Margrave Hugo chose Florence as residency instead of Lucca. After the death of Matilda of Tuscany (1115), the Florentines formed a republic ruled by a council. The town prospered, despite a constant fight between the different factions and noble families. In the 15th century, Florence was among the largest and wealthiest cities in Europe. This was when the Medici family entered the political scene. As a dynasty of art-loving, power-hungry bankers, they made Florence the birthplace of the Renaissance. The Baptistery of San Giovanni is the baptistery of Florence Cathedral. The time of origin is disputed, the church was consecrated in the 11th century. The church stands on the foundations of a Roman building. The first reliable source dates from 897, when an ecclesia (church) dedicated to John the Baptist and facing the bishop's palace is mentioned. Today's building dates from the 11th century at the earliest. The octagon had been a common shape for baptisteries for many centuries since early Christian times. The construction was finished in 1128. An octagonal lantern was added to the roof around 1150. It was enlarged with a rectangular entrance porch in 1202, leading into the original western entrance of the building, that in the 15th century became an apse, after the opening of the eastern door facing the western door of the cathedral by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The interior is divided into a lower part with columns and an upper part with a corridor. The interior walls are clad in dark green and white marble inlaid with geometric designs. The marble lining of the interior began in the second half of the eleventh century. From 1225, the dome was decorated with one of the world's largest mosaic cycles, with a diameter of 26 m in eight rings by famous artists such as Giotto or Cimabue; This mosaic, dominated by a mighty figure of Christ, was only completed after 50 years. The cyclorama was created between 1260 and 1275 and has a diameter of eight meters. Details of the mosaic: The Story of Noah's Ark

Florentina was established in Roman times as a settlement for veteran soldiers. The name had changed already when young Charlemagne conquered the town in 774. It became part of the Duchy of Tuscany, with Lucca as the capital. Around 1000 Margrave Hugo chose Florence as residency instead of Lucca. After the death of Matilda of Tuscany (1115), the Florentines formed a republic ruled by a council. The town prospered, despite a constant fight between the different factions and noble families. In the 15th century, Florence was among the largest and wealthiest cities in Europe. This was when the Medici family entered the political scene. As a dynasty of art-loving, power-hungry bankers, they made Florence the birthplace of the Renaissance. The Baptistery of San Giovanni is the baptistery of Florence Cathedral. The time of origin is disputed, the church was consecrated in the 11th century. The church stands on the foundations of a Roman building. The first reliable source dates from 897, when an ecclesia (church) dedicated to John the Baptist and facing the bishop's palace is mentioned. Today's building dates from the 11th century at the earliest. The octagon had been a common shape for baptisteries for many centuries since early Christian times. The construction was finished in 1128. An octagonal lantern was added to the roof around 1150. It was enlarged with a rectangular entrance porch in 1202, leading into the original western entrance of the building, that in the 15th century became an apse, after the opening of the eastern door facing the western door of the cathedral by Lorenzo Ghiberti. Between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, three bronze double doors were added, with bronze and marble statues above them. The northern doors (aka Porte del Paradiso) are a work of Lorenzo Ghiberti, who won in 1401 (at the age of 21) a competition for this commission together with Brunelleschi, who however left and let Ghiberti work on the doors himself It took Ghiberti 21 years to complete these doors. These gilded bronze doors consist of twenty-eight panels. Ghiberti was now widely recognized as a top artist in this field. He was showered with commissions. In 1424 he received a commission for the east doors of the baptistery, on which he and his workshop toiled for 27 years. Ghiberti employed the recently discovered principles of perspective to give depth to his compositions. Genesis 9:20-23 "Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked." Most interesting for me are the animals, that had been on the ark. To the left is an elephant.

Salerno (pop. ~ 130.000) is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The site has been one of the most important and strategic ports on the Mediterranean sea, yielding a rich Greco-Roman heritage. It was an independent Lombard principality in the early Middle Ages. The Normans in 1077 made Salerno the capital of their rule in all of southern Italy. In the 16th century, under the Sanseverino family, among the most powerful feudal lords in southern Italy, the city became a center of learning, culture, and the arts. Salerno has been the seat of an archbishop since 983 and the city's medical school is famous for being the first college or "university" of medieval Europe. The Diocesan Museum is best known for the "Salerno Ivories". A collection of ivory plaques from around the 11th or 12th century that contain elements of Early Christian, Byzantine, and Islamic art as well as influences from Western Romanesque and Anglo-Saxon art. It is the largest unified set of ivory carvings preserved from the pre-Gothic Middle Ages and depicts narrative scenes from both the Old and New Testaments. It is supposed the ivories originated in either Salerno or Amalfi, which both contain identified ivory workshops, however, neither has been definitively linked to the plaques so the city of origin remains unknown. Noah´s ark

Otranto occupies the site of an ancient Greek city. It gained importance in Roman times, as it was the nearest port to the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. After the end of the Roman Empire, it was in the hands of the Byzantine emperors until it surrendered to the Norman troops of Robert Guiscard in 1068. The Normans fortified the city and built the cathedral, that got consecrated in 1088. When Henry VI., son of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, married Constanze of Sicily in 1186 Otranto came under the rule of the Hohenstaufen and later in the hands of Ferdinand I of Aragón, King of Naples. Between 1480 and 1481 the "Ottoman invasion" took place here. Troops of the Ottoman Empire invaded and laid siege to the city and its citadel. Legends tell that more than 800 inhabitants were beheaded after the city was captured. The "Martyrs of Otranto" are still celebrated in Italy, their skulls are on display in the cathedral. A year later the Ottoman garrison surrendered the city following a siege by Christian forces and the intervention of Papal forces. Otranto had been one of the last Byzantine strongholds in Apulia, but finally, Robert Guiscard could take it. It had probably been such a stronghold, as Otranto had hosted an autocephalous bishopric, only dependent on the patriarchal see of Byzantium since 968. So (Roman) Catholicism had to perform something "convincing" for the so-long (Byzantine) Orthodox Christians. One was to erect a huge church. The Otranto Cathedral, seen in the center, was erected over the ruins of a Paleochristian church from 1080 on and was consecrated in 1088. It is 54 meters long by 25 meters wide and is built on 42 monolithic granite and marble columns. I had returned to Otranto to see the unbelievable, breathtaking mosaic again. It was created by a monk named Pantaleon and his workshop between 1163 and 1165. Pantaleon lived at the monastery San Nicola di Casole, located a few kilometers south of Otranto. The mosaic covers the nave, both aisles, the apse and the presbytery. This sums up to a total of 1596 m². About 10 000000 (10 million!) "tesserae" were used. There are scholars, who have counted up to 700 different "stories", that are told here. Though, these "stories" are often disputed, as today's interpretations are mostly very "vague". German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen published the most important book about the mosaic in Italian " L'enigma di Otranto", that since the 1970s is translated into many languages. I followed his theories. Genesis 6:13-14 "So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress[ wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out." As I have uploaded so many photos taken in Otranto already, I will upload now only a few. If you want to see more click here: www.ipernity.com/doc/323415/album/1333378

Slavic Obodrites lived in the area, where Wismar is now, until the end of the 12th century. The exact date of the city's foundation is not clear, it had civic rights already in 1229 when migrants from Holstein and Westphalia settled here. The "Lübsches Stadtrecht" (town law) was confirmed in 1266. In 1259 Wismar joined a defensive agreement with Lübeck and Rostock, in order to counter the numerous Baltic pirates. Subsequently, more cities would agree to cooperate as commerce and trade were increasingly coordinated and regulated. These policies would provide the basis for the development of the "Hanseatic League". By the 13th and 14th centuries, Wismar had grown into a flourishing Hanseatic trading hub. In 1632, during the Thirty Years' War, Sweden conquered the city, and the Swedish Crown received in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 after the end of the Thirty Years' War. Swedish rule over Wismar ended de facto in 1803 when Sweden pledged the city to the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin for 99 years. Formally, Wismar reverted to Germany in 1903 and Sweden waived its right to redeem the pledge. Wismar is a typical representative of the Hanseatic League with its city-wide Brick Gothic structures and gabled patrician houses and has alongside the historical old town of Stralsund been declared the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar". The "Heiligen Geist Kirche" (Holy Spirit Church) is part of the "Heiligen Geist Hospital", which was founded in the middle of the 13th century as a hospital for the poor. In 1323, the hospital was placed under papal protection and construction of the present church began. The main altar was consecrated in 1326. Today's single-nave brick building essentially dates from the first third of the 14th century and was initially a place of worship, clinic and hostel at the same time. The painted plank ceiling of the hospital church shows a depiction of the biblical story in 26 pictures, which are depicted in medallions. The Flood ends, Noah is saved. Behind him the ark.

Beaune, in the centre of the Department "Côte-d’Or", is one of the key wine centres in France. It is the centre of Burgundy wine production. and business. The annual wine auction of the "Hospices de Beaune" is worldwide noticed and maybe the most important auction in France. The collegiate was founded in Beaune within the 10th century, the building of this church, which is parish church since the French Revolution, started in romanesque style within the 12th century. The Romanesque capitals are very detailed and have a specific "soft" style. Passengers are leaving Noah's Ark.

There had been a church here earlier, that was just too small, when Autun became a centre of pilgrimage, after relics of St. Lazarus were kept here since about 970. Just like Vezelay, only 90kms north, where the relics of St. Lazarus´ sister St. Maria Magdalena were kept at that time. So in 1120, it was decided to construct this larger and more suitable cathedral. At that time this construction was influenced by Cluny III, that was a little older. After severe damage during the Hundred Years' War, rebuilding and remodelling the romanesque structure started. The central nave never changed - and the many carved capitals. Some of these works were taken down, during the renovation by Viollet-le-Duc and are now shown in the "Salle Capitulaire", where it is interesting to see the carvings at eye level. This carved capital depicts the Ark, being boarded by Noah´s extended family - and all the animals, that should be saved from the flood. Noah (seen in the top window) has placed the Ark on top of a wooded mountain, so there would be a little more time before the waves would carry the Ark away. Two animals look out of the central window. The Ark seems to be a woven or braided house- or basketlike boat. The carving is very symmetrical. The ark is very small, same like the mountain, but as symbols, they are clearly recognisable.

The "Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges" was erected as a replacement for an 11th-century structure. The construction started probably in the last quarter of the 12th century, around the same time when the builders and bricklayers started in Chartres. The choir of the cathedral was in use by 1214, the nave was finished 1255. The cathedral was consecrated in 1324. The cathedral covers a surface of 5,900 m². The nave is 15 metres wide and 37 metres high, the inner aisle is 21.3 metres high. There are no transepts, but two aisles on either side forming a double ambulatory around the choir. The portals are breathtaking! As I have uploaded already so many photos I took during earlier visits (just search "Bourges" on my stream), I will ad only a few more for now. some of them just small details like this one. Genesis 8:6 - 8:9 "After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark."

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. - William II of Sicily built from 1172 here a fort-like complex of buildings, which included a cathedral, an archiepiscopal palace, a royal palace and a Benedictine monastery. In 1183 the monastery became the seat of the archdiocese of Monreale. The town then developed around this complex. According to a legend, William fell asleep while hunting. The Holy Virgin appeared to him in a dream, suggesting him to build a church here. After removing a tree, a treasure was found, whose coins were used to finance the construction. Well, it is much more likely that Monreale was founded in competition with the bishop of Palermo, who had commissioned the large Cathedral of Palermo. This would explain the vast dimensions and the splendour of the "Duomo di Monreale" (= "Cattedrale di Santa Maria Nuova"), that with the cloister, is the only building that survived the times. The interior is breathtaking, but as the cathedral is about 100 m long, there are distances here, not like inside the "Capella Palatina", where all the mosaics are so "near" - plus the visitors can sit down here - and gaze. It is overwhelming. Here are more than 6000m² of byzantine mosaics. The sides of the nave show many very strong parallels to the Cappella Palatina. Here and there probably the same workshop. Probably a large, maybe even a generation-spanning studio of Byzantine artists. Noah Genesis 9:20-23 "20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded[a] to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked." The icon here is "simpler" in design compared to the same icon in the Cappella Palatina.

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. - William II of Sicily built from 1172 here a fort-like complex of buildings, which included a cathedral, an archiepiscopal palace, a royal palace and a Benedictine monastery. In 1183 the monastery became the seat of the archdiocese of Monreale. The town then developed around this complex. According to a legend, William fell asleep while hunting. The Holy Virgin appeared to him in a dream, suggesting him to build a church here. After removing a tree, a treasure was found, whose coins were used to finance the construction. Well, it is much more likely that Monreale was founded in competition with the bishop of Palermo, who had commissioned the large Cathedral of Palermo. This would explain the vast dimensions and the splendour of the "Duomo di Monreale" (= "Cattedrale di Santa Maria Nuova"), that with the cloister, is the only building that survived the times. The interior is breathtaking, but as the cathedral is about 100 m long, there are distances here, not like inside the "Capella Palatina", where all the mosaics are so "near" - plus the visitors can sit down here - and gaze. It is overwhelming. Here are more than 6000m² of byzantine mosaics. The sides of the nave show many very strong parallels to the Cappella Palatina. Here and there probably the same workshop. Probably a large, maybe even a generation-spanning studio of Byzantine artists. Noah's Ark Genesis 6.12-16 "God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks." Genesis 8.10-17 "He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him. By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. Then God said to Noah, "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it."

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. The "Cappella Palatina" was built between 1132 and 1140 under King Roger II in the Norman-Arab-Byzantine style as the royal chapel inside the "Palazzo dei Normanni". It was consecrated in 1140, though it was not comleted when Roger II died in 1154. The "Cappella Palatina" was built between 1132 and 1140 under King Roger II in the Norman-Arab-Byzantine style as the royal chapel inside the "Palazzo dei Normanni". It was consecrated in 1140, though it was not completed when Roger II died in 1154. The interior is breathtaking for any visitor. Unfortunately, there are no seats for the elder who are blinded by the splendour. Noah Genesis 9:20-23 "20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded[a] to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked."

Venice (ital. Venezia) is one of the most important tourist destinations worldwide with about 30 million visitors each year. As each tourist takes at least 100 photos (minimum!) in Venice 3000000000 photos are taken here per year, what means more than 8 millions per day. Many of them are uploaded and can be found in the web. - Even the facade of the Basilica di San Marco has wonderful mosaics. Seen here is - Genesis 9:20-27 "And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard. And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant."

The Catedral de Santa Maria in Tudela was erected late 12th century on the place, where the Great Mosque of Tudela (9th c.) had stood before. The cathedral is really large (65m x 52m) but unfortunately was closed, so I could not see the well known cloister. I was very impressed by the late-Romanesque "Puerta del Juicio". The slightly pointed portal, created wirthin the 13th century, has eight archivolts and 122 different icons. This is one of 16 (!) capitals of the "Puerta del Juicio", it is pretty damaged, but I was surprised by the dromedary (aka "Arabian camel"). This scene may depict Noah's Ark, but I am not sure. To the right, God is talking to Noah. Under the arch to the left are four persons (Noah´s family?) and below the small ark with a lion (?). The dromedary seems ready to embark.