Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Crucifix

With more than 500.000 inhabitants Hannover is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Hannover was founded in medieval times on the east bank of the River Leine. It was a small village of ferrymen and fishermen. It became a comparatively large town in the 13th century, receiving town privileges in 1241, owing to its position at natural crossroads It was connected to the Hanseatic city of Bremen by the Leine and was situated north-west of the Harz mountains so that east-west traffic passed through it. Between 1714 and 1837 three kings of Great Britain were concurrently also Electoral Princes of Hanover. As an important railway and road junction and production centre, Hannover was a major target for strategic bombing during WW II. More than 90% of the city centre was destroyed in a total of 88 bombing raids. So today Hannover lacks it´s medieval heart. Originally the Museum of "Kunst und Wissenschaft" (art and science) inaugurated in 1856 in the presence of George V of Hanover. After the annexation of Hanover by Prussia, the museum was integrated into the Provincial Museum, as it was called from 1869. The museum ran out of space for its art collections, prompting the construction of the current building in 1902. Extensive renovations and modernisations were carried out in the interior from 1995 to 2000, reopening on 13 May 2000 as part of Expo 2000. Today the museum comprises the state gallery (Landesgalerie), featuring paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, and departments of archaeology, natural history and ethnology. Crucifix wood, Hildesheim (?), 1120

With more than 500.000 inhabitants Hannover is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Hannover was founded in medieval times on the east bank of the River Leine. It was a small village of ferrymen and fishermen. It became a comparatively large town in the 13th century, receiving town privileges in 1241, owing to its position at natural crossroads It was connected to the Hanseatic city of Bremen by the Leine and was situated north-west of the Harz mountains so that east-west traffic passed through it. Between 1714 and 1837 three kings of Great Britain were concurrently also Electoral Princes of Hanover. As an important railway and road junction and production centre, Hannover was a major target for strategic bombing during WW II. More than 90% of the city centre was destroyed in a total of 88 bombing raids. So today Hannover lacks it´s medieval heart. Originally the Museum of "Kunst und Wissenschaft" (art and science) inaugurated in 1856 in the presence of George V of Hanover. After the annexation of Hanover by Prussia, the museum was integrated into the Provincial Museum, as it was called from 1869. The museum ran out of space for its art collections, prompting the construction of the current building in 1902. Extensive renovations and modernisations were carried out in the interior from 1995 to 2000, reopening on 13 May 2000 as part of Expo 2000. Today the museum comprises the state gallery (Landesgalerie), featuring paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, and departments of archaeology, natural history and ethnology. Crucifix wood, Westphalia, c 1350 Jesus is clothed in a long tunic. This may refer to the "volto santo" in Lucca, which was highly revered in the Middle Ages.

In the time of Alfonso IX , the settlement began to be formed thanks to the repopulation policy. In 1270, Alfonso X of Castile founded the current town by granting a town charter. From the 14th century onwards the town was named Villaviciosa meaning "fertile town." The church is erected in the late Romanesque style with some Gothic elements. The granting of the charter by Alfonso X meant a very substantial growth of the town that led to the construction of this church. The church had of course several modifications over the years. Crucifix

A town may have existed here since ancient times, it was seized by Scipio Africanus away from Carthage by 207 BC, in the context of the Second Punic War. Following the Umayyad conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the city became the head of an important territory with some similarities to the current province. Jaén was conquered by the Almoravids in 1091. Taken in 1159 by Ibn Mardanīš (aka "Rey Lobo"), who was opposed to the spread of the Almohad Empire, it fell back to the Almohads in 1169. In 1225, Fernando III of Castile unsuccessfully laid siege to Jaén. The city was besieged again in 1230 by Fernand who lifted the siege after the news of the death of his father, Alfonso IX of León. In 1246 Muhammad I of Granada surrendered to Fernando. Following the conquest the Diocese of Baeza was moved to Jaén. During the Spanish Civil War, the city remained loyal to the Second Spanish Republic and was therefore bombed by the infamous German Condor Legion flying squadron on April 1, 1937. Current estimates suggest that 159 residents were killed and several hundred injured in the bombing. The “Museo Íbero” is located here in a new building that only opened in 2017 and houses an outstanding collection of Iberian art. Crucifix / 14th - 15th century

León was founded in 68 AD for a Roman legion from which they were supposed to pacify the rebellious mountain dwellers of Asturias and Cantabria. The name of the settlement that was then developed is based on a refined form of the Latin word "legio". After the end of the Roman Empire, the city was conquered by the Visigoths and in 712 by the Moors. In 856, after the reconquest under King Ordoño I of Asturias, the city was repopulated. Ordoño II made León the capital of his kingdom of León in 914. Sacked by Almanzor in about 987, the city was reconstructed and repopulated by Alfonso V, León was an important stop on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela. Traders and artisans settled in the suburbs and had a strong influence on the development of the city from the 13th century onwards. In the early Middle Ages, the city became prosperous through the cattle trade. However, from the 16th century until the 19th century, the economy and population declined. The "Palacio del Conde Luna" (Palace of Count Luna) is a palace from the 14th century, that was expanded by a Renaissance tower later. The Court of the Inquisition was installed in this palace for many years. It now hosts a museum and a branch of the University of Washington, which uses the building for the learning of Spanish by its students. Crucifix, ca. 11th century, ivory

Bernburg is today a city with about 32.000 inhabitants. The current district Waldau was already mentioned in 782 for the first time and in 806 as "Waladala" in the chronicle of Moissac, about 1500 km southwest. (the chronicle is in the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris today). In 782, at the Diet of Lippspringe, what was then Saxony was divided into Frankish counties and thus became part of the Frankish Empire. The next mention of a Bernburg castle was in 1138, when it is reported that the enemies of Albrecht the Bear infected the "Berneburch". Together with the reconstruction of the castle from the second half of the 12th century, a Slavic settlement was established in front of the castle. In the first half of the 13th century, the Nikolai settlement developed due to the targeted settlement of craftsmen and merchants. The first record of a mill on the Saale dates back to 1219, and the first bridge over the Saale was mentioned in 1239. In 1278, Bernhard I of Anhalt-Bernburg granted the old town and the new town the town charter. In 1293, at the instigation of the abbot of the Nienburg monastery, Slavonic was banned as a court language in Anhalt-Bernburg. St. Nikolai was founded as the parish church of the new town in Bernburg. The church was a four-bay Gothic pillar basilica and a westwork originally planned with two towers. The choir as the oldest part of 1240. On the north side is the slightly younger barrel-vaulted sacristy with gable-crowned buttresses, which was extended to the west in a second construction phase. The nave was built by about 1300, of which only the north wall and the pressed ogival northern arcade with square piers from the third quarter of the 13th century are preserved. Luckily I met the lady with the key. She let me in and showed my around. Thank you very much! The Crucifix

With a victory in the Battle of Lenzen in 929, the Saxens made a significant advance into the dominion of the Slavic tribes. Shortly thereafter, the area around Havelberg was conquered and a castle complex was built on the ridge. Otto I continued the conquest of eastern Elbe areas and founded the bishopric of Havelberg as a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Magdeburg. The settlement of a bishopric in Havelberg suggests that the place represented a regional center as early as the 10th century and possibly before. As early as 983, a rebellion broke out among Slavic groups, during which the bishopric of Havelberg was conquered. It was not until 1130 that King Lothar III succeeded. to recapture the place. The city was built in the middle of the 12th century, spatially separate from the cathedral district, on a promontory in a bend in the Havel River, that was made to an island for strategic reasons. The first construction work on the church must have taken place in the middle of the 10th century. A chronicler reports that the church was destroyed during the uprising in 983. Around 1150, under the influence of the local Bishop, a cathedral was built. The basilica was consecrated in 1170. The church was about 70 meters long and 20 meters wide. The Romanesque building consisted of two tower-like crossbars with a three-aisled nave in between. A large triumphal arch visually separated the chancel from the nave. The chancel itself was rectangular and ended in a semi-circular apse. The westwork, appearing defensively closed from the outside, had five round-arched portals to the naves on the inside. A fire in 1279 destroyed significant parts of the cathedral. Using the existing Romanesque components, the basilica was rebuilt in a Gothic style with bricks. The entire conversion was probably not completed until 1330 when the high altar was consecrated. After the Reformation, the cathedral chapter converted to Protestantism in 1561. The bishopric of Havelberg itself was dissolved in 1598 by Elector Joachim Friedrich of Brandenburg. Adjacent to the cathedral is the 12th-century convent building of the Premonstratensian canons. Today the buildings host the "Prignitz Museum". This bronze cross is dated to the 12th century and was probably cast in the Northern Harz Mountains. Such crosses were used by missionaries. This was found in a field.

With a victory in the Battle of Lenzen in 929, the Saxens made a significant advance into the dominion of the Slavic tribes. Shortly thereafter, the area around Havelberg was conquered and a castle complex was built on the ridge. Otto I continued the conquest of eastern Elbe areas and founded the bishopric of Havelberg as a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Magdeburg. The settlement of a bishopric in Havelberg suggests that the place represented a regional center as early as the 10th century and possibly before. As early as 983, a rebellion broke out among Slavic groups, during which the bishopric of Havelberg was conquered. It was not until 1130 that King Lothar III succeeded. to recapture the place. The city was built in the middle of the 12th century, spatially separate from the cathedral district, on a promontory in a bend in the Havel River, that was made to an island for strategic reasons. The first construction work on the church must have taken place in the middle of the 10th century. A chronicler reports that the church was destroyed during the uprising in 983. Around 1150, under the influence of the local Bishop, a cathedral was built. The basilica was consecrated in 1170. The church was about 70 meters long and 20 meters wide. The Romanesque building consisted of two tower-like crossbars with a three-aisled nave in between. A large triumphal arch visually separated the chancel from the nave. The chancel itself was rectangular and ended in a semi-circular apse. The westwork, appearing defensively closed from the outside, had five round-arched portals to the naves on the inside. A fire in 1279 destroyed significant parts of the cathedral. Using the existing Romanesque components, the basilica was rebuilt in a Gothic style with bricks. The entire conversion was probably not completed until 1330 when the high altar was consecrated. After the Reformation, the cathedral chapter converted to Protestantism in 1561. The bishopric of Havelberg itself was dissolved in 1598 by Elector Joachim Friedrich of Brandenburg. Adjacent to the cathedral is the 12th-century convent building of the Premonstratensian canons. Today the buildings host the "Prignitz Museum". Crucifix carved from lime wood around 1330.

A legend has it that Saint-Pierre Abbey was founded by the Frankish king Clovis in 506, but historians proved that it was actually founded by the Bishop of Cahors in the 7th century. The monastery did not have it easy. It was attacked twice by Moorish troops in the 8th century. A hundred years later, the Normans rowed up the Garonne and raided the place. After Hungarian troops plundered and finally destroyed it in the 10th century, the monastery was rebuilt. When the pilgrimage to Santiago became popular, the Abbey of Cluny was annexed and was an important stop on the Via Podensis. This was the golden age for the abbey and abbots investing in architecture and art. The Romanesque church, consecrated in 1063, was completely destroyed during the Albigensian Crusade. The church was rebuilt after the war, but the portal, which was built around 1110/1130, has survived the times. ---- I have been to Moissac a number of times and have uploaded many photos. Now I will only add a few.

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 Basilica di Santa Croce is the principal Franciscan church in Florence and the largest Franciscan church worldwide. Legends tell, that it was founded by St Francis himself, but proven is that the construction was begun outside the city walls in 1294. The floorplan is a Tau cross, which is a symbol of St Francis. The design was done by Arnolfo di Cambio, a very busy architect, as he worked as well at the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and the Palazzo Vecchio. The church was consecrated in 1442 by Pope Eugene IV. On Nov. 4. 1966 the Arno River flooded Florence, including Santa Croce. The water reached a height of 5 meters here, bringing mud, pollution, and heating oil. The damage to buildings and works of art was really severe. It took decades to repair, what could be repaired. Cimabue painted the Crucifix of Santa Croce about 1272-1280.

The oldest aristocratic families in Siena date their line to the Lombards' surrender in 774 to Charlemagne. At this point, Frankish overseers married into the existing Sienese nobility. Feudal power waned, however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the March of Tuscany which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions. This ultimately resulted in the creation of the Republic of Siena. The Republic existed for over four hundred years, from the 12th century until 1555. In contrast to Florence, Siena was on the Ghibelline side in the dispute between the emperor and the papacy and thus received various privileges. Essentially, however, behind this conflict was an economic rivalry between the two trading cities. The Florentines were defeated at the Battle of Montaperti in 1260. During the golden age of Siena before the Black Death in 1348, the city was home to 50,000 people. Unlike the Medici, who ruled in Florence, no family was able to establish a stable dynasty. In the War of 1551–59, the republic was defeated by Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown. In 1512 the city found itself under the protection of Charles V. The citizens rebelled against the tyranny of the Spaniards, but In 1555 Siena was taken after a long siege and two years later given as a fief to Cosimo I de Medici, under whom it became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The church was built by the Dominicans from 1226 onwards, , shortly after Saint Domingo de Guzmán had visited the city. The nave was built between 1246 and around 1300. The stones used for the transept come from the city tower of the Counts d'Elci, which collapsed in 1338. The church is also known as "Basilica Cateriniana". This refers to Catherine of Siena, a Dominican saint. After Catherine's death in Rome in 1380 her head was brought to Siena in 1383. It is now in San Domenico. In the 14th century, the church was enlarged. In 1430 the church building was included in the city wall ring of Siena. The campanile was built from 1490 to 1517. In 1531 fires affected the church. The fire of December 4, 1531, spared the relics of St. Catherine. The occupation of the church by the Spanish militia 1548-1552 led to damage, as they expanded the church into a fortress and set up camp there. In 1798, an earthquake caused extensive damage to the church. Because of this, the campanile had to be shortened. www.basilicacateriniana.it/index_en.htm

L'Aquila is located about 700 meters high in the valley of the Aterno. It is dominated on all sides by the mountains of Abruzzo, including to the east the Gran Sasso d'Italia, the highest mountain in mainland Italy outside the Alps. In 1230, Emperor Frederick II founded Aquila on the site of - according to tradition - 99 villages. Since then, the number 99 has a special meaning for the Aquilians. The city walls were completely built in 1316. In the 15th century it had about 8000 inhabitants and was the most important fortress of the Kingdom of Naples. In 1528 the city was conquered by Emperor Charles V for the Spanish crown. After the earthquake of 1786, the city was partially rebuilt in the Baroque style. On April 6, 2009, an earthquake destroyed large parts of the city. There were 308 fatalities, and about 1,500 people were injured. Around 65,000 people were rendered homelessThe then Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi immediately promised help to the earthquake victims of L'Aquila. There is circumstantial evidence that the mafia has infiltrated the authorities and is leaking aid money. It took almost five years for construction work to begin in L'Aquila. The very interesting "Museo nazionale d'Abruzzo" was located in "Forte Spagnolo", the Spanish castle, since 1951. After the castle was severely damaged during the 2009 earthquake, it was moved to the premises of the former slaughterhouse and is now accessible again. Christo deposito (1290-1300) Because of the 2009 earthquake the sculpture was ruined to the ground and had its nose hopelessly crushed. It got meanwhile restored.

The area around Lübeck, today a large city with a population of more than 200,000, had been settled by Slavs since the 7th century. Slavs had a settlement north of the present city called "Liubice", which was razed by the pagan Rani tribe in 1128. 15 years later Adolf II, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein, founded the modern town as a German settlement on the river island of Bucu. He built a new castle, first mentioned as existing in 1147. Adolf II had to cede the castle to the Duke of Saxony, Henry the Lion, in 1158. After Henry's fall from power in 1181, the town became an Imperial city. Emperor Barbarossa ordained that the city should have a ruling council of 20 members. With the council dominated by merchants, trade interests shaped Lübeck's politics for centuries. In the 14th century, Lübeck became the "Queen of the Hanseatic League", being by far the largest and most powerful member of that medieval trade organization. In 1375, Emperor Charles IV named Lübeck one of the five "Glories of the Empire", a title shared with Venice, Rome, Pisa, and Florence. Conflicts about trading privileges resulted in fighting between Lübeck (with the Hanseatic League) and Denmark and Norway – with varying outcome. While Lübeck and the Hanseatic League prevailed in conflicts in 1435 and 1512, Lübeck lost when it became involved in a civil war that raged in Denmark from 1534 to 1536. From then on Lübeck's power slowly declined. The city remained neutral in the Thirty Years' War, but the devastation from the decades-long war and the new transatlantic orientation of European trade caused the Hanseatic League – and thus Lübeck with it – to decline in importance. However, Lübeck still remained an important trading town on the Baltic Sea. In 1160 Henry the Lion moved the bishopric of Oldenburg to Lübeck and endowed a cathedral chapter. In 1163 a wooden church was built, however, at the beginning of the 13th century, it was no longer sufficient to meet the representative demands of the self-confident burghers. St. Marien was built 1250 - 1350. It has always been a symbol of the power and prosperity of the Hanseatic city. It situated at the highest point of the island that forms the old town. Gothic cathedrals in France and Flanders made of natural stone were the models for the new construction of Lübeck's three-nave basilica. St. Marien epitomizes North German "Brick Gothic" and set the standard for many churches in the Baltic region. The church embodied the towering style of Gothic architecture using brick. The incentive for the City Council to undertake such an enormous project was rooted in the bitter dispute with the Lübeck bishopric. As a symbol of the long-distance merchants' desire for freedom and the secular power of the city, which had been free of the Empire since 1226, the church building in the immediate vicinity of Lübeck's city hall and the market square was intended to clearly and uncatchably surpass in size the city's bishop's church, Lübeck Cathedral. The large crucifix is the work of the German artist Gerhard Marcks (1889 - 1981), who was one of the Bauhaus masters in the 1920s.