Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Santa Maria del Suffragio

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 homeless The 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 construction of this church was begun on October 10, 1713, ten years after the 1703 L'Aquila earthquake ruined the Confraternita del Suffragio's former seat. The building, whose execution was entrusted to the architect Carlo Buratti, was completed after several construction phases. In 1770 began the realization of the facade by Gianfrancesco Leomporri, while the dome was added in 1805 by Giuseppe Valadier. The church was severely damaged by the earthquake of 2009 and several aftershocks. Due to the almost total collapse of the dome, which happened to be broadcast live on a RAI news program, its image became a symbol of the earthquake and the destruction of L'Aquila.

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 homeless The 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 construction of this church was begun on October 10, 1713, ten years after the 1703 L'Aquila earthquake ruined the Confraternita del Suffragio's former seat. The building, whose execution was entrusted to the architect Carlo Buratti, was completed after several construction phases. In 1770 began the realization of the facade by Gianfrancesco Leomporri, while the dome was added in 1805 by Giuseppe Valadier. The church was severely damaged by the earthquake of 2009 and several aftershocks. Due to the almost total collapse of the dome, which happened to be broadcast live on a RAI news program, its image became a symbol of the earthquake and the destruction of L'Aquila.

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 homeless The 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 construction of this church was begun on October 10, 1713, ten years after the 1703 L'Aquila earthquake ruined the Confraternita del Suffragio's former seat. The building, whose execution was entrusted to the architect Carlo Buratti, was completed after several construction phases. In 1770 began the realization of the facade by Gianfrancesco Leomporri, while the dome was added in 1805 by Giuseppe Valadier. The church was severely damaged by the earthquake of 2009 and several aftershocks. Due to the almost total collapse of the dome, which happened to be broadcast live on a RAI news program, its image became a symbol of the earthquake and the destruction of L'Aquila.

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

In Roman times Ravenna was a lagoon city surrounded by water, with at times up to 50.000 inhabitants. The second largest naval base of the Roman Empire was located here. In the late 5th century, Roman authority in the West dissolved, and Romulus Augustulus was deposed by the general Odoacer in 476. Odoacer ruled as king of Italy for 13 years, but in 489 the eastern emperor Zeno sent the Ostrogoth king Theoderic to reconquer Italy. After losing the Battle of Verona, Odoacer retreated to Ravenna, where he withstood a three-year siege. In 493, Theoderic finally took Ravenna and supposedly killed Odoacer with his own hands. Ravenna became the capital of the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy. Theodoric died in 526 and various Ostrogothic military leaders took the Kingdom of Italy, but none was really successful. Meanwhile, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I opposed both Ostrogoth rule. In 535 his general Belisarius invaded Italy and in 540 conquered Ravenna. After the conquest of Italy was completed in 554, Ravenna became the seat of the Byzantine government in Italy. Under Byzantine rule, the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Ravenna held second place in Italy after the pope and played an important role during this period. In 751 Lombard king, Aistulf conquered Ravenna, thus ending Byzantine rule in northern Italy. King Pepin of the Franks attacked the Lombards and Ravenna gradually came under the direct authority of the Popes. Pope Adrian I authorized Charlemagne to take away anything from Ravenna that he liked, and Roman columns, mosaics, statues, and other portable items were taken north to enrich his capital of Aachen. In 1198 Ravenna led a league of Romagna cities against the Emperor. After the war of 1218, the Traversari family was able to impose its rule in the city, but after a short period, Ravenna was returned to the Papal States in 1248 and again to the Traversari until 1275. One of the most illustrious residents of Ravenna at this time was the exiled Florentine poet Dante. In 1441 the city was annexed to the Venetian territories. Construction of the church began in 1701 at the behest of the Confraternita della Beata Vergine dei Suffragi (Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin of the Suffrages) and ended in 1728. The baroque-style building has a central octagonal plan. Find more photos from Ravenna in this album www.ipernity.com/doc/323415/album/1330038