Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd

I already have one postcard with all the four castles, but they are so great that I wouldn't mind to have one postcard for each castle. I'm only missing three!

Caernarfon, Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech Castles

This postcard was sent by Tündi

The four castles of Beaumaris, Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and the attendant fortified towns at Conwy and Caernarfon in Gwynedd, North Wales, are the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe, as demonstrated through their completeness, pristine state, evidence for organized domestic space, and extraordinary repertory of their medieval architectural form.

The castles as a stylistically coherent group are a supreme example of medieval military architecture designed and directed by James of St George (c. 1230-1309), King Edward I of England’s chief architect, and the greatest military architect of the age. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/374/

Beaumaris Castle

Beaumaris Castle, located in the town of the same name on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, was built as part of Edward I's campaign to conquer the north of Wales after 1282. Plans were probably first made to construct the castle in 1284, but this was delayed due to lack of funds and work only began in 1295 following the Madog ap Llywelyn uprising. A substantial workforce was employed in the initial years under the direction of James of St George.

Beaumaris Castle was never fully built, but had it been completed it would probably have closely resembled Harlech Castle. Both castles are concentric in plan, with walls within walls, although Beaumaris is the more regular in design. - in: wikipedia

The four castles:

• Beaumaris Castle
• Caernarfon Castle and Town Walls
• Conwy Castle and Town Walls
• Harlech Castle

Bardejov Town Conservation Reserve

Bardejov is a town that I'd definitely love to visit

Bardejov

Bardejov is dominated by the monumental Church of St. Aegidius, mentioned for the first time in 1247. A three nave basilica with multiple chapels was completed in 1464. It hosts eleven precious Gothic winged altars with panel paintings. The central square, which used to be the town’s medieval marketplace, is surrounded by well-preserved Gothic and Renaissance burghers’ houses as well as the Basilica of St.Giles.

One of the most interesting buildings is the town hall, built in 1505. The lower part was built in the Gothic style, while the upper part was finished in the Renaissance style. This was the headquarters of the city council and also the center of the town's economic, social, and cultural life. In 1903, the town hall was adapted to serve as Saris Župa Museum, the oldest museum in Slovakia.

The fortification system and town walls date from the 14th and 15th centuries and are listed by the European Fund of Cultural Heritage as one of the most elaborate and best preserved medieval fortifications in Slovakia. - in: wikipedia

Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent

The first postcard of this post was the last postcard I received in my Portuguese address 

Novodevichy Convent

This postcard was sent by Irina

The Novodevichy Convent, situated in the south-western part of the historic town of Moscow at the crossing of the Moscow River, was founded by Grand Duke Vasily III in the 1520s and was a part of a chain of monastic ensembles that were integrated into the defence system of the city. It is an outstanding example of Orthodox architecture. The ensemble consists of 14 buildings, including 8 cathedrals (a shrine, 4 churches, a belfry with the Barlaam and Josaphat church and two chapels) and a number of residential and service buildings.

Novodevichy Convent

This postcard was sent by Masha

The Convent is enclosed by a high masonry wall with twelve towers and with entrance gates to the north and south.

Among other major buildings of the Convent is the Bell Tower built in 1683-1690. It has no analogues among ancient Russian convents or among other buildings of Moscow Baroque style. Due to its great height (72m), unusual disposition, elegant proportions and beautiful decorations, the belfry has always been the main vertical element of the whole western part of the historic town of Moscow thus contributing to the Convent’s town-planning value. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1097

Ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery

The Ferapontov Monastery is considered one of the purest examples of Russian medieval art

Ferapontov Monastery

The Ensemble of Ferrapontov Monastery is situated in the Vologda region, in the north-western part of the Russian Federation on a small hill.

The Moscow monk Ferrapont founded the monastery in 1398. The Ensemble of the Monastery was formed in the 15th-17th centuries.

The architecture of the monastery, a remarkable example of the Rostov architectural style, is outstanding in its inventiveness and purity. The buildings of the monastery retained all the characteristic features and interior decoration.

The murals of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin have a special significance for Russian culture and other cultures worldwide. The murals of the Cathedral are the only paintings of the greatest Russian master Dionisy the Wise, which have been entirely preserved to this day in their original form. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/982

Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains

The six defensive works inscribed in this site show an unusual fusion of military and religious architectural techniques

Sarmizegetusa Regia

This postcard was sent by Mihai

Sarmizegetusa is the most important city in Orastie Mountains. The capital of former Dacian kingdom, the administrative, political and religious center dominates the heights from 1200 meters altitude, lying in the shade of the Godeanu Peak.

The fortress is built on five terraces, on an about 30,000 square meters area. It is surrounded by murus dacicus – three meters thick walls built using a Dacian ancient technique.

The most visited part of the fortress is the sacred area which includes seven visible sanctuaries, a paved road, an andesite sun and the defense towers. This is the area showing the original positions of the Dacian buildings. The walls of the entrance were built by Romans after conquering the city as part of a Roman castrum. - in: http://www.cazare-sarmizegetusa.ro/en/attractions/visit-sarmizegetusa-regia/

Clostesti-Blidaru

This postcard was sent by Daniela

The fortress was built in two major stages. It has some storage rooms, four defense towers and an outside water tank. Inside you will find a particularly ingenuous input at that time: the enemy entered through the first tower and was forced against a wall to turn right, where the Dacian soldiers waited. Blidaru was considered the military school where Dacians prepared their soldiers. - in: http://www.cazare-sarmizegetusa.ro/en/attractions/visit-blidaru/

The 6 Dacian Fortresses (in red what I have):

• Sarmizegetusa
• Costesti-Cetatuie
• Costesti-Blidaru
• Luncani-Piatra Rosie
• Banita 
• Capâlna

Studenica Monastery

The Studenica Monastery is known for its collection of 13th and 14th century Byzantine-style fresco paintings

Studenica Monastery - King's Church

This postcard was sent by Renato

Studenica Monastery, located in the Raška district of central Serbia, is the largest and richest of Serbia’s Orthodox monasteries. It was founded near Studenica river in the late 12th century by Stefan Nemanja, also known as Saint Simeon, who established the medieval Serbian state. His remains, as well as those of his wife Anastasia and of the first Serbian king, Stephen the First-Crowned, rest in this monastery. It is there that Stefan Nemanja’s youngest son, Saint Sava Nemanjić, initiated the independent Serbian Orthodox Church in 1219 and wrote the first literary work in the Serbian language. The complex’s two principal monuments, the Church of the Virgin and the King’s Church, enshrine priceless collections of 13th- and 14th-century Byzantine paintings. Studenica became the most important monastery in Serbia, and has remained so to the present day.

The modestly scaled King’s Church was founded in 1314 by King Milutin, who commissioned the renowned Salonican painters Michael and Eutychius to decorate the church’s interior with frescoes. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/389

Megalithic Temples of Malta

It is believed that the Megalithic Temples of Malta are among the most ancient religious sites on Earth

Megalithic Temples of Malta and Artefacts

Besides some artefacts that are now in the Museum of Archaeology of Valleta, this postcard shows the Tarxien Temples, the Ġgantija Temples, the Mnajdra Temples and the Ħaġar Qim temples

The Megalithic Temples of Malta (Ġgantija, Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, Skorba, Ta’ Ħaġrat and Tarxien) are prehistoric monumental buildings constructed during the 4th millennium BC and the 3rd millennium BC. They rank amongst the earliest free-standing stone buildings in the world and are remarkable for their diversity of form and decoration. Each complex is a unique architectural masterpiece and a witness to an exceptional prehistoric culture renowned for its remarkable architectural, artistic and technological achievements. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/132/

Ħaġar Qim

Ħaġar Qim is a megalithic temple complex found on the Mediterranean island of Malta, dating from the Ġgantija phase (3600-3200 BC)

The Ħaġar Qim complex consists of a main temple and three additional megalithic structures beside it. The main temple was built between 3600 and 3200 BC; however, the northern ruins are considerably older. - in: wikipedia

The temples (in red what I have):

• Ġgantija Temples
• Ħaġar Qim
• Mnajdra
• Ta' Hagrat
• Skorba
• Tarxien