Speyer Cathedral

Finally I visited a UNESCO site in Germany! The Speyer cathedral wasn't the site I had in mind to be the first but it was totally worth it! The cathedral is amazing, the historic center is very beautiful and I had an extraordinary meal with German sausages and German beer! 

Speyer Cathedral

This postcard was sent by Uwe

The Speyer Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen, in Speyer, Germany, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Speye rand is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Bamberg.

Speyer Cathedral

The cathedral, which is dedicated to St. Mary, patron saint of Speyer ("Patrona Spirensis") and St. Stephen is generally known as Kaiserdom zu Speyer (Imperial Cathedral of Speyer). Pope Pius XI raised Speyer Cathedral to the rank of a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church in 1925.

Speyer Cathedral

Begun in 1030 under Conrad II, with the east end and high vault of 1090-1103, the imposing triple-aisled vaulted basilica of red sandstone is the "culmination of a design which was extremely influential in the subsequent development of Romanesque architecture during the 11th and 12th centuries". As the burial site for Salian, Staufer and Habsburg emperors and kings the cathedral is regarded as a symbol of imperial power. 

Speyer with the Cathedral in the background

With the Abbey of Cluny in ruins, it remains the largest Romanesque church. It is considered to be "a turning point in European architecture", one of the most important architectural monuments of its time and one of the finest Romanesque monuments.

Domnapf and Cathedral's main door

In the square at the western end of the cathedral is a large bowl known as Domnapf (lit.: 'cathedral bowl') It formerly marked the boundary between the episcopal and municipal territories. Each new bishop on his election had to fill the bowl with wine, while the burghers emptied it to his health.

Speyer Cathedral

This postcard of a Postcrossing meeting in Speyer was sent by Niklot

In 1981, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites as "a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire". - in: wikipedia

Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha

Lumbini is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Gautama Buddha in 563 BCE.

Maya Devi Temple at Lumbini

This postcard was sent from Australia by Helen

Maya Devi Temple is an ancient Buddhist temple situated at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lumbini, Nepal. It is the main temple at Lumbini, a site traditionally considered the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. The temple stands adjacent to a sacred pool (known as Puskarni) and a sacred garden. The archaeological remains at the site were previously dated to the third-century BCE brick buildings constructed by Ashoka. A sixth-century BCE timber shrine was discovered in 2013. - in: wikipedia

Historic City of Ahmadabad

India has a lot of UNESCO sites but only in 2017 had its first World Heritage City

Kirti Stambh, Hutheesing Temple

This postcard was sent by K R Bhat

Hutheesing Temple is the best known Jain temple in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India. It was constructed in 1848.

The main building is double-storied. The moolnayak is marble image of the 15th Tirthankara, Lord Dharamnath. The main temple houses 11 deities, six in basement and five in three bay sanctuary. The main shrine lies on the east and temple is covered with a big dome supported by twelve ornate pillars. In addition there are 52 shrines (devakulikas), each adorned with an image of a Tirthankara. The secondary shrines form a long gallery its three sides.

The front is exquisitely ornamented by a 'dome' shaped structure.

The temple has a unique Manastambha (or column of honour) inspired by the Jain Manastambha and the Kirtistambha at Chittore in Rajasthan. - in: wikipedia

Grimeton Radio Station, Varberg

This old radio station represents a crucial step towards wireless communication

Grimeton Radio Station

This postcard was sent by Hanna

The Varberg Radio Station at Grimeton in southern Sweden (built 1922–24) is an exceptionally well-preserved monument to early wireless transatlantic communication. It consists of the transmitter equipment, including the aerial system of six 127-m high steel towers. Although no longer in regular use, the equipment has been maintained in operating condition. The 109.9-ha site comprises buildings housing the original Alexanderson transmitter, including the towers with their antennae, short-wave transmitters with their antennae, and a residential area with staff housing. The architect Carl Åkerblad designed the main buildings in the neoclassical style and the structural engineer Henrik Kreüger was responsible for the antenna towers, the tallest built structures in Sweden at that time. The site is an outstanding example of the development of telecommunications and is the only surviving example of a major transmitting station based on pre-electronic technology. - in: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1134/

Rock Carvings in Tanum

There are thousands of images called the Tanum petroglyphs concentrated in distinct areas along a 25 km stretch

Rock Carvings in Tanum

This postcard was sent by Hanna

The rock carvings in Tanum, in the north of Bohuslän, are a unique artistic achievement not only for their rich and varied motifs (depictions of humans and animals, weapons, boats and other subjects) but also for their cultural and chronological unity. They reveal the life and beliefs of people in Europe during the Bronze Age and are remarkable for their large numbers and outstanding quality. - in: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/557/

Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta (Brussels)

This site was harder to get than I thought. I already had a postcard of a building built by Victor Horta but unfortunately was not included in the UNESCO list. Finally I have one of the four houses

Hôtel van Eetvelde

This postcard was sent by Gerda

The Hôtel van Eetvelde is a town house designed in 1895 by Victor Horta for Edmond van Eetvelde, administrator of Congo Free State. Together with the Hôtel Tassel, the Hôtel Solvay and his own House and atelier it was put on the 'UNESCO World Heritage List' in 2000 as the core of epoch-making urban residences Victor Horta designed before 1900. It is located at 4 Avenue Palmerston in Brussels. - in: wikipedia

The four houses designed by Victor Horta listed as World Heritage (in  red what I have):

• Hôtel Tassel
• Hôtel Solvay
• Hôtel van Eetvelde
• Maison & Atelier Horta

Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy

Some of these "Sacri Monti" are not very far from where I live, so this weekend I stopped in Domodossola to see the Sacro Monte Calvario, when I returned from lake Maggiore where I visited a good friend who had already gave me a few postcards from this site as a Christmas present last year 

Sacro Monte of Varallo

This postcard was given to me by my friend Barbara

The Sacred Mountain of Varallo (Italian: Sacro Monte di Varallo) is a Sacro Monte overlooking the town of Varallo Sesia in the province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. It is the oldest Sacro Monte, founded in 1491 by Franciscan friar Bernardino Caimi. It is built on a natural terrace on the rocky slopes of Monte Tre Croci ("three crosses mountain"), on the left bank of the Sesia river where it leaves Val Mastallone. It is 600 m above sea level, 150 m above the historic centre of Varallo. - in: wikipedia

Sacro Monte di Orta

This postcard was given to me by my friend Barbara

The Sacro Monte di Orta (literally: "Sacred Mountain of Orta") is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the comune of Orta San Giulio (Piedmont, northern Italy) on the summit of a hill known as San Nicolao, which faces the western shore of Lake Orta.

Construction of the complex, dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, began in 1583. The project by the Capuchin friar Cleto da Castelletto Ticino involved 36 chapels, of which only 20 were built. Until 1630 they were mostly in the Mannerist style, but from the mid-17th century Baroque and other influences predominated. Construction ended in 1788. - in: wikipedia

Sacro Monte di Oropa

This postcard was sent by Steffi

The Sacro Monte di Oropa (literally ‘Sacred Mount of Oropa’) is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the province of Biella, Piedmont, northern Italy. It is one of the nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy and is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Construction began in 1617, near the pre-existing sanctuary of Black Virgin of Oropa, one of the oldest in Piedmont and one of the best known in the region of the Alps. The 12 chapels (plus another seven nearby) are united by a devotional path, and inside these chapels scenes from the story of the life of the Virgin Mary are represented. - in: wikipedia

Sanctuary of Oropa

This postcard was sent by Steffi

The Sanctuary of Oropa (Italian: santuario di Oropa), is a group of Roman Catholic buildings and structures in the municipality of Biella, Italy. It is located at a height of 1,159 metres in a small valley of the Alpi Biellesi.

The last building added to the sanctuary was the Upper Basilica, a monumental church built between 1885 and 1960 due the large number of pilgrims visiting Oropa. - in: wikipedia

Sacro Monte Calvario

The Sacred Mount Calvary of Domodossola (also known as Sacro Monte Calvario) is a Roman Catholic sanctuary on the Mattarella Hill, overlooking Domodossola (Piedmont, northern Italy). 

Sacro Monte Calvario

This postcard was given to me by my friend Barbara

It was built in 1657 in response to the wishes of the Capuchin friars, Gioacchino da Cassano and Andrea da Rho. The chapels, dedicated to the Via Crucis, are positioned along a devotional route which starts on the outskirts of Domodossola and ends at the summit of Mount Mattarella.

Sacro Monte Calvario

The sanctuary on the summit was consecrated in 1690 and in 1828 the philosopher priest, Antonio Rosmini, founded the Institute of Charity.

Sacro Monte Calvario

Over the centuries the Sacred Mountain has undergone various modifications, rebuilding and restoration including, in 1957, the wooden statues in chapels 3, 5, 6 and 7. - in: wikipedia

The nine "Sacri Monti" (in red what I have):

• Sacro Monte of “Nuova Gerusalemme” di Varallo Sesia. Vercelli, Piedmont
• Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralunga di Crea, Alessandria, Piedmont
• Sacro Monte di San Francesco d’Orta San Giulio, Novara, Piedmont
• Sacro Monte del Rosario di Varese, Varese, Lombardy
• Sacro Monte della Beata Vergine, Oropa, Biella, Piedmont
• Sacro Monte della Beata Vergine del Soccorso, Ossuccio, Como, Lombardy
• Sacro Monte della SS.Trinità, Ghiffa, Verbania, Piedmont
• Sacro Monte Calvario, Domodossola, Verbania, Piedmont
• Sacro Monte di Belmonte, Valperga, Canavese, Turin, Piedmont