Wednesday 28 February 2018

Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary

Jan, who has a very nice blog of UNESCO postcards, sent me this card made with photos by her friend Boj Capati

Mount Hamiguitan
This postcard was sent by Jan

Mount Hamiguitan is a mountain located in the province of Davao OrientalPhilippines. It has a height of 1,620 metres (5,315 ft). The mountain and its vicinity has one of the most diverse wildlife populations in the country. Among the wildlife found in the area are Philippine eagles and several species of Nepenthes. Some of the latter, such as the Nepenthes peltata, are endemic to the area.The mountain has a protected forest area of approximately 2,000 hectares. This woodland is noted for its unique pygmy forest of century old trees in ultramafic soil, with many endangered, endemic and rare species of flora and fauna.
Inventory of flora species in the mountain and its vicinity showed that its montane forest has the highest species richness of plants with 462 species, followed by its dipterocarp forest with 338 species, mossy forest with 246 species and agro-system with 246 species.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List has identified at least 11 endangered vertebrate species. The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources and Development (PCARRD) reported that the mountain is inhabited by five endangered species, 27 rare species, 44 endemic species and 59 economically important species. - in: wikipedia

Sunday 25 February 2018

Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue

There is a Portuguese rock classic song about this city by the band Mão Morta. The song says that the nights of Budapest are nights of rock and roll :) Budapest is in my top 3 of "must visit" places! 


Budapest
This postcard was sent by Gabi

This site has the remains of monuments such as the Roman city of Aquincum and the Gothic castle of Buda, which have had a considerable influence on the architecture of various periods. 

Budapest
This postcard was given to me by my wife's uncles

It is one of the world's outstanding urban landscapes and illustrates the great periods in the history of the Hungarian capital. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/400


Hungarian Parliament Building
This postcard was sent by Gabi

The Parliament Building is in the Gothic Revival style; it has a symmetrical façade and a central dome. The dome is Renaissance Revival architecture. Also from inside the parliament is symmetrical and thus has two absolutely identical parliament halls out of which one is used for the politics, the other one is used for guided tours. It is 268 m (879 ft) long and 123 m (404 ft) wide. Its interior includes 10 courtyards, 13 passenger and freight elevators, 27 gates, 29 staircases and 691 rooms (including more than 200 offices). With its height of 96 m (315 ft), it is one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest, along with Saint Stephen's Basilica. The number 96 refers to the nation's millennium, 1896, and the conquest of the later Kingdom of Hungary in 896. - in: wikipedia

Heroes' Square
This postcard was sent by Gabi

Hősök tere (English: Heroes' Square) is one of the major squares in BudapestHungary, noted for its iconic statue complex featuring the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars and other important national leaders, as well as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The square lies at the outbound end of Andrássy Avenue next to City Park. (...) The sculptures were made by sculptor Zala György from Lendava. - in: wikipedia

Fisherman's Bastion
This postcard was sent by Gabi

The Halászbástya or Fisherman's Bastion is a terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style situated on the Buda bank of the Danube, on the Castle hill in Budapest, around Matthias Church. It was designed and built between 1895 and 1902 on the plans of Frigyes Schulek. Construction of the bastion destabilised the foundations of the neighbouring 13th century Dominican Church which had to be pulled down. Between 1947–48, the son of Frigyes SchulekJános Schulek, conducted the other restoration project after its near destruction during World War II. - in: wikipedia


Little Princess Statue and Buda Castle
This postcard was sent by Joana

Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest. It was first completed in 1265, but the massive Baroque palace today occupying most of the site was built between 1749 and 1769. The complex in the past was referred to as either the Royal Palace or the Royal Castle.
Buda Castle sits on the south tip of Castle Hill, bounded on the north by what is known as the Castle District (Várnegyed), which is famous for medievalBaroque and 19th-century houses, churches and public buildings. The hill is linked to Clark Ádám Square and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge by the Castle Hill Funicular. - in: wikipedia

The original 50 cm statuette of the Little Princess (Kiskirálylány) statue sitting on the railings of the Danube promenade in BudapestHungary was created by László Marton (1925–2008) Munkácsy- and Kossuth Prize-winning sculptor in 1972.
The artist was inspired by his eldest daughter born from his first marriage. She often played in the Tabán wearing a princess costume and a crown made out of newspaper by her father, and at home as well, pretending her bathrobes were a mantle. This image prompted her father, the artist in the creation of this little statue. - in: wikipedia

Monday 5 February 2018

Cathedral, Torre Civica and Piazza Grande, Modena

The first thing that comes to my mind about Modena is the balsamic vinegar. And no wonder, is probably the most world famous product of the region

Modena Cathedral and Ghiraldina
This postcard was sent by Marina

Modena Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in ModenaItaly, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saint Geminianus
Since the 5th century, two churches had existed on the site of the present cathedral: the discovery of the burial site of Saint Geminianus, Modena's patron saint, led to the destruction of those churches and building of this cathedral by 1099. The initial design and direction was provided by an architect known as Lanfranco, little else is known about this architect. The Saint's remains are still exhibited in the cathedral's crypt. The present cathedral was consecrated by Pope Lucius III on July 12, 1184.
After Lanfranco's work, the Cathedral was embellished by Anselmo da Campione and his heirs, the so-called "Campionese-masters". The current façade therefore exhibits different styles. The majestic rose-window was added by Anselmo in the 13th century, while the two lions supporting the entrance's columns are of Roman age, probably discovered while digging the foundations.

The Torre della Ghirlandina or simply Ghirlandina is the bell tower of the Cathedral of Modena, in Emilia-RomagnaItaly.
Standing at 86.12 metres, the tower is the traditional symbol of Modena, being visible from all directions outside the city.
The structure was set up in 1179 on five floors, initially called Torre di San Geminiano. To compete with Bologna's towers, the Comune added the characteristic octagonal cusp, designed by Arrigo da Campione, one of the numerous masters from Campione who took part in the cathedral's renovation in the 13th-15th centuries. The top of the tower is decorated with two ghirlande (two marble railings), whence the name. - in: wikipedia

18th-Century Royal Palace at Caserta with the Park, the Aqueduct of Vanvitelli, and the San Leucio Complex

It's not quite perceptible in this postcard but the park of this Italian palace looks really amazing

Royal Palace of Caserta with the Park
This postcard was sent by Edoardo

The Royal Palace of Caserta is a former royal residence in Caserta, southern Italy, constructed for the Bourbon kings of Naples. It is one of the largest palaces erected in Europe during the 18th century.

The garden, a typical example of the baroque extension of formal vistas, stretches for 120 ha, partly on hilly terrain. It is also inspired by the park of Versailles. The park starts from the back façade of the palace, flanking a long alley with artificial fountains and cascades.  - in: wikipedia

Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco and Other Franciscan Sites

Assisi is a medieval city known for being the birthplace of Saint Francis


Assisi
This postcard was sent by Marco


Assisi, a medieval city built on a hill, is the birthplace of Saint Francis, closely associated with the work of the Franciscan Order. Its medieval art masterpieces, such as the Basilica of San Francesco and paintings by Cimabue, Pietro Lorenzetti, Simone Martini and Giotto, have made Assisi a fundamental reference point for the development of Italian and European art and architecture. - inhttp://whc.unesco.org/en/list/990

Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi
This postcard was sent by Cristina

The Papal Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi (ItalianBasilica Papale di San Francesco) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor Conventual in Assisi, a town of Umbria region in central Italy, where St. Francis was born and died. The basilica is one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy.
The basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and comprises two churches known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church, and a crypt where the remains of the saint are interred. The interior of the Upper Church is an important early example of the Gothic style in Italy. The Upper and Lower Churches are decorated with frescoes by numerous late medieval painters from the Roman and Tuscan schools, and include works by CimabueGiottoSimone MartiniPietro Lorenzetti and possibly Pietro Cavallini. The range and quality of the works gives the basilica a unique importance in demonstrating the development of Italian art of this period. - in: wikipedia

St. Rufino Cathedral in Assisi
This postcard was sent by Marta

Assisi Cathedral (ItalianCattedrale di Assisi or Cattedrale di San Rufino di Assisi), dedicated to San Rufino (Rufinus of Assisi) is a major church in Assisi, Italy, that has been important in the history of the Franciscan order. In this church Saint Francis of Assisi (1182), Saint Clare (1193) and many of their original disciples were baptised.
This stately church in Umbrian Romanesque style was the third church built on the same site to contain the remains of bishop Rufinus of Assisi, martyred in the 3rd century. The construction was started in 1140 to the designs by Giovanni da Gubbio, as attested by the wall inscription visible inside the apse. He may be the same Giovanni who designed the rose-window on the façade of Santa Maria Maggiore in 1163.
In 1228, while he was in Assisi for the canonization of Saint Francis, Pope Gregory IX consecrated the high altar. Pope Innocent IVinaugurated the finished church in 1253. - in: wikipedia


Historic Centre of Kraków

For a long time I only had two postcards of St. Mary's church in Kraków, a city with a lot of wonderful monuments. Recently I finally received some different views. I knew that sooner or later more would come.

St. Mary's Church
This postcard was sent by Miguel

The Historic Centre of Kraków, the former capital of Poland, is situated at the foot of the Royal Wawel Castle. The 13th-century merchants' town has Europe's largest market square and numerous historical houses, palaces and churches with their magnificent interiors. Further evidence of the town's fascinating history is provided by the remnants of the 14th-century fortifications and the medieval site of Kazimierz with its ancient synagogues in the southern part of town, Jagellonian University and the Gothic cathedral where the kings of Poland were buried. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/29

St. Mary's Church
This postcard was sent by Justyna

Church of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven (also known as St. Mary's ChurchPolishKościół Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny, Kościół Mariacki) is a Brick Gothic church adjacent to the Main Market Square in KrakówPoland. Built in the 14th century, its foundations date back to the early 13th century and serve as one of the best examples of Polish Gothic architecture. Standing 80 m (262 ft) tall, it is particularly famous for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz). - in: wikipedia

Cloth Hall
This postcard was sent by Marco

The Kraków Cloth Hall (PolishSukiennicepronounced [sukʲɛˈɲit͡sɛ]) in Lesser Poland, dates to the Renaissance and is one of the city's most recognizable icons. It is the central feature of the main market square in the Kraków Old Town.
It was once a major centre of international trade. Traveling merchants met there to discuss business and to barter. During its golden age in the 15th century, the hall was the source of a variety of exotic imports from the east – spices, silk, leather and wax – while Kraków itself exported textileslead, and salt from the Wieliczka Salt Mine. - in: wikipedia

Wawel Hill
This postcard was sent by Marco

Wawel is a fortified architectural complex erected over many centuries atop a limestone outcrop on the left bank of the Vistula river in KrakówPoland, at an altitude of 228 metres above sea level.
The complex consists of many buildings and fortifications; the largest and best known of these are the Royal Castle and the Wawel Cathedral (which is the Basilica of St Stanisław and St Wacław). Some of Wawel's oldest stone buildings, such as the Rotunda of the Virgin Mary can be dated to 970AD. There are also wooden parts of the complex which date to about the 9th century. - in: wikipedia

Wawel Cathedral
This postcard was sent by Marco

The Royal Archcathedral Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus on the Wawel Hill, also known as the Wawel Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church located on Wawel Hill in KrakówPoland. More than 900 years old, it is the Polish national sanctuary and traditionally has served as coronation site of the Polish monarchs as well as the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of KrakówKarol Wojtyla, who in 1978 became Pope John Paul II, the day after his ordination to the priesthood, offered his first Mass as a priest in the Crypt of the Cathedral on 2 November 1946, and was ordained Kraków's auxiliary bishop in the Cathedral on 28 September 1958.
The current, Gothic cathedral, is the third edifice on this site: the first was constructed and destroyed in the 11th century; the second one, constructed in the 12th century, was destroyed by a fire in 1305. The construction of the current one began in the 14th century on the orders of bishop Nanker. - in: wikipedia

Friday 2 February 2018

Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra

This is another site that I have doubts if the postcard I first received (the one with the orangutans) shows the protected area. The site is divided in three national parks, Gunung Leuser, Kerinci Seblat and Bukit Barisan Selatan and the orangutans are in the Bukit Lawang Reserve, which according with their website is "located on the edge of the Gunung National Park". So I felt more confident when I received another postcard with the name of the site.

Tropical Rainforest of Sumatra
This postcard was sent by Shinta

The 2.5 million hectare Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra site comprises three national parks: Gunung Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. The site holds the greatest potential for long-term conservation of the distinctive and diverse biota of Sumatra, including many endangered species. The protected area is home to an estimated 10,000 plant species, including 17 endemic genera; more than 200 mammal species; and some 580 bird species of which 465 are resident and 21 are endemic. Of the mammal species, 22 are Asian, not found elsewhere in the archipelago and 15 are confined to the Indonesian region, including the endemic Sumatran orang-utan. The site also provides biogeographic evidence of the evolution of the island. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1167/

Orangutan in the Bukit Lawang Reserve
This postcard was sent by Heidy

Bukit Lawang is a popular tourist destination located on the edge of the Gunung Leuser National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to numerous bird, plant and mammal species, most famously the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), which can be seen in the jungle in Bukit Lawang as well as at the daily feedings. - in: http://www.bukitlawang.com/

The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) is one of the three species of orangutans. Found only in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, it is rarer than the Bornean orangutan but more common than the recently identified Tapanuli orangutan, also of Sumatra. Its common name is based on two separate local words, "orang" ("people" or "person") and "hutan" ("forest"), and translates as 'person of the forest'.
Male Sumatran orangutans grow to about 1.4 m (4.6 ft) tall and 90 kg (200 lb). Females are smaller, averaging 90 cm (3.0 ft) and 45 kg (99 lb). Compared to the Bornean species, Sumatran orangutans are thinner and have longer faces; their hair is longer with a paler red color. - in: wikipedia