The Maison Carrée of Nîmes

 I was once at Nîmes but I didn't see the Maison Carrée

Maison Carrée

The Maison carrée (French for "square house") is an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, southern France; it is one of the best-preserved Roman temples to survive in the territory of the former Roman Empire. It is a mid-sized Augustan provincial temple of the Imperial cult, a caesareum.

In about 4–7 AD, the Maison carrée was dedicated or rededicated to Gaius and Lucius Caesar, grandsons and adopted heirs of Augustus who both died young. The inscription dedicating the temple to Gaius and Lucius was removed in medieval times. However, a local scholar, Jean-François Séguier, was able to reconstruct the inscription in 1758 from the order and number of the holes on the front frieze and architrave, to which the bronze letters had been affixed by projecting tines. According to Séguier's reconstruction, the text of the dedication read (in translation): "To Gaius Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul; to Lucius Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul designate; to the princes of youth." During the 19th century the temple slowly began to recover its original splendour, due to the efforts of Victor Grangent. - in: wikipedia

Maison Carrée (Bottom Left)

Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops

Last year there were no new sites in the World Heritage list. To make it up, this year were inscribed 42 new properties! Of those 42 I only had 3.

Žatec

Žatec is a town in Louny District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 19,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře river. Žatec is famous for an over-700-year-long tradition of growing Saaz noble hops used by several breweries. Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation and partly also as an urban monument zone. - in: wikipedia

Rainforests of the Atsinanana

This is one of the six national parks distributed along the eastern part of Madagascar

Masoala National Park

This postcard was sent by Nancy

Masoala National Park, in northeast Madagascar, is the largest of the island's protected areas. Most of the park is situated in Sava Region and a part in Analanjirofo. Created in 1997, the park protects 2,300 square kilometres of rainforest and 100 square kilometres of marine parks. The Masoala Peninsula is exceptionally diverse due to its large size, and variety of habitats. Altogether, the park protects tropical rainforest, coastal forest, flooded forest, marsh, and mangrove. Three marine parks protect coral reefs and a dazzling array of marine life. 

There are ten lemur species, including the red ruffed lemur, which is native to the peninsula. 

Masoala harbors many other species, such as the Madagascar day gecko, leaf-tailed gecko, chameleons of all sizes, spectacular birds such as the helmet vanga, and rare species such as the red owl and tomato frog. Masoala is also home to the day-flying sunset moth, Chrysiridia rhipheus. The Madagascar serpent-eagle was recently rediscovered here, and exists in healthy populations only in this part of northeast Madagascar. - in: wikipedia

Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns

I know a lot of people that have already been in Thailand and everybody talks me about the beaches. I'm pretty sure the beaches are great but places like this one is what I'd love to see!

Wat Si Chum

This postcard was sent from Germany by Claus

The Sukhothai Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์สุโขทัย ) covers the ruins of Sukhothai, literally "Dawn of Happiness", capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, in what is now Northern Thailand. It is located near the modern city of Sukhothai, capital of the province with the same name.

Wat Si Chum

This postcard was sent by Sirote

Wat Si Chum (Thai: วัดศรีชุม) has a massive mandapa in the middle of the complex which was built in the late 14th century by King Maha Thammaracha II. Inside the mandapa, there is a huge 11 meters wide and 15 meters high seated Buddha image called "Phra Achana", which was mentioned in Ramkhamhaeng stele. The Mandapa has a square base of 32 meters on each side and 15 meters high, and its walls are three feet thick. In the south wall there is a narrow staircase passage which can be used to reach the roof. In this passage more than 50 slates were discovered on which images from the life of Buddha (Jataka) are engraved. These slates are the oldest surviving examples of Thai art of drawing. East of mandapa are the ruins of vihara with column fragments and three Buddha image pedestals. North of the Mandapa are the ruins of another small vihara and another smaller mandapa with a Buddha image. The entire complex is surrounded by a moat. There is a legend that to boost morale of the ancient soldiers and people, the kings went through the hidden passageway and address the people through a hole, making them believed the voice they were hearing was actually the Buddha's. - in: wikipedia

Sceilg Mhichíl

Besides of the importance of the early monastic complex, this island is also an important bird area. I like to watch birds but I can hardly identify them. 

Sceilg Mhichíl

This postcard was sent by Lea

Skellig Michael (Irish: Sceilig Mhichíl), or Great Skellig (Irish: Sceilig Mhór), is the larger of the two Skellig Islands, 11.6 kilometres (7.2 mi) west of the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. A Catholic monastery was founded on the island at some point between the 6th and 8th century and remained continuously occupied until it was abandoned in the late 12th century. The remains of the monastery, and most of the island, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

Skellig Michael

This postcard was sent from Germany by Klaus

The monastery's exact date of foundation is not known. The first definite reference to monastic activity on the island is a record of the death of "Suibhini of Skelig" dating from the 8th century; however, Saint Fionán is claimed to have founded the monastery in the 6th century. - in: wikipedia

Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications

Before returning home we still did a short stop in Elvas for lunch and to see the city. It was one of the few UNESCO sites in Portugal that I hadn't visited yet.

Elvas Square with Pillory

Elvas is a Portuguese municipality, former episcopal city and frontier fortress of easternmost central Portugal, located in the district of Portalegre in Alentejo.

Elvas is among the finest examples of intensive usage of the trace italienne (star fort) in military architecture, and has been a World Heritage Site since 30 June 2012. 

Castle of Elvas

The site, extensively fortified from the 17th to 19th centuries, represents the largest bulwarked dry ditch system in the world. Within its walls, the town contains barracks and other military buildings as well as churches and monasteries. While Elvas contains remains dating back to the 10th century, its fortification began during the Portuguese Restoration War. The fortifications played a major role in the Battle of the Lines of Elvas in 1659. The fortifications were designed by Dutch Jesuit Padre João Piscásio Cosmander and represent the best surviving example of the Dutch school of fortifications anywhere. - in: wikipedia

Old Cathedral of Elvas

The Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral (Portuguese: Sé Catedral Nossa Senhora d’Assunção; Antiga Sé de Elvas) also called Old Cathedral of Elvas is a religious building of the Catholic Church in the Republic Square, in the parish of the Assumption in the city of Elvas, in the district of Portalegre in Portugal. - in: wikipedia

Amoreira Aqueduct

This postcard was sent by Jackie

The Amoreira Aqueduct (Portuguese: Aqueduto da Amoreira) is a 16th-century aqueduct (begun in 1537) that spans the Portuguese municipality of Elvas, bringing water into the fortified seat.

The aqueduct has a length of 7,054 metres (23,143 ft) from its spring in the Serra do Bispo until the Chafariz do Jardim, and another 450 metres (1,480 ft) to the town fountain. Its track includes 1,367 metres (4,485 ft) subterranean segments, to a maximum altitude of 4,049 metres (13,284 ft) above sea level, while 1,683 metres (5,522 ft) include arcade segments. From Outeiro de São Francisco is the second canal, which redirects waters to Outeiro dos Pobres, identifiable in the arcade at Rossio. In total there are 833 arches, with at most four registers at any one time (diminishing size at higher altitudes), supported by rectangular pillars and strengthened by semi-circular and pyramidal buttresses. The structure includes the municipal coat-of-arms constructed of marble or azulejo. -in: wikipedia

Fort of Santa Luzia

This postcard was sent by Martinha 

The Santa Luzia Fort is located on the south side of the beautiful town of Elvas, and constitutes nowadays an important example of the 17th century Portuguese military architecture. 

Elvas, located next to the border with Spain, has been since early times an important strategically defensive point. This structure was built in 1641, right after the Restoration of the Portuguese Independence from the Spanish domain. Matias de Albuquerque signed the project that was later redesigned by Sebastião Frias on a star shape, and afterwards altered by Hieronimo Rozzeti.

This Fort was part of an important defensive structure which includes the São Mamede, São Pedro, Piedade and São Francisco Forts, integrating the Elvas defensive lines. 

This defensive system was able to resist the violent attack and three months siege that the Spanish Army made in 1659.

The Santa Luzia Fort presents a square plan with around 150 meters, and is constituted by several Vauban style bastions, ravelins, crowns and other military pieces. In the centre is the small fort where is located the Governor’s House.

Nowadays this Fort also houses the interesting Santa Luzia Fort Military Museum. - in: https://www.guiadacidade.pt/en/poi-santa-luzia-fort-20169

Fort of Graça

This postcard was sent by Javier

The Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort, officially Conde de Lippe Fort and known historically as La Lippe, is a fort in the village of Alcáçova, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) north of the town of Elvas in the Portalegre District of Portugal.

The strategic importance of the fort was demonstrated during the Portuguese Restoration War, when in 1658 Spanish troops occupied the site during the siege of the town of Elvas prior to the Battle of the Lines of Elvas on 14 January 1659.

A century later, during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) King Joseph I of Portugal and the Marquis of Pombal called on Marshal Lippe to reorganize the Portuguese army and draw up plans for the modernization of the stronghold.

The work began in 1763 and continued into the reign of Maria I of Portugal (r. 1777–1816), with the fort reopening in 1792 under the name of Conde de Lippe Fort after its designer.

The fort is a 150 metres (490 ft) quadrangle with pentagonal bastions at the corners. Four ravelins cover the curtain wall, half of which form part of the monumental gate (Dragon Gate).

The central part of the square features a circular redoubt with two floors and a parapet with gun ports. The fort's circular tower has two vaulted floors: the first consisting of a decorated chapel and the second the Governor's House. Below the chapel, carved into the rock, there is a cistern. - in: wikipedia

The 7 properties (in red what I have):

• Amoreira Aqueduct
• Historic Centre
• Fort of Santa Luzia and the covered way
• Fort of Graça
• Fortlet of São Mamede
• Fortlet of São Pedro
• Fortlet of São Domingos