Red Fort Complex

It is in the Red Fort that the Prime Minister of India hoists the national flag every year on India's Independence Day and delivers a nationally-broadcast speech from its ramparts.

Red Fort

This postcard was sent by Prashanth 

The Red Fort is a historical fort in the city of Delhi in India. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal dynasty for nearly 200 years, until 1857. It is located in the center of Delhi and houses a number of museums. In addition to accommodating the emperors and their households, it was the ceremonial and political centre of the Mughal state and the setting for events critically impacting the region.

Constructed in 1639 by the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the palace of his fortified capital Shahjahanabad, the Red Fort is named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone and is adjacent to the older Salimgarh Fort, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546. The imperial apartments consist of a row of pavilions, connected by a water channel known as the Stream of Paradise (Nahr-i-Bihisht). - in: wikipedia

Agra Fort

This is one of the finest forts in India

Agra Fort

This postcard was sent by Col Akhil

Agra Fort is a historical fort in the city of Agra in India. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty till 1638, when Mughal capital was shifted from Agra to Red Fort in Delhi. The fort can be more accurately described as a walled city. - in: wikipedia

Changdeokgung Palace Complex

The buildings of Changdeokgung complex blend with the natural topography of the site instead of imposing themselves upon it.

Changdeokgung Injeongjeon Hall

This postcard was sent from Taiwan by Chang

Injeongjeon Hall is the main hall at Changdeokgung Palace. It was used by the king and officials for conferences and as a meeting point with visitors. Foreign envoys would meet the king at this location when they arrived at the palace.

Originally built in 1405, it was twice destroyed by fire, once in 1592 and again in 1804. Both times it was rebuilt.

The royal walkway and courtyard, dating back to 1609, can be seen in front of the hall.

The area surrounding the courtyard was used for storage and for royal guards as they protected the king and the residence. - in: http://www.theseoulguide.com/sights/palaces/changdeokgung-palace/injeongjeon-hall-and-injeongmun-gate/

Seonjeongjeon Hall

This postcard arrived from Indonesia sent by Jennifer

Seonjeongjeon Hall is where the king would meet with high ranking officials at Changdeokgung Palace to discuss political, state, and palace affairs. At his convenience, the king and his officials would hold seminars and have morning meetings. He would discuss royal issues and other national affairs.

The colonnaded area which surrounds the building was used for storage and for secretary offices. A narrow corridor leads to Seonjeongmun Gate. This corridor was used during royal funerals when Seonjeongjeon Hall served as a royal shrine. This corridor is the only remaining evidence of its function during funerals.

The roof of the structure is the only existing blue tiled palace roof. - in: http://www.theseoulguide.com/sights/palaces/changdeokgung-palace/seonjeongjeon-hall-and-seonjeongmun-gate/

Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli

I was once in Genoa but unfortunately I didn't see any of the 42 palaces of this site. All I remember is the chaotic traffic

Garibaldi Street and Rolli Palaces

 

This postcard was sent by Eduardo

Via Garibaldi is street of the historical centre of Genoa, northern Italy, well known for its ancient palaces.

The street dates back to the year 1550. Originally named as Strada Maggiore, then Strada Nuova, only in 1882 its name was dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi.

The Palazzi dei Rolli is a group of palaces in Genoa, northern Italy.

The rolli or rolls were created in 1576, open to the aristocratic Senate refounded by Prince (and Admiral) Andrea Doria, which through his constitutional reform introduced oligarchic rule and the subsequent insertion into the Genoese sovereignty of Spain. - in: wikipedia

Royal Palace of Genoa

The Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) or Palazzo Stefano Balbi is a major palace in Genoa.

Construction of the present structure began in 1618 for the Balbi family. From 1643-1655, work renewed under the direction of the architects Pier Francesco Cantone and Michele Moncino. In 1677, the palace was sold to the Durazzo Family, who enlarged the palace under the designs of Carlo Fontana.

In 1823, the palace was sold to the Royal House of Savoy. From 1919, the palace has belonged to the state. - in: wikipedia

Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square

This is one of the largest and most beautiful palaces in Germany and it's surrounded by wonderful gardens

Würzburg Residence

This postcard was sent by Sigrid

The Würzburg Residence is a palace in Würzburg, Germany. Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch, representatives of the Austrian/South German Baroque style, were involved in the construction, as well as Robert de Cotte and Germain Boffrand, who were followers of the French Style. Balthasar Neumann, court architect of the Bishop of Würzburg, was the principal architect of the Residence, which was commissioned by the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn and his brother Friedrich Carl von Schönborn in 1720, and completed in 1744. The Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, assisted by his son, Domenico, painted frescoes in the building.

Interiors considered masterworks of Baroque/Rococo or Neoclassical architecture and art include the grand staircase, the chapel, and the Imperial Hall. - in: wikipedia

Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl

I have two postcards of the Augustusburg Castle but still none of the Falkenlust hunting lodge

Castle of Augustusburg

 

This postcard was sent by Michèle

Set in an idyllic garden landscape, Augustusburg Castle (the sumptuous residence of the prince-archbishops of Cologne) and the Falkenlust hunting lodge (a small rural folly) are among the earliest examples of Rococo architecture in 18th-century Germany.

Castle of Augustusburg

This postcard was sent by Marcel

The Castle of Augustusburg, a bold and successful revamping of the lack-lustre construction of Schlaun and the hunting lodge of Falkenlust, a dazzling creation, ex nihilio, are one of the best examples of the Rococo style, this international art of unprecedented richness. At Augustusburg, the staircase of Balthasar Neumann – considered a work of creative genius – is a rapturous structure which unites a lively movement of marble and stucco, jasper columns and caryatids, and culminates in the astonishing frescoed ceiling of Carlo Carlone. The central block, the wings of the parade, and the private apartments are organised in a hierarchy of effects of outstanding conception, while the décor “bon enfant” of the new grand summer apartments, with its faience tiles from the Low Countries, opposes the “official” programme. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/288/

Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance in Nancy

Of the three squares that compose this site I only have a postcard of the Place Stanislas

Place Stanislas

This postcard was sent by Ulla

The Place Stanislas is a large pedestrianised square in the French city of Nancy, in the Lorraine region.

The square was a major project in urban planning, dreamt up by Stanisław I, as a way to link the medieval old town of Nancy and the new town built under Charles III in the 17th century. The square would also be a place royale to honour his son-in-law, Louis XV. The design linked two handsome buildings that already existed: the Hôtel de Ville (now centred on its grand square) and the Hôtel du Gouvernement. The seat of city government and the seat of Ducal government faced each other as complements through a series of rational, symmetrical but varied urban spaces, unequalled in Europe at the time.

The square and the surrounding buildings, unified by their colossal orders, were designed by the royal architect Emmanuel Héré de Corny (1705–1763). Construction began in March 1752, and ended in November 1755. Barthélémy Guibal and Paul-Louis Cyfflé created a bronze statue of Louis XV, which stood in the middle of the square until it was removed during the Revolution, and was replaced with a simple winged figure. The square was renamed 'Place du Peuple', and later 'Place Napoléon'.

In 1831, a bronze statue of Stanisław (Stanislas in French) was placed in the middle of the square, since then known as the 'Place Stanislas'. - in: wikipedia