Salamanca's Cathedral - Spain

Last month's meeting  was not the first meeting between the Portuguese and Spanish in Salamanca. In October 2009 the city was invaded by a small group of Portuguese, myself included, and 2 Spanish girls, who mercilessly attacked all the souvenir shops with postcards in sight :) 

This year's meeting was on November 23rd, my birthday, and Miguel sent me a postcard of the beautiful cathedral to wish me a happy birthday. The other card, with the river view, was sent by me in 2009.

 

IMAGEN SA. 17 * Fotografia: Carlos Santiago

 

When we speak of the Cathedral of Salamanca in fact we are referring to two churches joined together. First, there is the old cathedral dating from the 12th-13th centuries; and then the new one from the 16th century. 

 The Old Cathedral is in the Romanesque style with the outstanding Gallo Tower. Inside this temple, the construction of which began at the end of the 12th century, is the San Martín or Oil Chapel. The main reredos, which dates from the 15th century and was created by several painters with Dello Delli at the head, is also worthy of note. 

 The mural painting which covers the vault is the work of Nicolás Florentino. In this great pictorial work it is possible to see the image of Christ at the Last Judgement. The Old Cathedral attracts the eye of the visitor due to the beautiful tombs of the bishops' and members of the nobility to be found inside. 

 

 The New Cathedral, built in the 16th century and completed in the 18th century by Churriguera, houses the image of the Virgin of the Assumption, carved in 1624 by the sculptor Esteban de Rueda. In the New Cathedral, the choir stalls designed by Joaquín Churriguera in 1727 are of particular notice. The temple's baroque choir screen is beautiful, featuring Renaissance images such as the Virgin of Loreto and those of Saint John the Baptist. - in: https://www.spain.info

Christmas Meeting in Salamanca - Spain

A month ago postcrossers from Portugal and Spain met in Salamanca to celebrate Christmas, postcards, postcrossing and the Iberian Peninsula.

 

The Postcrossing logo is a registred trademark * by pensilcard

I didn't attend this meeting but someone remembered me. Thank you Miguel.

Sado Gold Mine - Japan

 This may not be a typical postcard but, as I've said many times, one can not be too picky when it comes to UNESCO sites. It was sent by Rachelle. 

Sado Gold Mine is the newest Japan's site, added to the WHS list a few months ago. 

Sado Island is a remote island on the Sea of Japan, 45 kilometers west of Niigata City. The island has long been called The Island of Gold due to the existence of many mines. The gold dust began to be mined around the 12th century. A total of 78 tons of gold and upwards of 2,330 tons of silver were produced.

 

Sado Gold and Silver Mines is a general term for the gold and silver mines on Sado Island, one of which is the Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine. Full scale development began in 1601, and a large amount of gold and silver was produced for nearly 400 years until mining stopped in 1989. Here, everything from mining to koban coin manufacturing was carried out. Today, the site has been developed as a tourist facility, Historic Site Sado Gold Mine, where you can learn about the changes in mining technology and production methods while observing heritage sites such as the remains of mine shafts and ore dressing facilities. - in: https://www.japan.travel

CN-3842054

 Look how beautiful this natural reflection is. 

 

The Qiantang River is a river in East China. An important commercial artery, it runs for 459 kilometers (285 mi) through Zhejiang, passing through the provincial capital Hangzhou before flowing into the East China Sea via Hangzhou Bay south of Shanghai.

 

CN-3842054, sent by Xu.

The river is known, along with Hangzhou Bay, for having what is called by locals as the "Silver Dragon", the world's largest tidal bore, a phenomenon where the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) that can rise to a height of 9 meters (30 ft) and travels up the river or narrow bay at top speeds of 40 km/h (25 mph; 11 m/s) against the direction of the river or bay's current, and can be seen from miles away. - in: wikipedia

Suzdal - Russia

Suzdal is one of Russia's oldest cities and dates back to 1024. It is often called a city-museum of the Golden Ring, as it has preserved its original appearance and boasts an abundance of historical monuments, ancient Russian art and architecture. The city's charm is so great that it was left untouched by the Soviet industrialization which destroyed so much of Russia's heritage. - in: https://www.travelallrussia.com

 

The Suzdal Kremlin is the oldest part of Suzdal that laid the foundation for the settlement.

 

RU-10246190, sent by Vladimir.

The heart of the Kremlin is the Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral (Rozhdestvensky), which stands right in the middle of the ensemble. The cathedral is considered the oldest preserved structure in Suzdal. It was originally built in 1222-1225 on the site of an earlier church erected by Vladimir Monomakh in the XI century. The earlier church was the first Christian church in Suzdal.
Only Cathedral’s lower part is original white stone, while the rest is 16th century brick. The walls of the cathedral are adorned with the ancient frescoes of the 13th – 17th centuries. The interior is famous for its golden gates (1230-1233). The gates are divided into squares with scenes of the life of Christ. - in: https://www.russiaeguide.com

The cathedral is one of the eight White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal, a UNESCO site since 1992.

St. Nicholas Church is located near the ramparts in the southeastern part of the Suzdal Kremlin. Built in 1720-1739 as a summer parish church and was transported there from the village of Glotovo in the 19th century.

Milan - Italy

I've been to Italy 4 times and I visited Milan twice. First time was in December 2005 and then October 2019. 

These are 4 of the most famous Milan's attractions.

 

IT-688761, sent by Patrizia.

While Milan (Milano) may not be the first city a tourist thinks of when planning a trip to Italy, it has more than its share of attractions, not to mention history.
Consider that St. Augustine was baptized in a basilica that stood at what is now Piazza del Duomo; artists Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, the composer Verdi, the great tenor Enrico Caruso, and designer Giorgio Armani all lived and worked here; Toscanini conducted regularly at La Scala; Napoleon was crowned (actually, he crowned himself) inside the Duomo; Mussolini founded the Fascist party here; and the entire fashion world looks to Milan's catwalks twice a year for the season's fashions. - in: https://www.planetware.com

 

 In the center of the city and on the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) you will find the impressive Duomo di Milano, the cathedral of Milan. The construction of this Milan Cathedral started in the fourteenth century and the church was not completed until the middle of the twentieth century. All the details you see on the outside of the church, such as the baroque-style turrets and façade, have been added over the years.
The Milan Duomo is one of the largest cathedrals in europe (the largest being St. Peter's Basilica in Rome) measuring almost 12,000 square meters. As soon as you get close to the Duomo, you will notice how light the building actually is. This is due to the use of white marble. What you will probably notice first are the many pointed turrets (also called pinnacles) and the more than 2,000 statues. As an architecture enthusiast, you don't have to take binoculars with you for a closer look this time, because you can take the stairs or elevator to the roof terrace to carefully observe every small detail. When you get up to the roof, you will not only learn more about the Milan cathedral itself, but you will also enjoy the amazing view. 

 

This theater in Milan is also called La Scala and when visiting the theater you will witness special neoclassical architecture. Teatro alla Scala was built to replace another theater, which was unfortunately completely destroyed by fire in the eighteenth century. Milan has therefore always been the location for opera; only a church had to make way for the new theater to be built. Famous operas have been performed here for the first time in this theatre, such as Verdi's Otello, Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Rossini's La Cenerentola and Bellini's Norma.
In World War II, the theater was heavily damaged during bombing raids in Milan. Fortunately, with the help of the few outer walls that survived, it was possible to restore it to its former glory. After that, the Teatro alla Scala underwent a major renovation at the beginning of the 21st century. Not only have the architecture and decorative elements been refurbished, but the theater is also completely up to date with regard to technological aspects. 

IT-140921, sent by Denis.

Of course, visiting this shopping center in Milan, you are first of all interested in what shops are located in it. But it is also important to know that this is the oldest shopping center in Italy, perhaps even in the whole world. The property has existed since 1877 and is named after the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. The main structure consists of two passages with glass roofs, which intersect in a central hall with a glass dome. The roof of the Galleria Vittorio Emaneule II is a special element of the shopping center in both day and night light and around the Christmas period it is even more decorated with thousands of lights and other attractive Christmas decorations. Don't just look at the roof and the windows of the luxury shops, because the mosaic floor is also unique.

 

The castle as you find it today, which you can visit for free, was built on the remains of a previously built castle, called Castello di Porta Giova. The Castle of Milan ('Castello Sforzesco') has been expanded and rebuilt several times and eventually it got its square design with the famous round towers at the corners. Restorations have also taken place after bombing and other destruction. With each renovation, the new owners or residents added their own ideas to Castello Sforzesco and architects and artists were hired to adapt and further expand the design of the castle itself, as well as the decorative elements. - in: https://milantips.com

St. Michael's Church - Hamburg

 "Michel" is the nickname of the St. Michaeliskirche, one of the main churches of Hamburg and one of the most beautiful baroque churches in Germany. After an eventful history - built three times between 1647 and 1912 and completely destroyed twice - the main church of St. Michaelis zu Hamburg is still one of the most impressive buildings in the Hanseatic city today.

  

DE-10113006, sent by Jan. 

Climbing the 452 steps of the church tower is rewarded with a wonderful panoramic view over Hamburg. From the platform of the 132-metre-high church tower you can overlook Germany's largest seaport as well as the historic Speicherstadt and the future-oriented HafenCity.

mauritius images / Wintzen

 

DE-14693697, sent by Martina.

The church was originally built in the 17th century, but it was repeatedly destroyed by fire, so that the building that is still preserved today was not completed until the beginning of the 20th century. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to visit the interior, which is completely decorated in white and gold and in which there is one of the biggest organs of the German-speaking area. - in: https://www.hamburg-travel.com