Abbey of Saint-Savin sur-Gartempe - France

Here comes my 1st new UNESCO site of this year. A few months ago i've sent an official card to Damien but it got expired; more than 200 days later i've sent a second card and that one was received. After registering my card, Damien read my profile and checked my UNESCO missing list and offered one of my missing sites, the Abbey of Saint-Savin sur-Gartempe. He was really nice, wasn't he? Merci Damien!!

The Abbey of Saint-Savin sur-Gartempe in the Vienne is famed for its 11th century paintings that have made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site – it has been called the Romanesque Sistine Chapel – but the church itself is also beautiful with its marble-style columns (put in during the 19th century) that are swirls of lovely colour, stretching upwards. 

© M. G. Editions

The abbey is said to have been founded in the time of Charlemagne (747-814), to shelter the bodies of two fifth-century martyrs, Savin and Cyprian – the original tomb still survives. It was rebuilt in the 11th century and the murals are from this time. The spire was added in the 14th century.

It suffered, however, during the turbulent centuries that followed, pillaged by the Black Prince, son of Edward III in 1371 then almost destroyed in the 16th century. The abbey ceased to exist as a religious institution during the French Revolution when the monks were thrown out and the abbey transformed into a parish church.

The murals were first restored in the mid-19th century, and then again in between 2005-2008 and now the colours – ochre reds and yellows, browns and greens – are really strong. They portray stories from Genesis and Exodus, in the order in which they are found in the Bible. Some have disappeared but most are still there including Noah’s Ark, the old man drunk and naked sometime later, the Passage through the Red Sea with its rearing horses, and the building of the Tower of Babel.

The latter is one of the reasons the abbey was awarded UNESCO status – the detail shown, from the architect with his set square, to the square design of the fortress and the pulley system used to lift materials to the top of the building – show what life was really like almost 1,000 years ago.

The nave is where the most celebrated murals are, however, there are more on the western porch (the resurrection of Christ) and in the crypt (the martyrdom of Saints Savin and Cyprien. - in: http://www.discover-poitou-charentes.com/what-to-see/Abbey-of-Saint-Savin.htm

Sélestat - France

Last year's European Taizé meeting was in Strasbourg, France. As a Taizé enthusiastic, Celina didn't miss it. She asked me if i wanted cards from there, i said anything she wanted to send would be fine and she sent me this one. 

Photo: Estel * Editions VALOIRE-ESTEL

Sélestat was the city were Celina stayed during the meeting.

Sélestat is located in central Alsace, 22 km (14 mi) north of Colmar and 47 km (29 mi) south of Strasbourg, on the left bank of the Ill River.

Sélestat is near the Alsace wine route, and other notable sites such as the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg.

The city is one of the richest and most varied in terms of architecture among the smaller cities of Alsace. - in: wikipedia

FR-352903

Ille-et-Vilaine is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country. These are a few castles and fortresses one can find in the region. 

FR-352903, sent by Sylvie.

The castles are:

Fougères Castle - The heir to a thousand years of history, the château de Fougères still stands on its rocky islet. The château as it stands today is one of the largest medieval fortress in Europe.

Le Bos - Built in the 17th and 18th centuries by fleet owners from Saint Malo, the Château du Bos is one of the largest “malouinières” houses. The Magons, a well-known family of navigators and merchants who lived in the area, erected it between 1715 and 1717. Le Bos represents the typical architectural style of the area of Clos-Poulet during the 18th century. - in: http://www.le-bos.fr/en/history

La Bourbansais - Built in the 16th century and refurbished in the 18th, the Château de la Bourbansais has long been renowned for its formal french gardens. It now houses a private zoo with over 500 animals, 

Combourg - The castle was originally built in the 13th century, although substantially modified in the two centuries that followed. It was in 1761 that the castle was bought by the Chateaubriand family (parents of the author), subsequently being inherited by the author's older brother in 1786 - an ownership that wasn't to last long, because in the years of terror following the revolution in 1789 they were executed.

The castle is still owned by one of Chateaubriands descendants, and is open to the public where, among other things, you can see various artefacts belonging to the late Chateaubriand and rooms furnished in the style of that time. - in: http://www.francethisway.com/places/combourg.php

Caradeuc - Caradeuc castle, located within Plouasne city limits, is one of the largest in this region. After WWII, it became a National Park on August 14th 1945. The castle's facades , roofs and service buildings were listed  as  National Heritage sites on February 1st 1978.

Montmuran - Once an imposing fortress, it is now a magnificent 14th century châtelet that has been perfectly preserved - its two drawbridges still work today.

Rochers-Sévigné - The splendid architecture of this castle dates back to the 1500 and is presently the home to a fine museum, chapel and lush French garden as well.

Vitré - Dating from the 13th century, the castle, with its pointy slate turrets, hosted the Parlement de Bretagne on three occasions in the 16th century when plague ravaged Rennes. These days it houses a museum where you can learn more about its history and the town as well as admiring the collection of 19th-century curiosities. - in: http://www.brittanytourism.com/discover-brittany/heritage/vitre

US-2594699

I'm a nature lover and i like hicking. Well, i used to hick a lot a few years ago with some of my friends but i haven't done that recently, which is something that i really miss. 

The Friends of Oscar Scherer Park Inc.

US-2594699, sent by Madeleine.

Oscar Scherer State Park is a Florida State Park located between Sarasota and Venice, near Osprey, amidst the heavily-developed southwest Florida coast. 

The park's genesis was in 1955, when Elsa Scherer Burrows, owner of the 462-acre (1.87 km2) South Creek Ranch, died. Her will left the ranch to the state to form a park. It was to be dedicated to the memory of her father, Oscar Scherer, the developer of a shoe leather dyeing process in 1872. A year later, the park was ready and opened to visitors. - in: wikipédia

A large acreage of scrubby flatwoods makes this park one of the best places to see Florida scrub-jays, a threatened species found only in Florida. The park protects scrubby and pine flatwoods that were once widespread throughout Sarasota County. Fifteen miles of trails through these beautiful natural areas provide opportunities for hiking, bicycling, and wildlife viewing. Canoeists and kayakers can paddle along South Creek, a blackwater stream that flows to the Gulf of Mexico. - in: http://www.floridastateparks.org/oscarscherer/

JP-479212

2013 last official. A snowfield in Hokkaido. 

© Okada Mitsushi / amanaimages

JP-479212, sent by Chiaki.

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island. 

Hokkaido has relatively cool summers and icy/snowy winters.

In winter, the generally high quality of powder snow and numerous mountains in Hokkaido make it a popular region for snow sports. The snowfall usually commences in earnest in November and ski resorts usually operate between December and April. Hokkaido celebrates its winter weather at the Sapporo Snow Festival. - in: wikipedia

PL-832420

I love to get cards from places i've already been to. I've visited the Jasna Góra Sanctuary in Czestochowa, Poland, almost 2 years ago. 

© paulinianum

PL-832420, sent by Michalina.

The Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, is the most famous Polish shrine to the Virgin Mary and the country's greatest place of pilgrimage – for many its spiritual capital. The image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, to which miraculous powers are attributed, is Jasna Góra's most precious treasure. - in: wikipedia

Jasna Gora's bell tower, over 106 meters in height, can be seen by those approaching the monastery and acts as a point of reference in Czestochowa. Previously damaged by fire, the newest part of the bell tower dates to the last century, but older sections of the tower are from the early 1700s. A clock tells the time on each of the four sides of the bell tower and the spire bears the symbol of the Virgin and of the Pauline order of monks who founded the monastery. - in: Jasna-Gora-Monastery-Poland.htm

BY-1095143

Saint Pokrovskaya in Korma, a village in Dobrush district.

BY-1095143, sent by Alena.

This church was built in 1097 and in 2000 a women's monastery was established here.