St. Peter's Square - Vatican

I've been to the Vatican in 2010 and that's when I sent from there my 1st written & stamped card from this independent city-state. The other cards were sent by Rita (2nd) and Eduardo (4th). Eduardo's card is also written & stamped from there. The 3rd card is an official french card which arrived with no stamps

St. Peter's Square is one of the largest and most beautiful squares in the world. It is located in Vatican City, at the feet of St. Peter's Basilica.

The dimensions of the square are spectacular: 320 meters long and 240 meters wide. In the liturgies and more noticeable events St. Peter's Square has held more than 300,000 people.

Photo: Massimo Cirilli

The construction of the square was carried out between 1656 and 1667 at the hand of Bernini, with the support of Pope Alexander XII.

 

FR-1408273, sent by Philo.

The most impressive part of the square, besides its size, are its 284 columns and 88 pilasters that flank the square in a colonnade of four rows. Above the columns there are 140 statues of saints created in 1670 by the disciples of Bernini.

2009 © Copyright by Plurigraf - Narni (Tr) Italy

In the centre of the square the obelisk and the two fountains, one of Bernini (1675) and another of Maderno (1614) stand out. The obelisk, which is 25 meters in height, was carried to Rome from Egypt in 1586.

The most spectacular way to arrive at St. Peter's Square is along the Via della Conciliazione, a long street that begins in the Castel Sant'Angelo. - in: https://www.rome.net/st-peters-square

FR-1503509

The Dordogne is a river in south-central and southwest France. It is 483.1 km long. The Dordogne and its watershed were designated Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO on July 11 2012.

 

Photo Edition "France Regard"

FR-1503509, sent by Pascal.

The Dordogne river is one of the most popular destinations in France. The low flow in most parts of the river makes it ideal for a kayak or canoe trip as you can easily descend and visit many beautiful villages and impressive chateaux on the way. The enchanting scenery on the banks of the river includes picturesque villages like Beynac, La Roque Gageac and Domme as well as local flora and fauna near Bergerac. - in: https://www.lostinbordeaux.com

Valencia Cathedral - Spain

Esther from Spain contacted me a few years ago saying that she didn't have any postcards from Portugal and she would like to trade with me. Of course I said yes and she sent the card showing the Virgin Square with the Turia Fountain, the Virgin's Basilica and the cathedral. 

The 2nd card was sent by Debs and it shows the Puerta de los Hierros. 

 

 ©  Editorial Fisa Escudo de Oro

Valencia Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic parish church in Valencia, Spain. It was consecrated in 1238 by the first bishop of Valencia after the Reconquista, Pere d'Albalat, Archbishop of Tarragona, and was dedicated by order of James I the Conqueror to Saint Mary. It was built over the site of the former Visigothic cathedral, which under the Moors had been turned into a mosque. Gothic architecture, in its Catalan or Mediterranean version, is the predominant style of this cathedral, although it also contains Romanesque, French Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neo-Classical elements.

One of the supposed Holy Chalices in the world is revered in one of this cathedral's chapels; this chalice has been defended as the true Holy Grail; indeed, most Christian historians all over the world declare that all their evidence points to this Valencian chalice as the most likely candidate for being the authentic cup used at the Last Supper. It was the official papal chalice for many popes, and has been used by many others, most recently by Pope Benedict XVI, on July 9, 2006. This chalice dates from the 1st century, and was given to the cathedral by king Alfonso V of Aragon in 1436. - in: wikipedia

 

© Ediciones A. M. * Fotografia: A. Murillo

Puerta de los Hierros - Irons Gate, is the most modern door of the three that make up the Cathedral, standing out for its great beauty and value, being one of the few examples of Italian baroque architecture in Spain, as it follows the style of Bernini,

Its construction began in 1703 by Konrad Rudolf, a German architect and sculptor. The name of the door is due to the baroque iron grille that surrounds the entrance hall. 

Over 36 meters high, it gives the impression of being in front of a large altarpiece, despite covering a very small space, as it was designed to be seen from the narrow street of Zaragoza.

Madeira Embroidery

A few weeks ago Paula visited Madeira for the 1st time. In less than two weeks I'll visit Madeira for the 3rd time. After two and a half years, I'll fly again and I can't wait to see myself at the airport again!! I'm counting the days. This will be my 3rd visit to the island and I'm pretty sure I'll come back in the future. I'll still have a lot to see and do. 

My 1st visit was in 2010 and this was one of the cards I got there, now I've it written and stamped and I like it even more. 

 

The hand embroidery of Madeira is generally recognised as being the finest of its kind available in the world, and is part of the history and culture of Madeira.

 

Copyright by Fotoverlag Huber

The origins of Madeira Embroidery dates back to the early days of colonization of the Madeira Islands.

However, it was only after the second half of the 19th century that this product was acknowledged not only on regional and national basis, but also internationally, since some English traders established in Funchal exporting embroidered pieces to England.
With about 150 years of history, Madeira’s Embroidery production process continues with the same authenticity since its beginning and it is estimated that about 30 companies currently exist in the region manufacturing Madeira Embroidery, as well as, around 3000 Embroiderers who dedicate themselves to the art of embroidery on a daily basis. - in: https://www.visitmadeira.com

Happy Postcrossing from Canada

Happy Postcrossing from Canada is card #13 in my HP collection. Still a lot missing but I'm not in a hurry. Got it thanks to Mèlanie.

 

www.papersisters.de

Niagara Falls, maple syrup and poutine, CN Tower, lakes and mountains, killer whales and bears, there's no doubt this is a card from Canada. 

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque - Mexico

Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque in Mexico was added to the UNESCO WHS list in 2015 and this is a new site in my collection. It was sent by Óscar.

The aqueduct of Padre Tembleque, named after the friar Francisco de Tembleque, was constructed between 1555 and 1572 and constitutes a hydraulic system located between the states of Mexico and Hidalgo in the Mexican Central Plateau.

The heritage canal system encompasses its water catchment area, springs, main and secondary canals, distribution tanks, arcaded aqueduct bridges, reservoirs and other auxiliary elements, which extend over a maximum distance of 48.22 kilometres. The aqueduct structures were built with supporting structures of earthen adobes in the Mesoamerican construction tradition, but at the same time referencing European models of water conduction developed during the Roman era.

The hydraulic system is an outstanding example of water conduction in the Americas and integrates along its 48 kilometres’ extent impressive architectural structures, such as the main arcaded aqueduct at Tepeyahualco, which reaches a total height of 39.65m, with its central arch of 33.84m height. The system was built by Franciscan friars with support from the local communities and as a result is a unique representation of the ingenious fusion of Mesoamerican and European construction traditions, combining the mestizo tradition with the tradition of Roman hydraulics. As an ensemble of canals and auxiliary structures, the system is exceptionally well-preserved and one branch remains operational up until today. - in: https://whc.unesco.org

NZ-235822

Is not every day that you get an official from New Zealand and getting an Antarctica card is even rarer. So rare that this is only my 4th card from the Earth's southernmost continent.

 

© Sarah Wu

Cape Adare is a prominent cape of black basalt forming the northern tip of the Adare Peninsula and the north-easternmost extremity of Victoria Land, East Antarctica. 

Captain James Ross discovered Cape Adare in January 1841 and named it after his friend the Viscount Adare. - in: wikipedia