Camogli, Genoa, Liguria, Italy, Europe Pietro Pecco 2026-09-23 | Camogli, Genoa, Liguria, Italy, Europe
Red Baron Crash Site @ Vaux-sur-Somme France Pietro Pecco 2024-06-24 | The crash site of legendary World War I fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, also known as the "Red Baron", is located near the village of Vaux-sur-Somme in northern France. Richthofen was shot down on 21 April 1918, during aerial combat over the Somme River valley and crashed in a field just north of the village. His Fokker Dr.I triplane is said to have been painted red to make him easily recognizable to both his fellow pilots and his enemies and earned him his famous nickname. He achieved legendary status as the highest scoring ace of the First World War with 80 confirmed aerial victories. After his death, Richthofen was initially buried with full military honors by the Allies, but later, at his family's request, he was buried in the family cemetery in Wiesbaden, Germany. The site is marked by a commemorative plaque commemorating his final escape and the circumstances of his death which remain the subject of debate among historians. Initially attributed to Australian pilot Captain Arthur Roy Brown of No. Squadron. 209 of the Royal Air Force, other more recent research has suggested that Richthofen may have been hit by ground fire from Australian troops stationed in the area. The site serves as a poignant reminder of the courage and sacrifice of those who fought in the air during the First World War. There is no public parking at this site, although there is a bit of a shoulder to go over to the side.
Reims Cathedral @ Monarchs of France Pietro Pecco 2024-06-23 | The Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady is the main place of Catholic worship in Reims, in the Marne, the episcopal seat of the archdiocese of the same name. Among the highest examples of Gothic art in Europe, it was the site of the coronations of all the kings of France, starting from 987, when the Count of Paris Hugh Capet, initiator of the Capetian dynasty, was crowned king of France there, until 1825 , when the coronation of Charles Furthermore, together with the Abbey of Saint-Remi and the Palace of Tau it has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1991.
Rocca Pallavicino, Busseto, Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Europe Pietro Pecco 2024-06-23 | The Rocca Pallavicino, also known as the fortress of Busseto, is a medieval castle, almost entirely rebuilt in neo-Gothic style around the mid-19th century, which stands in Piazza Verdi, in the center of the town of Busseto in the province of Parma; inside it are the neoclassical Giuseppe Verdi theater and the Municipality of Busseto.
Château de Posanges @ Posanges France Pietro Pecco 2024-06-22 | The castle of Posanges, located in Côte-d'Or, in the commune of the same name, was built between 1437 and 1453 by Guillaume du Bois, lord of Posanges, butler of the Duke of Burgundy, Philippe the Good. The plan of the building is not quite square but slightly trapezoidal, approximately 35 meters on each side. The castle is surrounded by 4 round towers connected by almost blind curtain walls, except to the south. The north curtain wall is pierced by a door surmounted by a bretèche. The whole is surrounded by moats around fifteen meters wide fed by the Brenne, a small tributary of the Armançon. To the north, they were cut away by the road traced at the beginning of the 19th century. The monument is in a very good state of conservation. In the inner courtyard, the medieval buildings have disappeared. A one-story manorial dwelling must have leaned against the south curtain wall, as evidenced by the windows that pierce it. At right angles along the west curtain wall, a common building was to be located. The 1488 count also specifies the existence of barns6. Probably from the 17th century until 1964, the castle became a farm. The manorial home disappeared and the courtyard was occupied by a residential building leaning against the north curtain wall, a stone stable to the west and a wooden shelter to the east. The south curtain wall, quite lowered, was pierced with a door opening onto the countryside.
Joan of Arc birthplace @ Joan of Arc Festival (Domrémy-la-Pucelle) Pietro Pecco 2024-06-21 | Joan of Arc, known as the Maid of Orléans, is a French national heroine. She was beatified in 1909, she was proclaimed a saint by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. She recovered from France part of the territory that had fallen into the hands of the English during the Hundred Years' War, contributing to reviving its fortunes by victoriously leading the French armies against the English ones. Captured by the Burgundians in front of Compiègne, Joanna was sold to the English by John of Luxembourg, vassal of the king of England. They subjected her to trial for heresy, at the end of which she was condemned to the stake and burned alive on 30 May 1431. In 1456 Pope Callixtus III, at the end of a second investigation, declared the nullity of this trial. Beatified in 1909 by Pius X and canonized in 1920 by Benedict XV, in 1922 Joan was proclaimed patron saint of France.
Løkken Beach @ Denmark Pietro Pecco 2024-06-20 | Immense beach where the sunsets seem painted. A corner for romantic dreamers who love peace and nature.
on my way to Amsterdam! Pietro Pecco 2024-06-19 | The city has one of the largest Renaissance centers in all of Europe. Numerous buildings dating back to the period between the 16th and 17th centuries, also known as the "Golden Age", are now considered historical monuments and are located around a series of concentric polygonal canals. These surround the old port, which once overlooked the Zuiderzee, today a lake separated from the rest of the sea and known as the IJsselmeer. The city is home to the Rijksmuseum (state museum), the Van Gogh museum, the Concertgebouw, the Rembrandthuis and the Anne Frank House. It is also famous for its red light district, De Wallen, and its numerous coffee shops authorized to sell marijuana and cannabis derivatives. The city's official motto is "Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig" ("valiant, determined, merciful"). The three St. Andrew's crosses on the flag are associated with these three words, although they came into use before the motto.
Château de Fénis, Chez-Sapin, Fénis, Aosta Valley, Italy, Europe Pietro Pecco 2024-06-19 | The castle of Fénis, located in the municipality of the same name, is one of the most famous medieval manors in the Aosta Valley. Known for its scenic architecture, with the double crenellated walls that enclose the central building and the numerous towers, the castle is one of the major tourist attractions in the region and one of the best preserved medieval castles in Italy.
Whirling Dervishes @ Konya Turkey Pietro Pecco 2024-06-18 | The Mevlevi Order is a Sufi order in Konya founded by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic theologian and Sufi mystic. The Mevlevi are also known as the Whirling Dervishes due to their famous practice of whirling as a form of dhikr. Dervish is a common term for an initiate of the Sufi path; the whirling is part of the formal Sama ceremony and the participants are properly known as semazen-s. In 2008, UNESCO confirmed "The Mevlevi Sema Ceremony" as amongst the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The Mevlevi order was founded in 1273 by Rumi's followers after his death, particularly by his successor Hüsamettin Çelebi who decided to build a mausoleum for their master, and then their master's son, Baha al-Din Muhammad-i Walad. He was an accomplished Sufi mystic with great organising talents. His personal efforts were continued by his successor Ulu Arif Çelebi. The Mevlevi believe in performing their dhikr in the form of a "dance" and musical ceremony known as the Sama, which involves the whirling, from which the order acquired its nickname. The Sama represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to the "Perfect". Turning towards the truth, the follower grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth, and arrives at the "Perfect". He then returns from this spiritual journey as a man who has reached maturity and a greater perfection, able to love and to be of service to the whole of creation. The origin of Sama is credited to Rumi, Sufi master and in whose name the Mevlevi Order was founded. The story of the creation of this unique form of dhikr tells that Rumi was walking through the town marketplace one day, when he heard the rhythmic hammering of the goldbeaters. It is believed that Rumi heard the dhikr, "la elaha ella'llah" in Arabic "لا اله الا الله", or in English, "There is no god but Allah (The God)", spoken by the apprentices beating the gold, and was so filled with happiness that he stretched out both of his arms and started spinning in a circle. With that, the practice of Sama and the dervishes of the Mevlevi Order were born. The Mevlevi became a well-established Sufi order in the Ottoman Empire by realising a blood relationship with the Ottoman sultans when Devlet Hatun, a descendant of Sultan Veled married the sultan Bayezid I. Their son Mehmed I Çelebi became the next sultan, endowing the order, as did his successors, with many gifts. Many of the members of the order served in various official positions of the Caliphate. The centre for the Mevlevi order was in Konya, where their 13th century guiding spirit, Jelaleddin al-Rumi is buried. There is also a Mevlevi monastery or dergah in Istanbul, in the Beyoğlu district, where the sama is performed and accessible to the public. During the Ottoman Empire era, the Mevlevi order produced a number of famous poets and musicians such as Sheikh Ghalib, Ismail Ankaravi (both buried at the Galata Mevlevihanesi and Abdullah Sari. Vocal and instrumental music, especially the ney, plays an important role in the Mevlevi ceremony and famous composers such as Dede Efendi wrote music for the ayin (cycle of Mevlevi ceremonial music). The ayin text is normally a selection from the poetry of Rumi. If one buys a CD of Turkish Sufi music, chances are it will be a Mevlevi ayin. During the Ottoman period, the Mevlevi order spread into the Balkans, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Palestine, especially in Jerusalem. The Bosnian writer Meša Selimović wrote the book "The Dervish and Death" about a Mevlevi dergah in Sarajevo. The Mevlevi Order has some similarities to other Dervish orders such as the Qadiri (founded in 1165), the Rifa'i (founded in 1182), and the Kalenderis.
Museo Benelli (Benelli Museum) #museobenelli Pietro Pecco 2024-06-17 | The Officine Benelli Museum is located in Pesaro, in Viale Mameli 22, right in the former Benelli factories, in use until the end of the 1980s. Of the original plant, which extended over an area of approximately 33,000 m2. (of which 22,000 are covered), only one building measuring just over a thousand square meters was "saved", the only example of industrial archeology in the city. In this structure, owned by the municipality, the Officine Benelli Museum was created, managed by the Benelli Historical Registry and by the Pesaro Moto Club "Tonino Benelli".
Roman theater of Aosta (Teatro romano di Aosta) Pietro Pecco 2024-06-16 | The construction of the theater is believed to have taken place a few decades after the foundation of the city, in 25 BC: in fact, remains of pre-existing buildings have been found in the area. The amphitheater dates back to the time of Emperor Claudius. The buildings reserved for entertainment, theater and amphitheater, were built in the north-eastern area of the city in a decentralized position, but still near the Porta Pretoria.
Gropparello Castle, Gropparello, Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Europe Pietro Pecco 2024-06-16 | The castle of Gropparello is a fortified fortress located in the capital of the municipality of the same name in the province of Piacenza, on a peak of ophiolitic rocks overlooking a ravine at the bottom of which the Vezzeno stream flows. It is part of the Association of Castles of the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Pontremoli circuit. The castle presents a mix of elements dating back to different historical periods, which have gradually altered the original physiognomy of the complex; this is highlighted especially in the planimetric distribution of the buildings, which, however, all share a rigorous style of fortified architecture. The complex is characterized by an irregular plan, a fact due not only to the different periods of construction of the buildings, but also to the morphological characteristics of the land. At the center of the complex is the rectangular keep dating back to the period between the 11th and 12th centuries; it is spread over three levels, while on its top there is a terrace used for spotting enemy troop movements. In the opposite position to the keep there is a square-based tower with Guelph-style battlements; the towers are connected to each other by the central body of the castle, on which two other towers rise: a circular tower equipped with a protruding device and the entrance tower, slightly higher than the boundary line and equipped with battlements. These buildings are surrounded by a first wall, whose battlements are similar to those present on the top of the square tower. The main body of the castle, which underwent renovation works during the 15th century, is accessed via a staircase made up of two symmetrical ramps. On the first floor there is the armory room, the dining room, which contains an Italian style fireplace dating back to the 16th century and decorated with themes taken from classical mythology, among which the Rape of Europa on the architrave stands out, a small sitting room for conversation, the alcove room, later used as a music room and a study[6]. Fireplace in the dining room Both the upper floor and the basement housed service rooms: on the upper floor there was the granary where the foodstuffs were kept, while in the basement, obtained directly from the rocks at the base of the castle, the kitchens and the icebox were present. Access to the interior of the walls is permitted via two passages equipped with pointed arches, one dedicated exclusively to pedestrians and the other suitable for vehicles, which were initially equipped with a drawbridge to overcome a dry moat, which surrounds the complex on three sides[6]. The entire complex is further closed by a second wall which also contains a vast courtyard with an irregular profile. The entire second ring of walls is crossed by a patrol walkway.
FIFA World Cup Trophy 1982 Pietro Pecco 2024-06-15 | The World Cup is a gold trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup association football tournament. Since the advent of the World Cup in 1930, two trophies have been used: the Jules Rimet Trophy from 1930 to 1970, and the FIFA World Cup Trophy from 1974 to the present day. The first trophy, originally named Victory, but later renamed in honour of FIFA president Jules Rimet, was made of gold plated sterling silver and lapis lazuli and depicted Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. Brazil won the trophy outright in 1970, prompting the commissioning of a replacement. The original Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen in 1983 and never recovered. The subsequent trophy, called the "FIFA World Cup Trophy", was introduced in 1974. Made of 18 carat gold with bands of malachite on its base, it stands 36.8 centimetres high and weighs 6.1 kilograms. The trophy was made by Stabilimento Artistico Bertoni company in Italy. It depicts two human figures holding up the Earth. The current holders of the trophy are France, winners of the 2018 World Cup. A replacement trophy was commissioned by FIFA for the 1974 World Cup. Fifty-three submissions were received from sculptors in seven countries. Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga was awarded the commission. The trophy stands 36.5 centimetres (14.4 in) tall and is made of 5 kilograms (11 lb) of 18 carat (75%) gold, worth approximately US$161,000 in 2018, with a base 13 centimetres (5.1 in) in diameter containing two layers of malachite. It has been asserted by Sir Martyn Poliakoff of Periodic Videos that the trophy is hollow; if, as is claimed, it were solid, the trophy would weigh 70–80 kilograms (150–180 lb) and would be too heavy to lift. Produced by Bertoni, Milano in Paderno Dugnano, it weighs 6.175 kilograms (13.61 lb) in total and depicts two human figures holding up the Earth. Gazzaniga described the trophy thus, "The lines spring out from the base, rising in spirals, stretching out to receive the world. From the remarkable dynamic tensions of the compact body of the sculpture rise the figures of two athletes at the stirring moment of victory". Miguel Delaney, football writer for The Independent, wrote, "Those two arms on the trophy "stretching out to receive the world... at the stirring moment of victory" in the words of designer Silvio Gazzinaga are so representative in more ways than one. This is what everyone in the game is ultimately reaching for: immortality". The trophy has the engraving "FIFA World Cup" on its base. After the 1994 FIFA World Cup a plate was added to the bottom side of the trophy on which the names of winning countries are engraved, names therefore not visible when the trophy is standing upright. The inscriptions state the year in figures and the name of the winning nation in its national language; for example, "1974 Deutschland" or "1994 Brasil". In 2010, however, the name of the winning nation was engraved as "2010 Spain", in English, not in Spanish. As of 2018, twelve winners have been engraved on the base. The plate is replaced each World Cup cycle and the names of the trophy winners are rearranged into a spiral to accommodate future winners, with Spain on later occasions written in Spanish ("España"). FIFA's regulations now state that the trophy, unlike its predecessor, cannot be won outright: the winners of the tournament receive a bronze replica which is gold-plated rather than solid gold. Germany became the first nation to win the new trophy for the third time when they won the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Rocca Pallavicino @ Busseto Pietro Pecco 2024-06-14 | The Rocca Pallavicino, also known as the fortress of Busseto, is a medieval castle, almost entirely rebuilt in neo-Gothic style around the mid-19th century, which stands in Piazza Verdi, in the center of the town of Busseto in the province of Parma; inside it are the neoclassical Giuseppe Verdi theater and the Municipality of Busseto.
Rocca Meli Lupi @ Soragna Pietro Pecco 2024-06-13 | The Meli Lupi fortress of Soragna is a medieval manor, transformed into an elegant noble residence between the 16th and 19th centuries, located in Piazza Bonifacio Meli Lupi 5 in Soragna, in the province of Parma. The building still belongs to the Meli Lupi princes, who ruled the principality of Soragna until the abolition of feudalism decreed by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1805.
Verdi birthplace @ Roncole Pietro Pecco 2024-06-12 | Giuseppe Verdi's birthplace is the house museum where the famous composer was born on 10 October 1813; it is located in via della Processione 1 in Roncole Verdi, a hamlet of Busseto, in the province of Parma. The building, which has remained unchanged since the time in which Giuseppe Verdi lived there, still has the characteristics of modest nineteenth-century country houses, extremely poor in finishes and furnishings. On the outside, the main facade is characterized by the lack of decorations and symmetry, evident in particular in the two pitches of the roof of different lengths; numerous windows, small in size and equipped with railings to lighten the tax on air that weighed on on the houses at the beginning of the 19th century, they dot the main façade, in the center of which is the entrance to the ancient tavern; nearby, inside the small garden in front of the building, is the bust of Verdi erected in 1913. On the left a large door gives access to the ancillary rooms, once used as a shelter for the carriage, the horse, the pigs, the chickens, the hay, the oven and the laundry oven.
Château d’Issogne, Issogne, Aosta Valley, Italy, Europe Pietro Pecco 2024-06-12 | Issogne Castle is one of the most famous castles in the Aosta Valley. It is located in the municipality of Issogne, on the hydrographic right of the Dora Baltea, and appears like a Renaissance noble residence, creating a sort of contrast with the austere castle of Verrès which is located almost opposite the opposite side of the river [1]. Its internal courtyard is famous, with the pomegranate fountain and the colorful portico, a rare example of medieval Alpine painting, with its cycle of frescoes of scenes of daily life from the late Middle Ages.
Sanvitale Castle @ Fontanellato Pietro Pecco 2024-06-11 | The Sanvitale fortress, also known as Fontanellato castle, is a medieval manor house entirely surrounded by a moat filled with water, which stands in Piazza Matteotti 1 in Fontanellato, in the province of Parma; inside there is the Room of Diana and Actaeon, known for the mannerist frescoes by Parmigianino. The original fortification to defend the village of "Fontana Lata" was erected starting from 1124 at the behest of the marquis Oberto I Pallavicino, who obtained the fiefdom following an exchange of land with the marquises Folco and Ugo I d'Este. In 1145 Oberto ceded the tower and its territory to the municipality of Piacenza. In the 14th century the Viscontis took possession of the fortress, which in 1378 Gian Galeazzo Visconti granted to the Sanvitale Guelphs as a reward for their loyalty. In 1386 the new feudal lords started construction work on a new castle around the ancient tower; the city walls were completed around 1400 and in 1404 the Duke of Milan Giovanni Maria Visconti raised the territory of Fontanellato to the rank of county, officially investing the brothers Giberto and Gian Martino Sanvitale with it. In 1482, during the Red War, the fortress was attacked by Rossian troops. In 1551, during the Parma War, the castle was attacked by imperial soldiers, who were repelled. The castle was later expanded and transformed into an elegant noble residence, full of important works of art and frescoes; the structure was almost completed in its current form in the 16th century. In the early 17th century the fortress suffered an attack by the Spanish army, which caused damage to the fortifications; consequently the court engineer Smeraldo Smeraldi was entrusted with the arrangement of the moat, on which it was a new masonry bridge was built to replace the ancient drawbridge. In 1611, Count Alfonso II Sanvitale was accused of having participated in the alleged conspiracy against Duke Ranuccio I Farnese, which resulted in the confiscation of all his assets and the death sentence of all the nobles involved. Only after a few years of his cousin Alessandro II Sanvitale, as a sign of gratitude from the Farnese family, was he allowed to purchase the fortress of Fontanellato from the Ducal Chamber of Parma. In 1688, Count Alessandro III Sanvitale transformed the ground level of the ancient access keep into a chapel, which had been used as a woodshed at the beginning of the century following the moving of the entrance to the adjacent tower; Furthermore, the previous oratory located on the other side of the central courtyard was modified, while some rooms on the first floor were renovated; finally, the current large clock was built on the front of the high tower, replacing another instrument dating back to the 16th century. Other small interventions were carried out in the 18th century, when the French windows with wrought iron balconies were opened on the façade and on the towers. Around 1830 Count Luigi Sanvitale had some buildings added in more recent times on the south-west side demolished, to create a hanging garden on the terrace thus created, dedicated to the goddess Flora. In 1878 the fortress was restored, restoring some of the medieval elements lost over the centuries; the works particularly affected the internal courtyard, where the loggias were rearranged and some neo-Gothic style windows were opened. Towards the end of the 19th century, the last count Giovanni Sanvitale had the south tower transformed into an optical chamber. In 1948 he sold the fortress to the municipal administration of Fontanellato, which subsequently began restoration work to use it as a municipal headquarters and open some rooms to the public. In 1999, another 11 restored rooms on the ground floor were made accessible to visitors, following the relocation of the municipal offices and archives located there.
Visconti Rocca of CastellArquato @ 4K drone Pietro Pecco 2024-06-10 | The Rocca Viscontea is a medieval castle located in the Italian municipality of Castell'Arquato, in the province of Piacenza. Located in the upper part of the town, it dominates the lower Val d'Arda, near the mouth of the Arda torrent into the Po Valley, from a height of 224 m above sea level. It is part of the Association of Castles of the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Pontremoli circuit. Although according to the chronicler Locati its construction began in 1347, the fortress was, more likely, built by will of the municipality of Piacenza starting from 1342 in the place where a pre-existing structure of Roman origin called Castrum Quadratum stood. The beginning of the construction is testified by a deed dating back to 14 July 1342 and forming part of the Registrum magnum of the municipality of Piacenza, in which the notary Gabriele da Caverzago registered the Pacta Roche Castri Arquati which accurately describe the agreements, the prices, the workers employed, the list of houses purchased and demolished to make room for construction, under the guidance of the engineer Obertino Domezzano. The construction was finally completed in 1349 under the lord of Milan Luchino Visconti who two years earlier had had some changes made to the original project with the demolition of some buildings adjacent to the fortress, some of which were located near the church of Santa Maria and the construction of the 42 m high keep. In 1404 the fortress, at the time held by Borromeo Borromei, was conquered by Francesco and Giovanni Scotti, who then also managed to obtain the investiture of the town and the title of counts. Unlike other castles, the fortress maintained a purely military function over the years, without undergoing any conversion work into a noble residence. Subsequently, from the 19th century until the 1960s, the fortress was used as a district prison. The building was restored in the second half of the twentieth century; further restorations, including the waterproofing of the terraces located at the top of the towers, were started at the end of 2020. The fortress, which presents typical elements of the architecture of the Scaliger area, is made entirely of terracotta and has an L-shaped structure with two series of fortifications connected to each other and characterized by Ghibelline battlements: the lower wall , of rectangular shape, built on two levels, and the upper wall, of smaller dimensions: in the first the soldiers were stationed and, in case of attacks, it served as a refuge for the inhabitants of the village, in the second, instead , the garrison command was located. At the corners of the perimeter walls there is the presence of four square-shaped towers with battlements, one of which, the one on the east side, preserves the original structure intact. The main entrance, subsequently walled up, was located at the base of the keep and has a bridge spanning the moat, originally crossed with a drawbridge. There is also a secondary entrance on the north side which shows signs of the original drawbridge and which remained the only access following the bricking of the main entrance. The keep, 42 m high, contains a series of superimposed rooms, accessible via a staircase partly in masonry and partly in wood which leads up to the top of the tower.
Aosta, Aosta Valley, Italy, Europe Pietro Pecco 2024-06-09 | Aosta is the principal city of the Aosta Valley, a bilingual region in the Italian Alps, 110 km (68 mi) north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, at the confluence of the Buthier and the Dora Baltea, and at the junction of the Great and Little St Bernard Pass routes.00:00 Arch of Augustus00:05 Emperor Augustus statue 00:40 Pretoria gate02:35 Bear bell tower 03:38 Centuries-old tilia04:09 Collegiate Church of Saints Peter and Bear05:01 Romanesque cloister of Sant'Orso07:17 Roman theatre 09:39 Square Émile Chanoux and Municipality of Aosta10:04 Chapel of San Grato10:18 Aosta Cathedral 10:44 Forensic cryptoporticus 13:28 Calvin cross 13:35 Early Christian church of San Lorenzo
Iztuzu Beach @ Turkey Pietro Pecco 2024-06-09 | İztuzu Beach is a 4.5 km long beach near Dalyan, in the Ortaca district of the Province of Muğla in southwestern Turkey. The beach is a narrow spit of land, which forms a natural barrier between the fresh water delta of the Dalyan river and the Mediterranean. It is one of the main breeding grounds for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean and is therefore often referred to as "Turtle Beach". The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is on the IUCN Red list of endangered animals. For this reason the beach has had a protected status since 1988 and is part of the Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area. The greatest threat to the survival of the loggerhead sea turtle is on these sandy beaches where its life begins. This has triggered an international conservation effort that began in the 1990s. The effort to protect loggerhead sea turtle eggs and to assure a safe breeding ground for this endangered species has made international headlines. This issue is one of the most critical items on Turkey's environmental agenda. From 1984 onwards there had been rumours about developing the beach for mass tourism. Plans were discussed for building a hotel and a marina at the delta side and bungalows at Küçük Dalyan at the banks of Sülüngür lake. In 1986 the owners of the beach huts were summoned to clear and dismantle their huts by October that year. In April 1987 the rumours about a hotel complex came true, when building started on the Kaunos Beach Hotel, an 1800-bed holiday resort to be financed with German development aid funds. Since this would have meant the end of an important nesting habitat for the loggerhead turtle, June Haimoff, together with fellow-environmentalists such as David Bellamy, Lily Venizelos, Günther Peter, Nergis Yazgan and Keith Corbett, launched a campaign to save the beach. This started a grim international struggle between conservationists and developers. There were protests from -amongst others- the IUCN, Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund and the Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt. Especially in the Federal Republic of Germany the building project caused great indignation, because German DEG wanted to claim a fund of 5 million euros worth from public means under the pretense of "development aid". June Haimoff approached the WWF, upon which Prince Philip -then president- asked the Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Özal for a moratorium, while awaiting an Environmental impact assessment. This request was granted and building temporarily stopped. In the meantime the German Federal Government decided against the use of funds for the hotel by DEG. In July 1988 the Turkish government decided against development and gave İztuzu beach and its hinterland the Special Environmental Protection Area status. June Haimoff has narrated the struggle to preserve İztuzu beach as a nesting habitat in her autobiographical book Kaptan June and the Turtles, that was first published in 1997. In 2001 a Turkish translation was published called Kaptan June ve Kaplumbağalar.
Yanartaş fires @ Mount Chimaera (Turkey) Pietro Pecco 2024-06-08 | The fires are grouped over an area of 5000 m2 and are fueled by gas emissions which have been burning for at least 2500 years. These emissions seem to change seasonally: vents and flames are more vigorous in winter months. This is a common characteristic of such seeps, where gas flux is typically modulated by gas pressure build-up induced by groundwater recharge and changes in atmospheric pressure. Abiotic methane ordinarily only forms at temperatures much higher than those that occur in the rocks at Yanartaş. However ruthenium, is present in the igneous rocks under the flames, and is believed to act as a catalyst, permitting the formation of methane at the lower temperatures (i.e., below 100 °C) that occur at Yanartaş. These vents represent the biggest emission of abiogenic methane discovered on land so far. The emissions do not have a volcanic origin, since methane is not related to mantle or magma degassing. The vents emit mainly methane (87%). The rest is made of hydrogen (7.5-11%), nitrogen (2-4.9 %), light alkanes (0.57%), carbon dioxide (0.01-0.07 %) and helium (80 ppmv). These proportions and the isotopic composition indicates a mix from 2 origins, in equal part: an organic thermogenic gas, related to type III kerogen occurring in Palaeozoic and Mesozoic organic-rich sedimentary rocks, an abiogenic gas produced by low-temperature serpentinization in the Tekirova ophiolitic unit.
Kitesurfing @ Hel Peninsula (Poland) Pietro Pecco 2024-06-07 | Kiteboarding is a surface water sport combining aspects of wakeboarding, snowboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, skateboarding and gymnastics into one extreme sport. A kiteboarder harnesses the power of the wind with a large controllable power kite to be propelled across the water on a kiteboard similar to a wakeboard or a small surfboard, with or without footstraps or bindings. Kitesurfing is a style of kiteboarding specific to wave riding, which uses standard surfboards or boards shaped specifically for the purpose. There are different styles of kiteboarding, including freestyle, freeride, downwinders, speed, course racing, wakestyle, jumping and kitesurfing in the waves. In 2012, the number of kitesurfers was estimated by the ISAF and IKA at 1.5 million persons worldwide. The global market for kite gear sales is worth US $250 million.
Pamukkale @ Turkey Pietro Pecco 2024-06-06 | Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli in southwestern Turkey. The area is famous for a carbonate mineral left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year. The ancient Greco-Roman city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2,700 metres (8,860 ft) long, 600 m (1,970 ft) wide and 160 m (525 ft) high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away. Known as Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) or ancient Hierapolis (Holy City), this area has been drawing the weary to its thermal springs since the time of Classical antiquity. The Turkish name refers to the surface of the shimmering, snow-white limestone, shaped over millennia by calcium-rich springs. Dripping slowly down the vast mountainside, mineral-rich waters foam and collect in terraces, spilling over cascades of stalactites into milky pools below. Legend has it that the formations are solidified cotton (the area’s principal crop) that giants left out to dry. Tourism is and has been a major industry in the area for thousands of years, due to the attraction of the thermal pools. As recently as the mid-20th century, hotels were built over the ruins of Hierapolis, causing considerable damage.[citation needed] An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes. When the area was declared a World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished and the road removed and replaced with artificial pools. Overshadowed by natural wonder, Pamukkale’s well-preserved Roman ruins and museum have been remarkably underestimated and unadvertised; tourist brochures over the past 20 years have mainly featured photos of people bathing in the calcium pools. Aside from a small footpath running up the mountain face, the terraces are all currently off-limits, having suffered erosion and water pollution at the feet of tourists. Pamukkale's terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by water from the hot springs. In this area, there are 17 hot water springs in which the temperature ranges from 35 °C (95 °F) to 100 °C (212 °F). The water that emerges from the spring is transported 320 metres (1,050 ft) to the head of the travertine terraces and deposits calcium carbonate on a section 60 to 70 metres (200 to 230 ft) long covering an expanse of 24 metres (79 ft) to 30 metres (98 ft). When the water, supersaturated with calcium carbonate, reaches the surface, carbon dioxide de-gasses from it, and calcium carbonate is deposited. Calcium carbonate is deposited by the water as a soft gel which eventually crystallizes into travertine.
Jules Rimet Trophy Pietro Pecco 2024-06-04 | The Jules Rimet Trophy was the original prize for winning the FIFA World Cup. Originally called "Victory", but generally known simply as the World Cup or Coupe du Monde, it was renamed in 1946 to honour the FIFA President Jules Rimet who in 1929 passed a vote to initiate the competition. It was designed by French sculptor Abel Lafleur and made of gold-plated sterling silver on a lapis lazuli base. In 1954 this base was replaced with a taller version to accommodate more winner's details. It stood 35 centimetres (14 in) high and weighed 3.8 kilograms (8.4 lb). It comprised a decagonal cup, supported by a winged figure representing Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory. The Jules Rimet Trophy was taken to Uruguay for the first FIFA World Cup aboard the Conte Verde, which set sail from Villefranche-sur-Mer, just southeast of Nice, on 21 June 1930. This was the same ship that carried Jules Rimet and the footballers representing France, Romania, and Belgium who were participating in the tournament that year. The first team to be awarded the trophy was Uruguay, the winners of the 1930 World Cup. During World War II, the trophy was held by 1938 champion Italy. Ottorino Barassi, the Italian vice-president of FIFA and president of FIGC, secretly transported the trophy from a bank in Rome and hid it in a shoe-box under his bed to prevent the Nazis from taking it. The 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden marked the beginning of a tradition regarding the trophy. As Brazilian captain Hilderaldo Bellini heard photographers' requests for a better view of the Jules Rimet Trophy, he lifted it up in the air. Every Cup-winning captain ever since has repeated the gesture. On 20 March 1966, four months before the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England, the trophy was stolen during a public exhibition at Westminster Central Hall. The trophy was found just seven days later wrapped in newspaper at the bottom of a suburban garden hedge on Beulah Hill, Upper Norwood, South London, by a black and white mongrel dog named Pickles. As a security measure, The Football Association secretly manufactured a replica of the trophy for use in exhibitions rather than the original. This replica was used on subsequent occasions up until 1970 when the original trophy had to be handed back to FIFA for the next competition. Since FIFA had explicitly denied the FA permission to create a replica, the replica also had to disappear from public view and was for many years kept under its creator's bed. This replica was eventually sold at an auction in 1997 for £254,500, when it was purchased by FIFA. The high auction price, ten times the reserve price of £20,000–£30,000, was led by speculation that the auctioned trophy was not the replica trophy but the original itself. Subsequent testing by FIFA, however, confirmed the auctioned trophy was indeed a replica and FIFA soon afterwards arranged for the replica to be lent for display at the English National Football Museum, which was then based in Preston but is now in Manchester. The Brazilian team won the tournament for the third time in 1970, allowing them to keep the real trophy in perpetuity, as had been stipulated by Jules Rimet in 1930. It was put on display at the Brazilian Football Confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro in a cabinet with a front of bullet-proof glass. On 19 December 1983, the wooden rear of the cabinet was opened by force with a crowbar and the cup was stolen again. Four men were tried and convicted in absentia for the crime. The trophy has never been recovered, and it is widely believed to have been melted down and sold. Only one piece of the Jules Rimet Trophy has been found, the original base which FIFA had kept in a basement of the federation's Zürich headquarters prior to 2015. The Confederation commissioned a replica of their own, made by Eastman Kodak, using 1.8 kilograms (4.0 lb) of gold. This replica was presented to Brazilian military president João Figueiredo in 1984. The trophy was the subject of a 2014 documentary "Mysteries of the Rimet Trophy" shown as part of ESPN's 30 for 30: Soccer Stories films series during the 2014 World Cup.
Natural gas burning @ Mount Busca Pietro Pecco 2024-06-03 | A burning fountain is a spill from the ground of gaseous hydrocarbons which often ignite spontaneously and are widespread in Romagna and the Middle East. In the case of Mount Busca it is a burning methane fountain. In the thirties of the twentieth century it became the property of the Methane Hydrocarbon Company, which in 1939 built a pipeline and a building for the exploitation of methane inaugurated by Mussolini. Having fallen into disuse, the gas began to flow again, but from a new outlet, which has remained active since then. After the war, a two-year preliminary exploration was conducted on Mount Busca on behalf of the American company Macmillan Petroleum Corporation, but the studies did not lead to any new exploitation of the field which was completely abandoned. In 1975 there was the last exploration by an oil company near the "volcano" which drilled a well but found no deposits of economic importance and therefore suspended the research.
CastellArquato (medieval village), Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Europe Pietro Pecco 2024-06-02 | Castell'Arquato is an Italian municipality of 4,577 inhabitants in the province of Piacenza in Emilia-Romagna. Located on the first hills of the Val d'Arda, it is characterized by a medieval village perched along the hill overlooking the valley. The historic center is located on the left bank of the Arda stream, while a residential neighborhood has developed on the opposite bank. It is approximately 30 km from Piacenza, 42 km from Cremona and 45 km from Parma. Castell'Arquato has the title of city of art, has been awarded the orange flag by the Italian Touring Club and is part of the club of The most beautiful villages in Italy.00:00 Cartina Castell'Arquato00:07 Oratorio di San Pietro00:37 Torrione Farnese00:48 Palazzo e Fontane del Duca01:13:00 Palazzo Stradivari02:02:00 Palazzo del Podestà02:33:00 Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta02:47:00 Rocca Viscontea04:07:00 Cesare Stradivari
Gabriele DAnnunzio deathmask @ Vittoriale Pietro Pecco 2024-06-02 | The Vittoriale degli italiani is a hillside estate in the town of Gardone Riviera overlooking Lake Garda in province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It is where the Italian poet and novelist Gabriele d'Annunzio lived after his defenestration in 1922 until his death in 1938. The estate consists of the residence of d'Annunzio called the Prioria, an amphitheatre, the protected cruiser Puglia set into a hillside, a boathouse containing the MAS vessel used by D'Annunzio in 1918 and a circular mausoleum. Its grounds are now part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani. References to the Vittoriale range from a “monumental citadel” to a “fascist lunapark”, the site inevitably inheriting the controversy surrounding its creator. The house, Villa Cargnacco, had belonged to the German art historian of the Italian Renaissance Henry Thode, from whom it was confiscated by the Italian state, including artworks, a collection of books, and a piano which had belonged to Liszt. D'Annunzio rented it in February 1921 and within a year reconstruction started under the guidance of architect Giancarlo Maroni. Due to d'Annunzio's popularity and his disagreement with the fascist government on several issues, such as the alliance with Nazi Germany, the fascists did what they could to please d'Annunzio in order to keep him away from political life in Rome. Part of their strategy was to make huge funds available to expand the property, to construct and/or modify buildings, and to create the impressive art and literature collection. In 1924 the airplane that d'Annunzio used for his pamphleteering run over Vienna during World War I was brought to the estate, followed in 1925 by the MAS naval vessel used by him to taunt the Austrians in 1918 in the Beffa di Buccari. In the same year the bow section of the protected cruiser Puglia was hauled up the hill and placed in the woods behind the house, and the property was expanded by acquisition of surrounding lands and buildings. In 1926 the government donated an amount of 10 million lire, which allowed a considerable enlargement of the Villa, with a new wing named the Schifamondo. In 1931 construction was started on the Parlaggio, the name for the amphitheatre. The mausoleum was designed after d'Annunzio's death but not actually built until 1955, and d'Annunzio's remains were finally brought there in 1963.
Adige river @ Verona Pietro Pecco 2024-06-01 | The Adige is the second-longest river in Italy, after the Po, rises in the Alps in the province of South Tyrol, near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland, and flows 410 kilometres (250 mi) through most of northeastern Italy to the Adriatic Sea.
Gigi Meroni (place where he died) Pietro Pecco 2024-05-31 | Luigi Meroni, known as Gigi (Como, 24 February 1943 - Turin, 15 October 1967), he was an Italian footballer, with a role in the wing. He died at the age of 24 - shortly after the end of a match between the Turin team he was playing in and Sampdoria hit by a car while crossing Corso Re Umberto, in Turin, together with his great friend and teammate Fabrizio Poletti. He played 145 matches in Serie A, making 29 goals. Right wing, he played with the number 7. His strong point was the unpredictable dribbling, which displaced the opposing defenders, often coming face to face with the goalkeeper. He began playing soccer in a small courtyard of 60 square meters, then moved on to the field of the Oratory of San Bartolomeo in Como. From the age of 2 he was fatherless and his mother Rosa, a weaving professional, had economic difficulties in raising her three children, Celestino, Luigi (known as Luigino, then Gigi) and Maria. As a first work he made the designer of silk ties and also devoted himself to painting. Grew up in football formations in the youth of Como, after having debuted in the first team, in Serie B, was sold to Genoa, whose leaders were impressed, after seeing him play as an opponent. In Genoa the national attention was definitely imposed: its coils and goals dragged the team, coached by Benjamín Santos, to the 8th place in the standings and to the conquest, for the 2nd time, of the Cup of the Alps, in the year in which was also set an unbeaten record by Genoa goalkeeper Mario Da Pozzo. In the summer of 1964, despite the mobilization of the Genoa fans to keep him, he was sold to Turin, coached by Nereo Rocco, for 300 million lire, a record number for a player of only 21 years. He was nicknamed "butterfly", alluding to his style of play and his unconventional costumes (his cohabitation with a separate woman was well known), and "beatnik del gol", for his artistic interests and his style from " haired ". Some fans called him "Calimero". Nestor Combin formed a high-level attacking pair with the center forward. The persistent rumors of his passage to Juventus, for 750 million lire, triggered a sort of popular "insurrection" and the president Orfeo Pianelli, under the pressure of the square, gave up. In 1967 at San Siro, after one of his famous slalom, with a lob from the edge of the area, ended at the intersection of the goal posts of the Nerazzurri, he interrupted the unbeaten home of Helenio Herrera's "Grande Inter", forcing the Nerazzurri to defeat, after 3 years of useful results.
Torino FC @ derby FORZA TORO! Pietro Pecco 2024-05-30 | Curva Maratona is the name traditionally given to the hottest curve of the Turin team's fans. The name has been attributed to the presence, in the Turin Municipal Stadium, in the area behind the curve itself, of a piezometric tower called "Maratona Tower", 42 meters high and symbolizing the spirit of competition and sacrifice of the athletes, in the near which opened the entrance reserved for athletes participating in the athletic competition of the same name. With the abandonment of the Municipal and the passage of the team to the stadium of the Alps, the supporters and organized groups of the Marathon curve placed themselves in the "North" curve, in particular in the second ring of the same, preserving the name of Curva Marathon. Starting from the 2006-2007 football championship, Torino returned to playing at the old Municipal one, restructured on the occasion of the XX Olympic Winter Games and renamed the Olympic Stadium, so that the "hottest" supporters regained their "historical" curve. The Curve Marathon is in fact the true beating heart of typhus grenade, incessant support for the team and exponent of the "moods" of the fans (the many disputes, over the decades, to various leaderships and players guilty of poor attachment to social colors remain known. During the 1998-1999 championship the then president Massimo Vidulich therefore withdrew the No. 12 jersey, assigning it symbolically to the Marathon, considered to all intents and purposes the twelfth man in the field of the "Taurus". The more moderate typhus grenade tends to come together instead in the opposite curve traditionally called "Curva Filadelfia" given its proximity to the street of the same name and renamed from 2005-2006 "Curva Primavera" (in honor of the youth granata); this name has been preserved even now that Turin is playing again at the Olimpico Grande Torino. In 1997, the Marathon was awarded by the French sports weekly Onze as the best organized fan of Europe; recognition that followed the one received in the mid-eighties, when a poll among supporters from all over Italy promoted by Domenica Sportiva crowned the Marathon as the most beautiful curve in the championship.
Franky Zapata @ Cannes France Pietro Pecco 2024-05-29 | Franky Zapata , born on 27 September 1978 in Marseille , is a french professional pilot of personal watercraft (jet ski) turned businessman and inventor of Flyboard . After 2012, all Zapata's efforts focused on the development and manufacture of the Flyboard. Franky started Jet Skiing at the age of 16. He has won the RUN F1 World Championship several times. After many years in the manufacture of jet skis, he invented the Flyboard.
Techno Parrot @ Pamukkale Turkey Pietro Pecco 2024-05-28 | The red-and-green macaw, also known as the green-winged macaw, is a large, mostly-red macaw of the genus Ara. This is the largest of the genus Ara, widespread in the forests and woodlands of northern and central South America. However, in common with other macaws, in recent years there has been a marked decline in its numbers due to habitat loss and illegal capture for the parrot trade. The green-winged macaw can be readily distinguished from the scarlet macaw. While the breast of both birds are bright red, the upper-wing covert feathers of the green-winged macaw is mostly green but can occasionally sport a few yellow feathers above the band of green (as opposed to mostly yellow, or a strong mix of yellow and green in the scarlet macaw). In addition, the green-winged macaw has characteristic red lines around the eyes formed by rows of tiny feathers on the otherwise bare white skin patch; this is one of the biggest differences from a scarlet macaw to the casual viewer. Iridescent teal feathers are surrounded by red on the tail. If seen together, the green-winged macaw is clearly larger than the scarlet macaw as well. In terms of length, this species is second only in size to the hyacinth macaw, the largest of the macaws. The red-and-green macaw attains a total body length of 90 to 95 cm (35 to 37 in) in adults. Twelve adults were found to average 1,214 g (2.676 lb). A weight range of between 1,050 and 1,708 g (2.315 and 3.765 lb) has been reported. While its weight range is broadly similar to that of the hyacinth, the average weight of the red-and-green macaw is slightly surpassed by both the hyacinth and great green macaws, and amongst all living parrots additionally by the kakapo. The green-winged macaw generally mates for life. The female typically lays two or three eggs in a nest made in a hole in a tree. The female incubates the eggs for about 28 days, and the chicks fledge from the nest about 90 days after hatching. Aves Argentinas, a partner of BirdLife International is leading the re-introduction of the species in Argentina. The bird which has not been seen for some years and is listed as critically endangered in Argentina was released in Iberá Provincial Reserve (Spanish: Reserva Provincial Iberá) in the north-eastern province of Corrientes. The birds are from zoos and breeding centres in Argentina and were released in 2015.
Palio of Asti #paliodiasti Pietro Pecco 2024-05-27 | The Palio di Asti (or Palio Astese in its most archaic nomenclature) is a traditional Italian festival of medieval origin that culminates with a bareback horse race. The race has been run each year since the 13th century. The earliest record, cited by Guglielmo Ventura, dates from the third quarter of the 13th century. It has taken place every year, with the exception of a period in the 1870s and a 30 year interruption in the 20th century. Since 1988, the race has taken place in a triangular 'square' in the center of Asti, the Piazza Alfieri, on every first Sunday of September.
Château de Verrès, Château, Verrès, Aosta Valley, Italy, Europe Pietro Pecco 2024-05-26 | The castle of Verrès is one of the most famous medieval manors in the Aosta Valley. Built as a military fortress by Ibleto of Challant in the 14th century, it was one of the first examples of a monobloc castle, i.e. consisting of a single building unlike the older manors formed by a series of buildings enclosed by a wall. It stands on a rocky promontory overlooking the town of Verrès and the Val d'Ayas road, on the opposite side of the Dora Baltea from the castle of Issogne, and externally appears as an austere cube of thirty meters on each side, practically devoid of decorative elements.
Dune du Pilat @ France Pietro Pecco 2024-05-25 | The Dune of Pilat (Dune du Pilat in French) is the highest dune in Europe, located in France, in the Gironde department, near the Arcachon basin. It covers an area 500 m from west to east and 3 km from north to south, facing the junction between the Atlantic Ocean and the basin. The municipality in which it is located is La Teste-de-Buch, near Arcachon, in the heart of the Landes de Gascogne. The height of the dune, which varies over time, varies between 100 and 120 meters. To promote its development through eco-sustainable tourism, it is part of the Grand site national of France circuit. The Dune du Pilat was formed relatively recently. In 1855 it measured only 35 m in height and its origin is linked, according to specialists, to the destruction of a huge sandbank that in the 18th century stretched in front of the current coast, as well as to the continuous supply of sand by the wind.
Arcachon Bay oysters (France) Pietro Pecco 2024-05-24 | The basin attracts a considerable number of tourists every summer, who practice fishing and numerous water sports. However, the main activity of the basin (and also an economic resource, together with tourism) is oyster farming: the regular presence of the tide in fact allows for the construction of structures in which to grow oysters which, during the day, are periodically submerged by the water.
Viewpoint of Teglia (Imperia) #passoteglia Pietro Pecco 2024-05-23 | Passo della Teglia is a road pass in the Ligurian Alps, in the Saccarello chain, located at 1,385 m a.s.l. between the Arroscia and Argentina valleys. The hill opens between Mount Pizzo (to the north-west, 1,417 m) and Mount Fenaira (to the south-east, 1,457 m). The Marenca road passed through the pass, an ancient link between the Riviera di Ponente and the Ligurian hinterland. The path that today repeats the ancient itinerary continues inland towards Monte Monega. The pass was the scene during the Resistance of some clashes between the partisans and the Nazi-Fascist troops. The pass can be reached from Pieve di Teco passing through Rezzo or from Molini di Triora through the Andagna hamlet, in both cases via the S.P. n. 17 of Passo Teglia. This is a road link subject to a high risk of landslides, which on some occasions have seriously compromised it. The ascent by bicycle from the Ligurian coast is appreciated by cyclists for the little traffic and the beautiful views it offers.
MV Agusta 500 Corsa ST84-50 - 1974 Pietro Pecco 2024-05-22 | The MV Agusta 500cc Four-Cylinder is a racing motorcycle manufactured by MV Agusta to compete in the 500cc World Championship. The motorcycle was introduced in 1973 to compete against the Yamaha YZR500 and later against the Suzuki RG 500. The new four-cylinder was introduced in 1973, but the motorcycle was still unreliable, so the MV Agusta 500 Three-cylinder was often used. It was a difficult year for MV Agusta and especially for Giacomo Agostini. Phil Read had been lured in as "second pilot", but he did not accept that role. In addition, the four-cylinder two-stroke Yamaha YZR500 appeared, with which Jarno Saarinen won the first two grands prix of the season. Agostini was still confident on the three, but in the first race he was beaten by Read on the four. At the German Grand Prix Read won after Saarinen, Kanaya (both Yamaha riders) and Agostini all retired. After the fatal accident at Monza, where Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini died, the 500 cc race was canceled and Yamaha withdrew for the rest of the season. As agreed, the top riders stayed away from the Isle of Man TT. Man, which means that the next race would be in Yugoslavia. However, due to a controversial decision by the Magni team manager, the MV Agusta drivers were not allowed to race. Magni was unconvinced about the safety of the track, which was approved by a delegation of four drivers, including Agostini. At the Assen TT, Agostini retired again and Read was victorious. Agostini won in Belgium and Czechoslovakia, but Read still held a comfortable points lead and Ago trailed Kim Newcombe and Jack Findlay in the overall standings. Read became world champion at the Swedish Grand Prix. Read drove the new four-cylinder for most of the season. The four-cylinder was now a considerable improvement over the three-cylinder, but in 1974 there was much more competition. Yamaha now had their factory YZR 500 updated, plus they had a whole fleet of privateer riders with Yamaha TZ 500s. Also, Barry Sheene, Paul Smart and Jack Findlay all launched the new Suzuki RG 500. Agostini had switched to Yamaha. Gianfranco Bonera accompanied Phil Read on MV Agusta. Bonera, was primarily responsible for winning the Italian championship with the brand. MV Agusta left the 350cc world championship early in the season, allowing them to fully focus on the 500cc world championship. At the season-opening Grand Prix in France, for the first time in years, there was a battle between three manufacturers, which was won by Phil Read after Agostini retired. Top drivers boycott the German Grand Prix. At Assen, three brands were in the front row: Yamaha (Teuvo Länsivuori and Giacomo Agostini), MV Agusta (Phil Read) and Suzuki (Barry Sheene). Agostini won this race, but in Belgium he was again second behind Read. There he rode the new YZR 500, but the MV Agusta was also new: it had a completely redesigned 500cc engine. Due to crashes in Sweden, Agostini and Sheene missed out on the chance to win the world title. Phil Read finished second there, with his win at the Finnish Grand Prix securing the world title again for MV Agusta. Bonera finished second overall. Although they had finished in the top two positions in the previous year's world championship, opposition from MV Agusta was growing stronger. The FIM had committed to running long races. Two-stroke motorcycles had to stop for fuel or mount larger, heavier tanks, which favored the four-stroke MV Agusta. Read was dissatisfied with the handling of the four-cylinder engine and Gianfranco Bonera broke his leg during pre-season and had to be replaced by Armando Toracca. Giacomo Agostini, sought to return to MV Agusta, but still had a contract with Yamaha. Toracca didn't like the 'second rider' status and forced Read to fight for third in the opening race in France, causing them to lose a lot of time to Agostini and Kanaya on their Yamahas. In Austria, Read was third behind Kanaya and Länsivuori (Suzuki). At Hockenheim top speed was important and as a result Read was able to battle with Agostini, but Agostini won. At Imola, Read had no chance against Agostini and at Assen he was third. In Belgium, another speed circuit, Read won. Additionally, Agostini has retired, as have Bonera and Barry Sheene. Read finished second to Sheene in Sweden and retired in Finland. As a result, the world title battle was still open at the start of the last GP (Czechoslovakia). Agostini had to stop for fuel, allowing Read to win the race, but Agostini's second place was enough to clinch the world title. In 1976, Agostini returned to MV Agusta, but not on a regular factory contract.
Giostra dellOrso (Pistoia) #giostradellorso Pietro Pecco 2024-05-21 | The Giostra dell'Orso is a modern re-edition of the ancient Palio dei Berber which has been held in the city of Pistoia since the 13th century every July 25, the day dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Saint Jacopo. The veneration of the Pistoians for San Jacopo is traced back to the times of the Saracen raids and it seems that precisely because it was saved from a raid by his intercession, Pistoia elected him as protector in 866. In 1174 the work of San Jacopo was founded, in charge of the conservation of the chapel of San Jacopo and of organizing civil and religious events in honor of the saint. The ancient palio was so important and felt in the city that it was sometimes suppressed only for serious reasons (wars, epidemics, etc.). Generally the violence was suspended and Boccaccio describes the feast of 1348, the year of the plague. Even in 1464 the work of San Jacopo established that for no reason, even in a time of plague, it should be omitted to run the palio. The population also participated in a massive way but was excluded from the organization and management of the celebrations, reserved for noble and patrician families. A municipal resolution of 1514, taken for disputes on the "moves and shooting of the barbers", attests that the race ran from a milestone on Via Lucchese to the church of Santa Maria Cavaliera, located next to the town hall. It was therefore a straight path and probably measured about three kilometers. After the construction of the Medici bastion of Porta Lucchese the palio was disputed along the Via dello Spianato, the current Corso. In 1788 a palio was run, in circles, on the lawn of San Francesco. Over the years the rules and the route in which it was made have undergone many changes but the formula of the race remained until the outbreak of the First World War. In 1947 the tradition of the palio was resumed and changed its name in the current carousel of the bear, in honor of the heraldic animal represented in the city coat of arms (in Pistoia called "the micco"), and was repeated every year in the evocative setting of piazza del Duomo until 1957, the year in which it was again interrupted. The tradition of the carousel returns to appear in Pistoia in 1975 when the city committee and the 4 districts of the city decide to start running the horses again in Piazza del Duomo. The carousel of the bear, from that date, has always been disputed (except on two occasions) and has not undergone major changes except to move the race from afternoon to evening to make the knight competition more evocative. In 2014 by order of the mayor Samuele Bertinelli following the death of two horses it was decided to suspend the event for at least one year, which was resumed, after a citizen referendum on its maintenance, in 2016. The regulation has undergone heavy changes mostly consisting of the insertion of stringent speed limitations and the introduction of a minimum time per lap.
Fiera nazionale del Marrone (Cuneo) Pietro Pecco 2024-05-20 | The National Fair of the Brown, arrived at the 19th edition, is considered one of the most important food and wine events in Italy, unique showcase of excellence and the ancient traditions of the Cuneo area. An event that makes quality its banner, where the best certified products are presented to visitors of delicious aromas and delicious tastings. Hundreds of exhibitors, carefully selected from a pool of experts of the City of Cuneo, Slow Food, Coldiretti, Confartigianato and ATL, fill for three days, the historic center of Cuneo, invading of scents, flavors and colors of the main squares of the old town , allowing you to enjoy the best Italian and European products. In addition to food and wine only moments, the Fair provides ample space crafts of excellence, which are flanked educational workshops, cultural events, tourist offers, exhibitions, shows and concerts. All this makes the exhibition a unique event. A must for every connoisseur and those looking to experience a weekend immersed in Cuneo authenticity.
Forensic cryptoporticus, Aosta, Aosta Valley, Italy, Europe Pietro Pecco 2024-05-19 | The forensic cryptoporticus is a Roman monument in the city of Aosta, and in ancient times surrounded the sacred area of the forum of Augusta Praetoria. It consists of a gallery with two naves articulated on three sides which embraces an ideal rectangle of 89 x 73 metres, leaving it open on the south side. The vaults are supported by imposing travertine pillars. It is supported by a series of arches that divide the two naves. The function of this underground structure has not yet been completely clarified: it is hypothesized that it could initially have been used as an ambulatory and only from the 3rd century as a military depot. It certainly played an important structural role and served to regularize the natural difference in level of the land in the area of the forensic complex. In the space circumscribed by the gallery, in an elevated position, there were two temples with six columns in front, side by side. The first dedicated to the deified Augustus and the second to the Capitoline triad Jupiter, Juno, Minerva. The recent discovery of an insula to the right of the cryptoporticus will be part of the complex of monuments which will also include the cathedral of Aosta. It represents one of the few forensic cryptoporticus accessible to the public together with those of Arles, Reims, Bavay and that of Vicenza, which however belonged to a private domus.
Ponte Vecchio #dolceacqua Pietro Pecco 2024-05-19 | The Ponte Vecchio of Dolceacqua, with its single humpback span of 33 metres, is one of the symbols of the village. Built in the 15th century on the ruins of a previous bridge, it was defined as a "jewel of lightness" by the impressionist painter Claude Monet, who portrayed it in three canvases dated 1884. It connects the area of Dolceacqua called "Terra" to the "Borgo" where it is located the Doria Castle.
Whirling Dervishes @ Konya Turkey Pietro Pecco 2024-05-18 | The Mevlevi Order is a Sufi order in Konya founded by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic theologian and Sufi mystic. The Mevlevi are also known as the Whirling Dervishes due to their famous practice of whirling as a form of dhikr. Dervish is a common term for an initiate of the Sufi path; the whirling is part of the formal Sama ceremony and the participants are properly known as semazen-s. In 2008, UNESCO confirmed "The Mevlevi Sema Ceremony" as amongst the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The Mevlevi order was founded in 1273 by Rumi's followers after his death, particularly by his successor Hüsamettin Çelebi who decided to build a mausoleum for their master, and then their master's son, Baha al-Din Muhammad-i Walad. He was an accomplished Sufi mystic with great organising talents. His personal efforts were continued by his successor Ulu Arif Çelebi. The Mevlevi believe in performing their dhikr in the form of a "dance" and musical ceremony known as the Sama, which involves the whirling, from which the order acquired its nickname. The Sama represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to the "Perfect". Turning towards the truth, the follower grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth, and arrives at the "Perfect". He then returns from this spiritual journey as a man who has reached maturity and a greater perfection, able to love and to be of service to the whole of creation. The origin of Sama is credited to Rumi, Sufi master and in whose name the Mevlevi Order was founded. The story of the creation of this unique form of dhikr tells that Rumi was walking through the town marketplace one day, when he heard the rhythmic hammering of the goldbeaters. It is believed that Rumi heard the dhikr, "la elaha ella'llah" in Arabic "لا اله الا الله", or in English, "There is no god but Allah (The God)", spoken by the apprentices beating the gold, and was so filled with happiness that he stretched out both of his arms and started spinning in a circle. With that, the practice of Sama and the dervishes of the Mevlevi Order were born. The Mevlevi became a well-established Sufi order in the Ottoman Empire by realising a blood relationship with the Ottoman sultans when Devlet Hatun, a descendant of Sultan Veled married the sultan Bayezid I. Their son Mehmed I Çelebi became the next sultan, endowing the order, as did his successors, with many gifts. Many of the members of the order served in various official positions of the Caliphate. The centre for the Mevlevi order was in Konya, where their 13th century guiding spirit, Jelaleddin al-Rumi is buried. There is also a Mevlevi monastery or dergah in Istanbul, in the Beyoğlu district, where the sama is performed and accessible to the public. During the Ottoman Empire era, the Mevlevi order produced a number of famous poets and musicians such as Sheikh Ghalib, Ismail Ankaravi (both buried at the Galata Mevlevihanesi and Abdullah Sari. Vocal and instrumental music, especially the ney, plays an important role in the Mevlevi ceremony and famous composers such as Dede Efendi wrote music for the ayin (cycle of Mevlevi ceremonial music). The ayin text is normally a selection from the poetry of Rumi. If one buys a CD of Turkish Sufi music, chances are it will be a Mevlevi ayin. During the Ottoman period, the Mevlevi order spread into the Balkans, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Palestine, especially in Jerusalem. The Bosnian writer Meša Selimović wrote the book "The Dervish and Death" about a Mevlevi dergah in Sarajevo. The Mevlevi Order has some similarities to other Dervish orders such as the Qadiri (founded in 1165), the Rifa'i (founded in 1182), and the Kalenderis.
Corinth Canal (Isthmus of Corinth) Pietro Pecco 2024-05-17 | The Corinth Canal is an artificial navigable riverbed that connects the Saronic Gulf, in the Aegean Sea, with the Gulf of Corinth, in the Ionian Sea, cutting the isthmus that separates them in two. Built between 1881 and 1893, it has a length of 6,343 meters, a minimum width of 24.6 meters at sea level and a width of 21 meters at a depth of 8 metres, thus limiting passage to medium-sized vessels small (about 10000 t).
Cloister of Piona Abbey (Abbazia di Piona) Pietro Pecco 2024-05-16 | The Piona Abbey or Piona Priory is an Italian abbey located on the Lecco shore of Lake Como, in the territory of the municipality of Colico. The abbey stands on the tip of the peninsula called Olgiasca which, extending into Lake Como, forms a characteristic inlet. The architecture of the abbey complex is part of the so-called Lombard Romanesque with transalpine influences. In some details there are ideas that make one think of French Gothic of Cluniac inspiration, which is likely given the relationship with the parent company, Cluny. The church, with a single nave ending in an apse with a frescoed barrel roof, is approximately 20 meters long and approximately 8 meters wide, which makes it a small and intimate building, however suitable for a small monastic community. The current building is the result of an extension, by lengthening, of a previous church whose consecration, as we have seen, dates back to 1138, at the hands of the bishop of Como Ardizzone I; the examination of the architectural characteristics of the new addition suggests the 12th century for its construction. In particular, the church would have been extended towards the west, thus incorporating and raising an atrium which introduced the façade of the original building. The current façade still bears the signs of a construction carried out in two distinct construction phases, with the upper part built in a later period than the lower one. The stained glass window in the single-lancet window, installed in 1997, is the work of Alberto Ceppi. The geometry of the nave is slightly irregular rectangular with the added part not perfectly in line with the axis of the original perimeter walls. Inside the nave there are two late Romanesque style lions. The lions, which were once part of a pulpit, support two stoups. The church today has a square bell tower which was rebuilt at the end of the 18th century following the collapse of the previous bell tower which was octagonal in shape, on a square base, like the one found in Santa Maria del Tiglio in Gravedona; the location of the bell tower was also different, it was on the opposite side of the church and the collapse occurred due to the steep slope of the land, as can be seen in the Cenacle of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan painted by Leonardo da Vinci. The bell tower of the Last Supper, with a typically Larian landscape behind it, has a steep slope, is octagonal and is not set against the façade as in Gravedona but on the external side wall of the church. This presence in the Last Supper is due to the link between Leonardo and some members of the Birago family who held the command of the Priory of Piona.
Pescarenico Lecco (manzonian place) Pietro Pecco 2024-05-15 | Pescarenico is a district of Lecco, located on the left bank of the Adda, in the stretch between the end of the Lecco branch of Lake Como and the small Lake Garlate. It is the only place in Lecco explicitly mentioned by Alessandro Manzoni in The Betrothed. In Pescarenico the writer located the Capuchin convent where Fra Cristoforo and Fra Galdino lived and from this village, near the mouth of the Bione (a small stream that flows in the area ending up in the Adda) Lucia left by boat to escape from the targets by Don Rodrigo. Also from Pescarenico is the fishmonger who will bring Agnese and Lucia news of their hometown, when they were refugees in Monza.
Moto Guzzi Museum #museoguzzi Pietro Pecco 2024-05-14 | The Moto Guzzi Museum is a company museum located in Mandello del Lario, in the province of Lecco, inside the Moto Guzzi motorcycle factory. The museum's exhibition traces the history of motorcycle production, from prototypes to the first series models. Among the over 150 pieces, the first motorcycle built in 1919 by Carlo Guzzi and the first Moto Guzzi GT "Norge" model from 1928 stand out. The exhibition also focuses on the series motorcycles which were widespread in post-war Italy. Another section is dedicated to racing vehicles, from the Guzzi 4V of 1924, to the 350 that won the World Championship in 1950. The last section illustrates the most significant moments in the history of the Guzzi factory's production with some films.
Fénis Castle courtyard (Cortile castello di Fénis) Pietro Pecco 2024-05-13 | The castle of Fénis, located in the municipality of the same name, is one of the most famous medieval manors in the Aosta Valley. Known for its scenic architecture, with the double crenellated walls that enclose the central building and the numerous towers, the castle is one of the major tourist attractions in the region and one of the best preserved medieval castles in Italy.
Visconti Rocca of CastellArquato @ 4K drone Pietro Pecco 2024-05-12 | The Rocca Viscontea is a medieval castle located in the Italian municipality of Castell'Arquato, in the province of Piacenza. Located in the upper part of the town, it dominates the lower Val d'Arda, near the mouth of the Arda torrent into the Po Valley, from a height of 224 m above sea level. It is part of the Association of Castles of the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Pontremoli circuit. Although according to the chronicler Locati its construction began in 1347, the fortress was, more likely, built by will of the municipality of Piacenza starting from 1342 in the place where a pre-existing structure of Roman origin called Castrum Quadratum stood. The beginning of the construction is testified by a deed dating back to 14 July 1342 and forming part of the Registrum magnum of the municipality of Piacenza, in which the notary Gabriele da Caverzago registered the Pacta Roche Castri Arquati which accurately describe the agreements, the prices, the workers employed, the list of houses purchased and demolished to make room for construction, under the guidance of the engineer Obertino Domezzano. The construction was finally completed in 1349 under the lord of Milan Luchino Visconti who two years earlier had had some changes made to the original project with the demolition of some buildings adjacent to the fortress, some of which were located near the church of Santa Maria and the construction of the 42 m high keep. In 1404 the fortress, at the time held by Borromeo Borromei, was conquered by Francesco and Giovanni Scotti, who then also managed to obtain the investiture of the town and the title of counts. Unlike other castles, the fortress maintained a purely military function over the years, without undergoing any conversion work into a noble residence. Subsequently, from the 19th century until the 1960s, the fortress was used as a district prison. The building was restored in the second half of the twentieth century; further restorations, including the waterproofing of the terraces located at the top of the towers, were started at the end of 2020. The fortress, which presents typical elements of the architecture of the Scaliger area, is made entirely of terracotta and has an L-shaped structure with two series of fortifications connected to each other and characterized by Ghibelline battlements: the lower wall , of rectangular shape, built on two levels, and the upper wall, of smaller dimensions[5]: in the first the soldiers were stationed and, in case of attacks, it served as a refuge for the inhabitants of the village, in the second, instead , the garrison command was located. At the corners of the perimeter walls there is the presence of four square-shaped towers with battlements, one of which, the one on the east side, preserves the original structure intact. The main entrance, subsequently walled up, was located at the base of the keep and has a bridge spanning the moat, originally crossed with a drawbridge. There is also a secondary entrance on the north side which shows signs of the original drawbridge and which remained the only access following the bricking of the main entrance. The keep, 42 m high, contains a series of superimposed rooms, accessible via a staircase partly in masonry and partly in wood which leads up to the top of the tower.
