What is an Obelisk and where did they come from? Cột đá Obelisk và nguồn gốc của nó

What is an Obelisk and where did they come from? Cột đá Obelisk và nguồn gốc của nó

After studying this paper a Christian might ask should we accept the obelisks such as these in Rome, London, New York, and Washington? You will find they did not come from Christianity.Read the statement at the end of this study.Author/Webmaster of the Master's table.

An obelisk is a monolithic stone monument whose four sides, which generally carry inscriptions, gently taper into a pyramidion at the top. The ancient Egyptians usually erected them in pairs and associated them with the rays of the Sun, which increase in width as they reach the Earth. The earliest known examples, excavated at Abu Sir, Egypt, date from the Old Kingdom during the reign of Neuserre (2449-2417 BC). The unfinished obelisk in the quarry at Aswan shows how these monuments, some more than 32 m (105 ft) long, were cut as single pieces of red granite. Their transport on barges down the Nile is depicted on relief sculptures. So popular were these monuments among the Roman emperors that 13 of them were taken to Rome. Today, in addition to CLEOPATRA's NEEDLES in London and New York, historic Egyptian examples stand in Paris, Florence, and Rome. Cleopatra's Needles, named for the famous Egyptian queen, are two ancient OBELISKS presented by the khedive of Egypt to Great Britain (1878) and the United States (1880). The British monument, 20.9 m (68.5 ft) high, is located on the Thames Embankment in London. The American one, 21.2 m (69.5 ft) high, stands in New York City's Central Park. They were originally erected c.1500 BC in the city of HELIOPOLIS by THUTMOSE III. In 14 BC, Augustus ordered their removal to Alexandria to grace the grounds of the Caesareum. The British installed their obelisk at its present location in 1878; the Americans did so in 1881. Carved from rose-colored Syrene granite and inscribed with HIEROGLYPHICS, each weighs approximately 200 tons. In recent years, the surfaces of the obelisks have eroded because of moist air and urban pollution.

10 most beautiful American country 10 Nông thôn xinh đẹp nhất nước Mỹ

10 most beautiful American country	10 Nông thôn xinh đẹp nhất nước Mỹ
1. The district Red Rock Red Rock Country in Sedona, Arizona Almost a routine for the film, when Hollywood wants to have beautiful shots of the American West were selected Sedona, a place where there is not. Starting from the film "The Call of the Canyon" in 1923, there were hundreds of films and television shows around town.	1. Hạt Đá Đỏ Red Rock Country ở Sedona, bang Arizona Hầu như đã thành thông lệ cho các bộ phim, khi Hollywood muốn có những cảnh quay tuyệt mỹ về miền Tây nước Mỹ thì đều chọn Sedona, một địa danh mà không nơi nào có được. Bắt đầu từ bộ phim "The Call of the Canyon" vào năm 1923, đã có hàng trăm bộ phim và các chương trình truyền hình xoay quanh thị trấn này.

Vietnam: a view from the train Việt Nam: Nhìn từ Tàu hỏa

Vietnam: a view from the train	Việt Nam: Nhìn từ Tàu hỏa
By Mark Smith 02 Mar 2012	By Mark Smith 02 Mar 2012
The Reunification Railway links Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh City, offering travellers an excellent – and comfortable – way to see Vietnam, says Mark Smith.	Các đường sắt Thống Nhất nối Hà Nội với thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, cung cấp cho du khách một cách thức tuyệt vời và thoải mái để ngắm Việt Nam, Mark Smith nói.
It is one minute to 7pm at the main railway station in central Hanoi. The relaxed bustle of boarding is complete, and a palpable air of expectation hangs over platform 1. An electric bell rings, the locomotive hoots impatiently. Outside each carriage door, a uniformed attendant looks nervously up and down the train, holding a lantern aloft and waiting for the off.	7 giờ kém 1 phút tối tại một nhà ga chính ở trung tâm thủ đô Hà Nội, tất cả các hành khách đã lên tàu. Tiếng chuông điện vang lên và đoàn tàu chuẩn bị chuyển bánh. Bên ngoài mỗi toa tàu, một nhân viên đường sắt mặc đồng phục, tay cầm đèn, quan sát dọc đoàn tàu và chờ tàu chuyển bánh.
From the station loudspeakers, a last urgent call in staccato Vietnamese fills the warm night air. As the second hand sweeps towards the 12, the attendants step smartly up into the train, removing the numbers hung outside their carriage doors. One long blast and one short toot on the horn, a muted hiss from the brakes, and train SE1 glides gently off into the night on its 33-hour, 1,070-mile journey to Vietnam's second city, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).	Trong một buổi tối ấm áp, thông báo cuối cùng mời hành khách trên tàu được phát đi từ loa phát thanh của tàu. Khi kim giây tiến gần tới con số 12, một tiếng còi dài cất lên và tàu SE1 từ từ chuyển bánh trong chuyến hành trình 33 giờ, dài 1.720km, để tới thành phố quan trọng thứ 2 của Việt Nam, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh.
This is the celebrated "Reunification Railway", a steel artery running the length of Vietnam. It was completed in 1936 in what was then French Indo-China, and its trains ran for 18 short years before the French pulled out and the country split into North and South. Not until 1976 did the north-south trains resume, and four or five air-conditioned trains now link Hanoi, Vinh, Hué, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Saigon every day, providing affordable and relatively comfortable transport for locals and visitors alike. Hanoi station is still visibly a French colonial building, despite its stark concrete central section, an ugly reminder of a direct hit by American bomb in December 1972.	Đây là “Đường sắt Thống Nhất”, một tuyến đường chạy dọc chiều dài của Việt Nam. Tuyến đường sắt được hoàn thành năm 1936 thời Đông Dương thuộc Pháp và các đoàn tàu khi đó hoạt động được 18 năm trước khi Pháp rút về nước và Việt Nam chia cắt thành 2 miền Nam Bắc. Cho tới tận năm 1976, các đoàn tàu Bắc-Nam mới được nối lại. Ngày nay, 4 hoặc 5 chuyến tàu được trang bị điều hoà không khí nối liền Hà Nội, Vinh, Huế, Đà Nẵng, Nhà Trang và Sài Gòn mỗi ngày, trở thành phương tiện giao thông tương đối thoải mái với giá cả phải chăng cho người dân địa phương cũng như các du khách.
I had last visited Vietnam more than a decade before, and as the SE1 raced the frenetic road traffic through the Hanoi suburbs, it seemed that every cyclist then now owned a motorbike, and every motorcyclist a car. Tourism has also boomed, and I was travelling in one of two privately run Livitrans sleeping-cars aimed at visitors, a cut above the SE1's regular "soft sleepers" but still only $59 (£38) for the 494 miles to Da Nang.	Lần cuối cùng tôi đến Việt Nam là hơn một thập kỷ trước, và khi SE1 chạy qua các con đường đông đúc ở ngoại thành Hà Nội, tôi thấy có vẻ như mỗi người đi xe đạp khi đó giờ đây đều sở hữu một chiếc xe máy và những người đi xe máy ngày xưa giờ đã có ô tô. Du lịch cũng bùng nổ và tôi đang đi trên một toa tàu có giường nằm dành riêng cho khách du lịch, tiện nghi hơn so với các “giường mềm” thông thường của SE1 nhưng chỉ có giá khoảng 59USD cho hành trình 800km tới Đà Nẵng.
My shared compartment was comfortable but not luxurious, with two upper and two lower berths, clean bedding, a small table and a power socket for those vital gadgets we can't now travel without. I liberated a can of Bia Há Nôi from the passing refreshment trolley and chatted with my companions before turning in – it had been a long day and sleep came easily in my upper berth on the gently rocking train.	Cabin chung của tôi khá thoải mái dù không sang trọng, với 4 giường ngủ sạch sẽ, một chiếc bàn nhỏ và một ổ điện để cắm đồ điện tử cần thiết mà chúng ta không thể không mang theo mỗi khi đi du lịch. Tôi thưởng thức một lon bia Hà Nội và trò chuyện với bạn bè trước khi đi ngủ. Đó là một ngày dài và giấc ngủ đến với tôi dễ dàng trên con tàu hơi rung nhẹ.
Next morning when I raised the blind, rural Vietnam was cantering past the window: rice paddies, water buffalo, villages and farms. A knock on the door, and our sleeper attendant brought in our Livitrans complimentary breakfast – a cup of tea and (to our wry amusement) a steaming hot, Western-style Pot Noodle.	Sáng hôm sau khi tôi tỉnh dậy, miền quê Việt Nam hiện lên qua cánh cửa sổ: những cánh đồng lúa, đàn trâu, làng mạc và các nông trường. Một tiếng gõ cửa và người phục vụ mang cho chúng tôi bữa sáng gồm một tách trà và cốc mì.
Tea sipped, noodles slurped, and then a squeal from the brakes announced our arrival in Hué, on time at 8.02. Hué was the Vietnamese capital until 1945 and is now a highlight of most visitors' itineraries for the ancient city ruins and a boat trip on the scenic Perfume River or a tour of the old De-Militarised Zone (DMZ). Perhaps not surprisingly, the Livitrans sleeping-cars emptied here, their Western passengers dragging their roll-along suitcase down the platform as the SE1 set off again for all points south. The most spectacular part of the trip was about to begin.	Sau bữa sáng, tàu tới Huế lúc 8h02. Huế từng là thủ đô của Việt Nam cho tới năm 1945 và giờ đây được các du khách biết đến với các công trình cổ kính và sông Hương thơ mộng. Có lẽ không có gì bất ngờ khi các du khách phương Tây đều xuống ga này khi SE1 chuẩn bị khởi hành đi về phía nam. Phần ngoạn mục nhất của cuộc hành trình chuẩn bị bắt đầu.
An hour beyond Hué the train reached the coast, at first sprinting across a flat littoral with empty beaches and islands to seaward, an occasional house on stilts standing off shore in the blue-grey waters of the South China Sea. The brisk pace didn't last. A few miles farther south, a spur of the Annamese Mountains descends to the water's edge and forces the railway to climb and twist and turn.	Sau khi rời Huế khoảng 1 giờ, tàu tới bờ biển, ban đầu là chạy qua vùng duyên hải bằng phẳng với những bãi cát hoang vắng và các hòn đảo nhỏ, thỉnh thoảng là những ngôi nhà được dựng trên các cây cột bên bờ biển. Nhưng không gian biển lộng gió không kéo dài mãi. Khi hành trình tiếp tục về phía nam, Dãy Trường Sơn khiến tàu phải leo dốc, lượn quanh co và rẽ.
Here, the SE1 slowed to an easy ramble and clambered into the hills, hugging the cliffs with the sea breaking on the rocks below. The wheels screeched in protest at each of the sharp curves as the train wound its way from cliff to jungle-covered cliff.
Did you know? The word for 'hello' and 'goodbye' is the same in Vietnamese: 'chao'	Bạn có biết? Từ 'hello' và goodbye' là như nhau trong tiếng Việt: 'chào'
The railway ducked under the higher peaks in a series of tunnels, each with a uniformed watchman at the tunnel mouth, standing to attention and raising a yellow flag as the train clattered by. Approaching the Hai Van Pass (meaning "Ocean Cloud Pass" in deference to the area's drifting sea-mists – I can think of no more apt name), the train struck briefly inland, clinging to the mountainside, ascending a deep and thickly wooded valley to the summit of the line. On the far side of the pass we began our descent, the train rolling faster and more easily now, past yet more bays, boats and beaches on the final approach to Da Nang, arriving just after 10.30 in Vietnam's fifth-largest city, the stopping-off point for the historic Unesco World Heritage town of Hoi An.	Tại đây, tàu SE1 chạy chậm hơn để vượt qua những quả đồi và các vách đá nằm cheo leo bên bờ biển. Các bánh tàu rít lên mỗi khi đi qua những đoạn cua mạnh. Tàu vượt qua các đỉnh núi cao thông qua hàng loạt đường hầm, với mỗi lối vào đường hầm có một nhân viên giám sát mặc đồng phục đứng quan sát và giơ đèn vàng khi đoàn tàu chạy qua. Tới gần đèo Hải Vân, có đoạn tàu chạy vào đất liền, đi qua thung lũng sâu và rậm rạp để tới đỉnh đèo. Sau khi vượt qua đoạn đường đèo, tàu lướt nhanh hơn và chạy qua nhiều vịnh, thuyền bè và các bãi biển trước khi tới Đà Nẵng lúc 10h30. Tại thành phố lớn thứ 5 của Việt Nam, các du khách xuống tàu để tới thăm thị xã Hội An, một di sản của Unesco.
I broke my journey at Da Nang, returning to the station for an afternoon train to Saigon. At half past one, the pale blue carriages of the SE3 arrived from Hanoi just a few minutes late, and I settled in to my air-conditioned soft sleeper. This was a regular Vietnamese Railways car, well used and a little tatty, but comfortable enough, with four berths in each compartment, a table and that all-important socket.	Sau khi thăm Đà Nẵng, tôi trở lại ga để lên một chuyến tàu buổi chiều đi Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh. Vào lúc 1h30, tàu SE3 từ Hà Nội tới ga khá chính xác, chỉ chậm vài phút, và tôi lên một giường nằm nềm có điều hoà. Đây là toa phổ biến với người Việt Nam hơn, hơi cũ một chút nhưng vẫn thoải mái, với 4 giường nằm ở mỗi cabin, mỗi giường đều có bàn và ổ điện.
An afternoon on the train made a welcome break, a chance to rest my weary sightseeing feet, catch up on my reading and plan my stay in Saigon. Lunch was a bowl of dried noodles I'd acquired from a stall at Da Nang station, brewed up on the train with free boiling water from the dispenser at the end of the corridor. As night fell, the train hustled across the endless rice paddies, a plain of irregular waterlogged squares shadowed by the darkening outline of distant hills. I bought a meal ticket for little more than £1 and half an hour later a polystyrene tray of chicken and sticky white rice arrived from the kitchen car, with chopsticks, a bottle of mineral water and a plastic cup of thick green tea that turned out to be soup. Filling enough, when washed down with a couple of the Saigon-brewed Triple 3s that had replaced the Bia Há Nôi on the refreshment trolley. After a stop at Nha Trang I fell asleep in my bunk, and at 5am next morning the SE3 pulled into Saigon.	Một buổi chiều trên chuyến tàu cho phép tôi có thời gian để nghỉ ngơi, đọc thông tin và lên kế hoạch cho thời gian nghỉ tại Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh. Khi bóng tôi buông xuống, tàu chạy qua những cánh đồng lúa bát ngát và các vùng đầm lầy rộng lớn. Vào buổi tối, tôi mua một phiếu ăn giá hơn 2 USD và được phục vụ cơm trắng, thịt gà và một cốc canh. Sau khi ăn xong, tôi nhâm nhi một lon bia 333 của Sài Gòn. Sau khi tàu dừng tại Nha Trang, tôi chìm vào giấc ngủ và 5 giờ sáng hôm sau tàu SE3 tới Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh.
Saigon appears on maps as Ho Chi Minh City, but the centre is still known by its traditional name, and it is "Sai Gon" not "HCMC" which is printed on your ticket and "Ga Sai Gon" which appears in large neon letters on the station. I found a taxi and headed for an old favourite, the classic Continental Hotel, an unassuming place from 1880 with high ceilings and marble floors, which features in Graham Greene's novel The Quiet American.	Sài Gòn được ghi trên các bản đồ là Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, nhưng thành phố này vẫn được quen gọi bằng cái tên cũ. Bằng chứng là “Sài Gòn”, chứ không phải “Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh”, được ghi trên vé tàu và cụm từ “Ga Sài Gòn” xuất hiện trên bảng điện tử lớn tại nhà ga. Tôi bắt taxi về khách sạn Continental, một công trình được xây dựng từ những năm 1880 với trần nhà cao và sàn lát đá cẩm thạch, nơi từng được nhắc tới trong tiểu thuyết “Người Mỹ trầm lặng” (The Quiet American, 1955) của tác giả người Anh Graham Greene.
Saigon boasts a French colonial cathedral, post office, opera house and town hall, alongside the striking modernist architecture of the "Reunification Palace", preserved with much of its Seventies furniture intact, just as it was when the North Vietnamese tanks rolled up in 1975 at the conclusion of the "American War", as it's known in Vietnam.	Sài Gòn có nhiều công trình kiến trúc kiểu Pháp nổi tiếng như Trụ sở uỷ ban nhân dân thành phố, Nhà hát thành phố, Bưu điện trung tâm, Nhà thờ Đức Bà, cùng “Dinh Thống Nhất”, nơi được bảo tồn với hầu hết các đồ đạc còn gần như nguyên vẹn từ những năm 1970 khi các xe tăng của quân Giải phóng tiến thẳng vào toà nhà năm 1975, kết thúc chiến tranh xâm lược Việt Nam của Mỹ.
Saigon makes an interesting contrast with its northern counterpart, but whether it's Hanoi or Saigon that delights you more, there's no better way between them than a ride on the Reunification Railway.	Sài Gòn có nhiều điểm đối lập thú vị với Hà Nội, nhưng để biết được Hà Nội hay Sài Gòn hấp dẫn bạn hơn, chỉ có cách thực hiện một chuyến đi trên Tàu Thống Nhất.
Mark Smith is "The Man in Seat 61" and the creator of the seat61.com, a website devoted to train travel worldwide.	Mark Smith là "Người đàn ông ở ghế 61 và tác giả của seat61.com, một trang web dành cho du lịch bằng tàu hỏa trên toàn thế giới.
Vietnamese trains are safe and relatively comfortable, especially the “SE” numbered trains which use the more modern air-conditioned coaches. But don’t expect Swiss standards: these are regular trains intended as passenger transport rather than a deluxe tourist experience.	Các tàu của Việt Nam an toàn và tương đối thoải mái, đặc biệt là các tàu mang số hiệu SE, được trang bị nhiều toa lắp điều hoà không khí hiện đại hơn. Đây là tàu chở khách bình thường hơn là tàu du lịch hạng sang, vì vậy không nên kỳ vọng chất lượng tàu như của Thuỵ Sĩ.
Soft sleepers come in shared four-berth compartments but sharing is all part of the experience. You can buy four tickets if you insist on sole occupancy. By day, you roll up the bedding and sit on the lower berths.	Các giường mềm nằm được trang bị trong các cabin chung gồm 4 giường. Nếu không thích dùng chung, bạn có thể mua vé của cả một cabin. Ban ngày, bạn có thể gấp giường ngủ để ngồi thoải mái ở giường dưới.
There are washrooms and Western-style lavatories at the end of the corridor, and on all of the trains I checked, soap and lavatory paper were provided. But never travel without spare paper and a small bottle of hand sanitiser.	Có buồng rửa và nhà vệ sinh ở cuối mỗi khoang, và trên tất cả các tàu đều có xà phòng và giấy vệ sinh. Nhưng để đề phòng, đừng quên mang giấy vệ sinh và mội chai nhỏ nước rửa tay khi đi du lịch.
Food and drink are readily available on board and usually brought to your compartment, but it’s a good idea to stock up on supplies from the various stalls at every station for a picnic on board.	Thực phẩm và đồ uống có sẵn trên tàu và thường mang tại toa cho bạn, nhưng nên dự trũ cung cấp từ các quầy thức ăn khác nhau tại mỗi ga để có một bữa picnic trên tàu.
There is free hot water in each car, which can be used to make noodles, tea, instant coffee or (if you bring some from home) a night-time cup of drinking chocolate.	Có nước nóng miễn phí trong mỗi chiếc xe, mà có thể được sử dụng để làm mì, chè, cà phê hòa tan hoặc (nếu bạn mang từ nhà đi) một cái tách để uống sô-cô-la ban đêm.
The privately run Livitrans cars between Hanoi, Hué and Da Nang, and the similar sleepers between Hanoi and Lao Cai, are of a higher standard than the regular trains and are aimed at visitors, as long as you don’t expect showers or lounge cars with pianos.	Các toa xe Livitrans do tư nhân điều hành giữa Hà Nội, Huế và Đà Nẵng, và toa giường nằm tương tự giữa Hà Nội và Lào Cai, có một tiêu chuẩn cao hơn so với tàu thường và nhắm vào phục vụ du khách, miễn là bạn không mong đợi vòi hoa sen hoặc phòng chờ với đàn piano.
Several windows open downwards on the corridor side of both the regular air-conditioned sleepers and the Livitrans cars for reflection-free photography, especially on the scenic section between Hué and Da Nang. Compartment-side windows don’t open, so if the coastal scenery is on the compartment side, walk to an adjacent car. But don’t lean out too far as there are tunnels and other obstructions.	Một số cửa sổ đang mở nằm cuối bên hành lang của cả toa giường nằm máy lạnh và toa Livitrans để có thể chụp ảnh mà không bị phản chiếu, đặc biệt là phần cảnh quan giữa Huế và Đà Nẵng. Cửa sổ trong buồng không mở, vì vậy nếu các cảnh quan ven biển ở phía bên nbuồng ngủ, hãy đi đến toa kế. Nhưng không nhô người quá khi có đường hầm và các vật cản khác.

Hiroshima And Detroit Then And Now Hiroshima Và Detroit Ngày ấy và Bây giờ

Hiroshima And Detroit Then And Now	Hiroshima Và Detroit Ngày ấy và Bây giờ
Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed at 08.15 on 6 August 1945 in the most important warfare in the 20th century. Hiroshima was proclaimed a City of Peace by the Japanese parliament in 1949 and now is the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshū, the largest island of Japan. For 64 years, the development of Hiroshima is breathtaking and these pictures will make us wonder… who won the war?	Hiroshima và Nagasaki đã bị đánh bom trong lúc 08 giờ 15 ngày 06 tháng 8 năm 1945 trong cuộc chiến tranh quan trọng nhất của thế kỷ 20. Hiroshima được quốc hội Nhật Bản công bố là thành phố Hòa bình vào năm 1949 và bây giờ là thành phố lớn nhất ở vùng Chūgoku của Tây Honshū, hòn đảo lớn nhất Nhật Bản. Trong 64 năm, sự phát triển của Hiroshima thật là ngoạn mục và những hình ảnh này sẽ khiến chúng ta tự hỏi ... Ai là người chiến thắng?
Hiroshima then:	Hiroshima ngày đó:

Hiroshima now:

Hiroshima ngày nay:

Some of Detroit buildings then and now: Một số tòa nhà ở

Detroit ngày ấy và bây giờ

Isola Di Loreto - Hồ Isola Di Loreto

Isola Di Loreto
Lake Iseo or Lago d’Iseo or Sebino is the fourth largest lake in Lombardy, Italy, fed by the Oglio river.
It is in the north of the country in the Val Camonica area, near the cities of Brescia and Bergamo. The lake is almost equally divided between the Provinces of Bergamo and Brescia. This is a heavily industrialised part of the world, but the area remains one of outstanding natural beauty. The road north to Switzerland used to run along the side of the lake, and stories about entire families being swallowed up by the murky waters abound. A much safer road, carved into the side of the mountains, now exists.

Top 10 Castles of the World - Mười lâu dài nổi tiếng thế giới

I’m in love with medieval times, with it’s knights, princess, knighthood, fair speech, battles, and especially with monumental castles. I have seen a lot of castles on the net, and I’ve try to make a list of my own favorite castles. So, I’ve finally came to my own top ten castles of the world. I’d like to hear your comments, and your suggestions about castles; maybe there is a castle that I’ve skip in my quest.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Royal palace in the Bavarian Alps of Germany, the most famous of three royal palaces built for Louis II of Bavaria, sometimes referred to as Mad King Ludwig, who grew up nearby at Hohenschwangau Castle. And my favourite and most beautiful of all!

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PALACE OF VERSAILLES

The Palace of Versailles was the official residence of the Kings of France from 1682 until 1790. It was originally a hunting lodge, built in 1624, by Louis XIII. It was expanded by Louis XIV beginning in 1669. He used it as a little lodge as a secret refuge for his amorous trysts with the lovely Louise de la Valliere and built a fairy tale park around it. Jules Hardouin Mansart, the king’s principal architect, drew the plans to enlarge what was turning more and more into a palace from A Thousand and One Nights. The terrace that overlooked the gardens was removed to make way for the magnificent Hall of Mirrors, the Galarie de Glaces. It is here from which the king radiated his power and where the destiny of Europe was decided over a century. The French classical architecture was complemented by extensive gardens.

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CHENONCEAU

Chenonceaux, small agricultural community in the department of Indre-et-Loire in northwestern France,18 miles east of Tours. Located on the Cher River. Chenonceaux is best known as the site of the 16th-century Chateau de Chenonceaux, which is situated on the north bank of the river.
In 1515 Thomas Bohier, revenue collector for King Francis I, began the construction of the Chateau de Chenonceaux. Unfinished at the time of his death, construction of the chateau was completed by Bohier’s wife and son. In 1535, however, Francis I took the estate in payment of debts. King Henry II, son of Francis I, gave the chateaux to Diane de Poitiers, duchesse de Valentinois, who extended the structure by a bridge across the Cher. Catherine de Medicis, widow of Henry II, forced Diane de Poitiers to deed the chateaux to her. Catherine de Medicis constructed the gallery above the bridge and the stables known as the Batiment-des-Dames. The chateau became her favorite residence, and it was there that her son Francis II and Mary, Queen of Scots, were married in 1560.

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The Chateau of Chambord

Chambord, chateau, park, and village in the department of Loire-et-Cher in central France. The chateau of Chambord was a retreat for French kings, especially Louis XIV It was under his auspices that French dramatist Moliere’s Monsieur de Pourceaugnac and Le bourgeois Gentilhomme were first produced there.

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Linderhof

Ludwig II built this secluded hunting lodge, it was known as the Kings Hut. Ludwig decided that this will be a New Versailles. It was planned as a modest villa but had become a splendid Rococo palace in the ornate French style. Linderhof is the smallest of the three royal castles, and the only one which was completely finished. (1878).

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Tower of London

Castle building was an essential part of the Norman Conquest; when Duke William of Normandy invaded England in 1066 his first action after landing was to build a castle.After his coronation in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066, William ordered the construction of a castle in London for his triumphal entry. nitially the Tower had consisted of a modest enclosure built into the south-east corner of the Roman City walls, but by the late 1070s, with the initial completion of the White Tower, it had become the most fearsome of all. Nothing had been seen like it in England before. It was built by Norman masons and English (Anglo-Saxon) labor drafted in from the countryside. It was intended to protect the river route from Danish attack, but also and more importantly to dominate the City physically and visually.The White Tower was protected to the east and south by the old Roman City walls (a full height fragment can be seen just by Tower Hill underground station), while the north and west sides were protected by ditches as much as 750m (25ft) wide and 3.40m (lift) deep and an earthwork with a wooden wall on top. It is important for us today to remember that the functions of the Tower from the 1070s until the late 19th century were established by its Norman founders. The Tower was never primarily intended to protect London from external invasion, although, of course, it could have done so if necessary. Nor was it ever intended to be the principal residence of the kings and queens of England, though many did in fact spend periods of time there. Its primary function was always to provide a base for royal power in the City of London and a stronghold to which the royal family could retreat in times of civil disorder.

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Leeds, Kent

Leeds Castle, acclaimed as the most romantic castle in England, is located in south-east England, built on two adjacent island in the river Len.Leeds Castle was originally a manor of the Saxon royal family possibly as early as the reign of Ethelbert IV ( 856-860). The first castle was an earthwork enclosure whose wooden palisade was converted to stone and provided with two towers along the perimeter. This is now vanished. Traces of arches in a vault thought to be Norman were found at the beginning of this century. Around 1119 Robert Crevecoeur started to build a stone castle on the site, establishing his donjon where the Gloriette now is. Stephen, Count of Blois, and his cousin the Empress Matilda contested the crown of England. In 1139 Matilda invaded England with the help of his brother Robert, Earl of Gloucester, who held Leeds castle, but Kent was loyal to king Stephen and following a short siege he took control of the castle.The castle came into the possession of Edward I (1278) . He rebuilt much of the castle as it stood at the beginning of his reign, and enlarged it, providing an outer stone curtain round the edge of the larger island, with cylindrical open-backed flanking towers and a square-plan water-gate on the south-east. The gatehouse at the south-west, a single tower pierced by an arched passage was improved.Henry VIII, the most famous of all the owners of Leeds Castles, expended large sums in enlarging and beautifying the whole range of buildings. At the same time, he carefully retained the defenses of the castle for he often had cause to fear invasion from either France or the Spanish . The king entrusted the work of alteration to his great friend Sir Henry Guidford.Leeds has been constantly inhabited and rebuilt since then. Most of the castle today is the result of the nineteenth-century reconstruction and addition.

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Blois

Dominating the Loire River, the royal castle of Blois is not only one of the most prestigious Renaissance monuments in France but also a brilliant illustration of the evolution of the French architecture from the Middle ages to the 17th century.About the middle of the 10th century, the name of Thibaud I is recorded Count of Blois, he was the founder of the family who remained in power until 1230. Blois became the most important town in the region. The first stone castle was built to protect the town dates back to that period. An independent bastion surrounded the castle, and followed the line of the headland on which it was erected. The numerous medieval remains still exists. The best preserved medieval tower is situated on a terrace overlooking the Loire.While the Franco-Anglo was (named the Hundred Years War) raged in the real, an event took place that determined the future of the county of Blois, the ancient fortress became a royal castle. At the end of the 14th. century, the county of Blois was sold to Prince Louis of Orleans, son of the king of France Charles V. He lived in the castle for 25 years attracting a small court of scholars and poets. His grandson, Louis XII became king of France in 1498 and decided to move to Blois, in this way, the small town became a royal town and the capital of the Kingdom.Under Louis XII and Francis I the town of Blois grew considerably. But after the disaster of Pavia in 1525, Francis I never returned to Blois and his successors only paid short visits to the town. According to French and Gothic tradition, the initials and emblems of the owners of the place are sculptured in the stone: fleur de lis for the king and ermine spots for the queen, Anne de Bretagne. The equestrian statue of the king crowns the main entrance of the castle. The emblem of the king, the salamander, is sculptured eleven times in high relief on the Francis I facade. The staircase, which was at the center of the facade before Gaston d”Orleans began to modify the castle is a masterpiece. When the Italianate straight flights of stairs appeared in the Loire Valley after the Gothic period, the shape of the spiral staircase in a protruding octagonal cage was considered rather ordinary. The staircase, with its three floors of balconies looking on to the Court of Honor, is perfectly suitable for the display of more and more sumptuous ceremonies.

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Nymphenburg

The former summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria is located in the west part of the city in the middle of one of Munich’s most beautiful parks. Five generations of Wittelsbach rulers were involved in the construction of this Baroque castle.
The building of Nymphenburg Castle began in the reign of the Elector Ferdinand Maria: overjoyed by the birth of his son and heir, Max Emanuel, he had the central section built for his wife in the style of an Italian villa (Agostino Barelli, 1664-74). In about 1700, Max Emanuel commissioned Enrico Zuccali and Antonio Viscardi to extend the castle by adding galleries and pavilions.The central section owes its present appearance to the efforts of Josef Effner, who in 1715, designed the pilasters, arched windows and busts that now grace the exterior. A few years later, the south section of the castle was added to serve as the court stables. As a counterpart, the orangerie was added to the north.Central section: Stone Hall (Steinerner Saal; 1755-57) with ceiling frescoes by J. B. and F Zimmermann (Homage to the Goddess Hora); the Rococo stucco work is based on designs by Cuvillies.

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Mont St. Michael

Le Mont-Saint-Michel, rocky, cone-shaped islet in northwestern France, in the Gulf of Saint-Malo, connected by a causeway with the mainland. The islet, celebrated for its Benedictine abbey, has small houses and shops on its lowest level. Above these stand the monastic buildings, many of which date from the 13th century and are considered outstanding examples of Gothic architecture. The entire islet is crowned by the abbey church, about 73 m (about 240 ft) above sea level.The first chapel on this site was founded in 708 by Aubert, Bishop of Avranches , after the Archangel Michael has appeared to him in a dream. The Archangel Michel appeared here in the year 708. The Abbey takes the name of Mont saint Michel. The oratory, consecrated in 709 was served by a community of canons. It apparently survived the Norman invasions, but the observance of the rule became very relaxed. In 966 Richard I, Duke of Normandy, established there the Benedictine monks from St. Wandrille Abbeyunder the direction of Abbot Maynard, who began the reconstructions of the church and other buildings. The church was burnt in 922 and rebuilt on a larger scale by Abbot Hildebert II from 1023, at the time of the monastic reforms in Normandy carried out by Richard II and William of Volpiano. Mont Saint-Michel was built in a strong rock that measures 84 meters height. It is pure granite and is so hard that has resisted the passage of time.Mont Saint Michel was built as a medieval castle. It has two large towers to defend the entrance to the castle. St. Michael is a surety for freedom and thus this sanctuary also became a symbol of the allied landing in Normandy during the Second World War.