Cultural Wealth

[[TNT] Sonic Goo]

I went to Dublin Castle recently and before entering one of the rooms, we were warned that we weren't allowed to use flashlight and things like that because there was a very important painting there. So I was expecting something really great. As it turned out, it was a Van Dijck. This looked a bit strange to me, since he's not one of the most famous painters around. But this is typical of Ireland. There just isn't that much there.

 

I'm used to living a few minutes from some great Dalis and Magrittes, half an hour from most important Mondriaans and an hour from most Dutch masters, lots of Van Goghs, etc.. Ireland just doesn't have that kind of thing.

 

The same goes for architecture. Most of the buildings considered interesting around here are of the bland, neoclassical variety. (If I see one more triangle with columns underneath I'm gonna kick it.) Or just some random mishmash of styles. In comparison, the city center of Amsterdam has it's own style and has completely been declared a national monument.

 

I think it may have something to do with the fact that Ireland has been very poor for a very long time, while Holland was a global power once.

 

Anyway, I thought it might be interesting if everyone posted something about the cultural treasures where they live.

[{BAB}sugarpie]

sounds like you had fun... lol!!!

[Genesis]

OK, go take a look there if you want to see a bit of what my city looks like... (please use Internet Explorer to view the page correctly, unless you're one of those hardcore Mozilla defenders like Jacques, of course.)

 

Dijon once was one of the richest and most powerfulcities of Europe... It's beautiful and quite small, it'd take you half-an-hour to cross the whole city. But it'd take you years to see everything there is to see. Our city centre was declared historical monument a few decades ago too, like Amsterdam's. As a result, you can't change a bloody window without asking permission from the mayor first

[[FF5]Knix]

New York-

 

 

Ellis Island, where millions of imigrants passed through from the mid 1800's through the beginning of the 1900's.

 

 

Wall Street. Capitalism at its very core.

 

 

Liberty Island, home of this certain gift from the French.

 

 

Central park. well not really cultural, it does have "Strawberry Fields" a memorial to John Lennon, a Zoo, a Lake jogging trails and does border on.....

 

 

 

The metropolitan Museum of Art, containing one of the finest collections in the world.

 

 

 

 

[Genesis]

Central park. well not really cultural, it does have "Strawberry Fields" a memorial to John Lennon, a Zoo, a Lake jogging trails and does border on.....

 

Knix, you forgot to mention the ramble! HEY! Where's the "junkie" smiley???

 

[[FF5]Knix]

Frenchy this topic reads as "Serious Discussions".

[Genesis]

Well, Yankee, you should be happy that a Frenchy knows about the ramble, it shows that your city shines like a ... lantern (well, a big one, then) in the whole free world. So, my post can be considered serious. And why didn't you stick your "comedy police" pic??? I'd be glad to deserve it someday!

 

Anyway, Knix, beautiful pictures you posted.

[[FF5]Knix]

Ohhhh the Ramble. I thought you said Rabble. My appologies frenchy!

 

Here is a great link on Central park and all it offers...

 

Central Park Ramble

[Jacques]

Da Paris

 

Eiffel Tower

 

 

Le louvre, where you can see Mona Lisa.

 

Les Champs Elysée, The nicest Boulevard over the world

 

L'arc de triomphe

 

Le Moulin Rouge

[[TNT] Sonic Goo]

Interesting how people seem to go for landmarks instead of artifacts. Has anyone here seen Around the world in 80 treasures? It doesn't just feature buildings, for example I quite liked the Gold Elephant of Ayutthaya (couldn't find an image).

 

I'm also quite into paintings, that's why I mentioned them rather than the museum they're in. For example, I used to live near this one as well (it's in the Mauritshuis in The Hague):

 

[[FF5]Knix]

I always liked Vermeer's work.

 

Which reminds me. I grew up in the Village of Larchmont which is in the Town of Mamaroneck. This used to be the hometown of Norman Rockwell who is my favorite artist. My High School actually has one of his original works. He is a little to "realist" and "americana" for many people's tastes, but it boggles me how he did such detail...

 

 

 

 

[Genesis]

DIjon's Museum - one of the most important in France. Of course, we've got many collections from Belgium and Netherlands, since both countries (at least big parts of them) were Burgund provinces during the 14th and early XVth centuries.

 

Here's the main entrance...

 

One of the main rooms...

 

_________________

 

Our auditorium, created by a Californian architecture studio - rated one of the 5 best lyric places in the world thanks to its acoustic quality :

 

Le puits de Moîse - "the Well of Moses" - one of the most stunning polychromic statues of the early XVth century. Created by Claus Sluter (Netherlands), it took him 9 years to finish. The most impressive thing while looking at this statue is the lifelike impression it gives. You could swear the prophets are looking back at you - a wee bit scary

[Genesis]

Curiosities :

 

The "roofless house". During the middle-age, children started disappearing in this side of town. One of them will be found in the basement of this house, brutally murdered. The owner will be put to death, and the roof of the house removed as a sign of infamy :

 

The Jacquemart - this fantastic clock was brought back from Courtray. People there had rebelled against the King of France, who called for assistance from the Duke of Burgundy. He sent 1000 knights to the city, who defeated 20 000 men and compltely destroyed Courtray. To celebrate their victory, they brought back this clock and put it on a small tower of Notre Dame de Dijon, the oldest church in the city. Originally, there was only "Jacquemart", that you can see on the left. But people in Dijon feared he would feel alone on top of his tower. So, they gave him a wife called Jacqueline, and they gave birth to two children a few years later. Jacquemart rings the hours, Jacqueline takes care of 1/2 hours, and their children ring their small bells every 1/4 hours. Charming, isn't it?

 

La Chouette - the Owl : this poor bird has been touched a few million times, as you can see. It's part of a wall of Notre Dame de Dijon, in a small street. Traditionally, you have to touch it with your left hand while making a wish. Many explanations were given about this strange bird. Some think that it faced a Jewish cemetery. Since the owl is a night bird, considered a negative sign during the middle-age, and more generally associated with sorcery and satanism, it might be some kind of stone-carved spell cast upon the Jewish community by the Masons who built the church...

 

A cool little webpage that displays a few interesting pictures of Dijon