Country: Italy | Type: Cultural | Theme: Garden, Residence, Secular Structure Introduction to Villa d’Este, Tivoli To the east of Rome in the hilltop village of Tivoli, the palace and gardens of the Villa dEste are one of the most comprehensive examples of opulent living in the Italain Rennaissance period. In particular, the gardens of the villa are considered to be the most striking …
Country: France | Type: Cultural | Theme: Post Medieval, Urban Landscape Introduction to Paris, Banks of the Seine Paris is a river city, its history and commerce largely affected by the River Seine and what emerged through the centuries on the banks of that river. Indeed, the Seine has played both an economic and defensive role in the city, particularly between the 16th …
Country: France | Type: Cultural | Theme: Cultural Landscape, Human Activity Introduction to The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes France’s Loire Valley, particularly the portion between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes, has been honored for its rich cultural landscape which includes fairytale villages, historic small towns, and breathtaking monuments and other structures, particularly beautiful castles. Its also home to bustling urban settlements, hunting forests, …
Country: France | Type: Cultural | Theme: Palace, Secular Structure Introduction to the Palace and Park of Fontainebleau One of the grandest and largest of all the French royal chateaus, the Palace of Fontainebleau and its accompanying park are situated about 55 kilometers (34 miles) from Paris in the north central region of France. The building of this magnificent structure began in the …
Country: France, Spain | Type: Mixed | Theme: Cultural Landscape, Mountain, Natural Landscape Introduction to Pyrénées – Mont Perdu Rising to 3,352 meters (almost 11,000 feet), Mont-Perdu is a calcareous massif (a compact group of mountains forming an independent portion of a range) that spans the borders of France and Spain, part of the mid-Pyrenees Mountains. One of two naturalUNESCO World Heritage Sites in France, …
Country: France | Type: Cultural | Theme: Fortifications, Secular Structure Introduction to Fortifications of Vauban A collection of 12 groups of fortified buildings and other sites, located along the northern, eastern, and western borders of France, the Fortifications of Vauban are named for the military engineer who designed them. Sebastian Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707) was considered the best designer of fortifications of …
Country: France | Type: Cultural | Theme: Christian, Religious Structure Introduction to Vezelay Church and Hill The largest Romanesque church in France and nearly the same size as the famed Notre Dame Cathedral, the Vezelay Church – officially Basilique Ste-Madeleine/Basilica Church of St. Mary Magdalene – sits on a hilltop on the highest point of the village of Vezelay in the department of …
Country: France | Type: Cultural | Theme: Ancient Rome, Archaeological Introduction to Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) Located about 25 km (15 miles) from the city of Nimes, the Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that was built around the year 50 A.D. It served as part of a system that transported water from the Eure spring, located near Uzes, …
Country: France | Type: Cultural | Theme: Christian, Religious Structure Introduction to Amiens Cathedral Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, Amiens Cathedral – along with Chartres and Reims – is one of three 13th Century High Gothic churches in France. The largest cathedral in the country, Amiens was built to house the head of St. John the Baptist, retrieved from Constantinople …
Country: Philippines | Type: Cultural | Theme: Colonial, Urban Landscape Introduction to Historic Town of Vigan The island city of Vigan is located in Ilocos Sur province in The Philippines and is its capital. It is situated on the coast of the sizable island of Luzon to the west and is oriented towards the South China Sea. This city is among the many …
