Notre Dame | |
---|---|
Height | 96m |
Floors | 0 |
Year | 1250 |
City | Paris |
Notre-Dame de Paris (French: [n?t?? dam d? pa?i] (listen); meaning'Our Lady of Paris'), known simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral was consecrated to the Virgin Mary and considered to be among the best examples of French Gothic architecture. Its pioneering use of the rib vault and flying buttress, its enormous and vibrant rose windows, in addition to the naturalism and prosperity of its sculptural decoration set it apart from the previous Romanesque style. Major components which make Notre Dame stand out include its large historic organ and its immense church bells.The cathedral's construction began in 1160 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was mostly complete by 1260, although it was modified frequently in the next centuries. In the 1790s, Notre-Dame suffered desecration during the French Revolution; much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. In the 19th century, the cathedral was the site of the coronation of Napoleon I and the funerals of several Presidents of the French Republic.
Popular interest in the cathedral blossomed soon after the publication, in 1831, of Victor Hugo's book Notre-Dame de Paris (better known in English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame). This led to a major restoration project between 1844 and 1864, supervised by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. The Allied liberation of Paris in 1944 was celebrated within Notre-Dame with the singing of the Magnificat. Beginning in 1963, the cathedral's façade was cleaned of centuries of soot and dirt. Another cleaning and restoration project was carried out between 1991 and 2000. The cathedral is one of the most widely recognized symbols of the city of Paris and the French state. As the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame comprises the cathedra of the Archbishop of Paris (Michel Aupetit). In 1805, Notre-Dame was given the honorary status of a minor basilica.
Colosseum | |
---|---|
Height | 48m |
Floors | 0 |
Year | 80 |
City | Rome |
The Colosseum ( KOL-?-SEE-?m), also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium; Italian: Anfiteatro Flavio [a?fite?a?tro ?fla?vjo] or Colosseo [kolos?s??o]), is an oval amphitheatre in the middle of the city of Rome, Italy. Constructed of travertine limestone, tuff (volcanic rock), and brick-faced concrete, it was the largest amphitheatre ever constructed at the time and held 50,000 to 80,000 spectators. The Colosseum is just east of the Roman Forum. Construction started under the emperor Vespasian in AD 72 and was completed in AD 80 beneath his successor and heir, Titus. Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian (81--96). These three emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named in Latin because of its association with their family name (Flavius). The Colosseum could hold an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 spectators at various points of its history over the centuries, having a typical audience of some 65,000; it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles (for only a short time as the hypogeum was soon filled in with mechanisms to support the other activities), animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval age. It was later reused for such functions as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.Although substantially destroyed because of earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is still an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and is recorded among the New7Wonders of the World. It's one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and also has connections to the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit'Way of the Cross' procession that starts in the region around the Colosseum.The Colosseum is also portrayed on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.
Source: WikipediaThe Arraya Tower is a skyscraper completed in 2009 in Kuwait City, Kuwait.
The tower...Eldorado Business Tower is a 36-story skyscraper in São Paulo, Brazil.
Completed in 2007,...The Inco Superstack in Sudbury, Ontario, with a height of 381 metres (1,250 ft), is the tallest...