martedì 26 maggio 2009

Aachen & Salerno

Der kulturelle Schulaustausch zwischen dem “Franziskus-Gymansium” Vossenack und dem Istituto Superiore „Alfano I“ - Partnerschaft seit 2003 – hat sich das gemeinsame Projekt „Historische gemeinsame Spuren in den Regionen NRW und Kampanien“ zum Ziel gesetzt;
Von besonderem Interesse werden dabei die Städte Aachen und Salerno, Sitze bzw. Umgebung der beiden Gymnasien, sein. Zielgruppe und Teilnehmer des Projekts waren die Schüler des Instituto Superiore „Alfano I“ zusammen mit ihren
zugeschriebenen deutschen Partnern; als Lehrkräfte für den Projektvorschlag waren Prof Enza Guida, (FS Deutsch), sowie Prof Helmuth Feuerriegel (FS Englisch) der deutschen Partnerschule vorgesehen.
Die Teilnehmer des Schulaustauschs haben die Möglichkeit genutzt, an einer internationalen kulturellen Bildung teilzunehmen. Es wurde Wert gelegt auf die Vermittlung sowohl sprachlicher als auch kultureller Kompetenzen - als gemeinsame Spuren der europäischen Kultur - sowie auf Vermittlung von Toleranz und Respekt für andere Menschen und Kulturen. Die Wahrnehmung der eigenen Geschichte und verschiedener historischer Epochen, die die beiden Regionen gemeinsam haben, war das Hauptziel; eigene kulturelle Grenzen erweitern und das Bewusstsein eigener Gehörigkeit zu Europa zu verstärken, war ein weiteres Ziel.
Auf sprachlich-kommunikativem Niveau sollten die gelernten Fremdsprachen (Englisch und Deutsch) zur Vertiefung von Kenntnissen und zu weiteren möglichen kulturellen Verbindungen angewendet werden und zu einfachen Textproduktionen führen, welche die historisch interessanten Sehenswürdigkeiten und die Kultur der beiden Regionen darstellen und veranschaulichen.
Das Bildungsprojekt hat aufgrund hohen kulturellen Wertes die Genehmigung von Seite des Ufficio Scolastico della Regione Campania und eine finanzielle Unterstützung von 50% der Kosten (für Reise, Empfang der Gäste, Ausflüge, Eintritte) erhalten.

Partner italiani__Partner tedeschi

Prof.ssa Enza Guida__Prof. Helmuth Feuerriegel

Nardella Giovanni__Breuer Peter
Santonicola Ramona__Cremer Vera
Michela Iuliano__Falter Marina
Milano Nello__Koch Ingo
Martino Gerardo__Schöller Andy
Foresti Alessandra__Düsseldorf Jennifer
Daniele Daniela__Lauscher Kiara
De Franciscis Cecilia__Schröder Pia
Dabraio Antonio__Hermanns Renè
Saporito Maria Cristina__Greuel Vera
Scorzelli Maria__Hild Elina
Crivelli Bianca__Scholl Carina
Di Donato Fabio__Huppertz Alex
Marchese Sara__Konrad Susanne
De Rosa Maria Rosaria__Scholl Carina
Cavalieri Vito__Huppertz Bjoern






venerdì 22 maggio 2009

Aachen – Grenzstadt zu Belgien und den Niederlanden

Aachen und das Dreiländereck sind nicht voneinander zu trennen. Die westlichste Großstadt Deutschlands, Südlimburg in den Niederlanden und Ostbelgien bilden zusammen eine Region, wie sie europäischer nicht sein könnte. Hier leben die Menschen in enger Nachbarschaft, schätzen einander und pflegen doch ihre jeweiligen Besonderheiten.
Aachen ist eine freundliche und gemütliche Stadt, in der man einen fast südländischen Lebensstil pflegt. Besonders sehenswert ist die intakte Altstadt und deren Mittelpunkt: der Aachener Dom, UNESCO-Weltkulturerbe. Er stammt aus dem Jahre 800 und wurde von Kaiser Karl als Teil der Kaiserpfalz gebaut. Aachen ist eine Kurstadt und heißt eigentlich Bad Aachen. Auf die Benennung „Bad“ verzichten die Aachener aber, damit sie mit ihrem Doppel-A immer die ersten sind in alphabetischen Listen. Aachens heiße Quellen und deren heilende Wirkung führten der Legende nach dazu, dass Karl der Große seine Pfalz in Aachen baute. Der Elisenbrunnen ist Aachens Wassertempel. Schon die Kelten und die Römer schätzten die heilende Wirkung dieses Thermalwassers. Man kann das Aachener Heilwasser trinken, aber auch äußerlich anwenden. Es hilft unter anderem bei rheumatischen und Gelenkerkrankungen. Seit dem 17. Jahrhundert kamen Kaiser und Könige nach Aachen. Hier zu kuren war Mode.
Nach Kaiser Karl wurde der in Aachen verliehene Karlspreis benannt. Jedes Jahr seit 1950 wird die angesehene Auszeichnung einer Persönlichkeit oder einer Institution verliehen, die sich um die Europäische Einigung verdient gemacht hat. Die Aachener fühlen sich als Europäer und halten die europäischen Gedanken von Frieden und Völkerverständigung in Ehren. Mehr als 30.000 Studierende prägen die Atmosphäre und das Stadtbild Aachens. Die RWTH als Exzellenzuniversität hat einen ausgezeichneten Ruf in Lehre und Forschung. Aachen ist auch eine Stadt für Genießer, überregional bekannt sind die Aachener Printen, nicht nur zu Weihnachten ein leckeres Gebäck. Berühmt ist Aachen als Reiterstadt - alljährlich wird die Stadt zum Mekka für Reiter aus aller Welt, dann findet der CHIO statt, das weltgrößte Reiterfest.
Aachen ist eine grüne Stadt mit durchaus ländlichen Stadtteilen. Und schnell ist man auf dem Land, inmitten von Wiesen und Feldern, in Belgien und in den Niederlanden. Ostbelgien und das niederländische Limburg sind ländlich idyllische Regionen. Ostbelgien ist geprägt von einer sanften Hügellandschaft, hübschen Bauernhöfen aus Bruchstein. Eupen ist die Hauptstadt der Region. Nur 18.000 Menschen leben in dem Städtchen, und es ist doch Regierungssitz. Der Ministerpräsident der ‘Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft’ und drei Minister haben hier ihren Dienstsitz. Eupen besitzt schöne Patrizierhäuser, die noch aus der Blütezeit der Tuchmacher stammen. Sonntags ist Flohmarkttag in Belgien wie auch im Sommer monatlich in Aachen. Ein Besuch gehört für viele zum Sonntagsritual. Die netten Trödelmärkte der Region sind Legende, hier findet man immer etwas Ausgefallenes.
(wdr)

History of Aachen, Germany
The city of Aachen (pronounced "AH-ken" and also known as Aix-la-Chapelle), in western Germany, is best known for its association with Charlemagne and subsequent Holy Roman emperors. And thanks to the well-preserved Aachen Cathedral with its treasury of relics, the city remains a popular destination for Christian pilgrims and tourists alike.
The Romans who first settled the site of modern Aachen named the hot springs there Aquisgranum. The name probably derives from the Celtic god of water and health. After Roman times, the area was mostly abandoned.
In 768 AD, Emperor Charlemagne visited and was impressed with the springs. In 788, he began construction on his imperial palace, and in 790 work began on the Aachen Cathedral.
Charlemagne made Aachen his second home, and the city quickly became an important cultural centre. During his lifetime, Charlemagne collected relics to store in the cathedral's treasury, and upon his death in 814 he was himself buried within its walls. From 936 AD to 1531, Aachen Cathedral was the coronation site of the Holy Roman emperors, and, especially after Charlemagne was canonized in 1165, Aachen became an important destination for pilgrims.
Aachen's importance began to decline in the 16th century, primarily because its location became an inconvenient as the German capital. In the 1560s, the coronation site was moved to Frankfurt am Main.
The Reformation was also a time of tension between Catholics and Protestants in the city. Protestant ideas were first preached in Aachen in 1524 by Albrecht von Muenster, but he was soon forbidden to preach and executed on two counts of murder. A Protestant community was gradually established in the city, however, and an uprising in 1581 led to the election of a Protestant governor in defiance of the empire.
The city fell under imperial ban in 1597 and Catholicism was restored in 1600. Another Protestant uprising in 1611 drove out the Catholic officials, the city was put under imperial ban once again, and many Protestants were exiled. In 1656, Aachen suffered a devastating fire that destroyed over 4000 houses and added to the city's troubles.
Despite its decline, Aachen was the site of several important peace conferences, including those ending the War of Devolution (1668) and the War of the Austrian Succession (1748). Both the treaties, negotiated primarily between France and Britain, are known as the "Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle" (using the French name for Aachen).
Aachen was annexed by France in 1801 and given to Prussia after the Congress of Vienna (1814–15). In 1821, a papal bull dissolved the bishopric of Aachen and transferred most of its territory to the archdiocese of Cologne. In 1825, a collegiate chapter of one provost and six canons replaced the bishopric, which is why Aachen's Palatine Chapel is sometimes known as the Collegiate Church.
Aachen was briefly occupied by its Belgian neighbours after World War I and it suffered extensive damage in World War II. On October 20, 1944, Aachen became the first large German city to fall to the Allies.
Today, Aachen is a major railway junction, an industrial centre, and a significant tourist destination. It has a population of about 257,000 people. Aachen is known in French (and to many English speakers) as Aix-la-Chapelle and in Italian as Aquisgrana (reflecting its earlier Latin name).

Salerno

Salerno is situated in the middle of two coasts, the Amalfi and Cilento coasts. In 194 b.C. it was a Roman colony and was named Salernum.The city made progress and also enriched its culture and its traditions during the occupation of Goths, Byzantines, Longobards and Normans.The Goths were defeated by the Greeks whose domination lastes 15 years (from 53 to 568), up to Longobards invaded almost the whole peninsula.In 786 Arechi II, a Longobard prince, transferred the seat of the Dukedom of Benevento to Salerno, in order to elude Charlemagne's offensive and to secure himself the control of a strategic area, the centre of coastal and internal communications in Campania. With Arechi II, Salerno knew great splendour becoming a centre of studies with its famous Medical School. The Longobard prince ordered the city to be fortified; the Castle on the Bonadies mountain had alredy been built with walls and towers so from 839 the new capital was seat of a principality and powerful political centre.On December 13th 1076 the Norman conqueror Roberto il Guiscardo captures Salerno putting an end to the many-centuried Longobard domain.In this period the royal palace (Castel Terracena) and the magnificent Cathedral were built and science was boosted as the Salerno Medical School, considered the most ancient medical institution of European West, reached its maximum splendour.With the accession to the throne of Swabians, at the end of the 12th century, there was a period of economic revival in the city.By following the advice of Giovanni da Procida, a famous citizen of that time, Manfredi, Federico II's son, ordered a dock that still now has his name, to be built.From the 14th century onwards, most of the Salerno province became the territory of the Princes of Sanseverino, powerful feudatories, who acted as real owners of the Region. They accumulated an enormus political and administrative power and attracted artists and men of letters inside their own royal palace. In the 15th century the city was the scene of battles between Angevin and Aragonese heirs with whom the local princes took sides alternatively.In the first decades of the 16th century the last descendant of the Sanseverino princes was in conflict with the Spanish Government, causing the ruin of the whole family and the beginning of a long period of decadence for the city.The years 1656, 1688 and 1694 represent sorrowful dates for Salerno: the plague and the earthquake which caused many victims.A slow renewal of the city occurred in the 18th century with the end of the Spanish empire and the construction of many refined houses and churches characterising the main streets of the historical centre.In 1799 Salerno joined the Parthenopean Republic. During the Napoleonic period Giuseppe Bonaparte and then Gioacchino Murat ascended the throne. The latter issued the decree of soppression of the Salerno Medical School, that had been declining for decades to the level of a theoretical School.In the same period even the religious Orders were suppressed and numerous ecclesiastical properties were confiscated.The city expanded beyond the ancient walls and sea connections were potentiated as they represented an important road network that crossed the town connecting the eastern plain with the area leading to Vietri and Naples.After the Unity of Italy a slow urban development continued, many suburban areas were enlarged and large public and private buildings were created. The city went on developing till the Second World War. In September 1943, Salerno was the scene of the landing of the allies and from February 12th to July 17th 1944 it gave hospitality to the Government of Badoglio.The post-war period was difficult for all the Italian cities, but Salerno managed to improve little by little and to aim at becoming a modern European city. In recent years the town administration has taken great strides giving a great impulse to the revaluation of the whole urban territory.The rewal of the historical centre has been directed towards the rediscovery of the artistic and cultural treasures of an exceptional land.

Storia di Salerno
Il primo insediamento documentato sul territorio di Salerno risale al VI secolo a.C., si tratta di un centro osco-estrusco che sorgeva sul fiume Irno poco lontano dalla costa in un punto strategico per le vie di comunicazione dell'epoca. Nel V secolo a.C., con la ritirata degli etruschi dall'italia meridionale, lo stesso insediamento venne occupato dai sanniti.
Nel 197 a.C. viene fondata sulla costa la colonia romana di Salernum. La città si espanse e durante l'impero di Diocleziano divenne il centro amministrativo della .provincia della Lucania e del Bruzio.
Nel 646 Salerno cadde in mano longobarda e divenne parte del ducato di Benevento. Nel 774 il principe Arechi II vi trasferì la corte e nel 839 il principato di Salerno divenne autonomo da Benevento acquisendo i territori del Principato di Capua, la Calabria e la Puglia fino a Taranto.
La realtà della città era caratterizzata da un ambiente multiculturale; il principato era difatti uno stato cuscinetto tra il papato e l'impero, da una parte, e l'oriente bizantino e il mondo islamico dall'altra. Questo quadro politico contribuiva tuttavia anche ad una certa instabilità.
Dal punto di vista commerciale, anche per tramite della vicinissima e potente Amalfi, la città era collegata alle più remote coste del mediterraneo.
In questo contesto sorse intorno al IX secolo la Scuola Medica Salernitana che la tradizione vuole fondata da quattro maestri: un arabo, un ebreo, un latino ed un greco. La scuola fu la prima istituzione per l'insegnamento della medicina nel mondo occidentale e godè di enorme prestigio per tutto il medioevo. La città era una meta obbligata per chi volesse apprendere l'arte medica o farsi curare dai suoi celebri dottori. Questa fama valse a Salerno il titolo di Hippocratica civitas, titolo di cui ancora la città si fregia nel suo stemma. Tra il X e il XII secolo la città visse il periodo più florido della sua storia, OPULENTA SALERNUM fu la dizione coniata sulle monete per testimoniarne lo splendore.
Nel 1076 Roberto il Guiscardo conquistò Salerno che divenne capitale dei domini normanni ovvero del ducato di Puglia e Calabria, (titolo appartenuto in precedenza a Melfi) che comprendeva tutta l'italia meridionale. In questo periodo fu fatto costruire il duomo in stile arabo-normanno.
Nel 1127 la capitale del regno passò a Palermo ma Salerno rimase una delle città più importanti del Regno di Sicilia. Con l'avvento degli svevi, ed in seguito degli angioini e degli aragonesi, la città cominciò a perdere di importanza anche a causa della crescita di importanza della vicina Napoli.
Storia contemporanea
Nel settembre del 1943, durante la seconda guerra mondiale, la città fu teatro del cosiddetto sbarco di Salerno ovvero dell'operazione Avalanche: con questa operazione gli alleati accedevano alla costa tirrenica della penisola italiana ed aprivano la strada per avanzare verso Roma. Nel periodo che seguì lo sbarco la città ospitò i primi governi dell'Italia post-fascista e la famiglia reale divenendo di fatto capitale d'Italia fino alla liberazione di Roma (metà agosto 1944).

Geschichte von Salerno
Salerno (in der Antike Salernum ( lateinisch) ist eine Hafenstadt am Golf von Salerno, im Süden Italiens, Hauptstadt der Provinz Salerno, in Kampanien. Die Einwohnerzahl beträgt 140.580 (Stand am 31. Dezember 2007).
Salerno ist Erzbischofssitz und seit 1970 Universitätsstadt. Im Mittelalter war die Stadt wegen ihrer Ärzteschule berühmt. Herausragende Bauwerke sind das Castello di Arechi, das teilweise noch aus normannischer Zeit stammt, und der Dom mit seinem mächtigen Turm. Hier befindet sich die Grabstätte des Heiligen Gregor VII. und wohl auch des Evangelisten Matthäus.
Salerno war ursprünglich eine griechische Siedlung, die im 2. Jahrhundert v. Chr. römische Kolonie wurde.
Im 9. Jahrhundert n. Chr. wurde Salerno Hauptstadt eines unabhängigen langobardischen Fürstentums, das aus dem Herzogtum Benevent hervorging.
1077 eroberten die Normannen die Stadt. Unter der Herrschaft des normannischen Herzogs Robert Guiscard erlebte sie eine wirtschaftliche Blüte. Einen wissenschaftlichen Aufschwung bescherte die mittelalterliche Schule von Salerno.
Im Zweiten Weltkrieg gelang den Alliierten 1943 südlich von Salerno die Landung in Italien. Dem ging das Ausscheiden Italiens aus dem faschistischen Bündnis (Der Achse bzw. dem Antikominternpakt) im Juli und der Waffenstillstand am 8. September voraus. Die wichtigsten Industrieprodukte der Stadt sind Maschinen, Nahrungsmittel und Textilien.

Der Aachener Dom

Nur in Aachen gibt es ein Bauwerk, das so eng mit Kaiser Karl dem Großen verbunden ist: seine Pfalzkapelle, in anderem Zusammenhang auch Marienkirche, Stiftskirche, Münster genannt, der Aachener Dom. Dieses Bauwerk ist eines der besterhaltenen Baudenkmäler der Karolingerzeit; seine historische Bedeutung ist ebenso unbestritten wie seine wichtige Stellung in der europäischen Architekturgeschichte. Die Manifestation eines "Neuen Roms" - diesen Traum wollte Karl der Große Wirklichkeit werden lassen, als er gegen Ende des 8. Jahrhunderts in Aachen den väterlichen Königshof in eine Pfalz vom Range einer Reichsresidenz umwandelte. Wo heute das Rathaus steht, ließ er sein palatium, seine Pfalz, errichten. Für den christlichen König war es selbstverständlich, dass er neben seiner Residenz auch eine Kirche bauen ließ. Schon unter Karls Vater Pippin war ein kleines christliches Gotteshaus errichtet worden, über dessen Altar sich nun Kaiser Karls Pfalzkapelle erhob. Seine Zeitgenossen führten das "schöne und bewundernswerte Werk der Kirche" unmittelbar auf den Einfluss Karls des Großen zurück. Dem Baumeister Odo von Metz gelang es, das religiöse und politische Gedankengut Karls des Großen in Anlehnung an west- und oströmische Bautraditionen meisterhaft in ein einzigartiges Bauwerk umzusetzen. Die Aachener Marienkirche ist der früheste große kuppelüberwölbte Bau nördlich der Alpen und bleibt in diesem Teil Europas für vier Jahrhunderte der höchste gewölbte Innenraum .

Ad Aquisgrana c’è una costruzione che è strettamente legata a Carlo Magno la sua Pfalzkappelle, detta anche Marienkirche, Stiftskirche cioè il Duomo di Aquisgrana. Questa costruzione è il miglior monumento del periodo carolingio che ci è pervenuto. Il suo significato storico è sicuramente indiscutibile per la sua testimonianza nella storia dell’architettura europea.
Questo Duomo doveva rappresentare secondo Carlo Magno la manifestazione della “nuova Roma”, egli voleva che questo suo sogno diventasse realtà, quando verso la fine dell’ VIII secolo trasformò il palazzo reale in un palazzo di residenza del suo Regno. Carlo Magno iniziò la costruzione della cappella nel 786. Alla sua morte fu sepolto nella sua cattedrale ove i sui resti sono tuttora conservati in uno scrigno.
Dove oggi è il Municipio, il Rathaus, fece erigere il suo Pfalz il suo Palatium. Per il cristianesimo era chiaro che a fianco ad una residenza si costruisse una chiesa, l’ottagono carolingio è centrale, ad ovest il coro di stile gotico, ad est si trovano le cappelle laterali.

Karl der Große

Karl der Grosse lebte von 768 bis 814.
800 n.Chr. stellte den Höhepunkt der Macht Karls des Großen dar. Erneut bat Papst Leo III. um Hilfe, gegen eine Verschwörung des römischen Stadtadels. Beim Weihnachtsgottesdienstes krönte dieser Karl zum Kaiser nach byzantinischem Ritus. Der Kaisertitel symbolisierte die konkreten Machtverhältnisse, und staerkte seine Position als Anfuehrer des westlichen christlichen Okzidents geworden. Kaiser Karl der Große war ständig auf Reisen durch sein Reichsgebiet und rastete auf königlichen/kaiserlichen Pfalzen und Höfen, um vor Ort Recht zu sprechen und Gesandte zu empfangen. Karls Lieblingspfalz wurde Aachen.

Karl der Große und Aachen
Nur in Aachen gibt es ein Bauwerk, das so eng mit Kaiser Karl dem Großen verbunden ist: seine Pfalzkapelle, der Aachener Dom. Dieses Bauwerk ist eines der besterhaltenen Baudenkmäler der Karolingerzeit.Ein „Neues Rom“ - diesen Traum wollte Karl der Große Wirklichkeit werden lassen, als er in Aachen den Königshof in eine Reichsresidenz umwandelte. Für den christlichen König war es selbstverständlich, dass er neben seiner Residenz auch eine Kirche bauen ließ. Dem Baumeister Odo von Metz gelang es, das religiöse und politische Gedankengut Karls des Großen in ein einzigartiges Bauwerk umzusetzen. Die Aachener Marienkirche ist der früheste große kuppelüberwölbte Bau nördlich der Alpen und bleibt in diesem Teil Europas für vier Jahrhunderte der höchste gewölbte Innenraum.
His empire became far greater than
Charlemagne's empire became far greater than the Byzantine, surpassed in scope only by the realm of the Abbasid caliphate, but suddenly Germany had to protect itself against the Norse, who raided the Frisian coast, and Slavs bent on murderous rampages. Because of this danger, he divided his empire in 806 among his three sons: Pepin, Louis, and Karl. Pepin died in 810, Karl in 811,and only Louis remained. In 813, Louis was elevated from the rank of king to that of emperor, and his father, by then age 72 and in the 47th year of his reign, said: “Blessed be Thou, O Lord God, Who hast granted me the grace to see with my own eyes my son seated on my throne!” Four months later, Karl der Grosse died and was buried under the dome of the cathedral at Aachen, dressed in his imperial robes. He was Carolus Magnus, Karl der Grosse, Charlemagne.
Charlemagne both led and sent his armies far. He subdued the unruly Saxon heathens, giving them a choice between baptism or death, supposedly resulting in the beheading of 4,500 of them in one day. He drove back the advancing Slavs, defeated the Avars, and by the thirty-fourth year of his reign, he could resign himself to peace until his death in 814. He bestowed a governmental structure and unifying faith upon Western Europe which had been torn by religious and political strife for years, and he managed to bring all of the people between the Vistula and the Atlantic, the Baltic and the Pyrenees, nearly all of Italy and much of the Balkans under his rule.
Through the Capitulare missorum, the people of Francia had their own guarantee of equality, justice and freedom from tyranny four centuries before England’s Magna Carta was established. Under Charlemgane's enlightened rule, conscientious effort was made to change barbarism into civilization through legislation pertaining to most aspects of civilized living from religion to government. A great bridge was built across the Rhine at Mainz to produce active trade, a stable currency was maintained and a system of welfare was created and paid for by taxation on the nobles and the clergy.
He called in foreign scholars to restore the schools of France and to teach a school that he organized in the royal palace at Aachen. He sent to England and elsewhere for teachers, and soon the palace school was an active center of study and the birthplace of educational reform that spread throughout the realm. Even Charlemagne and his family were eager pupils. While he studied Latin, he continued to speak German, and he compiled German grammar and specimens of early German poetry. He imported scholars, and out of his schools came the university system of Europe. Charlemagne was profusely generous to the Church, of which he was the master, yet he also had open negotiations with Moslem rulers suggesting fair treatment of their respective minority populations.
What we know as the Holy Roman Empire was born of a noble vision of world peace, order and civilization. German rulers of the 19th century were enamored of the memory of Charlemagne. In 1843, Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV had Charlemagne's tomb opened. His bones were still intact, except for part of the right arm, and his living height was calculated just over 6 feet. In 1861, 1874, and finally 1906 it was opened again. His throne, left Einhard's "The Life of Charlemagne"1880: "Charles was large and strong, and of lofty stature, though not disproportionately tall (his height is well known to have been seven times the length of his foot); the upper part of his head was round, his eyes very large and animated, nose a little long, hair fair, and face laughing and merry. Thus his appearance was always stately and dignified, whether he was standing or sitting; although his neck was thick and somewhat short, and his belly rather prominent; but the symmetry of the rest of his body concealed these defects. His gait was firm, his whole carriage manly, and his voice clear, but not so strong as his size led one to expect. His health was excellent, except during the four years preceding his death, when he was subject to frequent fevers; at the last he even limped a little with one foot. Even in those years he consulted rather his own inclinations than the advice of physicians, who were almost hateful to him, because they wanted him to give up roasts, to which he was accustomed, and to eat boiled meat instead. In accordance with the national custom, he took frequent exercise on horseback and in the chase, accomplishments in which scarcely any people in the world can equal the Franks. He enjoyed the exhalations from natural warm springs, and often practised swimming, in which he was such an adept that none could surpass him; and hence it was that he built his palace at Aixla-Chapelle, and lived there constantly during his latter years until his death. He used not only to invite his sons to his bath, but his nobles and friends, and now and then a troop of his retinue or body guard, so that a hundred or more persons sometimes bathed with him."
He was so fond of his six daughters that he talked them out of marriage, and they consequently consoled themselves with a variety of love affairs and bore many illegitimate children, which Charlemagne accepted with affection, since he himself had four successive wives and five mistresses or concubines who bore him eighteen children, of whom only eight were legitimate. He was said to be moderate in his eating and drinking, loathed drunkenness, and maintained good health. He rarely entertained, and instead enjoyed music and a good book. He had almost a clairvoyant intelligence, extreme vitality, unbridled enthusiasm for science, law, literature, and theology; he mocked superstition yet sometimes employed soothsayers. He spoke directly and honestly, and could be ruthless when required, especially in regard to spreading Christianity. Yet, he was at the same time kind, charitable and emotional.
The Moslem governor of Barcelona asked for his help in defeating the caliph of Cordova, another Moslem, and in the year 777, Karl led the army across the Pyrenees until he realized he had been deceived. As he led his army back through the mountains, the Basques attacked his rear guard and killed nearly every man in the squad led by Karl's nephew Roland, a battle later immortalized in song and story. In 795, Karl returned and conquered part of northeast Spain before again assaulting the persistent Lombards in Italy, a feat for which Pope Leo III crowned him Emperor of the Romans on Christmas Day in 800 AD.
Charlemagne made military service a condition of owning land and created a system of knighthood and noblemen, along with a whole code of moral behavior in order to build a strong military. Building upon the Roman system of feudalism, Charlemagne enabled this new noble military class to ensure the well-being of serfs who would in turn provide and supply the needs of the nobleman and his militarily. In this well planned society, Charlemagne can be considered the Father of Feudalism. He formed a structured society based on public participation in the government with assemblies of armed property owners, and he respectfully delegated various individual responsibilities to all.
It was Charlemagne who first attempted to organize his kingdom by dividing his power with various levels of government: an aristocrat appointed as Count controlled the lords and nobles who in turn controlled the serfs or peasants on the fief of each knight. The counts took care of administrative tasks and supervised Church business and an appointed Bishop headed a diocese within certain borders. In those areas where there were potentially volatile situations, Charlemagne appointed a Margrave. By his formulation of the Chapters of Legislation, once a year they all traveled to the king's court at Aachen to convene and to discuss governmental business. Here they presented items for oral vote (out of the jurata, a custom in ninth century Frankish lands where a sworn group of inquirers was used to decide many local issues from land ownership to criminal guilt, came the jury system of modern times). In between these meetings, Charlemagne traveled to the various capitalsof the region, and held assemblies of the nobles where they would hash things out and come to agreement on various issues. They also shared a good time with much joking and talking. Between meetings, a group of emissaries called the missi dominici travelled throughout the kingdom hearing complaints and making sure that things were running smoothly and also collected taxes.
Karl der Große was born of German blood and German language at a place unknown. He could speak ancient Teuton, Latin and Greek and he became king at age twenty-nine. Karl, the second son of Bertrada and Pepin the Short, was born in 751, the year that Pepin declared himself King of the Franks. In 754, Pepin successfully convinced Pope Stephen II to crown him in exchange for defending Italy against the Germanic Lombards, a tribe occupying central and northern Italy. Karl saw war as a child riding with his father's army, and he would continue to personally and physically lead men into battle throughout 53 campaigns in the course of building his empire.
Charlemagne took over the governing of Aachen in 768 AD. The imperial palace was located by the source of warm springs and soon became Charlemagne's permanent residence. As years went by, the town became more and more prosperous. Charlemagne was buried in the Cathedral of Aachen, the construction of which he had personally overseen in 824. The town's ties with Charlemagne were reflected in its numerous architectural heirlooms and memorials.
In 936, Otto I was crowned emperor in the cathedral and the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned in Aachen for the next 600 years.
During the 9th and 10th centuries, Charlemagnes empire was basically divided into two parts, German and French. In the French half (most of present day France), most of the population spoke dialects of Latin, while in the German half, German was spoken... and still is. The Oath of Strasbourg, a document from 842, was written in German and French in recognition of this division and made it official. The French portion of the Frankish kingdom remained united while the German portion broke into many independent states that were not united until 1870.
The concept of feudalism was a combination of German and Roman practices developed and practiced most widely by the Franks, a large confederation of Germanic tribes who, wanting freedom from both other Germans and the Romans, united in the 3rd century AD and adopted the common name "Frank" (derived either from the word "Free" or "Spear"). They were the most successful of the German tribes and by the 4th century, many of them were living in the area of Belgium and the Rhineland as allies of Rome, while other Franks were living in adjacent German territory. The Franks maintained independence and later helped defeat the Huns who were terrorizing Europe.
Since they lived close to the Romans in Gaul for so long, the Franks developed and modeled their own kingdoms in a similar manner to Roman civilization and once Roman authority was gone in the 5th century, many of these Frankish kingdoms united under Merovich (reigned 448-458) whose grandson, Clovis (reigned 481-511) converted to Christianity. The Franks conquered southern France and large parts of Germany. The Franks were so efficient and successful that all Germanic peoples grew to be considered "Franks". The Christian Frankish kingdom continued to develop throughout the 6th century. Unlike the Romans, where officials were selected more for their ability, the ancient German tribes believed that their clan's ruling dynasties were descended from the gods. The Franks incorporated their pagan belief into their new Christianity by having their leaders "annointed" by a bishop. This adaptation to an old German concept allowed the Church to develope the idea of the "Divine Right of Kings", a leader chosen by God. The Franks turned the Roman estate practices into what became known as the Manor System .
By the 8th century, the Frankish warrior on horseback was superior to any European infantry force, and from the 700s to the 1200s, they controled the battlefield. But since maintaining the lifestyle of these knights was an expensive proposition with their costly equipment and families to support, the Frankish kings decided to to introduce a system that would provide trained soliders for the crown and also put reliable men in local positions of authority throughout the kingdom by combining the manor system with all their knights. The German noble was therefore surrounded by loyal lesser nobles and commoners in a fellowship bound together for mutual protection, and although they farmed and hunted, war was, by the nature of the times, a central element in their lives. The Frankish kingdom culminated in one man: Charlemagne.

Der Kölner Dom & Duomo di Salerno

Der Kölner Dom
Der offizielle Name der Kirche ist "Hohe Domkirche St. Peter und Maria". Es ist eine roemisch katholische Kirche. Der Koelner Dom ist die bedeutendste und beliebteste Sehenswuerdigkeit Deutschlands.
Das Hauptschiff des Kölner Domes ist mit 144,00 Metern das längste Kirchenschiff Deutschlands und eines der längsten der Welt. Mit einer Gewölbehöhe von 43,35 Metern hat der Kölner Dom nach der Kathedrale von Beauvais (48,50) das zweithöchste Gewölbe der Welt. Außerdem ist sie die dritthöchste Kirche der Welt. In dem kunstvoll vergoldeten bedeutendsten Schrein des Abendlandes, dem Dreikönigenschrein, ruhen Gebeine, die als Reliquien der Heiligen Drei Könige angesehen werden. Der Bau des Domes begann am 15. August 1248 und wurde am 15. oktober 1880 fertiggestellt. Es dauerte viele Jahrhunderte, da die Leute damals kein Geld hatten um den Bau zu vollenden.


The church official name is ‘ High Cathedral of St. Peter and Maria’. It is a Roman Catholic church. The cathedral of Cologne is the most important and most popular sightseeing of Germany. The nave of the Cologne Cathedral is 144 metres long - the longest nave in Germany and one of the longest in the world. The arches in the dome of Cologne have a height of 43,35 metres - and these are the second highest arches in the world besides those in Beauvais (48,50 metres). Furthemore, the Cologne Cathedral is the third highest dome in the world. In the artificial aureate and most important shrine of Occident, called the "Three-Kings-Shrine", some mortal remains are resting which are considered to be the relics of the Three Magi. The Cathedral construction started on 15 April 1248 and it was only finished on 15 October 1880. It took several centuries, because in those days people did not have enough money to finish the construction.

Duomo di Salerno
Salerno Cathedral or Duomo is the main church of the city of Salerno in southern Italy. It is considered the main tourist attraction of the city. It is dedicated to Saint Matthew one of the four Evangelists, whose tomb is inside the Cripta. The Cathedral was built at the center of the Longobard and Norman Salerno, when the city was the capital of the principality of Salerno, in southern Italy (that stretched from the gulf of Naples to the Ionian sea). Begun by Robert Guiscard in 1076 during the episcopate of Alfano I on a pre-existing church (in turn erected over a Roman temple's ruins), the Duomo was consecrated by Pope Gregory VII in 1085.It was several times modified in the following centuries. In 1688 the architect Ferdinando Sanfelice remodeled in Neapolitan Baroque and Rococo Architecture the interior of the Duomo. Finally, a restoration in the 1930s brought it back to an appearance similar to the original one. Historically the Duomo is remembered as the initial symbol of the Italian Renaissance, because inside there it is the tomb of Pope Gregory VII, the Pope of Canossa who started the rejection from Italy of the German domination of the Holy Roman Empire.
The most striking external feature is the bell tower (mid-12th century), with small arcades and mullioned windows, standing 56 m high and in Arabic-Norman style. The façade has a Romanesque portal with Byzantine-style bronze doors from Constantinople (1099), with 56 panels with figures, crosses and stories from Jesus's life. The entrance has a portico with 28 antique columns whose pointed arches, with lava rock intarsia, show influence of Arab art, and contains a series of ancient Roman sarcophagi.
The interior has a nave and two aisles, divided by pilasters in which the original columns are embedded, and three apses. Artworks include two pulpits with mosaic decorations, paintings by Francesco Solimena, a 14th century Gothic statue of Madonna with Child and the sepulchres of queen Margherita of Durazzo, of Roger Borsa and of archbishop Bartolomeo d'Arpano, and the tomb of Gregory VII.
The crypt, believed to house the remains of St. Matthew, is a groin vaulted hall with a basilica-like plan divided by columns. It was restored under design by Domenico Fontana in 1606-1608, with marble decorations added in the 18th century.
The Duomo was damaged during the Operation Avalanche, when the Allies landed in Salerno in September 1943, during World War II.
The Duomo Museum houses artworks from different ages, including the silver statues of the Salernitane Martyrs (13th century) and documents of the renowned Schola Medica Salernitana (the first University of Europe).

Ein herrliches Zeugnis romanischer Kunst stellt der Dom vonSalerno dar. Es handelt sich um den repräsentativsten Bau der Stadt. Die Erbauung begann 1076 auf Streben des Robert Guiscard und des Abts von Montecassino Alfano, der später Bischof der Stadt wurde. Die Arbeiten am Gotteshaus zogen sich bis ins Jahr 1085 hin, als es dann vom nach Salerno verbannten Papst Gregor VII. persönlich geweiht wurde. Der Dom ist dem Apostel Matthäus geweiht, dessen Gebeine gemeinsam mit denen anderer Märtyrer aus Salerno in der Krypta verwahrt sind. In der ersten Hälfte des 18. Jahrhunderts wurde der Bau umfassend barockisiert und zwischen 1930-31 und abermals 1955 und 1961 in seine Originalform rückgebaut. Über eine Freitreppe aus dem Seicento gelangt man zur romanischen Löwenpforte, deren Name auf die zwei ruhenden Wildkatzenstatuen an deren Seiten zurückzuführen ist - einen Löwen und eine stillende Löwin -. Von dieser Pforte erreicht man den geräumigen Atriumshof, der von Spoliensäulen gerahmt ist: hier sind ein Becken aus dem unweit gelegenen Paestum, einige Sarkophage aus mittelalterlicher sowie klassischer Epoche zu sehen und der zwischen 1137 und 1145 erbaute Campanile von unbestreitbarem maurischem Stil. Der Zugang in das Kircheninnere erfolgt durch eine byzantinische Bronzetür, die sich in der Mitte der Fassade befindet. Im dreischiffigen Innern mit kreuzförmigem Grundriss sind bedeutende Grabmonumente verwahrt, die aus römischen Sarkophagen realisiert sind. Man findet das Grab der Königin Margherita di Durazzo, des Meisters Antonio Baboccio, die Hauptkanzel aus dem XIII. Jahrhundert und den älteren Ambo aus dem Jahre 1181. Von großem Interesse sind auch einige Gemälde des F. Solimena, der Boden im Chor, die Mosaiken der drei Apsiden, unter denen die rechte Apsis hervortritt, die auch Gregor VII. Kapelle genannt wird, weil hier die Reste des Papstes beigesetzt sind, doch nannte man sie auch Kreuzzugkapelle, denn man segnete hier die Waffen derer, die ins Heilige Land zogen.

giovedì 21 maggio 2009

Testimonianze Normanne a Salerno_Norman Remains in Salerno

Il periodo Normanno lascia a Salerno un secolo circa di intensa partecipazione alle vicende storiche del tempo, i Normanni ingrandirono la cinta muraria che arrivò a circa 3000 metri, fu costruito il Duomo di San Matteo ed il Campanile romanico, fu eretto Castel Terracena, palazzo Reale e sede dei principali eventi cittadini, fu costruito l'acquedotto romanico che attraversa l'attuale via Arce. Nel contempo la Scuola Medica Salernitana divenne uno "Studium" riconosciuto in tutta Europa.
L'acquedotto medievale di Salerno è stato eretto nel IX secolo per approvvigionare d'acqua il monastero di San Benedetto, presso le mura orientali.
È costituito da due rami: uno proveniente dalle colline a nord, l'altro dalle alture ad est della città; entrambi si ricongiungevano all'altezza dell'attuale via Arce (che dai loro archi prende il nome), presso uno spigolo delle antiche mura cittadine. In un primo momento rifornirono solo il monastero benedettino, in seguito una diramazione sotterranea permise di rifornire anche il convento della Piantanova, in via Mercanti.
Corre in parte su arcate, per le quali venne utilizzato per la prima volta l'arco ogivale.
L'acquedotto è stato ribattezzato popolarmente "Ponti del Diavolo" e si raccontava che fosse stato costruito in una sola notte, con l'aiuto dei demoni, dal mago salernitano del XII secolo Pietro Barliario. La superstizione popolare riteneva, inoltre, che avventurarsi sotto gli archi tra l'imbrunire e l'alba avrebbe portato all'incontro con diavoli o spiriti .
Inoltre, l'utilizzo dell' arco ogivale, vera novità architettonica dell'epoca, deve aver probabilmente spaventato, e non poco, l'impressionabile popolino.


In about one century of intense participation in the historical events of the time, the Normans enlarged Salerno walls, that were about 3,000 metres long, they built Saint Matthew’s Cathedral and the Romanesque bell tower, they erected Terracena Castle and a Royal Castle.They also built the Romanesque aqueduct that crosses the present-day Via Arce and founded the Salerno School of Medicine, which began a “Studium” acknowledged all over the Europe.
The Romanesque aqueduct of Salerno was built in the 14th century to provide water to San Benedetto’s Cathedral, near the oriental walls.
It is made up of two branches: one from the north hills, a second branch from the hills to the east of the town; both were rejoined in present-day Via Arce (whose name is derived from their arcs) near an edge of the ancient walls. In a first moment they supplied only the Benedictine monastery, later an underground ramification allowed to supply the convent of the Piantanova, in the Merchants street.
It runs partly on arcades, for which the ogival arc was used for the first time.
The aqueduct was renamed "Bridges of the Devil" and people say that it had been built in one night, with the help of demons, by the magician of the XII century Pietro Barliario. Popular superstition held, besides, that to venture under the arcs between dusk and dawn would have led to the meeting with devils or spirits.
Besides, the use of the ogival arc, true architectural novelty of that age, must probably have frightened, and not a little, the sensitive inhabitants of the area.

Roemerthermen Zuelpich

Die Badekultur ist keine Erfindung der Römer. Schon im alten Mesopotamien gab es Großbauten mit Badewannen und Toiletten-Anlagen, wie z.B. im Palast von Mari (2350 v. Chr.).
Die Römer übernahmen die Idee der öffentlichen Sport- und Waschanstalten (Gymnasien) aus den hellenistischen Städten des griechischen Raums. Neu ist bei ihnen die Standardisierung des Badens im gesamten Römischen Reich über eine genau definierte Abfolge von Badegängen in öffentlichen Badehäusern. Badekultur war Bestandteil des täglichen Lebens, auch in den Provinzen. Dort verzichteten die Bewohner nicht auf Badeluxus. Die Architekten legten Wert auf eine repräsentative Wirkung der Thermen. Die von Archäologen in Zülpich geborgenen Funde beweisen dies: Zum Beispiel gibt es Fragmente von Bauschmuck. Die Wände waren nach dem damaligen Zeitgeschmack mehrfarbig gefasst und durch Ornamente geschmückt.
Das römische Badehaus
In den 30er Jahren entdeckten Archäologen in Zülpich eine der besterhaltenen Römerthermen nördlich der Alpen. Der sensationelle Fund wurde damals durch einen einfachen Schutzbau abgesichert. Als dieser wegen Baufälligkeit abgetragen werden musste, entschloss man sich in Zülpich, die knapp 400 Quadratmeter große Thermenanlage mit einem Museum zur Kulturgeschichte des Badens zu überbauen.
Der jetzt entstandene Rundgang gibt einen Einblick in die Geschichte des Badens – von der Römerzeit bis heute. Der Besuch eines Badehauses (Thermen) gehörte zum Alltag der Römer.
Die Bevölkerung nutzte das Badehaus nicht nur zum Baden, sondern auch als gesellschaftlichen Treffpunkt. Jede Stadt besaß ein solches Badehaus. Die Anzahl der Thermen war von der Größe der Siedlung und ihrer Einwohnerzahl abhängig. Oft wurde Wert auf eine luxuriöse Ausstattung gelegt. An der mehr oder weniger aufwändigen Gestaltung der Thermen ließ sich der Wohlstand der betreffend.
Wie badeten die Römer?
Herzstück einer jeden römischen Thermenanlage ist der Kreislauf von Frischwasserzufuhr, Wassererwärmung und die Ableitung des gebrauchten Wassers. Aus dem Mittelmeerraum waren die Römer an eine sehr effiziente Wassernutzung gewohnt.
Dies ist auch in Zülpich zu erkennen: Zuerst wurde das Wasser als Badewasser genutzt, dann zur Reinigung weiterverwendet, um anschließend als Spülwasser für die Latrine nochmals zum Einsatz zu kommen. Der Wasserbedarf war nicht unerheblich.
en Stadt ablesen.
Der Grundriss
Der Grundriss einer Thermenanlage war im gesamten Römischen Reich gleich. Er bestand aus der Abfolge von drei Räumen: dem Kaltbad, dem Warmbad und dem Heißbad. Vor dieser Raumflucht lag ein Umkleideraum. Diese Abfolge findet man auch bei den römischen Thermen in Zülpich. Gebaut wurden sie Mitte des 2. Jahrhunderts n. Chr. Zur festen Ausstattung gehörte neben der Fußboden- und Wandheizung je eine Wanne im Kalt- und im Heißbaderaum. Sie wurden später um je eine zusätzliche Wanne ergänzt. Ein Kanal südlich der Thermen entsorgte das Abwasser und spülte gleichzeitig die Latrinenanlage. Der Rundgang durch die Thermen konnte durch einen Besuch im trockenen Schwitzraum oder der Außenanlage variiert werden. Im Zuge des 3. Jahrhunderts wurde der Gebäudekomplex um eine „basilica thermarum“ ergänzt. Ab da konnte in dieser Mehrzweckhalle auch Sport getrieben werden. Zur selben Zeit erhielten die Thermen ein zweites Warm- und ein Heißluftbad, was auf rege Nutzung der Bewohner Tolbiacums, so hieß Zülpich bei den Römern, schließen lässt. In dieser Form bestand die Thermenanlage bis zum Beginn des 4. Jahrhunderts n. Chr.
Die Technik
Herzstück einer jeden römischen Thermenanlage ist der Kreislauf von Frischwasserzufuhr, Wassererwärmung und die Ableitung des gebrauchten Wassers. Aus dem Mittelmeerraum waren die Römer an eine sehr effiziente Wassernutzung gewohnt.
Dies ist auch in Zülpich zu erkennen: Zuerst wurde das Wasser als Badewasser genutzt, dann zur Reinigung weiterverwendet, um anschließend als Spülwasser für die Latrine nochmals zum Einsatz zu kommen. Der Wasserbedarf war nicht unerheblich. In Ermangelung chemischer Aufbereitung musste das Badewasser häufiger ausgewechselt werden. Die Erwärmung der Baderäume erfolgte in Zülpich durch insgesamt fünf Feuerstellen. Besonderes Merkmal der Thermen in Zülpich sind die zum Teil gut erhaltenen Fußböden aus Terrazzo. Diese Fußböden ruhen auf Pfeilern aus Ziegeln. Dazwischen konnte die erzeugte Wärme zirkulieren, über Kanäle in den Wänden hochsteigen und von dort bis zum Dach gelangen.

Das Hahnentor

Dieses Tor, "nova porta", hat eine Durchfahrtshöhe von 8m und eine Breite von 6m. Um 1880 wurde das Hahnentor vom Abriss der gesamten Stadtbefestigungen ausgenommen, damit es als Erinnerungsstück aus dieser Zeit erhalten bleibt. 1880 wurde im Hahnentor ein historisches Museum errichtet. Nach der Zerstörung im zweiten Weltkrieg wurde es vollkommen restauriert. Heute ist das Hahnentor ein Ausstellungszentrum für junge Kölner Künstler.

"Das Hahnentor" as an example of the 13th century:
This gate, which was called "nova porta", has a height of 8 m and a width of 6 m. In circa 1880 the city wall was demolished, except the "Hahnentor", in order to remind of the Roman days. Today this gate is a place for young painters to expose their works.