Like Jack Kerouac's On The Road, this week's issue was written on amphetamines: Ten featured articles, three featured lists, and 22 featured images were promoted this week.
This Signpost "Featured content" report covers material promoted from 11 to 17 January 2015. Text may be adapted from the respective articles and lists; see their page histories for attribution.
Philip Seymour Hoffman(
nominated by
Dr. Blofeld and
Loeba) (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor, director, and producer of film and theater. Best known for his supporting and
character roles – typically lowlifes, bullies, and misfits – Hoffman was a regular presence in films from the early 1990s until his death at age 46. Drawn to theater as a teenager, Hoffman studied acting at
New York University's
Tisch School of the Arts. He began his screen career in a 1991 episode of Law & Order, and started to appear in films in 1992. He gained recognition for his supporting work throughout the decade, notably in Boogie Nights (1997), The Big Lebowski (1998), and The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). Hoffman also appeared in
Hollywood blockbusters, such as Twister (1996) and Mission: Impossible III (2006), and one of his final roles was
Plutarch Heavensbee in the
Hunger Games series (2013–15). The feature Jack Goes Boating (2010) marked his debut as a filmmaker. Hoffman was also an accomplished theater actor and director. He joined the
off-BroadwayLAByrinth Theater Company in 1995, where he directed, produced, and appeared in numerous stage productions. His performances in three
Broadway plays – True West (2000), Long Day's Journey into Night (2003), and Death of a Salesman (2012) – all led to
Tony Award nominations. Hoffman struggled with drug addiction as a young adult, and relapsed in 2013 after many years of sobriety. In February 2014, he died of
combined drug intoxication – an unexpected event that was widely lamented by the film and theater fraternities.
Hoopoe starling(
nominated by
FunkMonk) is a species of starling which lived on the island of
Réunion. It had white and grey plumage, and a crest on its head. Before its extinction, they were kept as caged birds by some settlers on the islands; however, they were also hunted for food, and because they were seen as a crop pest, and between that, introduced species, disease, and deforestation, the bird was in decline by the early 19th century, and went extinct in the 1850s.
California Diamond Jubilee half dollar(
nominated by
Wehwalt) Issued to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Californian statehood in 1925, the
California Diamond Jubilee half dollar was struck in San Francisco in August of that year. The obverse depicts a prospector panning for gold; he is peering intently into his pan, looking for specks of
placer gold. The reverse has a grizzly bear, an adaptation of the emblem on the state flag. Although 300,000 coins were authorized to be minted, only 150,000 were actually struck, and of these approximately half were sold. The rest were melted down. Of the 86,594 coins sold or distributed to the public, 494 were given to children born in the State on 9 September, the 75th anniversary of California statehood. The design, by
Jo Mora, was widely admired, although at least one critic was puzzled by the inclusion of what he thought was a Polar bear, as he had travelled up and down the state without seeing one.
Mackensen-class battlecruiser(
nominated by
Parsecboy) The
Mackensen class of battlecruisers were "the last class of battlecruisers to be built by
Germany in World War I". The cruisers were designed to have eight 14 inch guns, and more powerful engines, throwing out 67 megawatts of power to move their 35,000 tons at a top speed of 28 knots or 32 miles per hour. Of the intended seven only four were built, of which three were launched, but, despite these three being officially launched, none were actually completed. The nearest to completion, Graf Spee, had been launched on 15 September 1917 with a speech by
Prince Henry of Prussia and a christening by the widow of Vice Admiral
Maximilian von Spee. She was sold for scrap in October 1921. The unfinished hull fetched 4.4 million Marks- about £6,000 or US$24,000 at the exchange rate of late October (just over two years of hyperinflation later 4.4 million marks was worth about half of a
third farthing).
1987 Giro d'Italia(
nominated by
Disc Wheel) The 1987 Giro d'Italia was the 70th event in
the series, one of cycling's
Grand Tour races. It began on 21 May with a 4 km (2.5 mi) prologue in
San Remo, and concluded on 13 June with a 32 km (19.9 mi)
individual time trial in
Saint-Vincent. A total of 180 riders from 20 teams entered the 22-stage, 3,915 km (2,433 mi)-long race, which was won by Irishman
Stephen Roche of the
Carrera Jeans–Vagabond team. Second and third places were taken by British rider
Robert Millar and Dutchman
Erik Breukink, respectively. It was the second time in the history of the Giro that the podium was occupied solely by non-Italian riders. Roche's victory in the 1987 Giro was his first step in completing the
Triple Crown of Cycling – winning the Giro d'Italia, the
Tour de France, and the
World Championship road race in one calendar year – becoming the second rider ever to do so. Roche's teammate and defending champion
Roberto Visentini took the first race leader's maglia rosa (English: pink jersey) after winning the opening prologue, only to lose it to Breukink the following stage. Roche took the overall lead after his team, Carrera Jeans-Vagabond, won the stage three
team time trial. Visentini regained the lead for a two-day period after the stage 13 individual time trial. The fifteenth stage of the 1987 Giro has been recognized as an iconic event in the history of the race because Roche rode ahead of teammate Visentini, despite orders from the team management, and took the race lead. Roche successfully defended the overall lead from attacks by Visentini and other general classification contenders until the event's finish in Saint-Vincent. Stephen Roche became the first Irishman to win the Giro d'Italia.
Amphetamine(
nominated by
Seppi333 and
Boghog)Amphetamine is "a potent
central nervous system (CNS) stimulant" discovered in 1887 by
Romanian chemist Lazar Edeleanu at the
University of Berlin. "The first pharmaceutical amphetamine was
Benzedrine", used as a
bronchodilator for blocked noses. Early users, discovering the euphoric stimulant effect, cracked the inhaler open and swallowed the drug-impregnated material inside. Amphetamines soon became available in a more convenient tablet form, and were widely distributed during the
Second World War to Allied and Axis combatants. "“About that time I discovered Benzedrine. Loved those little white suckers. We could get a sack full in those days" (
USAF Captain Bryant L. Smick). Amphetamine alters the use of "
monoamines as neuronal signals in the brain, primarily in
catecholamine neurons in the reward and executive function pathways of the brain, collectively known as the
mesocorticolimbic projection". "The concentrations of the main neurotransmitters involved in reward circuitry and executive functioning, dopamine and norepinephrine, increase dramatically in a dose-dependent manner by amphetamine due to its effects on monoamine transporters." A few more quotes from Captain Smick: "It sure didn't bother to get up at 3:00 AM anymore. Pop a couple of pills and you were wide awake ready to take on the whole world.""If it kept you awake, just take a few sleeping pills. Boy! Isn't medical science great or what!!" (As First Lieutenant, Bryant L. Smick and his crew flew the
B-24 LiberatorLiberty Belle on 24 missions to targets in Romania and Austria from their base in southern Italy. His 25th mission, on another B-24, was so tough that the entire crew were awarded the
Silver Star. On his 26th his plane was shot down; Smick parachuted into the sea and was captured.)
Maurice Richard(
nominated by
Resolute)Joseph Henri Maurice "Rocket" Richard, PC CC OQ was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. "Rocket" Richard was born in 1921 in
Montreal. At the age of four he was given a pair of ice skates- from that point he was skating on frozen rivers, and "a small backyard ice surface his father created". Richard began playing organised hockey at 14. In 1940 he played for the
Montreal Canadiens' affiliate in the
Quebec Senior Hockey League but broke his ankle in the first game and missed the rest of the season. Attempting to enlist in the Canadian army in 1941 he was deemed unfit for combat due to his injury. For the 1941-1942 season "Richard returned to the QSHL Canadiens, with whom he played 31 games and recorded 17 points before he was again injured." The 1944-1945 season saw Richard setting several records, including scoring
50 goals in 50 games. Richard often faced the violence of opposing teams attempting to prevent him scoring. They found that "he could be goaded into taking himself out of the game by violently retaliating and
fighting".
Pancreatic cancer(
nominated by
Wiki CRUK John, a.k.a.
Johnbod) Pancreatic cancer arises when
cells in the
pancreas, a glandular organ behind the
stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a
mass. These
cancer cells have the
ability to invade other parts of the body. There are a number of types of pancreatic cancer. The most common, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, accounts for about 85% of cases, and the term "pancreatic cancer" is sometimes used to refer only to that type. These
adenocarcinomas start within the part of the pancreas which make
digestive enzymes. Several other types of cancer, which collectively represent the majority of the non-adenocarcinomas, can also arise from these cells. One to two in every hundred cases of pancreatic cancer are
neuroendocrine tumors, which arise from the hormone-producing
cells of the pancreas. These are generally less aggressive than pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Signs and symptoms of the most common form of pancreatic cancer may include
yellow skin,
abdominal or
back pain,
unexplained weight loss, light-colored
stools, dark urine and loss of appetite. There are usually no symptoms in the disease's early stages, and symptoms that are
specific enough to suspect pancreatic cancer typically do not develop until the disease has reached an advanced stage.
St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch(
nominated by
Jimfbleak)Ashby-de-la-Zouch is a small town in
North West Leicestershire where, on a Friday night, your beer will be served in a plastic "glass" just in case you get beligruntbellagerunt a bag on. Oh you did, did you? On Saturday morning you will be scraped off the pub floor, and taken to
St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch where your fingers will be put in ye
finger pillory, and you'll be sitting there looking right mardy until it's dark over Bill's mum. Yes meduck. Nar then… St Helen's Church is the
Anglicanparish church of Ashby, situated between
the castle and the town. Although there was a church there in olden times, the core of the present building was created by
William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings "at the same time that he converted his neighbouring manor house into a castle", starting in 1474. Unlike the rest of us, barons don't have problems with builders or planners, and Hastings was soon in possession of a fine church, a big castle, a sore throat and an aching sword arm. The Hastings family remained patrons of the church for four centuries; it was stripped of its medieval finery during the
Reformation, and the
Civil War saw its patrons hold the town for the
Crown. Refurbished in 1670, by the 18th century the church had become dirty and the churchyard a haunt of pigs. As the congregation increased during the first quarter of the 19th century, the
pews were replaced and galleries installed in 1829. Half a century later, in 1878-1880, the church was extensively rebuilt and two outer
aisles added by the magnificently-named
James Piers St Aubyn. St Helen's is now a
Grade I listed building, one of exceptional interest, with a
Baroque wooden
reredos of outstanding quality, the Hastings Chapel with its family monuments, and some choice medieval
stained glass, possibly from the castle. Also, there's a finger pillory… it's occupied at the moment by someone with a bad hangover.
The "
Pillars of Creation", a cloud of interstellar gas with a high level of
star formation, and actively being destroyed by the "winds" from that star formation.
James Cameron filmography(
nominated by
Cowlibob)James Cameron is a Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer who has had an extensive career in film and television. Cameron's début was the 1978
science fictionshortXenogenesis, which he directed, wrote and produced. In the early part of his career, he did various technical jobs such as special visual effects producer, set dresser assistant, matte artist, and photographer. His feature directorial début was the 1981 release Piranha II: The Spawning. The next film he directed was the science fiction action thriller The Terminator (1984). It starred
Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular cyborg assassin, and was Cameron's breakthrough feature. In 1986, he directed and wrote the science fiction action sequel Aliens starring
Sigourney Weaver. He followed this by directing another science fiction film The Abyss (1989). In 1991, Cameron directed the sequel to The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (with Schwarzenegger reprising his role), and also executive produced the action crime film Point Break. Three years later he directed a third Schwarzenegger-starring action film True Lies (1994). In 1997, Cameron directed, wrote, and produced the epic romantic disaster film Titanic which grossed over $1.84 billion. A worldwide 3D re-release of the film in 2012 increased this total to over $2.18 billion at the worldwide box-office and it became the highest grossing film of all time. Other notable films include Rambo: First Blood Part II, Avatar, and Solaris (because it's by
Stanisław Lem and he's awesome).
List of Seattle bridges(
nominated by
Cptnono) The city of
Seattle has multiple
bridges that are significant due to their function, historical status, or engineering. Bridges are needed to mitigate the city's waterways and hilly topography. Twelve bridges have been granted historical status by the city, federal government, or both. Seattle also has some of the only permanent
floating pontoon bridges in the world.
Lake Washington and
Puget Sound are to the east and west of the city, respectively. They connect via a series of canals and
Lake Union that are collectively known as the
Lake Washington Ship Canal. The four double-leaf
bascule bridges crossing the Ship Canal are the oldest in the city, having opened between 1917 and 1930. The easternmost—the
Montlake and
University bridges—connect neighborhoods south of the canal to the
University District.
Men of the Docks(created by
George Bellows,
nominated by
Crisco 1492)Men of the Docks is a 114.3-by-161.3-centimetre (45.0 by 63.5 in) oil painting on canvas. It depicts a group of men, wearing overcoats smeared in grime, standing at a dock in
Brooklyn together with some
draught horses. These men appear to be
day labourers, at the docks to find work. They look to the left, as if receiving a message, while a large steam liner looms over them to their right. Behind them are a
tugboat and the waters and ice floes of the harbour in winter. Further behind them are the skyscrapers of the lower
Manhattan skyline. The winter weather about them is bleak and grey. In the early 20th century, day labourers in the New York docks worked depending on the availability of ships to unload, and thus when not working they often stood nearby, waiting for news that there was work. This subject of men at the New York docks was a common one for Bellows, as well as fellow Ashcan painters such as
Everett Shinn. Men of the Docks is the largest of Bellows' treatments of the subject.
The Peasant Wedding(created by
Pieter Bruegel the Elder,
nominated by
Armbrust)The Peasant Wedding is a 1567
painting by the
FlemishRenaissance painter and
printmakerPieter Bruegel the Elder. It is currently found in the
Kunsthistorisches Museum,
Vienna. Bruegel often depicted peasants and aspects of their lives, and he has been called Peasant-Bruegel, but he was in fact a highly sophisticated intellectual. Many of his paintings involve a symbolic meaning or moral aspects too. The wedding feast is held in a
barn in the summertime; two sheaves of grain with a rake remind us of harvesting. The scene is a crowded and busy one, two pipers play on a bagpipe, a boy in the foreground licking a plate, a wealthy man at the far right is involved in a discussion with a monk, while feeding a dog. The plates are carried on a door off its hinges, serving
porridge or pudding. The
bride is in front of the green textile wall-hanging, with a paper-crown hung above her head, wearing a crown on her head. She is sitting passive, not participating in the eating or drinking around. There has been much speculation of the identity of the groom in this painting. It may be that according to contemporary custom, the groom is not seated at the table. He could be the man in the red cap serving food or may be the man pouring out beer, or possibly the man eating with a spoon or the man in black, leaning back, with a mug in hand. Some authors have even speculated that the groom is not even included in the painting, like Van der Elst, who thought this painting is depicting a proverb: "There is an old Flemish proverb: 'It is a poor man who is not able to be at his own wedding.'" Some argued that it is a presentation of the mystical
Wedding at Cana. And then there is the
mysterious third foot - that nobody has explained... (It belongs to the man serving pies. Sadly, noone's that well endowed.)
The Dance Lesson(created by
Edgar Degas,
nominated by
Crisco 1492)The Dance Lesson (sometimes known as The Dancing Lesson) is an 1879
oil-on-panel painting by the French artist
Edgar Degas. It is currently kept at the
National Gallery of Art in
Washington, D.C.. There is at least one other work by Degas by this title, also made in about 1879, which is a
pastel. The painting is the first of a series of about 40 pictures that Degas painted in this horizontal, frieze-like format. A painting by Degas about ballerinas. Unheard of.
Nicholson Organ, Chancel, West Great Organ, and Choir of Portsmouth Cathedral(created by
David Iliff,
nominated by
National Names 2000)Portsmouth Cathedral is the seat of the
AnglicanBishop of Portsmouth, and is located in the city of
Portsmouth in
Hampshire, England. It is another church that witnessed murders and has been significantly rebuilt during its history, and, in a further connection to our previous entry, its full name is the Cathedral Church of
St Thomas of Canterbury. The earliest structure, built on land donated for the purpose by
Jean de Gisors, was a church in
cruciform shape, with a central tower which was also used as a lookout point and lighthouse. This medieval building, dedicated in 1188, was rebuilt and of the original building, only the
chancel and the
transepts remained intact. In 1449, when the
Bishop of Chichester was murdered by local sailors, the town's inhabitants were excommunicated and the church was closed for a time. It eventually reopened, and in 1591, it had a somewhat notable worshipper pass its gates:
Elizabeth I of England. Later, in the
English Civil War the Royalist garrison used the church tower to observe the movement of enemy forces. That war resulted in the ruin of the medieval tower and nave. The church was rebuilt from 1683 to 1693, in the
classical style; however the classical style was not meant to last: With the establishment of the
Diocese of Portsmouth in 1927, the building was rebuilt by Sir Charles Archibald Nicholson to dignify its new cathedral status, changing it to a round-arched
Neo-Byzantine style. We'll be seeing more of Portsmouth Cathedral in a couple weeks. However, I'm sure I shall manage to resist the temptation to just copy-paste this entry. [Editor's note:
I lied. Copy-paste! Mwahahaha!]
St. John the Baptist(created by
Leonardo da Vinci,
nominated by
Crisco 1492)St. John the Baptist is an
oil painting on walnut wood by
Leonardo da Vinci. Completed from 1513 to 1516, when the
High Renaissance was metamorphosing into
Mannerism, it is believed to be his final painting. The original size of the work was 69x57 cm. It is now exhibited at the
Musée du Louvre in
Paris,
France. The piece depicts
St. John the Baptist in
isolation. St. John is dressed in
pelts, has long curly hair, and is smiling in an enigmatic manner which is reminiscent of Leonardo's famous Mona Lisa. He holds a reed
cross in his left hand while his right hand points up toward
heaven (like St Anne in Leonardo's cartoon The Virgin and Child with St Anne and St John the Baptist). It is believed that the cross and wool skins were added at a later date by another painter. The pointing gesture of St. John toward the heavens suggests the importance of salvation through baptism that John the Baptist represents. The work is often quoted by later painters, especially those in the late Renaissance and Mannerist schools. The inclusion of a gesture similar to John's would increase the importance of a work with a religious conceit.
Horsehead Nebula(created by
NASA/
ESA/Hubble Heritage Team,
nominated by
Nergaal) The
Horsehead Nebula (also known as Barnard 33 ) is a
dark nebula in the constellation
Orion. The nebula is located just to the south of the star
Alnitak, which is farthest east on Orion's Belt, and is part of the much larger
Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. The nebula was first recorded in 1888 by
Scottish astronomer
Williamina Fleming on photographic plate B2312 taken at the
Harvard College Observatory. The Horsehead Nebula is approximately 1500
light years from Earth. It is one of the most identifiable nebulae because of the shape of its swirling cloud of dark dust and gases, which bears some resemblance to a
horse's head when viewed from Earth. The dark cloud of dust and gas is a region in the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex where star formation is taking place. This
stellar nursery, as it is known, can contain over 100 known organic and inorganic gases as well as dust consisting of large and complex organic molecules. The red or pinkish glow originates from
hydrogen gas predominantly behind the nebula, ionized by the nearby bright star
Sigma Orionis.
Magnetic fields channel the gases leaving the nebula into streams, shown as streaks in the background glow. A glowing strip of hydrogen gas marks the edge of the massive cloud and the densities of stars are noticeably different on either side.
De Menagerie(created by
Melchior d'Hondecoeter,
nominated by
Crisco 1492)Melchior d'Hondecoeter (c. 1636 – 3 April 1695),
Dutchanimalier painter, was born in
Utrecht and died in
Amsterdam. After the start of his career, he painted virtually exclusively bird subjects, usually exotic or game, in park-like landscapes. Hondecoeter’s paintings featured geese (
brent goose, Egyptian brent and red-breasted brent),
fieldfares, partridges, pigeons, ducks, magpies and peacocks, but also African
grey crowned cranes, Asian
sarus cranes, Indonesian
Yellow-crested Cockatoos, an Indonesian
Purple-naped Lory and
Grey-headed Lovebirds from
Madagascar. His masterpieces are at
The Hague,
Soestdijk and at Amsterdam. But there are fine examples in the
Wallace Collection and
Belton House in England, and in the public galleries of Berlin, Caen, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Cologne, Copenhagen, Dresden, Dublin, Florence, Glasgow, Hannover, London, Lyons, Lille, Montpellier, Munich, Paris, Rotterdam, Rouen, St Petersburg, Stuttgart, Schwerin and Vienna. The largest Hondecoeter exhibition to date was held in Berlin in 2010, where 18 of his works were shown at the Neue Nationalgalerie as part of
Willem de Rooij's installation 'Intolerance'.
Shrovetide(created by
Boris Kustodiev,
nominated by
Adam Cuerden)Boris Kustodiev was an unusual Russian painter, illustrator and stage designer, an
intellectual and a cultivated person, who came from a family where the father was a professor of
philosophy,
history of
literature and
logic. He was the pupil of the renown Russian painter
Ilya Repin, and was elected into the Russian
Imperial Academy of Arts. He traveled extensively in Europe, in countries like Spain, Austria, Germany, France and Italy. His works are colorful, playful and joyful, against the fact that he was gravely ill for a large part of his adult life. He was an innovative Russian artist who is remembered for his wonderful paintings and illustrations with contemporary themes illustrating the Russian way of life.
The Temptation of St Anthony(created by
Hieronymus Bosch,
nominated by
Hafspajen)The Temptation of St Anthony is an oil painting on wood panel by Flemish artist
Hieronymus Bosch, dating from around c. 1500-25, currently housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Among Hieronymus Bosch most famous works is
The Garden of Earthly Delights. The work tells the story of the mental and spiritual torments endured by Saint
Anthony the Great (c. 251 – 356 AD) also called Anthony Abbott or Anthony of the Desert - and indeed the temptations were numerous. The abbot was one of the earlies and also most prominent of the
Desert Fathers in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries. The
temptation of St Anthony was a popular subject in Medieval and Renaissance art, often like many of Bosch's work, the painting contains much fantastic imagery. Anthony was a rich young man who took the words: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Matthew 19:21) quite literally, so he gave away everything he had and went out into the desert to spent the rest of his life in loneliness and prayer. Or so he thought: his fame spread all over the area and soon he found himself in the company of many more followers, and thus he is blamed for the first rudimentary Christian monastry. Anthony the Abbot is portrayed by here Hieronymus Bosch in meditation, in a fantastic landscape filled with weird creatures and small demons that are luring around or are popping up around him, ready to disturb his peace, while he is sitting under the trunk of a dry tree. The abbot was renowned for his ability to refuse temptation and to fight back against evil spirits and other demonic creatures. Considering the violent fights he fought he looks like he is taking a slight break in the picture from wrestling with the most evil ones. Anthony of the Desert was said to have lived to be around hundred years. So kicking an evil spirit in the ass is maybe not such a bad idea after all...
Royal Kurgan(created by
Anatoly Shcherbak,
nominated by
Alborzagros) The
Royal Kurgan (Kerch) or Tsarskiy Kurgan (Russian: Царский курган, Ukrainian: Царський курган) from the 4th century BC, is one of the most impressive tumuli (
kurgans) of the eastern
Crimea. The burial barrow is located in the present-day
Kerch, which developed out of the ancient Greek town
Panticapaeum (Παντικάπαιον) founded by
Miletus. About 200 burial mounds exist in Kerch and its immediate surroundings. The Royal Kurgan is located about 5 km northeast of the town centre, close to the “
Defense of the Adzhimushkay quarry” memorial. The mound is almost 20 metres high and its base perimeter is about 250 meters. It holds a burial chamber with a square floor plan (4.39 m X 4.35 m), which gradually merges into the circular shape of a
corbelled dome (“false vault”). The total height of the burial chamber is 8.84 meters. Also the generous
dromos, a 2.80-meter-wide and 37-meter-long acute entrance passage, is built in the corbelled vault technique. Both parts of the building are made of yellowish limestone blocks and have a floor from a tamped mix of clay, lime and limestone. It is assumed that the Royal Kurgan, a masterpiece of ancient architecture, was the final resting place of a ruler of the
Bosporan Kingdom.
Todi, Italy(created by
Livioandronico2013,
nominated by
Crisco 1492)Todi is a town and comune (municipality) of the
province of Perugia (region of
Umbria) in central
Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river
Tiber, commanding distant views in every direction. The Italian press reported on Todi as the world's most livable city. According to the legend, said to have been recorded around 1330 BC by the mythological Quirinus Colonus, Todi was built by
Hercules, who here killed
Cacus, and gave the city the name of Eclis. "Palazzo dei Priori", The Prior's Palace is located in the southern side of the Piazza, facing the Cathedral. It was begun in 1293 and later enlarged as seat of the podestà, priors and the Papal governors. The trapezoidal tower was originally lower, and had Guelph
merlons. The façade includes a big bronze eagle by Giovanni di Giliaccio (1347).
Like Jack Kerouac's On The Road, this week's issue was written on amphetamines: Ten featured articles, three featured lists, and 22 featured images were promoted this week.
This Signpost "Featured content" report covers material promoted from 11 to 17 January 2015. Text may be adapted from the respective articles and lists; see their page histories for attribution.
Philip Seymour Hoffman(
nominated by
Dr. Blofeld and
Loeba) (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor, director, and producer of film and theater. Best known for his supporting and
character roles – typically lowlifes, bullies, and misfits – Hoffman was a regular presence in films from the early 1990s until his death at age 46. Drawn to theater as a teenager, Hoffman studied acting at
New York University's
Tisch School of the Arts. He began his screen career in a 1991 episode of Law & Order, and started to appear in films in 1992. He gained recognition for his supporting work throughout the decade, notably in Boogie Nights (1997), The Big Lebowski (1998), and The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). Hoffman also appeared in
Hollywood blockbusters, such as Twister (1996) and Mission: Impossible III (2006), and one of his final roles was
Plutarch Heavensbee in the
Hunger Games series (2013–15). The feature Jack Goes Boating (2010) marked his debut as a filmmaker. Hoffman was also an accomplished theater actor and director. He joined the
off-BroadwayLAByrinth Theater Company in 1995, where he directed, produced, and appeared in numerous stage productions. His performances in three
Broadway plays – True West (2000), Long Day's Journey into Night (2003), and Death of a Salesman (2012) – all led to
Tony Award nominations. Hoffman struggled with drug addiction as a young adult, and relapsed in 2013 after many years of sobriety. In February 2014, he died of
combined drug intoxication – an unexpected event that was widely lamented by the film and theater fraternities.
Hoopoe starling(
nominated by
FunkMonk) is a species of starling which lived on the island of
Réunion. It had white and grey plumage, and a crest on its head. Before its extinction, they were kept as caged birds by some settlers on the islands; however, they were also hunted for food, and because they were seen as a crop pest, and between that, introduced species, disease, and deforestation, the bird was in decline by the early 19th century, and went extinct in the 1850s.
California Diamond Jubilee half dollar(
nominated by
Wehwalt) Issued to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Californian statehood in 1925, the
California Diamond Jubilee half dollar was struck in San Francisco in August of that year. The obverse depicts a prospector panning for gold; he is peering intently into his pan, looking for specks of
placer gold. The reverse has a grizzly bear, an adaptation of the emblem on the state flag. Although 300,000 coins were authorized to be minted, only 150,000 were actually struck, and of these approximately half were sold. The rest were melted down. Of the 86,594 coins sold or distributed to the public, 494 were given to children born in the State on 9 September, the 75th anniversary of California statehood. The design, by
Jo Mora, was widely admired, although at least one critic was puzzled by the inclusion of what he thought was a Polar bear, as he had travelled up and down the state without seeing one.
Mackensen-class battlecruiser(
nominated by
Parsecboy) The
Mackensen class of battlecruisers were "the last class of battlecruisers to be built by
Germany in World War I". The cruisers were designed to have eight 14 inch guns, and more powerful engines, throwing out 67 megawatts of power to move their 35,000 tons at a top speed of 28 knots or 32 miles per hour. Of the intended seven only four were built, of which three were launched, but, despite these three being officially launched, none were actually completed. The nearest to completion, Graf Spee, had been launched on 15 September 1917 with a speech by
Prince Henry of Prussia and a christening by the widow of Vice Admiral
Maximilian von Spee. She was sold for scrap in October 1921. The unfinished hull fetched 4.4 million Marks- about £6,000 or US$24,000 at the exchange rate of late October (just over two years of hyperinflation later 4.4 million marks was worth about half of a
third farthing).
1987 Giro d'Italia(
nominated by
Disc Wheel) The 1987 Giro d'Italia was the 70th event in
the series, one of cycling's
Grand Tour races. It began on 21 May with a 4 km (2.5 mi) prologue in
San Remo, and concluded on 13 June with a 32 km (19.9 mi)
individual time trial in
Saint-Vincent. A total of 180 riders from 20 teams entered the 22-stage, 3,915 km (2,433 mi)-long race, which was won by Irishman
Stephen Roche of the
Carrera Jeans–Vagabond team. Second and third places were taken by British rider
Robert Millar and Dutchman
Erik Breukink, respectively. It was the second time in the history of the Giro that the podium was occupied solely by non-Italian riders. Roche's victory in the 1987 Giro was his first step in completing the
Triple Crown of Cycling – winning the Giro d'Italia, the
Tour de France, and the
World Championship road race in one calendar year – becoming the second rider ever to do so. Roche's teammate and defending champion
Roberto Visentini took the first race leader's maglia rosa (English: pink jersey) after winning the opening prologue, only to lose it to Breukink the following stage. Roche took the overall lead after his team, Carrera Jeans-Vagabond, won the stage three
team time trial. Visentini regained the lead for a two-day period after the stage 13 individual time trial. The fifteenth stage of the 1987 Giro has been recognized as an iconic event in the history of the race because Roche rode ahead of teammate Visentini, despite orders from the team management, and took the race lead. Roche successfully defended the overall lead from attacks by Visentini and other general classification contenders until the event's finish in Saint-Vincent. Stephen Roche became the first Irishman to win the Giro d'Italia.
Amphetamine(
nominated by
Seppi333 and
Boghog)Amphetamine is "a potent
central nervous system (CNS) stimulant" discovered in 1887 by
Romanian chemist Lazar Edeleanu at the
University of Berlin. "The first pharmaceutical amphetamine was
Benzedrine", used as a
bronchodilator for blocked noses. Early users, discovering the euphoric stimulant effect, cracked the inhaler open and swallowed the drug-impregnated material inside. Amphetamines soon became available in a more convenient tablet form, and were widely distributed during the
Second World War to Allied and Axis combatants. "“About that time I discovered Benzedrine. Loved those little white suckers. We could get a sack full in those days" (
USAF Captain Bryant L. Smick). Amphetamine alters the use of "
monoamines as neuronal signals in the brain, primarily in
catecholamine neurons in the reward and executive function pathways of the brain, collectively known as the
mesocorticolimbic projection". "The concentrations of the main neurotransmitters involved in reward circuitry and executive functioning, dopamine and norepinephrine, increase dramatically in a dose-dependent manner by amphetamine due to its effects on monoamine transporters." A few more quotes from Captain Smick: "It sure didn't bother to get up at 3:00 AM anymore. Pop a couple of pills and you were wide awake ready to take on the whole world.""If it kept you awake, just take a few sleeping pills. Boy! Isn't medical science great or what!!" (As First Lieutenant, Bryant L. Smick and his crew flew the
B-24 LiberatorLiberty Belle on 24 missions to targets in Romania and Austria from their base in southern Italy. His 25th mission, on another B-24, was so tough that the entire crew were awarded the
Silver Star. On his 26th his plane was shot down; Smick parachuted into the sea and was captured.)
Maurice Richard(
nominated by
Resolute)Joseph Henri Maurice "Rocket" Richard, PC CC OQ was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. "Rocket" Richard was born in 1921 in
Montreal. At the age of four he was given a pair of ice skates- from that point he was skating on frozen rivers, and "a small backyard ice surface his father created". Richard began playing organised hockey at 14. In 1940 he played for the
Montreal Canadiens' affiliate in the
Quebec Senior Hockey League but broke his ankle in the first game and missed the rest of the season. Attempting to enlist in the Canadian army in 1941 he was deemed unfit for combat due to his injury. For the 1941-1942 season "Richard returned to the QSHL Canadiens, with whom he played 31 games and recorded 17 points before he was again injured." The 1944-1945 season saw Richard setting several records, including scoring
50 goals in 50 games. Richard often faced the violence of opposing teams attempting to prevent him scoring. They found that "he could be goaded into taking himself out of the game by violently retaliating and
fighting".
Pancreatic cancer(
nominated by
Wiki CRUK John, a.k.a.
Johnbod) Pancreatic cancer arises when
cells in the
pancreas, a glandular organ behind the
stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a
mass. These
cancer cells have the
ability to invade other parts of the body. There are a number of types of pancreatic cancer. The most common, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, accounts for about 85% of cases, and the term "pancreatic cancer" is sometimes used to refer only to that type. These
adenocarcinomas start within the part of the pancreas which make
digestive enzymes. Several other types of cancer, which collectively represent the majority of the non-adenocarcinomas, can also arise from these cells. One to two in every hundred cases of pancreatic cancer are
neuroendocrine tumors, which arise from the hormone-producing
cells of the pancreas. These are generally less aggressive than pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Signs and symptoms of the most common form of pancreatic cancer may include
yellow skin,
abdominal or
back pain,
unexplained weight loss, light-colored
stools, dark urine and loss of appetite. There are usually no symptoms in the disease's early stages, and symptoms that are
specific enough to suspect pancreatic cancer typically do not develop until the disease has reached an advanced stage.
St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch(
nominated by
Jimfbleak)Ashby-de-la-Zouch is a small town in
North West Leicestershire where, on a Friday night, your beer will be served in a plastic "glass" just in case you get beligruntbellagerunt a bag on. Oh you did, did you? On Saturday morning you will be scraped off the pub floor, and taken to
St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch where your fingers will be put in ye
finger pillory, and you'll be sitting there looking right mardy until it's dark over Bill's mum. Yes meduck. Nar then… St Helen's Church is the
Anglicanparish church of Ashby, situated between
the castle and the town. Although there was a church there in olden times, the core of the present building was created by
William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings "at the same time that he converted his neighbouring manor house into a castle", starting in 1474. Unlike the rest of us, barons don't have problems with builders or planners, and Hastings was soon in possession of a fine church, a big castle, a sore throat and an aching sword arm. The Hastings family remained patrons of the church for four centuries; it was stripped of its medieval finery during the
Reformation, and the
Civil War saw its patrons hold the town for the
Crown. Refurbished in 1670, by the 18th century the church had become dirty and the churchyard a haunt of pigs. As the congregation increased during the first quarter of the 19th century, the
pews were replaced and galleries installed in 1829. Half a century later, in 1878-1880, the church was extensively rebuilt and two outer
aisles added by the magnificently-named
James Piers St Aubyn. St Helen's is now a
Grade I listed building, one of exceptional interest, with a
Baroque wooden
reredos of outstanding quality, the Hastings Chapel with its family monuments, and some choice medieval
stained glass, possibly from the castle. Also, there's a finger pillory… it's occupied at the moment by someone with a bad hangover.
The "
Pillars of Creation", a cloud of interstellar gas with a high level of
star formation, and actively being destroyed by the "winds" from that star formation.
James Cameron filmography(
nominated by
Cowlibob)James Cameron is a Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer who has had an extensive career in film and television. Cameron's début was the 1978
science fictionshortXenogenesis, which he directed, wrote and produced. In the early part of his career, he did various technical jobs such as special visual effects producer, set dresser assistant, matte artist, and photographer. His feature directorial début was the 1981 release Piranha II: The Spawning. The next film he directed was the science fiction action thriller The Terminator (1984). It starred
Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular cyborg assassin, and was Cameron's breakthrough feature. In 1986, he directed and wrote the science fiction action sequel Aliens starring
Sigourney Weaver. He followed this by directing another science fiction film The Abyss (1989). In 1991, Cameron directed the sequel to The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (with Schwarzenegger reprising his role), and also executive produced the action crime film Point Break. Three years later he directed a third Schwarzenegger-starring action film True Lies (1994). In 1997, Cameron directed, wrote, and produced the epic romantic disaster film Titanic which grossed over $1.84 billion. A worldwide 3D re-release of the film in 2012 increased this total to over $2.18 billion at the worldwide box-office and it became the highest grossing film of all time. Other notable films include Rambo: First Blood Part II, Avatar, and Solaris (because it's by
Stanisław Lem and he's awesome).
List of Seattle bridges(
nominated by
Cptnono) The city of
Seattle has multiple
bridges that are significant due to their function, historical status, or engineering. Bridges are needed to mitigate the city's waterways and hilly topography. Twelve bridges have been granted historical status by the city, federal government, or both. Seattle also has some of the only permanent
floating pontoon bridges in the world.
Lake Washington and
Puget Sound are to the east and west of the city, respectively. They connect via a series of canals and
Lake Union that are collectively known as the
Lake Washington Ship Canal. The four double-leaf
bascule bridges crossing the Ship Canal are the oldest in the city, having opened between 1917 and 1930. The easternmost—the
Montlake and
University bridges—connect neighborhoods south of the canal to the
University District.
Men of the Docks(created by
George Bellows,
nominated by
Crisco 1492)Men of the Docks is a 114.3-by-161.3-centimetre (45.0 by 63.5 in) oil painting on canvas. It depicts a group of men, wearing overcoats smeared in grime, standing at a dock in
Brooklyn together with some
draught horses. These men appear to be
day labourers, at the docks to find work. They look to the left, as if receiving a message, while a large steam liner looms over them to their right. Behind them are a
tugboat and the waters and ice floes of the harbour in winter. Further behind them are the skyscrapers of the lower
Manhattan skyline. The winter weather about them is bleak and grey. In the early 20th century, day labourers in the New York docks worked depending on the availability of ships to unload, and thus when not working they often stood nearby, waiting for news that there was work. This subject of men at the New York docks was a common one for Bellows, as well as fellow Ashcan painters such as
Everett Shinn. Men of the Docks is the largest of Bellows' treatments of the subject.
The Peasant Wedding(created by
Pieter Bruegel the Elder,
nominated by
Armbrust)The Peasant Wedding is a 1567
painting by the
FlemishRenaissance painter and
printmakerPieter Bruegel the Elder. It is currently found in the
Kunsthistorisches Museum,
Vienna. Bruegel often depicted peasants and aspects of their lives, and he has been called Peasant-Bruegel, but he was in fact a highly sophisticated intellectual. Many of his paintings involve a symbolic meaning or moral aspects too. The wedding feast is held in a
barn in the summertime; two sheaves of grain with a rake remind us of harvesting. The scene is a crowded and busy one, two pipers play on a bagpipe, a boy in the foreground licking a plate, a wealthy man at the far right is involved in a discussion with a monk, while feeding a dog. The plates are carried on a door off its hinges, serving
porridge or pudding. The
bride is in front of the green textile wall-hanging, with a paper-crown hung above her head, wearing a crown on her head. She is sitting passive, not participating in the eating or drinking around. There has been much speculation of the identity of the groom in this painting. It may be that according to contemporary custom, the groom is not seated at the table. He could be the man in the red cap serving food or may be the man pouring out beer, or possibly the man eating with a spoon or the man in black, leaning back, with a mug in hand. Some authors have even speculated that the groom is not even included in the painting, like Van der Elst, who thought this painting is depicting a proverb: "There is an old Flemish proverb: 'It is a poor man who is not able to be at his own wedding.'" Some argued that it is a presentation of the mystical
Wedding at Cana. And then there is the
mysterious third foot - that nobody has explained... (It belongs to the man serving pies. Sadly, noone's that well endowed.)
The Dance Lesson(created by
Edgar Degas,
nominated by
Crisco 1492)The Dance Lesson (sometimes known as The Dancing Lesson) is an 1879
oil-on-panel painting by the French artist
Edgar Degas. It is currently kept at the
National Gallery of Art in
Washington, D.C.. There is at least one other work by Degas by this title, also made in about 1879, which is a
pastel. The painting is the first of a series of about 40 pictures that Degas painted in this horizontal, frieze-like format. A painting by Degas about ballerinas. Unheard of.
Nicholson Organ, Chancel, West Great Organ, and Choir of Portsmouth Cathedral(created by
David Iliff,
nominated by
National Names 2000)Portsmouth Cathedral is the seat of the
AnglicanBishop of Portsmouth, and is located in the city of
Portsmouth in
Hampshire, England. It is another church that witnessed murders and has been significantly rebuilt during its history, and, in a further connection to our previous entry, its full name is the Cathedral Church of
St Thomas of Canterbury. The earliest structure, built on land donated for the purpose by
Jean de Gisors, was a church in
cruciform shape, with a central tower which was also used as a lookout point and lighthouse. This medieval building, dedicated in 1188, was rebuilt and of the original building, only the
chancel and the
transepts remained intact. In 1449, when the
Bishop of Chichester was murdered by local sailors, the town's inhabitants were excommunicated and the church was closed for a time. It eventually reopened, and in 1591, it had a somewhat notable worshipper pass its gates:
Elizabeth I of England. Later, in the
English Civil War the Royalist garrison used the church tower to observe the movement of enemy forces. That war resulted in the ruin of the medieval tower and nave. The church was rebuilt from 1683 to 1693, in the
classical style; however the classical style was not meant to last: With the establishment of the
Diocese of Portsmouth in 1927, the building was rebuilt by Sir Charles Archibald Nicholson to dignify its new cathedral status, changing it to a round-arched
Neo-Byzantine style. We'll be seeing more of Portsmouth Cathedral in a couple weeks. However, I'm sure I shall manage to resist the temptation to just copy-paste this entry. [Editor's note:
I lied. Copy-paste! Mwahahaha!]
St. John the Baptist(created by
Leonardo da Vinci,
nominated by
Crisco 1492)St. John the Baptist is an
oil painting on walnut wood by
Leonardo da Vinci. Completed from 1513 to 1516, when the
High Renaissance was metamorphosing into
Mannerism, it is believed to be his final painting. The original size of the work was 69x57 cm. It is now exhibited at the
Musée du Louvre in
Paris,
France. The piece depicts
St. John the Baptist in
isolation. St. John is dressed in
pelts, has long curly hair, and is smiling in an enigmatic manner which is reminiscent of Leonardo's famous Mona Lisa. He holds a reed
cross in his left hand while his right hand points up toward
heaven (like St Anne in Leonardo's cartoon The Virgin and Child with St Anne and St John the Baptist). It is believed that the cross and wool skins were added at a later date by another painter. The pointing gesture of St. John toward the heavens suggests the importance of salvation through baptism that John the Baptist represents. The work is often quoted by later painters, especially those in the late Renaissance and Mannerist schools. The inclusion of a gesture similar to John's would increase the importance of a work with a religious conceit.
Horsehead Nebula(created by
NASA/
ESA/Hubble Heritage Team,
nominated by
Nergaal) The
Horsehead Nebula (also known as Barnard 33 ) is a
dark nebula in the constellation
Orion. The nebula is located just to the south of the star
Alnitak, which is farthest east on Orion's Belt, and is part of the much larger
Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. The nebula was first recorded in 1888 by
Scottish astronomer
Williamina Fleming on photographic plate B2312 taken at the
Harvard College Observatory. The Horsehead Nebula is approximately 1500
light years from Earth. It is one of the most identifiable nebulae because of the shape of its swirling cloud of dark dust and gases, which bears some resemblance to a
horse's head when viewed from Earth. The dark cloud of dust and gas is a region in the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex where star formation is taking place. This
stellar nursery, as it is known, can contain over 100 known organic and inorganic gases as well as dust consisting of large and complex organic molecules. The red or pinkish glow originates from
hydrogen gas predominantly behind the nebula, ionized by the nearby bright star
Sigma Orionis.
Magnetic fields channel the gases leaving the nebula into streams, shown as streaks in the background glow. A glowing strip of hydrogen gas marks the edge of the massive cloud and the densities of stars are noticeably different on either side.
De Menagerie(created by
Melchior d'Hondecoeter,
nominated by
Crisco 1492)Melchior d'Hondecoeter (c. 1636 – 3 April 1695),
Dutchanimalier painter, was born in
Utrecht and died in
Amsterdam. After the start of his career, he painted virtually exclusively bird subjects, usually exotic or game, in park-like landscapes. Hondecoeter’s paintings featured geese (
brent goose, Egyptian brent and red-breasted brent),
fieldfares, partridges, pigeons, ducks, magpies and peacocks, but also African
grey crowned cranes, Asian
sarus cranes, Indonesian
Yellow-crested Cockatoos, an Indonesian
Purple-naped Lory and
Grey-headed Lovebirds from
Madagascar. His masterpieces are at
The Hague,
Soestdijk and at Amsterdam. But there are fine examples in the
Wallace Collection and
Belton House in England, and in the public galleries of Berlin, Caen, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Cologne, Copenhagen, Dresden, Dublin, Florence, Glasgow, Hannover, London, Lyons, Lille, Montpellier, Munich, Paris, Rotterdam, Rouen, St Petersburg, Stuttgart, Schwerin and Vienna. The largest Hondecoeter exhibition to date was held in Berlin in 2010, where 18 of his works were shown at the Neue Nationalgalerie as part of
Willem de Rooij's installation 'Intolerance'.
Shrovetide(created by
Boris Kustodiev,
nominated by
Adam Cuerden)Boris Kustodiev was an unusual Russian painter, illustrator and stage designer, an
intellectual and a cultivated person, who came from a family where the father was a professor of
philosophy,
history of
literature and
logic. He was the pupil of the renown Russian painter
Ilya Repin, and was elected into the Russian
Imperial Academy of Arts. He traveled extensively in Europe, in countries like Spain, Austria, Germany, France and Italy. His works are colorful, playful and joyful, against the fact that he was gravely ill for a large part of his adult life. He was an innovative Russian artist who is remembered for his wonderful paintings and illustrations with contemporary themes illustrating the Russian way of life.
The Temptation of St Anthony(created by
Hieronymus Bosch,
nominated by
Hafspajen)The Temptation of St Anthony is an oil painting on wood panel by Flemish artist
Hieronymus Bosch, dating from around c. 1500-25, currently housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Among Hieronymus Bosch most famous works is
The Garden of Earthly Delights. The work tells the story of the mental and spiritual torments endured by Saint
Anthony the Great (c. 251 – 356 AD) also called Anthony Abbott or Anthony of the Desert - and indeed the temptations were numerous. The abbot was one of the earlies and also most prominent of the
Desert Fathers in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries. The
temptation of St Anthony was a popular subject in Medieval and Renaissance art, often like many of Bosch's work, the painting contains much fantastic imagery. Anthony was a rich young man who took the words: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Matthew 19:21) quite literally, so he gave away everything he had and went out into the desert to spent the rest of his life in loneliness and prayer. Or so he thought: his fame spread all over the area and soon he found himself in the company of many more followers, and thus he is blamed for the first rudimentary Christian monastry. Anthony the Abbot is portrayed by here Hieronymus Bosch in meditation, in a fantastic landscape filled with weird creatures and small demons that are luring around or are popping up around him, ready to disturb his peace, while he is sitting under the trunk of a dry tree. The abbot was renowned for his ability to refuse temptation and to fight back against evil spirits and other demonic creatures. Considering the violent fights he fought he looks like he is taking a slight break in the picture from wrestling with the most evil ones. Anthony of the Desert was said to have lived to be around hundred years. So kicking an evil spirit in the ass is maybe not such a bad idea after all...
Royal Kurgan(created by
Anatoly Shcherbak,
nominated by
Alborzagros) The
Royal Kurgan (Kerch) or Tsarskiy Kurgan (Russian: Царский курган, Ukrainian: Царський курган) from the 4th century BC, is one of the most impressive tumuli (
kurgans) of the eastern
Crimea. The burial barrow is located in the present-day
Kerch, which developed out of the ancient Greek town
Panticapaeum (Παντικάπαιον) founded by
Miletus. About 200 burial mounds exist in Kerch and its immediate surroundings. The Royal Kurgan is located about 5 km northeast of the town centre, close to the “
Defense of the Adzhimushkay quarry” memorial. The mound is almost 20 metres high and its base perimeter is about 250 meters. It holds a burial chamber with a square floor plan (4.39 m X 4.35 m), which gradually merges into the circular shape of a
corbelled dome (“false vault”). The total height of the burial chamber is 8.84 meters. Also the generous
dromos, a 2.80-meter-wide and 37-meter-long acute entrance passage, is built in the corbelled vault technique. Both parts of the building are made of yellowish limestone blocks and have a floor from a tamped mix of clay, lime and limestone. It is assumed that the Royal Kurgan, a masterpiece of ancient architecture, was the final resting place of a ruler of the
Bosporan Kingdom.
Todi, Italy(created by
Livioandronico2013,
nominated by
Crisco 1492)Todi is a town and comune (municipality) of the
province of Perugia (region of
Umbria) in central
Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river
Tiber, commanding distant views in every direction. The Italian press reported on Todi as the world's most livable city. According to the legend, said to have been recorded around 1330 BC by the mythological Quirinus Colonus, Todi was built by
Hercules, who here killed
Cacus, and gave the city the name of Eclis. "Palazzo dei Priori", The Prior's Palace is located in the southern side of the Piazza, facing the Cathedral. It was begun in 1293 and later enlarged as seat of the podestà, priors and the Papal governors. The trapezoidal tower was originally lower, and had Guelph
merlons. The façade includes a big bronze eagle by Giovanni di Giliaccio (1347).
Discuss this story
Nice to see these two works by Frans Hals here! Jane ( talk) 12:20, 30 January 2015 (UTC) reply