Children – Architecture | Archaeology | Art | Religion | Cultures

Italy, Sicily – Roman Villa – Villa Romana del Casale (00:04:20)

Samuel Magal — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 18:02:46 +0000

The Villa Romana del Casale is a large and elaborate Roman villa or palace located about 3 km from the town of Piazza Armerina, Sicily. Excavations have revealed one of the richest, largest, and varied collections of Roman mosaics in the world, for which the site has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The visible remains of the villa were constructed in the first quarter of the 4th century AD on the remains of an older villa rustica and are the pars dominica, or master’s residence, of a large latifundium or agricultural estate.

The nearby settlement of Philosophiana was probably the centre of production and commercial activities, as well as a rest stop along the Catania-Agrigento road, as mentioned in the Itinerarium Antonini as a mansio or statio, for travellers looking for a shelter for the night and a change of horses.

Italy, Roman Paintings Styles (00:09:04)

Samuel Magal — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 15:19:42 +0000

Narration: English

Latvia, Rundale Baroque Palace (00:12:42)

Samuel Magal — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 11:22:16 +0000

Rundāle Palace is one of the two major baroque palaces built for the Dukes of Courland in what is now Latvia, the other being Jelgava Palace. The palace was built in two periods, from 1736 until 1740 and from 1764 until 1768.

In 1735 Duke of Courland Ernst Johann von Biron bought land in Rundāle with an old medieval castle in the territory of a planned summer residence. The old castle was demolished and construction after the design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli started in 1736. Construction proceeded slowly because part of the materials and resources were transferred to the construction of Jelgava Palace, a project which was more important for the duke. Following Biron’s fall from grace in 1740, the palace stood unfinished and empty until 1762 when Biron returned from his exile. Under the supervision of Rastrelli its construction was finished in 1768. Johann Michael Graff produced lavish stucco decorations for the palace during this time. Ernst Johann von Biron loved the palace and moved there almost immediately in 1768. He often visited the palace and spent summers there until his death in 1772.

Italy, Sicily – Roman Villa – Villa Romana del Casale -vestibule of ulysses and Polyphemus (00:00:31)

Samuel Magal — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 21:00:05 +0000

Italy, Sicily – Roman Villa – Villa Romana del Casale – Room of the ten girls with bikinis (00:01:21)

Samuel Magal — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 20:56:53 +0000

Italy, Sicily – Roman Villa – Villa Romana del Casale – Room of the Small Hunt (00:02:54)

Samuel Magal — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 20:55:36 +0000

Italy, Sicily – Roman Villa – Villa Romana del Casale – Room of the Fishing Cupids (00:01:48)

Samuel Magal — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 20:46:49 +0000

Italy, Sicily – Roman Villa – Villa Romana del Casale -Ambulatory of the Great Hunt (00:02:42)

Samuel Magal — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 20:29:59 +0000

Italy, Pompeii, Villa of the Mysteries

Samuel Magal — Sat, 26 Jun 2021 18:06:24 +0000

Romania, Patrauti painted monastery (00:01:40)

Samuel Magal — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 06:12:26 +0000

Built in 1487 and dedicated to the Holy Cross, the monastery at Patrauti is the oldest surviving religious site founded by Stephen the Great. Mural paintings, dating from around 1550, can still be admired on the west façade. In 1775, soon after Bucovina was annexed to the Habsburg Empire, the monastery was turned into a parish church. Today, only the church and a wooden bell tower are still standing from the original monastic complex.