Historical places close to where you live - show off yours !

[Robert Campbell]

Most of the ancient places in Ireland are ruins; there are some buildings from the 17th century onwards -- mostly the 'big houses' while the mud shacks were abandoned during the emigration around the potato famine -- though they are now replaced by ugly bungaloid development. Here's a house where John Wesley slept:

'cos it says over the front door

 

[s.agar]

Living in Istanbul gives advantage under this subject heading. Everywhere is history, with many Byzantine and Ottoman buildings surviving to present time.

Last week, I wanted to test my new GF1 with the 14-45mm kit kit lens. We walked about 2 hours in the older parts of the city.

Here are 3 photos:

Marcian's column built in 452 (had a statue on top originally),
The next photo is the Valens waterways, from Byzantine times.
Then comes the Galata tower. The tower was built as Christea Turris in 1348 during an expansion of the Genoese colony in Istanbul.

Seyhun

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

Absolutely the closest historical place from where I live, is the "Chateau de La Hulpe". It's less than 3 km away from my doorstep.

More background historical data here : http://chateaudelahulpe.wallonie.be/

The chateau was the decor for two major film productions : "Le maitre de musique" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095606/) and "Springen" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0184915/)

This place is now owned by the Region Wallonne, and the parc is accessible to the public. The chateau itself is open to visitors a few days a year only.

Here it is, you may recognise it from earlier posts of mine. Many landscape, wildlife and event pictures I shared here, were also taken at this location.

Pic with G1 and Falcon 85/1.4 @ 1.4

C U
Rafael
​

 

[pellicule]

Versailles, France

All taken today.
GF1 and 20mm 1.7.
Batch Processed through Silkypix to create JPG - No other changes.

(maybe when I get time or Aperture gets up to speed I'll work on the skies a bit)

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

Today was a public holiday in Belgium, so my wife and I went for a walk in the city of Leuven.
Leuven has many interesting historical locations, it's a very ancient university city.

The town hall is one of the most beautiful and famous gothic buildings in the world. Building started in 1439 !!!
More about it here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leuven_Town_Hall

Here's some pics

The biggest square in Leuven is the "Ladeuzeplein" named after a former Rector of the Leuven University.
This square is dominated by the University Library.
This building looks ancient, but is finally quite recent.
Build in 1921, it was a present of the american people to the city of Leuven, after the germans burned the ancient 17th century library down at the beginning of the 1st World War.

Pics with G1 and 7-14 except the last one, with Nikkor 50/1.4

C U,
Rafael
​

 

[JBurnett]

Wow, the town hall is certainly an impressive building, Raf! Thanks for posting these.

I'm guessing that you used perspective-correcting software (or filter). While your walls look perfectly aligned, I think the overall effect is a bit too much. In the first shot, the towers have started to look flat rather than round (octagonal, by the look of it). While the distorted perspective of an ultra-wide lens can be distracting, I'm not averse to a picture with some tilt.

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

Yesterday, I was in Brussels, and shot a few pics on one the world's most famous square : "the Grand Place", dominated by the marvellous City Hall and the Breadhouse, and surrounded by ancient buildings with beautiful decorations.

All pics with G1 and 7-14mm or 45-200mm kitlens

(City Hall)

(Breadhouse)

A place you must have seen once in your live !

have a nice day,
Rafael
​

 

[Joan]

Fantastic images in this thread! I wish I lived close to something historical and photogenic, but alas I am surrounded by suburbia and look-alike contractor's houses and shopping strip malls.

Rafael, I would love to visit Brussels ... someday before I am too old to get around with a camera. Lovely work!

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

Thanks for your comments, Joan, and you're always welcome here in Belgium.
I'll gladly serve as your guide !

Yesterday, I was in Reims, capital of Champagne, region and wine

The Reims Cathedral is one of the most important historical buildings in Europe. Building started in the 13th Century, and many a king of France was coronated here !

This Cathedral is on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1991

The City of Reims and the Cathedral are undergoing major restauration nowadays, and should be finished by 2012.
So, although I advise you to go and visit this site, I would suggest that you wait untill then, especially if you want to make nice pictures of the Cathedral.

Still, here's some I shot yesterday (it was a beautiful day !)

All shot with G1 and 7-14, 14-45 a,d 45-200mm Pana lenses

C U
Rafael
​

 

[JBurnett]

Still, here's some I shot yesterday (it was a beautiful day !)

All nice shots, but I especially like the interesting perspective of this one.

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

Now that the winter is gone, and the weather is getter better, it's time for visiting some more historical places.

Recently, I was in Bruges, and had time for some shooting around and in the Beguinage. Here's some pics.

All from G1 with Pentax/Cosmicar 25/1.4

C U,
Rafael
​

 

[Leica 77]

Now that the winter is gone, and the weather is getter better, it's time for visiting some more historical places.

Recently, I was in Bruges, and had time for some shooting around and in the Beguinage. Here's some pics.

All from G1 with Pentax/Cosmicar 25/1.4
C U,
Rafael
​

Hi Rafael,
I especially like the 2nd image of yours! Best, Leica 77.

 

[Leica 77]

A few years ago, I visited our close family friends who reside in their hacienda outside of Manila. In Manila, I was able to visit the General Douglas MacArthur Suite (569-573) in the Penthouse of the historic Manila Hotel (opened nearly 100 years ago). The following images show General MacArthur's Study, Dining Room and Bedroom. In addition, I have included an image of the restaurant inside the Manila Hotel as well as a view of the Manila Bay behind the hotel.

All images were recorded using Olympus E-300 + Kit Lens.

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

Yesterday was announced as a beautiful day, and it started sunny though not to warm. So we headed towards Brussels for some shopping/walking/shooting

This panorama of Brussels's "Grand Place" was shot with the G1 and the 7-14 @7mm
It's a crop out of a single image, not a stitch.

C U,
Rafael​

 

[kds315]

I know that place so I can fullheartedly call that an excellent shot Raf!

 

[veloman]

A 14th century church near my house with a couple of dated plaques along the way.

Arwyn

 

[Annna T]

From my window (some were taken before I had the E-P1, with a 5D) : two medieval castles. The one on the left, Tourbillon, was built in the XIIIth century, it was burned in 1457 and then rebuilt; it was the residency of the archbishop, but was destroyed by an arson during a war in 1788. Since the XIXth century the ruins are preserved as historical monument . The Basilica on the right was built during the XIIth and XIIIth century; The church, Our Lady of Valere, built in the twelfth and thirteenth century, was the residence of the canons of the cathedral chapter. They lived there until the French Revolution. Nowadays it is sheltering the historical museum.

The two medieval castles right before sunset :

and after sunset :

On a foggy winter day :

by night :

early winter morning :

Time for breakfast! :

in black and white :

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

Lovely shots, Annna.
And your terrace is what I would call "a terrace with a view"

C U,
Rafael

 

[Michiel Schierbeek]

From my window (some were taken before I had the E-P1, with a 5D) : two medieval castles. The one on the left, Tourbillon, was built in the XIIIth century, it was burned in 1457 and then rebuilt; it was the residency of the archbishop, but was destroyed by an arson during a war in 1788. Since the XIXth century the ruins are preserved as historical monument . The Basilica on the right was built during the XIIth and XIIIth century; The church, Our Lady of Valere, built in the twelfth and thirteenth century, was the residence of the canons of the cathedral chapter. They lived there until the French Revolution. Nowadays it is sheltering the historical museum.

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On a foggy winter day :

What a splendid location and what a wondeful shot this is!

Michiel

 

[Lisa]

Anna, you're in Sion! I visited there on vacation a few years ago, on the way to Chamonix. A lovely city, and somewhere in the old town area was a take-out gelato shop with some of the best gelato I've ever had. Your photos are especially beautiful! This was the best I managed to do during my day there:

Your views are better.

Lisa