Cluny Abbey,Saone-et-Loire, France

Where did Cluny go ?????

• – the Abbey was built in 3 phases between the early 4th and 11th centuries;
• – it was the religious center for Europe for over 200 years;
• – It was the largest church in Christendom for over 500 years until the rebuilding of St. Peter’s in Rome in the 1600’s;
• – The Cluny Abbots were as powerful and influential as any other leaders of their time and established the Hotel de Cluny in Paris in 1334 (a public museum since 1843) as a place to conduct affairs of the church.

– Romanesque

– Cluny lies in Burgundy in central France, some 80 km north of Lyon, 388 km east of Paris

The site for the great Abbey which was formerly known since Roman times as Villa Cluniacum , was gifted to the church by Duke William of Aquitaine in 910 AD. It came with strings attached, i.e. a foundation charter which gave autonomous control to the papacy. Over the next several centuries it was acknowledged as the wealthiest and most powerful monastic center of the Western world. The first six abbots, Berno, Odo, Aymard, Majolous, Odilo and Hugh were canonized as Saints. 4 monks went on to become Pope.

For over 880 years, the Abbey grew and became known as Cluny I, Cluny II and Cluny III. Excavated by the famed K.J.Conant (Professor of Architectural History at Harvard) ,starting in 1927 it was determined that only about 10% of the original Abbey complex remains today.

Cluny, for the most part, did not survive the French Revolution. Sacked in 1790, the final insult came with the burning of the library and archives (considered one of the richest and most important in Europe) in 1793.

Why did so little of the complex survive? The church was auctioned off and a group from nearby Macon sold off the remains through the early 1800’s.

The destruction of significant monuments over time can be construed in modern terms as a loss to humanity. No loss is greater though, than the burning of Cluny’s library and archives which can be considered as great an event as the burning of the library in Alexandria in 48 BC.

On a positive note, and quoting Edwin Mullins from his treatise on Cluny:
“ The Cluniacs were among the most lavish and enlightened builders Europe has ever known, and the landscape of western Europe remains richly decorated with their achievements. They may have built for God, but the beneficiary has been humanity………. None of it is the art of doom – quite the reverse. Everything the Cluniacs produced, whether it was sculptures, frescoes, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, or liturgical music, rises triumphantly above the bigoted world in which it was created.”

• – “Cluny – In Search of God’s Lost Empire” Edwin Mullins
• – “Carolingian and Romanesque Architecture 800-1200” Kenneth Conant
• – “Romanesque Architecture of the Order of Cluny” J. Evans
• – “Cluny Abbey” Christine Bolli (Smarthistory.com)

Allan Ross

Aspendos, Turkey

Roman Aqueduct & Amphitheater

• – In south-central Turkey exist probably the most technologically advanced Aqueduct and best preserved Amphitheater of the Roman era;
• – Aspendos appeared to flourish at its high point in the 2nd and 3rd century AD, when the Eurymedon River was navigable from the city to the Mediterranean;
• – As the city grew in size and stature in the Roman Empire,so too did its infrastructure.

Classical, Roman

Aspendos, in south-central Turkey

Aqueducts: From the above diagram, one can see the typical gravity system employed by the Romans – ingenious engineers, they were able to calculate free flow systems that would cover many kilometers in order for the water to arrive at a city’s Castellum ( distribution tank). In the case of Aspendos, not only did they build a system, but it was fraught with challenges as it could not flow downhill all the way to the City. The solution at Aspendos is unique. Borrowing from the field of hydraulics, they developed a 2-siphon system that actually pressurized the water in order to get it to its destination.

All communities require a source of water to exist. The Aspendos aqueduct probably functioned for about 150 years and likely succumbed to an earthquake, decimating the city and it’s some 20,000 inhabitants.

Theater: The two components of the theater, the auditorium and the skene (stage backdrop and actor changing areas) are remarkably well preserved at Aspendos.

According to records, the Architect was a Greek, born in Aspendos by the name of Zeno. What is remarkable is the balance between the seating areas, the skene and the integration into the landscape. I’ve read estimates of between 7,000 and 15,000 seating capacity but in actuality, it’s probably closer to the lower end. The theater is still in use today for cultural events, most prominent among them – the Aspendos International Ballet and Opera Festival.

Quoting Roger Hansen, “No matter how close to the next city or how far from the Roman capital,every town in the Empire was entitled to a full infrastructure: the protective wall, the paved streets, the gurgling fountains, the monumental baths and the majestic aqueducts.”…….. and not to forget, an Amphitheater !

o The Romans were renowned for their militaristic skills in creating one of the largest Empires in history. It must be recognized that this colonization could not have lasted without their massive infrastructure initiative – roadways, like the Appian Way and aqueducts that criss-crossed civilization as they controlled it.

o And what of culture? You can’t have a city without a center for the performing arts, so the Theater became the backbone of most Roman communities, even on the fringes of their Empire. The theater at Aspendos contradicts the present state of the aqueduct as it is known as the best preserved Roman theater from antiquity.

Roman Water Systems in South-Central Turkey, Roger Hansen
The Pressure Line of the Aspendos Aqueduct, Paul Kessener & Susanna Piras
Antalya, Side and Alanya, Izabela Miszczak

Balage Balogh

Old Oakville ON – Heritage District

Marlatt House 1888 – where Modern Function Meets Classic Aesthetic

• – the Marlatt House is representative of one of the finest examples of Victorian brick architecture in Canada and is the largest home built in Old Oakville;
• – Situated at the mouth of Sixteen Mile Creek, lots were offered for sale in 1833, with the construction of the Marlatt House appearing toward the end of the build-out cycle;
• – Additions and re-modelling took place over a 12-year period and the home now boasts over 9,200 sf of living area.

Island of Capri, Campania, off the Italian mainland

Villa Jovis aka the Debauchery Palace

• o Situated on Monte Tiberio on the northeast corner of Capri
• o The site lies 334m. above the Mediterranean
• o Residence of Rome’s 2nd Emperor, Tiberius from 27 AD to 37 AD
• o The footprint covers over 7,000 m2 (70,000 sf) and it is estimated that the villa was in excess of 125,000 sf in size.
• o It’s almost 2,000 years old !!!!!!!!

Classical – Roman

Situated on the 2nd highest point on Capri, Villa Jovis overlooks the mainland from its closest location, some 2 km distant.

The era representing the height of the Roman empire saw an unprecedent flurry of t construction of seaside villas in the vicinity of Naples by the nobility as a means of escaping the oppressive heat of the Rome summers and constant intrigue and restlessness of the public at large. To name a few, Villa at Villazano (attributed to Augustus), Pipiano Villa, Pollio Felice Villa and Villa Agrippa Posthumus.

Emperor Tiberius came to power in 14 AD and the period of his reign from 14AD to 26 AD were known as the “good years” (Tacitus). Becoming more and more paranoid about his safety, he commissioned the building of Villa Jovis and occupied it as his principal residence from 27 AD to 37 AD upon his death of alleged natural causes.

He ruled Rome from here during this time and his absence from the city lead to wide-spread dislike by the citizens of Rome. The palace served many purposes:

• – Principal residence and second seat of Roman power;
• – In dispensing with people who fell out of favor, it is said that he had them
• dismissed by pushing them off Salto di Tiberio (Tiberian Leap);
• – Rumors spread through Rome of certain activities that were found offensive. Quoting from a brief monologue on Tiberius, “displaying such imagination in the invention of unprecedented sexual pastimes that eager chroniclers found themselves constrained to devise a whole new terminology.”

Of note, prior to Tiberius’ death, Caligula was exiled here and participated in many of the activities “du jour”.

• – Villa Jovis was the 1st Roman Imperial Palace
• – This site is almost 2,000 years old !
• – Roman ingenuity and largesse knew no boundaries

“Pompeii, Heraculaneum and Capri” De Franciscus and Bragantini

Allan Ross

l’Exposition de Paris 1900 & the Belle Epoque

Palais de l’Electricite et l’Eau

• – Exposition ran from mid-April to mid-October 1900
• – Centered in the middle of Paris bordering the Seine, the site covered 543 acres
• – Most successful Exposition ever held – 50,860,801 visitors
• – More than 83,000 exhibitors

Art Nouveau

2nd most prominent location on the Champ de Mars, opposite the Eiffel Tower

Paris Exposition 1900 marked a run of 5 world fairs hosted by the nation of France. By far, it was the largest and most successful. To set it in context, we must step back to the previous 1889 Exposition which was significant for four reasons:

• – Design and construction of the controversial Eiffel Tower that was only supposed to stand for a period of 10 years;
• – Thomas Edison, the world-acclaimed inventor, introduced his Phonograph to the world to great reviews;
• – Wild Bill Cody and his Wild West Show which ran 2 shows/day, 6 days/week for 6 months to a packed house of people from all walks of life and all corners of the world;
• – Elevation of the now famous Renaissance painters: one of the most successful, a French woman, by the name of Rosa Bonheur

The Palais de l’Electricite et l’Eau was the 2nd most dominant structure in the Expo next to the Eiffel Tower, whose life had been extended by an additional 10 years. The following is an extract from the Hatchette Guide:

“The Palace of Electricity’s imposing façade joins the two avenues of pavilions on the Champ de Mars. The façade is composed of nine bays covered with stained glass and delicate translucent ceramic decorations. At the centre is a scroll stamped with the unforgettable date: 1900. At night, the entire faced is illuminated by 5,000 multicolored incandescent light bulbs, eight monumental lamps of colored glass, and lanterns sparkling on the pinnacles and along the upper ramps. In the evening this openwork frieze was a veritable luminous embroidery of light and shifting colors. Crowning the Palace is a chariot drawn by hippogryphs, the Spirit of Electricity, which projects showers of multicolored flames.”

Quoting Arthur Chandler: “By the end of the exposition, France could congratulate herself on having hosted the most successful exposition ever staged…….. Paris herself had shown the world that the city was in the forefront of technological innovation. The Metro, the Gare d’Orsay and the Pont d’Alexandre opened with the exposition, and the city was richer by two major exhibit halls – the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais – as a direct gift from the exposition itself.”

It is interesting to see how events and places morph over time. The Palais was an astonishing testament to the Art Nouveau movement only to be de-constructed following the closing of the Exposition. The Gare d’Orsay was a product of this epoch and has now become the most highly recognized Museum of Art in the world, known as the Musee d’Orsay. On a visit to the Musee in December 2019, the writer discovered the attached architectural rendering hanging in the gallery and paying homage to it’s famous Architect, Eugene Henard. A most unusual tribute indeed, as this is the first time the writer has ever encountered a building rendering featured in a major Art museum.

But what of the legacy? Here are my thoughts:

• o Art Nouveau – an expression of whimsy, Architecture is celebrated in a new light, sort of eye candy for the soul;
• o Illumination – a night time of exuberance, space can now become a 24-hour extravaganza…. was this the 1900 pre-cursor for Vegas?
• o Creators – As the rendering attests, there were two. Eugene Henard designed the building and Edmond Paulin the fountains. Time can be cruel and vengeful. By today’s standards, Eugene Henard would be known as a “Starchitect” but as memory of the building fades, so too does his stature. Henard is also remembered as pioneering roundabouts and stepped boulevards in Paris and hence, the world. He was awarded the “Knight of the Legion of Honour” (France’s highest civilian award) in 1900 for his contributions to France.

• o “Eiffel’s Tower” by Jill Jonnes
• o “The Paris Exposition Universalle of 1900” by Arthur Chandler
• o “Paris in the Belle Epoque” by Bruno Fuligni