Carved graffiti

The church was built 15th/16th century as a fortfified structure. In 1537 the parish accepted protestantism, but obviously not the whole population of Hunawhir changed. Since 1687 the church is used by protetants - and catholics. That is why nobody can tell, wether the initials carved into the benches, belong to protestants or catholics.

To the south St. Marien church faces the market and is an architectural neighbour of the town hall and the weigh house. St. Marien church is a gothic hall church, that was used as a meeting place for the protestant parties during the years of negotiating before the "Peace of Westpahlia" treaties were signed in 1648. Osnabrueck was hit by more than 180.000 bombs during WWII. St. Marien burnt out - and was rebuilt in the 1950s. The northern wall (not facing the market) is covered by carved grafittis. Obviously this wall survived the bombings and kept pretty untouched during the rebuilding. I read "SCHRODER" in the middle. A pretty common german name. One of the last german chancellors was Mr. Schröder.

To the south St. Marien church faces the market and is an architectural neighbour of the town hall and the weigh house. St. Marien church is a gothic hall church, that was used as a meeting place for the protestant parties during the years of negotiating before the "Peace of Westpahlia" treaties were signed in 1648. Osnabrueck was hit by more than 180.000 bombs during WWII. St. Marien burnt out - and was rebuilt in the 1950s. The northern wall (not facing the market) is covered by carved grafittis. Obviously this wall survived the bombings and kept pretty untouched during the rebuilding. Only the year is clear in the black brick: 1807.

To the south St. Marien church faces the market and is an architectural neighbour of the town hall and the weigh house. St. Marien church is a gothic hall church, that was used as a meeting place for the protestant parties during the years of negotiating before the "Peace of Westpahlia" treaties were signed in 1648. Osnabrueck was hit by more than 180.000 bombs during WWII. St. Marien burnt out - and was rebuilt in the 1950s. The northern wall (not facing the market) is covered by carved grafittis. Obviously this wall survived the bombings and kept pretty untouched during the rebuilding. "MB CH" or "MB CR"

Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany - and one of the oldest. A Germanic tribe, the Ubii, had a settlement here, this was named by the Romans "Oppidum Ubiorum". In 50 AD, the Romans founded "Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium", the city then became the provincial capital of "Germania Inferior". Karoline was so hurt after the mean guy had left her for another girl. She felt left and lonely, She oinly wanted to forget this pain. She did not want to see his name anymore, anywhere. She just had to do that.

The island of Corsica is one of the 18 regions of France. It was colonized the Carthaginians, the Greeks, the Etruscans and the Romans. After the Roman empire collapsed, Corsica got invaded by the Vandals and the Ostrogoths. For a short while the island belonged to the Byzantine Empire, then the Franks granted the island to the Pope, in the early 11th century Pisa and Genoa together freed the island from the threat of Arab invasion. The island came, just like neighbouring Sardinia, under the influence of the Republic of Pisa, later it belonged to Genua for centuries. In 1729 the Corsican fight for independence from Genoa began. After 26 years of struggle the independent Corsican Republic was proclaimed in 1755, but in 1769, when the island was conquered by France. As the areas near the coast have over centuries have been threatened by attacks and raids of pirates (or sarazens or..) many old hamlets and dwellings are wide inland, high in the mountains. The chapel San Giovanni Battista is a Romanesque building of the 10th century located next to the Genoese bridge called "Pont d'Altiani", spanning over the Tavignano river. The church served the parish of Rogna, but Annie Arnoux-Gabrielli, author of "Eglises Romanes des Corse", claims that once a second building existed here, erected by monks (like the chapel), who came to the area for evangilisation. These monks provided for maintenance and security for a medieval bridge and accommodated travelers for the night. The chapel got altered many times and seems to be locked since ages. There are many inscriptions or graffiti around the building. I could only read a name, but Annie Arnoux-Gabrielli could decipher the complete inscription "A.ALISANDRO LA FIT EN 1600". So obviously Mr. Alisandro did a brilliant repair job and installed a new lintel. He must have been pretty proud,

Sicily, the largest of all Mediterranean islands, has a long history, that starts around 8000 BC, but later there were Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman periods. After the Roman Empire had fallen apart the Vandals tried to take over the island but failed. Finally, the Ostrogoths took possession. Mid of the 6th century Sicily was conquered by troops of the Byzantine Empire and became a Byzantine province. After the advent of Islam, Sicily got attacked by the Arab forces. Raids seeking loot continued until the mid-8th century. A Muslim army was sent to the island in 827 but met with much resistance. So it took a century to conquer it and even later revolts constantly occurred In 1038 the Byzantines invaded the island supported by Norman mercenaries, led by Roger. In 1072, after the siege of Palermo, most of Sicily was under Norman control. Roger´s son Roger II raised the status of the island to a kingdom in 1130. During this period, the Kingdom of Sicily was prosperous and powerful, The court of Roger II became melting out of culture from Europe and the Middle East. This attracted scholars, scientists, artists, and artisans. Muslims, Jews, Greeks, Lombards, and Normans cooperated and created some extraordinary buildings. In 1186 the last descendant of Roger, Constance of Sicily married Emperor Henry VI, the second son of Barbarossa. So the crown of Sicily was passed on to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. Frederick II, the only son of Constance, was crowned King of Sicily at the age of four in 1198. He became "Stupor Mundi", one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages. Palermo, founded in 734 BC by the Phoenicians, became a possession of Carthage and later was part of the Roman Empire. From 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule. Following the Norman conquest, Palermo became the capital of a new Kingdom of Sicily and the capital of the Holy Roman Empire under Emperor Frederick II and King Conrad IV. Today Palermo is a bustling city with a population of about 700.000 plus - many many tourists. Where the Palermo Cathedral ist now, was a Byzantine basilica, probably founded by Pope Gregory I, in the 6th century. After their conquest of the city in the 9th century, the Saracens converted this building into the "Grand Mosque". When the Normans under Roger I took over Palermo the mosque became again a cathedral and the seat of the archbishop. After an earthquake had severely damaged the old building, it was decided to demolish and rebuild it. The new cathedral was erected from 1184 on. In the 14th to 16th centuries, the building underwent continuous expansions and Gothic remodelling. A rebuilding process from 1781 to 1801 changed the cathedral fundamentally. A classical dome above the crossing was erected and the roofs of the aisles got replaced by a series of smaller domes that now obscure the outer facade of the nave. So today the cathedral s a 3D-puzzle of bits and pieces of different times and different styles. Details of the portico from around 1465. St. James (Jaques, Jakob) in the center wears a "coquille" on his hat.

Soon after Agrigento (named Gergent or Girgenti at that time) had been conquered by the Normans, Roger II. founded a bishopric seat here. The Normans erected a castle to control the area and started to erect a cathedral on the top of the highest place in 1087. The church was completed already in 1094. The cathedral got fortified by a tower in the first half of the 12th century. The place was unstable and in 1198 a landslide caused a lot of destruction. It got reconstructed and used by Frederick II as a garrison against Saracen rebels. Due to earthquakes, the church collapsed and had to be rebuilt. Following the reconstruction carried out, it got dedicated to San Gerlando in 1315. Restauration of the church started end of the 19th century and took many decades. A landslide in 1966 threatened the building and so the ridge on which it was erected had to be consolidated and enforced. The church was closed to the public in 2011 but got reopened again in 2019. The name INFANTIN(I) (?) was carved into the cathedral´s wall probably earlier. At first I suspected the president of the "Fédération Internationale de Football Association" (aka FIFA), but his name is Infantino.

The church St. Ulrich in Altenstadt (now part of Wissembourg) was built over the ruins of a roman temple within the 11th/12th century. Another early graffito et the entrance of a church (see nearby Wissembourg). " A(N)NO 1772" - seven years, before the French Revolution took place, but - obviously the person, who craved in his or her name here, was not very popular. Somebody erased the name later with some effort.

A wall at a doorway in the former abbey. The pretty damaged coat of arms, holded up by an angle, can only be that of Maximilian II (see the words), showing the double headed eagle. This is probably from around 1550. After having been looted during the "Peasants´War" and later the "Thirty Years' War", this coat may have been a kind of warning, showing that the monastry had protection from Maximilian II. Next to it - carved graffitis all over the wall.

Avignon was Greek Emporium around 539 BC. Much later it became a Roman colony, named "Colonia Julia Hadriana Avenniensis". During the migration period the Goths looted the town and in 472 Avignon was sacked by the Burgundians. In 500 Clovis I, King of the Franks besieged Avignon as his arch-enemy Gondebaud had taken refuge here. Clovis devastated the fields, cut down the vines and olive trees, and destroyed the orchards. In 734 it fell into the hands of the Saracens and was destroyed in 737 by Charles Martel´s Franks. Avignon recovered and in 916 King of Provence Louis the Blind restored the churches of Saint-Ruf and Saint-Géniès to the diocese of Avignon. At the end of the 9th century, Avignon suffered again by Muslim attacks. After the division of Charlemagne´s empire, Avignon was owned jointly by the Count of Provence and the Count of Toulouse. In 1135 the rights were resigned to the local Bishops and Consuls. At the end of the 12th century, Avignon declared itself an independent republic. When in 1226, the citizens refused to open the gates to King Louis VIII of France, the French besieged the Avignon and after it was captured forced it to pull down its ramparts . In 1271, Philip III of France inherited Avignon and passed it to his son Philip the Fair in 1285. It passed in turn in 1290 to Charles II of Naples. The University of Avignon was founded by Pope Boniface VIII in 1303 and was famed as a seat of legal studies, flourishing until the French Revolution. In 1309 the city was chosen by Pope Clement V as his residence at the time of the Council of Vienne. Avignon, rather than Rome was the seat of the Papacy. It became the Pontifical residence under Pope Clement V in 1309. His successor, John XXII made it the capital of Christianity and transformed the former episcopal palace into the primary Palace of the Popes. Under the Papal rule, the Court seethed and attracted many painters, sculptors and musicians. The Gothic palace was the result of the joint work of the best French architects. The papal library in Avignon was the largest in Europe in the 14th century with 2,000 volumes. Gregory XI decided to return to Rome. His death caused the Great Schism. Clement VII and Benedict XIII reigned again in Avignon. Overall it was nine popes who succeeded in the papal palace. Avignon was a papal possession up to the French Revolution. --- The construction of the strongly fortified Palais, that is one of the largest medieval structures in Europe, began in 1252. The Palais was built in two phases with two distinct segments, known as the "Palais Vieux" and "Palais Neuf". By the time of its completion, it occupied an area of 11,000 m². The Palais Vieux was constructed by Pierre Poisson of Mirepoix at the instruction of Pope Benedict XII. Benedict had the original episcopal palace razed and replaced with a much larger building centred on a cloister, heavily fortified against attackers. Under Popes Clement VI, Innocent VI and Urban V, the building was expanded to form what is now known as the Palais Neuf. There has been a kind of prison here from the very beginning but during the Wars of Religions, there was more room needed for the incarceration of Protestants, accused of witchcraft. These prisoners carved messages into the walls of the towers.

Saint-Vert is a small village with a population of about 100. Within the 11th century, a small priory dependent on the abbey of La Chaise-Dieu was established here. About two hundred years later this priory was used as an infirmary for the near abbey. The "Église de la Décollation-de-Saint-Jean-Baptiste" was erected in the 12th century and enlarged and rebuilt in the 15th. The nave is still Romanesque. Somebody carved this graffito into the outer wall. Looks a bit like "Piques" ("Spades"), one of the suits of playing cards

A hermitage was founded here by Géraud de Salles, a friend of Robert de Arbrissel, the of the Cistercian abbey of Fontevrault. In 1119 the hermitage was made an abbey, connected to the Abbaye de Pontigny. The Abbaye de Cîteaux ceded twelve monks to Cadouin for the first settlement of the monastery. Around 1200 the monastery came into possession of the "Saint-Suaire de Cadouin". This was believed to be the facecloth from the tomb of Christ, said to have been brought from Antioch by a priest after the first crusade. This relic made the abbey an important place of pilgrimage on the way to Santiago and brought it great prestige and wealth. Even Louis IX of France ("St. Louis"), Richard I of England ("Richard the Lionheart") and Emperor Charles V ("Charles Quint") visited Cadouin to see the relic. The war of the 14th century let the pilgrimage come to an end and let the abbey decline. In 1357 the abbey was ruined and only two monks stayed to guard the shroud, that was transferred to Toulouse in 1392. This transport of shroud to Toulouse deprived the abbey of donations. The shroud returned and with the strong support of the French Kings, the abbey recovered after 1455. Thanks to royal protection, the cloister was rebuilt in an extravagant way. The abbey was affiliated to the Cistercian order, but not founded by it. This is one reason, that may explain the enormous creativity here, as "normally" the Cistercian art is very sober. Though the authenticity of the shroud was attested in 1644, the abbey did never fully recover after the Wars of Religions. During the French Revolution, the abbey was dissolved and got looted. In 1793 the abbey, apart from the church, was sold as a national property. The mayor of Cadouin hid the shroud during the Revolution until it was returned to worship in 1797. It was the Bishop of Perigueux in the mid 19th century, who "relaunched" the pilgrimage, that prospered again up to 1934. That year, a historian dated the shroud thanks to the presence of decorative bands decorated with a text. An inscription was found in Kufic style, opened by the "fatiha", the Islamic profession of faith, the text then indicates that the veil was woven at the time of Al-Musta'li, the caliph of Fatimid Egypt, at the end of the 11th century. The extravagant cloister has many very interesting carvings. Here are monks on their way to the stalls.

Saint Florentin was a small Gallo-Roman settlement. As it was located on the border of several provinces in early medieval times, it was taken by Visigoths, Francs, Burgondes, Francs and -of course by Normans in 886). It was English in 1356 during the Hundred Years War but was then retaken and completely destroyed by the Burgundians in 1359. Huguenots rampaged during the Wars of Religion in 1562. Saint-Florentin is enclosed by the houses. The first church here, probably part of a fortified castle is from the 13th century. The erection of today´s church started on the hill, where once stood the castle, at the beginning of the 16th century. The construction was interrupted by the Wars of Religion and did not resume until the beginning of the 17th century. Well, the nave was never built, so today there is the choir and the transept. Due to the long time the construction took, the style is late Gothic plus some Renaissance. C. Linant carved in his name in 1755.

Saint Florentin was a small Gallo-Roman settlement. As it was located on the border of several provinces in early medieval times, it was taken by Visigoths, Francs, Burgondes, Francs and -of course by Normans in 886). It was English in 1356 during the Hundred Years War but was then retaken and completely destroyed by the Burgundians in 1359. Huguenots rampaged during the Wars of Religion in 1562. Saint-Florentin is enclosed by the houses. The first church here, probably part of a fortified castle is from the 13th century. The erection of today´s church started on the hill, where once stood the castle, at the beginning of the 16th century. The construction was interrupted by the Wars of Religion and did not resume until the beginning of the 17th century. Well, the nave was never built, so today there is the choir and the transept. Due to the long time the construction took, the style is late Gothic plus some Renaissance. These names were carved in outside the portal by members of the 62nd Engenieer Battalion during the Great War. www.vetshome.com/62nd/Combat Engr.htm

Trani may have been founded by Greek settlers, but the known history starts late. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it was dominated by Lombards, Byzantines, Saracens and again Byzantines. With the conquest of southern Italy by the Normans and after 50 days of siege by Robert Guiscard´s troops, Trani became part of the Norman Empire in 1073. Already under the Byzantines, Trani had become an important port for trade with the Orient. The heyday was in the time of the crusades in the 12th and 13th centuries, when crusaders and merchants mainly went to the Holy Land from Bari and Trani. It became an episcopal see in place of Canosa, destroyed by the Saracens. Frederick II promoted the Teutonic Knights and the Jewish community and built a massive castle. Under his rule, the city reached its highest point of wealth and prosperity. The construction of the "Cattedrale di Trani" began in 1099, over the earlier church of "Santa Maria della Scala", which went back to the 4th century. It is dedicated to "San Nicola Pellegrino". Bari had the relics of "Saint Nicholas of Myra". The Bishop of Trani could convince Pope Urban II to canonized a young pilgrim, who had died on his way to Jerusalem in Trani in 1094 from exhaustion. The new church was intended to house the relics of "Saint Nicholas the Pilgrim". Pina Belli d'Elia ("Puglia romanica") is sure, that this cathedral is the most important of all romanic buildings in Apulia. The building process started at the crypt. The "translatio corporis S. Nicolai ad novam Ecclediam" took place in 1142. As parts of the old church, dedicated to Virgin Mary, were maintained, the construction is pretty complex. The "Cattedrale di Trani" was completed around 1200, the construction of the campanile started by Nicolaus Sacerdos (see "Bitonto") and completed in the mid 14th century. In the 20th century the bell tower was in such a bad state, that it was completely dismantled and rebuilt in the 1950s to avoid it collapsing. The cathedral was built from white, local stones, that change the colour from white to yellowish and reddish, during the sunset. An archivolt. Two horned devils (?), two lions - and a bird. So far - so easy, but was is that crude, artless dragon above? A graffito carved into the marble in that height?

Legends tell, that in 490, 492 and 493 the archangel Michael appeared to a shepherd and a bishop in front of a grotto. Archangel Michael instructing them to convert that cave into a Christian church. This grotto became the site of many pilgrimages since the early Middle Ages. It is said, that this is the oldest shrine in Western Europe When the Lombards successfully conquered southern Italy end of the 6th century, King Grimoald in 662 passed on the region to his son, Romuald I, who renovated the sanctuary and encouraged its use as a pilgrimage site. It got very popular for pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem and as well for pilgrims who had followed the Via Francigena to Rome and then continued to the grotto. Many Popes have been here, but as well Bridget of Sweden, Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Aquinas, Matilda of Tuscany, Otto III... From the portico, steps lead down to the grotto. Since centuries pilgrims have used these steps and have carved their names into the walls. Analphabetic pilgrims often carved in the outlines of their hands or their shoes.

Bari was an early settlement and passed under Roman rule in the 3rd century BC. It developed strategic significance as the point of junction between the coast road and the Via Traiana and as a port for eastward trade. The first bishop of Bari was Gervasius who is known from the Council of Sardica in 347. After the decline of the Roman Empire, the town was devasted and taken by Alaric´s Visigothic troops, then was under Lombardian rule, before the Byzantines took over. In 755 it was conquered by Pepin the Short (Charlemagne´s father) and from 847 on it was an Islamic Emirate. The Byzantine fleet returned in 871 and since 885 Bari ws the residence of the local Byzantine governor. Following a three-year siege, Bari was captured by Robert Guiscard in 1071. After the relics of Saint Nicholas, which were surreptitiously brought from Myra in Lycia (Byzantine territory), arrived in Bari, the Basilica di San Nicola was founded in 1087. This attracted pilgrims, whose encouragement and care became central to the economy of Bari. Pope Urban II consecrated the Basilica in 1089. In 1096 a crusader army embarked in the port of Bari for the First Crusade. After the murder of archbishop Griso in 1117 a civil war broke our and the control was seized by Grimoald Alferanites, a native Lombard, in opposition to the Normans. He later did homage to Roger II of Sicily, but rebelled and was defeated in 1132. The Castello Normanno-Svevo (aka "Castello di Bari") was probably built around 1132 by Norman King Roger II. When in 1155 the Baresi rebelled against the Normans, the castle got destroyed, so as a retaliatory action, William I of Sicily (aka William the Wicked") had the city destroyed except for the cathedral and the Basilica of St. Nicola. Bari recovered and had its heydays under Frederick II. When he returned from his crusade after 1229, the city gates were locked so he had to use force to gain entry. Therefore, he probably had the fort built in 1233 to keep the city in check. On the other hand, he granted the city generous trade privileges and left it the leading role in the region. - The construction of the "Cattedrale di San Sabino" (aka "Bari Cathedral" started around 1170 on. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto. It is dedicated to Saint Sabinus, a bishop of Canosa, whose relics were brought here in the 9th century. It was erected on the site of the ruins of the Imperial Byzantine cathedral, destroyed in 1156 by William I of Sicily with the rest of the city. For the reconstruction of the cathedral materials from the preceding church and other destroyed buildings got reused. During the 18th century the façade, the nave and aisles and the crypt were refurbished in Baroque style. The building later underwent a series of refurbishments, demolitions and extensions. People in medieval times often tried to have a grave as near as possible to the relics of a saint. Many graves must have been around the cathedral, as the walls have numerous inscriptions about the graves. The Latin word for grave is "sepulcrum".