Back from one week in Brittany (Bretagne) - but let's start with a photo, taken just over the 'border' in Normandy.
Mont Saint-Michel during the blue hour.
I didn't want the standard shot from the bridge (where some heavy construction takes place right now anyway), so we found a place where the mont would seem to rise out of the grass.
Despite being attacked by very nasty mosquitos, I shot several different photos, so more to come...
Tags: Beauvoir Basse-Normandie Frankreich Mont-Saint-Michel Mont Saint-Michel Saint Michel Bretagne Brittany Normandie Basse Normandy Landscape Architecture Grass Field Blue Hour Blue Hour Long Exposure Long Exposure Illumination Illuminated Light Shadow Lights Shadows Night Evening Sunset France Church Cathedral Tower Hill Mountain Abbey Tripod Nikon D800 Nikon1635mm Ray Rays Sea Ocean Atlantic Atlantic Ocean La Manche La Manche English Channel
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Tags: Pienza Toscana Toskana Tuscany Italy Italia Storm Stormy Light Storm Light Dark Bright Sky Dark Sky Sun Shadow Piazza Church Palazzo Comunale Palazzo Comunale House Houses Architecture Bird Birds Fly Flying Clock Clocktower Window Windows Italien Medieval Renaissance Nikon D800 Nikon1635mmVR Wide Angle Wide Angle oiseaux
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The Cathedral of Siena (Italian: Duomo di Siena), dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church and now to Santa Maria Assunta (Most Holy Mary of Assumption), is a medieval church in Siena, central Italy.
The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from an octagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome, was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius.
In the interior the pictorial effect of the black and white marble stripes on the walls and columns strikes the eye. Black and white are the colours of the civic coat of arms of Siena. The capitals of the columns in the west bays of the nave are sculpted with allegorical busts and animals. The horizontal moulding around the nave and the presbytery contains 172 plaster busts of popes dating from the 15th and 16th centuries starting with St. Peter and ending with Lucius III. The spandrels of the round arches below this cornice exhibit the busts of 36 emperors. The vaulted roof is decorated in blue with golden stars, replacing frescoes on the ceiling, while the formerets (half ribs) and the tiercerons (secondary ribs) are adorned with richly elaborated motifs.
The stained-glass round window in the choir was made in 1288 to the designs of Duccio. It is one of the earliest remaining examples of Italian stained glass. The round stained-glass window in the façade dates from 1549 and represents the Last Supper. It is the work of Pastorino de' Pastorini.
The hexagonal dome is topped with Bernini's gilded lantern, like a golden sun. The trompe l'oeil coffers were painted in blue with golden stars in the late 15th century. The colonnade in the drum is adorned with images and statues of 42 patriarchs and prophets, painted in 1481 by Guidoccio Cozzarelli and Benvenuto di Giovanni. The eight stucco statues in the spandrels beneath the dome were sculpted in 1490 by Ventura di Giuliano and Bastiano di Francesco. Originally they were polychromed, but later, in 1704, gilded.
Next to the first two pillars there are two fonts, carved by Antonio Federighi in 1462-1463. His basin for the Blessing of Holy Water was later transferred to the chapel of San Giovanni.
The marble high altar of the presbytery was built in 1532 by Baldassarre Peruzzi. The enormous bronze ciborium is the work of Vecchietta (1467-1472, originally commissioned for the church of the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala, across the square, and brought to the cathedral in 1506). At the sides of the high altar the uppermost angels are masterpieces by Francesco di Giorgio Martini (1439-1502).
Against the pillars of the presbytery there are eight candelabras in the form of angels by Domenico Beccafumi (1548-1550), He also painted the frescoes, representing Saints and Paradise, on the walls in the apse. These were partially repainted in 1912. Behind the main altar is a very large painting Assumption of the Virgin by Bartolomeo Cesi in 1594. The presbytery keeps also the beautiful wooden choir stalls, made between 1363-1397 and extended in the 16c. Originally there were more than ninety choir stalls, arranged in double rows. The remaining 36 stalls are each crowned by the bust of a saint in a pointed niche. Their backs are decorated with carved panels, the work of Fra’ Giovanni da Verona in 1503.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena_Cathedral
Tags: Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta Cattedrale Siena di Santa Maria Assunta Duomo Chiesa Church Cathedral Kathedrale Dom Ceiling Star Stars Light Shadow HDR DRI Marble Marmor Pillar Pillars Window Art Medieval Architecture Toscana Tuscany Toskana Italy Italien Italia Europe Europa Sun Night Ornament Ornaments Philipp Dcdead Nikon travel Shadows Handheld D800 Wide Angle Ultra Wide Angle Catholic Altar alía
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No processing, except Fuji Velvia 50 VSCO LightRoom Preset
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I have uploaded an almost similar one before, but looking at it again, I wasn't too happy with the result. So here's another go.
Tags: Schottland Großbritannien Scotland United Kingdom United Kingdom UK GB Great Britain Great Britain Highland Highlands Isle Of Skye Isle Of Skye Island Sea North North Sea Rock Rocks Cliff Cliffs Lighthouse Sunset Evening Light Sun Summer Green Red Yellow Blue Water Grass Landscape Nature Seascape Sky Cloud Clouds Philipp Klinger Philipp Klinger Nikon D800 Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean Path Shadow
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