Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/02/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Le 22 f?vr. 10 ? 03:34, Jayanand Govindaraj a ?crit : > Philippe, > I have not seen these xastles in Germany and Austria - but I found > Versailles very underwhelming! Is it just me? > Cheers > Jayanand You're right Jayanand, absolutely right. Yet I always try to view a castle (Versailles and Schonbr?n are more palaces than castles BTW) with a time and function perspective: when and why was it built, what did it mean to the people there, what was the craft involved as well as the state of the art then. Versailles for instance was reclaimed on swamps, and not fortified, but was meant to be the center of power in a fledgling (restroomless) absolute monarchy, (fancy the stench then)? Sch?nbr?n has a complex system of corridors so that social classes wouldn't mix. And its Gloriette and parks are such symbols of the Austrian mighty power. They also reflect the curiosity of their owners ; artefacts brought back from military campaigns, or ordered specifically, etc. If you're interested in technology, this is where you see how they developed (ceramics, woodwork, etc - even gun technology can get my interest there ...) So rather than just staying outside and have a drink - which I nonetheless do afterwards, I'm inclined to get in, watch, listen and learn more about history; the "little one", and the one that changed the world. I have such fond memories of the Red Forts in Dehli and Agra, or of Maharadjah palaces in Jaipur, Mutzarfarpur, Fathpur Sikri and other places :-) The same applies everywhere, for me at least, be it political (Brasilia which I loved then) or corporate (the Sears Tower and others are the heirs to the system). Amiti?s de Metz Philippe who is not a fan of Sissi's (TM) but shared the dream for the time of a visit ... ;-) NO ARCHIVE