Icons of Europe By Jose Joaquin Sol Casas

Icons of Europe By: Jose Joaquin Sol Casas

The Parthenon • At the approximate position where the Parthenon was built later, the Athenians began the construction of a building that was burned by the Persians while it was still under construction in 480 BCE. It was presumably dedicated to Athena, and after its destruction much of its ruins were utilized in the building of the fortifications at the north end of the Acropolis. Not much is known about this temple, and whether or not it was still under construction when it was destroyed has been disputed. Its massive foundations were made of limestone, and the columns were made of Pentelic marble, a material that was utilized for the first time. The classical. Parthenon was constructed between 447 -432 BCE http: //ancientgreece. org/architecture/parthenon. html

Colosseum • Measuring some 620 by 513 feet (190 by 155 meters), the Colosseum was the largest amphitheater in the Roman world. Unlike many earlier amphitheaters, which had been dug into hillsides to provide adequate support, the Colosseum was a freestanding structure made of stone and concrete. The distinctive exterior had three stories of arched entrances–a total of around 80– supported by semi-circular columns. Each story contained columns of a different order (or style): At the bottom were columns of the relatively simple Doric order, followed by Ionic and topped by the ornate Corinthian order. Located just near the main entrance to the Colosseum was the Arch of Constantine, built in A. D. 315 in honor of Constantine I’s victory over Maxentius at Pons Milvius. http: //www. history. com/topics/ancienthistory/colosseum

Eiffel Tower • Built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 World Fair, held to commemorate the centennial of the Revolution, the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) was the world's tallest structure at 1, 050 feet (320 m) until Manhattan's Chrysler Building was completed. http: //www. viator. com/Paris-attractions/Eiffel -Tower/d 479 -a 89

Edinburgh Castle • Edinburgh Castle has been at the heart of Scotland’s life for well over 1, 000 years. Well defended on its tall volcanic crag, it has been occupied since prehistoric times. By the medieval era it was an important royal residence, and the city growing up around it became the nation’s capital. Edinburgh Castle is the most besieged castle in the UK and over many centuries has witnessed royal ceremonies, savage battles, medieval parliaments, lavish feasts, grand parades, ruthless politics, raids by stealth, the birth of a king and the deaths of queens, jousting tournaments, troubled marriages, devout prayers and intensive military activity. http: //www. historicscotland. gov. uk/index/places/propertyresults/ propertyoverview. htm? Prop. ID=PL_121

Big Ben • • The Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire in 1834. In 1844, it was decided the new buildings for the Houses of Parliament should include a tower and a clock. A massive bell was required and the first attempt (made by John Warner & Sons at Stockton-on-Tees) cracked irreparably. The metal was melted down and the bell recast in Whitechapel in 1858. Big Ben first rang across Westminster on 31 May 1859. A short time later, in September 1859, Big Ben cracked. A lighter hammer was fitted and the bell rotated to present an undamaged section to the hammer. This is the bell as we hear it today. http: //www. visitlondon. com/things-todo/sightseeing/tourist-attraction/big-ben

The Leaning Tower • Tower of Pisa is more accurately referred to simply as the bell tower, or campanile. • The Pisa tower is one of the four buildings that make up the cathedral complex in Pisa, Italy, called Campo dei Miracoli or Piazza dei Miracoli, which means Field of Miracles. http: //www. towerofpisa. info/

• In its day, the construction of Stonehenge was an impressive engineering feat, requiring commitment, time and vast amounts of manual labor. In its first phase, Stonehenge was a large earthwork; a bank and ditch arrangement called a henge, constructed approximately 5, 000 years ago. It is believed that the ditch was dug with tools made from the antlers of red deer and, possibly, wood. The underlying chalk was loosened with picks and shoveled with the shoulderblades of cattle. It was then loaded into baskets and carried away. Modern experiments have shown that these tools were more than equal to the great task of earth digging and moving. http: //www. britannia. com/history/h 7. html

Gondola Rides • The city of Venice sets official rates for gondola rides, which started at € 80 for 40 minutes the last time we checked. Additional 20 -minute increments are € 40. After 7 p. m. , the base rate climbs to € 100, with € 50 for an additional 20 minutes. Up to six people can share a gondola. http: //europeforvisitors. com/venice/articles/g allivanting_by_gondola. htm

London Eye • • Construction of the observation wheel took more than a year and a half to complete. In the process over 1700 tonnes of steel were used for the structure and more than 3000 tonnes of concrete were used for the foundations. The futuristic looking capsules, accommodating up to twenty-five passengers, were transported all the way from France by train through the chunnel. Each egg-shaped capsule is eight meters long and weighs five hundred kilograms. The twenty-five meter (82 ft) long spindle was built in the Czech Republic. The rim has a diameter of 122 m (400 ft), about two hundred times the size of a bicycle wheel. Eighty spokes connect the rim with the spindle. http: //www. aviewoncities. com/london eye. htm

Blarney Stone • • Five miles north west of the small city of Cork is the village of Blarney. Near the village, standing almost 90 feet in height is the castle of Blarney with its world-famous Blarney Stone. More than 300, 000 people come to kiss the Blarney Stone each year, in the hopes of gaining more eloquent speech. While the Blarney Castle that visitors see today was constructed in 1446, the history of the place goes back two centuries before that time. The story begins with a magical stone, its origins shrouded in mystery. One legend says it was the rock that Moses struck with his staff to produce water for the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. Another legend relates that it had once been Jacob’s Pillow and that the prophet Jeremiah had brought it to Ireland. According to this telling it became the Lia Fail, or ‘Fatal Stone’ and was used as an oracular throne of the Irish kings. http: //sacredsites. com/europe/ireland/blarne y_stone. html