Travel Notes on Western Europe (4)

1. The Place de l'Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris

The Arc de Triomphe was designed by the architect Jean Chargrin and built from 1806 to 1835. "It is huge in size, 49.4 meters high, 44.8 meters wide, and 22.3 meters thick. However, it adopts the simplest single coupon composition, which makes it look very solid (it should be "Dun" - the author's note). The coupon door is 36.6 meters high. meters, 14.6 meters wide... There are a set of reliefs on each side of the gate, with the theme praising the victory of Napoleon's army, and the scale is exaggerated." [2] The building “produces an extremely solemn and majestic character with its tall, solid volume, simple and stable outer contours, thick cornices, moldings and detailed decorations.” [3] Its architectural techniques belong to the New The "Empire style" evolved from classicism.

After the Arc de Triomphe was built, 12 40-80m wide avenues were opened radially around the square where the Arc de Triomphe is located, so the square was named Star Square. The square is connected to the Champs Elysées in the east and leads directly to the Harmony Square 2.7 meters away. It is far away from the small Arc de Triomphe in the Louvre Square and becomes the central axis of Paris.

2. Louvre Museum in Paris

For the first tour, everyone followed the tour guide and entered the Louvre from the east gate of the single-row building in the south wing, which is about 200m long in the west section of the Louvre Museum. Floating Palace Square.

The Louvre "is a grand building complex measuring 500 meters from east to west and covering an area of ??18.3 hectares. It is one of the most magnificent palaces in Europe. It houses the richest collection of art in the world from the seventh century BC to the nineteenth century. "Art Treasures" [3], with a collection of 460,000 pieces, among which the Mona Lisa's smile, the Wings of the Goddess of Victory and the Venus statue are the three treasures of the Louvre.

In 1546, Francis I decided to transform the castle where the Louvre is now into a Renaissance-style palace. "In 1624, the architect Lemesier... designed the eastern courtyard of the Louvre Palace (the Louvre - author's note)... retaining Italian-style pilasters, eaves and decorative techniques using sculptures. Upright The surface is divided into three sections horizontally...the first floor is of Corinthian column style, and the second floor is of mixed column style"[2]. There are exquisite high reliefs on the eaves of the two floors, the pediments above the windows and the walls between the windows on the top floor. And they are all made by famous artists. "The central tower protrudes forward and is one story higher, and the roof is a square-bottomed vault with traditional French characteristics."[2]

There is also the reconstruction of the east colonnade. The renovated colonnade was added to the east facade, with a "total length of 172 meters and a height of 29 meters. The facade adopts a columnar composition, divided into three floors horizontally and five sections vertically, with the center and both ends protruding and the central axis symmetrically carved. The first floor is treated as a base, with a thick and solid pier. The 12.2-meter-high columns are arranged in double rows, running through the second and third floors. There are eight columns in the center, supporting the pediment on the eaves, and the facade composition is strictly proportioned."[ 2], the renovated east colonnade is solemn, graceful and has a strong monumental architectural effect. However, this time we focused on visiting the Louvre Square and its collections. We were not able to see its easternmost facade, which is the main facade. We will come back to see it when we have the opportunity in the future.

3. Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame de Paris is the most famous church in Europe in the Middle Ages, located on the City Island in the Seine River. "The foundation stone of the church was laid in 1163 and it was completed in 1250. Its plane is 48 meters wide and 130 meters deep, and can accommodate nearly 10,000 people. Four rows of longitudinal columns divide the space into a wide central hall and narrower corridors on both sides. The middle hall is about 35 meters high, which is three and a half times that of the side corridors. "[2] The roof adopts pointed six-point rib arch, and flying buttresses are built on both sides and the east end of the outer wall to balance the lateral thrust of the roof arch. The piers on the west facade divide the facade into three sections, with a 68m-high tower at each end. A 90m-high slender spire stands in the center of the roof.

Notre Dame de Paris is an outstanding representative of the Gothic church.

4. Palace of Versailles in Paris

The Palace of Versailles in Paris is located 22 kilometers southwest of Paris. Construction began in 1661. The palace of Louis XIV, it is the most magnificent palace in Europe.

The north and south wings of the palace are 575m long and have three floors. "The buildings are all built of stone. The facade is decorated with classical columns and prominent horizontal moldings, which are unified and well-proportioned, reflecting the classical style. The interior decoration is very gorgeous, using Baroque techniques" [2]. The "Mirror Gallery" in the palace is 76 meters long, with windows on one side and seventeen large mirrors installed on the wall on one side. It is veneered with marble of various colors and decorated with Corinthian pilasters, green marble columns, and cast copper-plated capitals and bases. ...The murals on the vaults are pictures of the king's historical sites, which are all brilliant and green. "[2] There are exquisite statues everywhere in the palace's rows of halls, corridors and both sides of the grand staircase...

In front of the palace. The equestrian bronze statue of Louis XIV stands in the Grand Place. When we came here, the bronze statue happened to be backlit, and the sunlight was extremely strong, so the photos we took were not ideal.

The west facade of the palace faces the Versailles Garden with an area of ??6.7 square kilometers, which is the largest royal garden in Europe.

5. Pisa Church

Pisa Church is located in Pisa, Italy. It is an outstanding representative of Roman style architecture. Its baptistery, main church and bell tower are arranged in a line along the general east-west direction and are each set up independently. The "main church (built from 1063 to 1118), the baptistery (1153) and the bell tower (1174)" [2] were set up separately on a line and tens of meters apart from each other. In major famous churches in Europe It's really rare.

The main church faces west. “Its Latin cross layout is very famous. There are four rows of longitudinal columns in the rectangular hall, with a total length of 95 meters... There is an elliptical dome above the cross on the church plane, and the west facade Decorated with four floors of continuous corridors." [2]

The baptistery is located 60 meters west of the main church. It has a circular plane, "about 40 meters in diameter, and also has a dome." [2]

The bell tower is located behind the main church, that is to the east (south). "56 meters high, eight floors, 15.8 meters in diameter, and 294 steps spiraling to the top" [2]. During the late construction period, it was discovered that the foundation was tilted due to uneven subsidence, with an eccentricity of 5.2m, so the Pisa Cathedral bell tower is also called the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Later, Galileo Galilei conducted a free fall test on the leaning tower, which made the Leaning Tower of Pisa even more famous.

6. Cathedral of Santa Maria

Cathedral of Santa Maria (or Cathedral of Santa Maria), also known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, is located in Florence, Italy. It is an early Italian literary and artistic A representative of Renaissance architecture.

The church was built at the end of the 13th century. At that time, it was technically difficult to solve the high-span and large dome of the main church, so the large octagonal dome was left unfinished. It was not until 1420 that the design plan of the Italian architect Boru Leniski was adopted, and the project was completed in 1434. Its design plan is "the dome top is semi-elliptical, with eight rib arches exposed on the surface. There is an octagonal drum base with a height of 12 meters at the bottom. The dome and drum base alone are 60 meters high. The inner diameter of the dome is 42 meters. The surface is covered with murals, and finally an exquisite octagonal pavilion was built on the dome [2]. The total height of the church is 115m, which is very majestic.

7. St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica, located in the Vatican, is the most magnificent monument of the Italian Renaissance. The church was built from 1506 to 1626, which lasted 120 years.

The foundation stone laying ceremony of the church was held in 1506, and the Italian architect Bramonte’s plan won the bid: a centralized plane with a square and a Greek cross superimposed, and a tall semicircular dome in the center. The four corners are set off by small domes. After Bramonte's death, the painter Rapier changed the original design to a Latin cross plane. In 1547, painter, sculptor, and architect Michelangelo presided over the church project and "restored the modified Latin cross plane to its original centralized composition, and designed a large central dome that was slightly elongated than the semicircle and full of elastic tension... ...The dome is 42 meters in diameter and 137.8 meters above the ground. It is the tallest building in Rome. "[2] The project was basically completed by 1590. At the end of the 16th century, the architect Madonna removed "the facade designed by Michelangelo, added a Basilica-style hall in front of it, and changed it back to a Latin cross... The vertical axis is 212 meters, the horizontal axis is 137 meters meters”[2]. With this change, we can no longer see the complete outline of the large dome at close range and can only take photos from a distance.

The walls inside the building are decorated with various marbles and are magnificent. There are many statues in the church and the inner walls are covered with murals. Most of these works are by famous masters and are extremely precious. The pattern design on the inside of the dome is also unique and very beautiful!

The church facade has a columnar composition. The exterior wall is covered with gray marble, which is spectacular.

From 1655 to 1667, the sculptor Bebeni designed the Cathedral Square. Its plane is a "set of trapezoidal and elliptical planes, with the long axis of the ellipse 195 meters, surrounded by a colonnade composed of 284 Tascan columns" [2]. A tall obelisk stands in the center of the square, and tourists rush to take photos in front of it.

8. St. Mark’s Square and St. Mark’s Basilica

St. Mark’s Square is located in the water city of Venice. It faces the Adriatic Sea to the south and is surrounded by St. Mark’s Basilica. Surrounded by famous ancient buildings. It was basically completed during the Renaissance in the 16th century. It is one of the most famous squares in the world.

The square plane is in the shape of a folding ruler, which is composed of three trapezoidal planes, which are called "three trapezoidal spaces" one by one. It seems easier to describe one by one.

After visiting the Grand Canal, walking across the Bridge of Sighs and then walking west, you will come to the entrance of St. Mark's Square. In front of you, there is a pair of tall stone pillars, with the patron saint of Venice carved on the top of each pillar. Walking from the stone pillar to Guangli is the first space of the square. The turned facade of the Governor's Palace on its right (i.e. north) leads visitors to the second space.

The second space is a square extending from north to south. In front of the square stands the bright red St. Mark's Bell Tower. This 98m-high bell tower has now become a symbol of Venice. Looking west from the corner of the second space, the golden St. Mark's Basilica can be seen in the distance. Walk from the second space to the north end and turn west into the third space, the main space of the square.

The third space is a large trapezoidal square with "a depth of 175 meters, a wide side of 90 meters, and a narrow side of 56 meters" [2]. At the west end of the square is the famous St. Mark's Basilica. The buildings on both sides were built in the 16th century.

“The main building of the square, St. Mark’s Church, is in Byzantine style, the beautiful Doge’s Palace is in Gothic style, and there are also libraries and office buildings in the Renaissance. The building complex is handled very well, and the ground floor is made of open The open colonnade forms a natural connection between the square and the building."[2]

About St. Mark's Basilica.

The cathedral was built between 1063 and 1094, and has a history of more than 800 years.

Its "plane is in the shape of a Greek cross... The center and four wings of the cross are covered with a set of five domes. The domes are supported on the pillars through sail arches. In order to make the dome shape appear It is tall and straight, and a wooden dome with a high drum base is added to the original structure. The central and two wing domes are larger, with a diameter of 12.8m, and the other two are smaller."[2] The primary and secondary are clearly defined.

The outer surface of the church is paved with golden mosaics and decorated with colored marbles; there are ivory carvings and gem inlays on the altar and screens, which are extremely expensive. St. Mark's Basilica is a national treasure.

On this first tour of eight countries in Western Europe, France, Italy and the Vatican are impressed by their cultural heritage, their artistic charm is deeply touching, and the splendor of their churches and palaces is shocking! Undoubtedly the highlight of this trip.

The natural scenery of Switzerland and Austria is pleasing to the eye and is a different scene. The rolling Alps are covered with crystal clear white snow; on both sides of the road, on the hillside, and in the wilderness, there are rows of pine and fir forests, lush and green; under the blue sky and among the greenery, the quiet cottages and the curling smoke of cooking stoves ...Everything is intoxicating.

Although the trip to the Netherlands was not long, it left a deep impression on me. Ancient windmills, criss-crossing canals and wetlands, rows of small wooden houses docked on ancient canals, and rows of hooks on the roofs of buildings are all symbols of the Netherlands and are part of the Dutch entertainment chapter. A sultry note. There are also the ancient Amsterdam Central Station and the clock tower with 24 tower clocks installed at the end of the canal bridge...

The Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium, has a strong cultural atmosphere; the Pee-peeing Pis, the cutest child in the world, is a tourist My favorite attraction in Belgium; Notre Dame Cathedral in Brussels, is also a photo spot for everyone.

As for Frankfurt, Germany, because it was rebuilt after World War II, its tourism content is relatively average and the impression is mediocre.

This trip to Western Europe can be said to have been fruitful and somewhat regretful. From the above travel notes, it is clear that the tour content is rich; however, the world-famous Italian Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine, these long-awaited attractions, were forced to cancel due to the unexpected incident of the anti-EU demonstration. It is really There is nothing you can do! But there are very few things that are perfect in the world. It should be said that traveling is undoubtedly a success!

In the third part of this article, "Outline of Eight Key Tourist Landscapes", there are many professional architectural terms. If you are not interested, you can skip it and go directly to the fourth part, "Conclusion".

I have nothing to do, just browse and take a look. If it can bring back everyone’s good memories of traveling to Western Europe and deepen their memory of relevant knowledge about the eight countries in Western Europe, this may be the purpose of writing this article. Bar!

[1] "World Atlas", China Map Publishing House, Beijing Jinxing Map Printing Factory, 1990.12

[2] Liu Xiaohui, Lu Songjiang, "Hundred Examples of Foreign Ancient Architectural Masterpieces" ", Jiangsu Fine Arts Publishing House, Nanjing May 4th Printing House, 1987.9

[3] Peng Yigang, "Theory of Architectural Space Combination", China Construction Industry Press, China Construction Industry Press Printing House, 1983.9

Closed on April 30, 2017