Video timeline: 0:00 Intro 0:28 Neuschwanstein – a medieval castle? 2:06 Sanssouci – palace or garden hut? 3:35 Is it too expensive to rebuild Heidelberg castle? 5:00 Why do so many castles line river Rhine? 6:25 Are all German castles and palaces owned by the state?
is a famous archaeological site. It was one of the world’s first known settlements, founded some 9,000 years ago. The site has produced magnificent finds including an ancient necklace made of 2,500 beads. What prompted our Neolithic ancestors to settle down? Why did they change their nomadic, hunter-gatherer lives so radically?
As is so often the case in archaeology, it is tombs that tell us the most, while also raising new questions. One of the most magnificent finds at the Ba’ja archaeological site is the richly furnished tomb of a young girl. In 2018, as the excavation team was about to depart, beads emerged from beneath the slab of a nondescript tomb. The team kept working until they finally recovered around 2,500 beads.
Further research showed the beads belonged to an elaborately crafted necklace that had been buried with the girl. The team affectionately christened her Jamila, “the beautiful one.” Jamila’s necklace is a sensation, and has been put on display at the new Petra Museum. There, the entire history of the country is presented, beginning with Ba’ja and humankind’s decision to leave behind the hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
Along with other finds from Ba’ja, Jamila’s finely wrought necklace calls into question much of what we thought we knew about the Stone Age. In recent decades, the burial site in Jordan has helped us see Neolithic people through different eyes. One thing seems clear: They were able to invest time in aesthetics, jewelry and furnishings because their food supply was secure.
Built in the 1930s, high above the Santa Barbara coast, the mansion known as Bellosguardo was the summer home of reclusive heiress Huguette Clark, who instructed her staff to never change a thing – and they didn’t. Jane Pauley pays a visit to a fabled home constructed from a Gilded Age fortune (made famous from the bestseller “Empty Mansions”), which will open its doors to public tours for the first time later this year.
The Ponte Vecchio is one of the most iconic bridges in Florence, Italy. It is the oldest bridge in the city (Ponte Vecchio literally translates to “old bridge”), and one of the oldest segmental arch bridges in the world. Since the Middle Ages, the base of the Ponte Vecchio has consisted of three stone arches and two piers.
The stone structure was completed in 1345, and was built over the course of twelve years. It replaced an earlier wooden structure that collapsed in a flood in 1333. Originally, the buildings on the Ponte Vecchio housed apartments and workshops, as well as butcher shops. Later, the business premises were given to goldsmiths and silversmiths, who added several structural changes to the buildings, such as bay windows and balconies.
The Brandenburg Gate is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after the temporary restoration of order during the Batavian Revolution.
While Ramses II is often hailed for his military achievements and his skill as a warrior, he was also a well versed diplomat. During his reign he brought the 20 year war with the Hittites to an end and created one of the first written peace treaties.
In 1836, Queen Maria, The Second, of Portugal married a German prince named Ferdinand. As a love letter to his new wife and Portuguese subjects, the King of Portugal built something that would embrace and celebrate Portugal’s cultural DNA – the Pena Palace. From above, one can see the incredibly nuanced construction of the castle’s domes to reflect Portugal’s rich history and the neo-Gothic, neo-Manueline, neo-Islamic and neo-Indian architectural influences. King Ferdinand’s attention to detail charmed his people and the Royal Family, who soon made the Pena Palace their summer residence, which would remain the case for the next six decades.
The elegant “American Colony Hotel” in Jerusalem is an island of tranquility in a troubled city. The grand hotel has lived through all of Jerusalem’s serious crises. Everyone is welcome here, no matter where they come from or what they believe. The name “American Colony Hotel” goes back to a group of 19th Century American pilgrims. In its early days, the grand hotel was located among olive groves outside Jerusalem’s city walls. For over a hundred years, many parties to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have shaken hands, eaten and drunk here together. People mingle here in a way they would never do elsewhere. Behind it all is the fascinating story of Anna and Horatio Spafford, who, after several tragic events, moved from the US to the Holy Land with a community of devout Christians. With diligence, skill, and an insistence on neutrality and tolerance despite political difficulties, they created a hotel in a truly special location. Its atmosphere continues to attract illustrious guests from the worlds of politics, diplomacy, literature, art and entertainment.
Situated just outside Chipping Campden, Broad Campden is a small village in Gloucestershire, England, with a church and pub, and notable for its beauty and fine walking trails.
The Spanish economy is one of extremes. At one point a focus of the eurozone crisis, at another the largest contributor of growth, and more recently, suffering the greatest economic hit of any Advanced Economy in 2020. Spain’s economic problems are often confused. In the years leading up to the Great Recession it posted consistent budget surpluses. However, a huge real estate bubble was lying in wait. The question… is why? Why did Spain go from a seemingly safe level of debt to one larger than it’s economy? How was the housing bubble encouraged? And since then, has Spain’s economy ever truly recovered? Or in what ways?
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