The Sopoćani monastery is an Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It is located in central Serbia, next to Novi Pazar which is 290 kilometers (180 miles) from Belgrade. The Sopoćani monastery is an endowment of Serbian king Stefan Uroš I (1243-1276). He was one of the most important rulers in Serbian history. It … Read more
The Church of Saint Sava is a Serbian Orthodox church in Belgrade. It is the largest Serbian Orthodox church, the largest Orthodox place of worship in the Balkans and one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world. From its location, the Church of Saint Sava dominates Belgrade’s cityscape, and is perhaps the most monumental … Read more
Rialto Bridge, Italian Ponte di Rialto, stone-arch bridge crossing over the narrowest point of the Grand Canal in the heart of Venice. It is the oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal is one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. The bridge that stands today still, was designed … Read more
The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy. The Ponte Vecchio, meaning “Old Bridge” in Italian, is the oldest bridge in Florence. It is also the first segmental arch bridge built in the West. The bridge is an outstanding engineering achievement of the European Middle … Read more
The Moscow Kremlin, also known as the Kremlin, is a historic fortified complex at the very heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River (to the south), St. Basil’s Cathedral (often mistaken by westerners as the Kremlin) and Red Square (to the east), and the Alexander Garden (to the west). It is the best known of … Read more
Las Lajas Sanctuary is one of the most fascinating religious structures in all of Colombia. It is commonly referred to as “a miracle of God in the abyss.” The name “Laja” comes from the name of a type of flat sedimentary rock similar to shale. Las Lajas Sanctuary is a very special building thanks to … Read more
Monticello is the home of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, author of the Declaration of Independence and founder of the University of Virginia. It is located in south-central Virginia, about 3,2 kilometers (2 miles) southeast of Charlottesville. Jefferson began designing and building Monticello at age 26 after inheriting land from his … Read more
Biltmore Estate is a large private estate and tourist attraction near Asheville, North Carolina. Today, it measures 2,812 hectares (6,950 acres) or 28.12 square kilometers (10.86 square miles). In the 1880s Vanderbilt, who belonged to one of the wealthiest families in the country, began acquiring land in Asheville, eventually obtaining some 50,600 hectares (125,000 acres). … Read more
There have been many reincarnations of London Bridge since the original Roman crossing in 50 AD. Constructed out of wood, early versions of London Bridge were susceptible to fire, storms, and occasional invading armies. In 1176, the first stone bridge was built under the direction of Peter Colechurch. It was common in those days for … Read more