Sunday, September 27, 2009





I found these amazing gargoyles on a house in El Chanal. I want to share with you these images:

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Congratulations! What a lovely journey you created!

Here are some comments:

Alejandra, thank you so much for your help! I loved your comment, just make sure next time cite the information the way I have explained in class. Right after the quotation (which has to include “”) you need to write a parenthesis with the last name of the author, the organization or the most relevant information about your source, then at the end of your post, include the full citation.

Ale Castellanos, I´m glad you liked the church, and you are right about the feelings”! Same comment about citations.

Gema I loved your tour!

Cresencio, it is a good quote, but you have no sources!

Fer! You wrote a wonderful post. And you are right, spirituality is the final end and the most important issue in a church. Notre Dame of Guadalupe has a very special place.

Good choice Adriana!

Beautiful Rose Window Hernán! But, what do you see at the center?

Francisco. That was not the church I meant. Anyway, your choice is good and your comments too, but please do not use monografías.com again, it is NOT a serious source.

Vincent good job! That is the right church!

Eduardo Daniel, you need to cite your sources!

Diego I would like to read more technical details about the vitrals or stained glass windows.

Quique, great comment, Im glad you choose the one you didn´t know about.

Omar, I would also like to know your opinion about the cathedral.

Abril, I would like to know more about the original gargoles and the church better than the movie. The movie is based on a novel by Victor Hugo “Notre Dame de Paris”

Gerardo, very interesting! I did not find the source for the Kennedy´s information.

Nelva, the church is not gothic is byzantine. You also need to cite your sources.

Isaac! Good job! Do you think we could go for the road trip after Tuesday´s class?

Ngel! You finally spelled your name correctly! Interesting comment!

Alam, I tried to research the exact dates but they were hard to get, the dates you have talk about a reconstruction of the church, but it was not build in such a short period of time.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Alfredo Alam



Well, First of all church Hagia Sophia or “La iglesia de Santa Sofía” is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture, rich with mosaics, marble pillars and coverings. It was built from 532 to 537 during the reign of Justinian I in Constantinople, which today is Istanbul, Turkey. It was made in the “First Golden Age” period.

Its great architects were Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus, which covered the building with a huge central dome based on pendentives.




First it was used as a christian church. In this place they used to hide the terrified inhabitants during the war in the city. In 1935 it was converted into a museum.

The floor of the church is a rectangle of 77 x 71 meters. The dome-shaped half, from 56.6 feet to 31.87 in diameter, is based on four pendentives that are concave triangular sections and is surrounded by forty small buttresses separated by so many windows, giving the feeling of being suspended from the sky. Outside, the mass of the great church stands with some harmony, but without much grace.



Each pendentive is decorated with a seraphim painting.


Its structure is based almost in half domes, pendentives, windows, porches, pillars and of course a central dome. Here is a picture where all these elements can be seen clearly:



All interior surfaces are sheathed with polychrome marble, green and white with purple porphyry, and gold mosaics.


In my opinion this amazing and gigantic church is a great work of art from their architects that also contains small but significant works of art. What I mean by this, is that the church is a masterpiece and there are other religious works like the images created with bright tiles or the columns supporting the building.

The most impressive of this site are the thousands of details that contains both within and outside the building. Also if we think about, we realize that modern technology did not exist as there is now in the subject of architecture, besides that there was no heavy machinery as there is today.

Another curious fact about this church is the speed in which it was built, according to the data I could get, this church was created in 6 years. This time really is nothing if we compare their size and quality that is built on. Variables such as time, technological advances and ideologies are tose that we must take into account to analyze and know that without doubt this church is .... simply "art".

"Ngel" Moises :D





Well watching the comments I notice that no one has talked about the arcs, I'm going to talk about Notre Dame's arc.
The Notre Dame arcs are called harmonica arcs; this is the name of the architectural form.
These arcs are based on a high difficult mathematic equation, which it’s supposed to give balance between the two towers and the curvature part in the center, as we can see in the Triumph Arc
It’s also supposed that the equation frame on a mathematical space with solid and symmetrical towers, divided horizontally into a zone that seems governed by an equation. Produces an effect of harmony and feeling. This set is rarely repeated in architecture except for some of the French cathedrals.
As the last paragraph says the harmonic arcs are rarely used for common churche, so we can imagine the importance that de French people gave to Notre Dame.
Adding more info to this, the Notre Dame architecture has a mental game, because the part of the apse with buttresses also produce the artistic effect of a mechanism, designed for superior mentality.
Here are some images to have an idea of what I’m saying


Bibliography
http://www.viajeuniversal.com/francia/paris/notredame/arquinotredame.htm
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gótico_clásico
www.ipfagranada.com/17_Gotico2.pdf
www.arquitectuba.com.ar/.../catedral-notre-dame-de-paris/

Isaac Aguirre



I chose the picture of Haiga Sophia because most of my classmates have chosen the Notedrame Cathedral. So let’s talk about it.
Known as Hagia Sophia (Άγια Σοφία) in Greek, Sancta Sophia in Latin, and Ayasofya or Aya Sofya in Turkish, =) Is a Byzantine church and mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. What we can see now is the result of many reconstructions of the building because it has been damage by earthquakes and many wars.
We can see a lot of particularities of byzantine art like many paintings of Christianize representing God, Christ, Virgin Mary and Saints. Remember that Byzantine art is derivate of the Greek art. Justinian's basilica (how was named first because of the emperor) is the representation of the first amazing Bizantine architecture. Its influence, both architecturally and liturgically, was widespread and enduring in the Eastern Orthodox, Muslim worlds alike and especially Roman Catholic art.
I really appreciate the domes and semi domes, I mean they are just huge and I can’t imagine how they built it. For over 900 years the Hagia Sophia was the principal basilica of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople and a principal church for councils and imperial ceremonies.
But I want to focus on an specific part of the Church. A pillar. But no one of the huge 4 that are outside. But, in one which is inside. I was looking for information on internet and I found this strange picture, first I watched it and I think was nothing great compared with the whole church so I click on the link of the photo to see what was it and I found this:
The Miraculous Pillar

“This rectangular pillar, located behind one of the large urns to the left of the imperial door as you enter the nave, is known by many fabulous names, including the Pillar of St. Gregory the Wonder-Worker, the Sacred Column, and the Sweating Column”.
“Legend has it that if you successfully complete a 360-degree circle with your thumb in the hole, you will be granted a wish. It is also said to "weep water" that has healing properties”.
Now I want to be there to try to do the experiment, so we should organize a trip there.
I hope you enjoy it. Here I let you the pages where I found good information.
Hagia Sophia at dusk. Photo © Helen Betts.
Pictures of Hagia Sophia. Visited 25 september 2009 http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/hagia-sophia-photos/index.html
Byzantine art. Visited 25 september 2009 http://www.huntfor.com/arthistory/medieval/byzantine.htm

Nelva Mildred


The dome of Hagia Sophia has spurred particular interest for many art historians, architects and engineers because of the innovative way the original architects envisioned the dome. The dome is supported by pendentives which had never been used before the building of this structure. The pendentive enables the dome to transition gracefully into the square shape of the piers below. The pendentives not only achieve a pleasing aesthetic quality, but they also restrain the lateral forces of the dome and allow the weight of the dome to flow downward.
Although this design stabilizes the dome and the surrounding walls and arches, the actual construction of the walls of Hagia Sophia weakened the overall structure. The bricklayers used more mortar than brick, which weakened the walls. The structure would have been more stable if the builders at least let the mortar cure before they began the next layer; however, they did not do this. When the dome was placed atop the building, the weight of the dome caused the walls to lean outward because of the wet mortar underneath. When Isidorus the Younger rebuilt the original dome, he had to first build up the interior of the walls so that they were vertical in order to support the weight of the new dome. Another probable change in the design of the dome when it was rebuilt was the actual height of the dome. Isidore the Younger raised the height of the dome by approximately twenty feet so that the lateral forces would not be as strong and the weight of the dome would flow more easily down the walls.
Well I really like this part of the church because it is amazing how they built it. And because they use the light to scare people and make them feel less that god.
This is the part of the principal of the gothic art, that this way the dome is that way really high and whit some one light.

Gerardo Martínez




The king’s gallery
This part of the cathedral is very important because in this part one finds the statues of the kings of Israel. In 1961, President Kennedy paid respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, accompanied by French President Charles de Gaulle. After the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy, Mrs. Kennedy remembered the eternal flame at the Arc de Triomphe and requested that an eternal flame be placed next to her husband's grave at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. President de Gaulle went to Washington to attend the state funeral.
The statues are replicas: the originals were decapitated during the revolution and can be viewed at the nearby Medieval Museum at the Hôtel de Cluny.
This part of the cathedral has 28 kings carved in stone. The cathedral has kings carved in the entrance of the cathedral; it is a strategy in order that the persons who are going to see her give each other all of some important characteristics that the cathedral has.
I think this part is really important because when you go to see that you firs see this part and you thing that so big this cathedral and about that its architecture treats itself.

The king’s gallery
This part of the cathedral is very important because in this part one finds the statues of the kings of Israel. In 1961, President Kennedy paid respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, accompanied by French President Charles de Gaulle. After the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy, Mrs. Kennedy remembered the eternal flame at the Arc de Triomphe and requested that an eternal flame be placed next to her husband's grave at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. President de Gaulle went to Washington to attend the state funeral.
The statues are replicas: the originals were decapitated during the revolution and can be viewed at the nearby Medieval Museum at the Hôtel de Cluny.
This part of the cathedral has 28 kings carved in stone. The cathedral has kings carved in the entrance of the cathedral; it is a strategy in order that the persons who are going to see her give each other all of some important characteristics that the cathedral has.
I think this part is really important because when you go to see that you firs see this part and you thing that so big this cathedral and about that its architecture treats itself.

http://goparis.about.com/od/sightsattractions/a/Notre_Dame_Hlts.htm
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