Architecture and ARCHITECTURE

Architectural wonders in Petaluma

I. Old Buildings in Petaluma
From the oldest:

A. Vallejo's Adobe

1. Built by native Californians.

B. Iron Front buildings

1. Designed to prevent buildings from burning to the ground.

Many were cast in San Francisco.

2. Beautiful.

3. We lucked out: Petaluma did not have building boom during the 50's and 60's

so they weren't torn down for development as in other cities.

C. Lathe/plaster Train Staition

1. Same deal, still around due to depressed times.

2. It has rounded windows in the office.

Please note:

I am unable to find images of the town's shopping centers probably because they are so darn ugly.

Money talks:

Theater District website above. Do you get the "Pompeii" link??

The new "Theater District" is sell, sell, selling! Still ugly but less so.

But at what price; we can't see the hills from downtown anymore.

Phooey.

II. Shopping Centers in Petaluma
From the largest shopping center they've got:

A. On the east side of town
1. Plaza and Plaza North
2. Washington Square
3. Redwood Plaza
4. The new Southgate, or whatever it's called.

B. On the west side of town:
1.The Factory outlets
2. Downtown District, how quaint.
3. Golden Eagle Shopping Center.

Conveniently located to serve shoppers' needs.

III. Architectural Wonders in Ancient Times

A. The Parthenon in Athens

1.The perfect symmetry creates dignity.

2. It's lasted for a couple of thousand years.

3. It's been shot up a lot

and the British stole the carved frieze.

B. The Duomo in Florence

Brunneleshi's dream come trueConstruction of the cathedral began in 1294 on the site of a Christian church founded in the 6th or 7th century and continued until 1436. Several celebrated Italian architects were involved in the project, including Giotto, Arnolfo di Cambio, Andrea Orcagna, and, most notably, Filippo Brunelleschi, who was responsible for designing and building the dome. The cathedral's exterior is ornamented with sculpture and mosaics by Italian artists Donatello, Nanni di Banco, and Domenico Ghirlandaio, among others. The building's stained-glass windows are the work of the Italian architect and artist Lorenzo Ghiberti, and the interior is decorated with sculpture and fresco paintings by several Renaissance masters. Construction of the campanile (bell tower), situated to the right of the entrance to the Duomo, was begun by Giotto and completed according to his plans in 1359, after his death. Nearly 278 ft high, the campanile is embellished with red, green, and white marble panels of relief sculpture by Italian artists Andrea Pisano and Luca della Robbia, and niches with sculpted figures by Donatello and other masters. Facing the cathedral and campanile is a smaller, octagonal structure, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, noted for its gilt-bronze doors, elaborately worked in high relief by Andrea Pisano and Lorenzo Ghiberti.

C. The Great Ramses II

1. Egyptian Pharaoah Ramses II

2. Huge

3. He reigned for 36 more years, from 1304-1237 BC.

The great Pharaoh erected four colossal statues of himself (20 meters tall, to sit for eternity, at the main entrance to the Great Temple at Abu Simbel.

By an international engineering feat, the temples were salvaged from the rising waters of the Nile River caused by the new Aswan High Dam.

Between 1963 and 1968 engineers completely disassembled both temples, reconstructing them acurately.