(H/B) CASTLES OF THE WORLD

Παρουσίαση

Precious jewels set in the green carpet of the countryside or atop an unassailable rock, the castles of the world - with their extravagant architecture, enormous parks, richly furnished rooms, turbulent histories and aura of legend and mystery - are still landmarks of geography and the collective imagination. Castles tell the history of lands that throughout the centuries have been ravaged by war. From the first defensive towers made from bare stone to the residences from the end of the last century, packed with paintings and precious furniture, the road has been long. For their defense or conquest, men have fought and died. For their beauty, artists and architects have been called up. For their fortune, they have knit fragile links between the most powerful families.
Kings and princes, courtiers and queens, dukes and favorites have inhabited their magnificent rooms: ghosts that live on in memory still seem to descend the wide, marble staircases, plot vendettas in the darkness of secret studies, or dance to the light notes of lutes before the immense fireplaces of vast salons.
Leafing through the pages of this book, dwelling on the superb photographs and exhaustive descriptions, is like making a journey to all the most important and fascinating castles of the world, beyond the walls of these ancient buildings, down narrow spiral stairs, through ancient chambers and admiring dusty libraries.
It is a journey of discovery of nobleness and miseries, splendors and a section of our history. (From the publisher)

Περιεχόμενα

INTRODUCTION
PORTUGAL
SPAIN
FRANCE
IRELAND
SCOTLAND
WALES
ENGLAND
BELGIUM
NETHERLANDS
GERMANY
SWEDEN
LATVIA
RUSSIA
POLAND
CZECH REPUBLIC
AUSTRIA
SWITZERLAND
ITALY
SLOVENIA
HUNGARY
ETHIOPIA
INDIA
JAPAN
CANADA
USA
INDEX