Speaker 1: Welcome. This is Marcia for Radio I and today I
Speaker 1: will be reading National Geographic History Magazine. As a reminder,
Speaker 1: RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
Speaker 1: blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
Speaker 1: read printed material. Please join me now for the first
Speaker 1: article titled Glory of Cordoba by Yolanda Victoria Olmedo Sanchez.
Speaker 1: From the late eighth century, new stewards added to the
Speaker 1: Mosque Cathedral of Cordoba. The glorious monument embodied the artistic
Speaker 1: legacy of Muslim Spain as it blended with successive styles
Speaker 1: of Christian art. On June thirtieth, twelve thirty six, King
Speaker 1: Ferdinand the Third of Castile entered the city of Cordoba,
Speaker 1: putting an end to the five months siege that his
Speaker 1: troops had staged around the square. The Spanish reconquista of
Speaker 1: Islamic Andalusia was advancing, and Cordeba, capital of the Umayad
Speaker 1: Caliphate in the tenth century, was the latest to fall.
Speaker 1: It had once been the brightest and most populous city
Speaker 1: in el Andalous. It was also home to one of
Speaker 1: the world's marvels of architecture, the Alhambras Mosque. A day
Speaker 1: before the king entered Kordiba, after the Muslims had already
Speaker 1: abandoned it, a group of Castilians left the place where
Speaker 1: they were encamped, entered the walled city through the El
Speaker 1: Jesiras gate and went to the great mosque. They placed
Speaker 1: a cross and a flag of Castile atop the minaret.
Speaker 1: A few hours later, the Bishop of Osma sanctified the
Speaker 1: building and celebrated a dedication mass after consecrating the altar.
Speaker 1: In a few moments, the magnificent Eljndra Mosque had become
Speaker 1: a Christian cathedral. The New Begins, decreed by Ferdinand Third
Speaker 1: in twelve thirty six, was not the first transformation of
Speaker 1: the site. At the foot of the Sierra Morena in
Speaker 1: southern Spain. Legend has it that when Romans founded Cordiba
Speaker 1: in the second century BC, they built a temple there
Speaker 1: dedicated to Janus, the two faced god of new beginnings.
Speaker 1: Some eight hundred years later, the Visigoths took control of
Speaker 1: much of the Iberian peninsula. In AD five seven, two
Speaker 1: Visigothic king Leoviglido captured Cordiba and a Christian basilica was
Speaker 1: built there. The next new beginning came nearly two centuries later,
Speaker 1: when the expanding Umayad Empire pushed into the Iberian Peninsula
Speaker 1: from North Africa around seven eleven. Muslim forces would soon
Speaker 1: control most of the peninsula and named it Al Andalous.
Speaker 1: A provincial capital was established at Cordiba, while the caliphate
Speaker 1: capital remained in Damascus, Syria. A few decades later, around
Speaker 1: seven fifty, power in Damascus changed hands from the Yumayads
Speaker 1: to another powerful Muslim faction, the Abbasids. Afraid for his life,
Speaker 1: Abd al Rahman, a son of an Umayad prince, fled
Speaker 1: from Damascus after a harrowing flight across North Africa, he
Speaker 1: escaped to the Iberian Peninsula and crossed into al an Dulus.
Speaker 1: Al Rahman contracted several allies and defeated the existing governor,
Speaker 1: setting up his new capital in Corduba, which now became
Speaker 1: a Muslim Aramit Emirate, with Abdul al Rahman the first
Speaker 1: ruling as its emir. It was the beginning of a
Speaker 1: period of growth and glory for the city. When susposition
Speaker 1: seemed secure, Al Rahman demolished the Visigothic Basilica and in
Speaker 1: seven eighty six began construction of a new sacred structure
Speaker 1: on the site. The city flourished, becoming a center of
Speaker 1: learning and culture as splendid works of architecture arose throughout
Speaker 1: the whole of Alndulous. The death of ah Raman in
Speaker 1: seven eighty eight did not halt work on the Grand Mosque,
Speaker 1: which had yet to be completed. His son Hisham and
Speaker 1: their successors would continue the work for two centuries. One
Speaker 1: of the mosque's most iconic features is its massive hypostyle
Speaker 1: prayer hall, filling filled with soaring, symmetrical columns, some of
Speaker 1: which were salvaged from ancient Roman structures, topped by colorful
Speaker 1: arches of stone and red brick. These columns stretch out
Speaker 1: almost endlessly, as row upon row, makes the room feel
Speaker 1: larger and more expansive. A focal point in the prayer
Speaker 1: hall is the miirab, a prayer niche used in mosques
Speaker 1: to signify which wall faces mecha birthplace of Islam, and
Speaker 1: intricately decorated golden arch frames the miirab, calling attention to
Speaker 1: the sacred space. Soaring above a roof of intersexting ribs
Speaker 1: form a spectacular, segmented dome, sparing no expense. The Umayad
Speaker 1: rulers who followed continued to embellish the mosque. A courtyard,
Speaker 1: fountains and orange grove, and a covered walkway were all
Speaker 1: added to the complex. Perhaps most notable was a minaret.
Speaker 1: The tower used to call Muslims to prayer. Abd al
Speaker 1: Rahman the Third built what some historians consider the mosque's
Speaker 1: first true minaret in nine fifty one nine fifty two.
Speaker 1: The original minaret's floorplan was square and the structure narrowed
Speaker 1: as it rose. On the top perched a gilt bronze
Speaker 1: dome topped by an iron finial called ayamor in Islamic architecture.
Speaker 1: Civil war weakened Umayad control of Allandalous in the early
Speaker 1: eleventh century, which would later allow Fernand the Third and
Speaker 1: its forces to take the city in twelve thirty six.
Speaker 1: The kest Billians might have radically changed the Great Mosque's
Speaker 1: spiritual function, but they certainly weren't going to destroy it.
Speaker 1: They recognized the magnificence of the architecture, and many Christian
Speaker 1: writers praised it. Don Juan Manuel, grandson of Ferdinand the Second,
Speaker 1: mentions the Great Mosque in his story collection The Tales
Speaker 1: of Count Lucanor thirteen thirty five, with a character describing
Speaker 1: it as one of the most beautiful mosques the Moors
Speaker 1: had in Spain, Glory to God. It is now a
Speaker 1: church called Saint Mary of Cordova. It was dedicated by
Speaker 1: the Good King Ferdinand to Saint Mary after he had
Speaker 1: taken Cordova from the Moors in the mid fifteenth century.
Speaker 1: The Cordiban writer Hieronimo Sanchez also expressed his great admiration
Speaker 1: a temple worthy of all praise, whose exceedingly pleasing beauty
Speaker 1: revives the spirit of those who behold it, even a
Speaker 1: wonder of the world. In the first two centuries of
Speaker 1: Christian rule, existing spaces were adapted for Christian worship, but
Speaker 1: structural alterations were few. Much of it was carried out
Speaker 1: in the Mudahar style, which combined Christian artistic currents with
Speaker 1: Muslim architectural and decorative traditions. The so called Royal Chapel
Speaker 1: was one of the earliest, built in the thirteen seventies.
Speaker 1: It combines a tiled plinth, plasterwork, a beautiful ribbed vault,
Speaker 1: and stalactite like mukarnas ornamented vaulting. After the building's consecration
Speaker 1: as a Christian church, the minaret was converted into a
Speaker 1: bell tower. The most obvious change made to the mosque
Speaker 1: during the first phase of Christian rule was the addition
Speaker 1: of numerous private chapels along the inner walls of the complex.
Speaker 1: The city's most illustrious families were buried here, and there
Speaker 1: is evidence that the chapel construction began shortly after the
Speaker 1: Christian conquest of the city. One of the earliest was
Speaker 1: in twelve sixty two, when a man named Juan Perez
Speaker 1: Eshan signed in agreement allowing him to construct a chapel
Speaker 1: delimited by lattices and with an altar inside. The end
Speaker 1: of the fifteenth century and beginning of the sixteenth saw
Speaker 1: the most significant alterations to the structure. The first significant
Speaker 1: transformation of its interior took place between fourteen eighty six
Speaker 1: and fourteen ninety six, when Bishop Enigo Manrique had a
Speaker 1: long Gothic nave built in front of the main chapel,
Speaker 1: a complex later called the Chapel of Villaviciosa. This space
Speaker 1: had served as the focal point of Christian worship since
Speaker 1: Ferdinand the Third's forces captured Corduba thanks to the skylight
Speaker 1: installed by Jakam the Second in the tenth century. Later
Speaker 1: renovations were largely directed by the Ruiz dynasty of architects.
Speaker 1: Nernan Rui's father, son and then grandson held the position
Speaker 1: of Master builder the cathedral. They designed and oversaw construction
Speaker 1: and were responsible for dealing with any techie problems. Hernan
Speaker 1: Ruiz the First, also known as Hernan Ruiz the Elder,
Speaker 1: oversaw the transformation of the mosque's courtyard into a Gothic
Speaker 1: Moudahar cloister. The building of a new main chapel and
Speaker 1: a new choir designed by Hernan Ruiz, was a turning
Speaker 1: point in the mosque's transformation. The project involved moving the
Speaker 1: main chapel to the cathedral's center, where, according to Bishop
Speaker 1: Alonso Manrique, it would be better than where it is now,
Speaker 1: as that is a corner of the church. The project
Speaker 1: caused great controversy and huge classes between members of the
Speaker 1: city council and the cathedral chapter. Various councilors, then known
Speaker 1: as Ventiquaro's the twenty four, owned private chapels in and
Speaker 1: around the cathedral's main original main chapel. They worried that
Speaker 1: these would be lost prestige if they If the main
Speaker 1: worship space were moved, spaces closer to the central place
Speaker 1: of wa worship were higher status. It was also concerned
Speaker 1: about destroying a considerable section of the original mosque, which,
Speaker 1: according to one of the statements in protest, because of
Speaker 1: the way it is built, is unique in the world.
Speaker 1: The dispute became so heated that the antique Cuarros argued
Speaker 1: that the workmanship that is being undone is of a
Speaker 1: quality that could not be remade with the same goodness
Speaker 1: and perfection. They even threatened to harm those working on
Speaker 1: the demolition, but Bishop Alonso Manrique determined that the work
Speaker 1: should proceed. Response responded by excommunicating them, and then appealed
Speaker 1: to the crown. King Charles the Fifth gave his approval
Speaker 1: for additions at the old mosque complex's center, and construction
Speaker 1: began in fall fifteen twenty three. Three years into the project,
Speaker 1: Charles the Fifth traveled to Cordoba with his new wife,
Speaker 1: Isabella of Portugal and visited the cathedral to see how
Speaker 1: the project was progressing. Allegedly, he was disappoint pointed with
Speaker 1: the renovations that he himself had approved. Tradition has it
Speaker 1: that he delivered a rather scathing critique of the job.
Speaker 1: You have destroyed something unique to build something commonplace. For
Speaker 1: the new main chapel, hErenn Ruiz the First designed a
Speaker 1: rectangular chapel that would stand at the complex center. It
Speaker 1: had three naves, the central one higher and wider than
Speaker 1: the two to the side. A magnificent dome rose above
Speaker 1: the central crossing. He used slightly pointed arches for the
Speaker 1: central nave and ribbed vaults for the lateral ones. The
Speaker 1: sense of height was accentuated by incorporating arches from the
Speaker 1: old Mosque. His aim was to integrate the Christian temple
Speaker 1: without losing the original Muslim's oratory splendor. Opinions remained divided
Speaker 1: on the result. Building work continued for several decades. His son,
Speaker 1: Hernan Ruiz the Younger, built the apse and the arms
Speaker 1: of the transept and vault in the apse of the
Speaker 1: main chapel, which he had decorated with Gothic open work
Speaker 1: and the images of the Virgin Mary. When Hernan Ruiz
Speaker 1: the Second died in fifteen sixty nine, the crossing's construction
Speaker 1: was halted for thirty years, Starting again at the end
Speaker 1: of the sixteenth century, during the time of Bishop Francisco Ruinso,
Speaker 1: the master builder Juan de Juaca added a lowered, bareau
Speaker 1: vault decorated with intricate plasterwork by Francisco Utires Garrido. Another
Speaker 1: new place dedicated to worship was the chapel of the
Speaker 1: Socrarium in the southeast corner of the complex, with a
Speaker 1: facade built by her Nan Ruiz the third. The wall
Speaker 1: paintings inside were made in fifteen eighty three by the
Speaker 1: Italian painter Cesare Arbasia and depict the Eucharist and various
Speaker 1: Cordiban martyrs. Following and designed by the Cordibon humanist Ambrosio
Speaker 1: de Morales. In fifteen eighty nine, an earthquake caused major
Speaker 1: structural damage to the bell tower, and a new one
Speaker 1: was built, incorporating remnants of the old minaret. It was
Speaker 1: designed by Hernan Ruiz the Third and crowned with a
Speaker 1: sculpture of Saint Rafael. Later, during the Renaissance. In Baroque
Speaker 1: period's private chapels were added to the mosque cathedral, some
Speaker 1: sumptuous in their decoration. The Chapel of Our Lady of
Speaker 1: Conception carved in marble. On the west flank of the
Speaker 1: cathedral was the work of Malquar de Auguare between sixteen
Speaker 1: seventy nine and sixteen eighty two, who was endowed by
Speaker 1: Bishop Frey Alonzo de Medina Celezanes as a burial chapel.
Speaker 1: Between the end of the seventeenth century and the beginning
Speaker 1: of the eighteenth another funerary space was built at the
Speaker 1: south end, the Chapel of Saint Teresa, also known as
Speaker 1: the Chapel of Cardinal Salazar, a work in Baroque style
Speaker 1: by Francisco Urtado is Cuerrado and Teodosio Sanchez de Rueda.
Speaker 1: The Chapel of Saint Ynez was built in Neoclassical style
Speaker 1: in the later half of the eighteenth century. Visitors to
Speaker 1: the Mosque cathedral have never failed to be impressed by
Speaker 1: its beauty and the way it embraces the visual styles
Speaker 1: of two separate faiths. In nineteen eighty four, the Mosque
Speaker 1: Cathedral of Cordoba became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In
Speaker 1: nineteen ninety four, UNESCO added nearly two hundred acres to
Speaker 1: its listing, including part of the city's historic center, the
Speaker 1: Fortress or al Khazar and the south to the Guadalquiverer
Speaker 1: River's far bank, the Roman Bridge and the Kalajora Tower.
Speaker 1: With this designation, the Mosque, Cathedral of Cordeba and its
Speaker 1: site will be studied, appreciated, and renewed for many generations
Speaker 1: to come. Changing faith time line. Circa seven eleven, forces
Speaker 1: of the Umayad Caliphate enter Iberia from North Africa. They
Speaker 1: will establish a provincial capital at Cordoba. Seven eighty six,
Speaker 1: Abd al Roman the First orders the construction of a
Speaker 1: large mosque in Cordaba. Several extensions are added over the
Speaker 1: next two centuries. Twelve thirty six, the troops of Ferdinand
Speaker 1: the Third of Castile take control of Cordeba. The mosque
Speaker 1: is used as a site of Christian worship. Thirteen seventy one,
Speaker 1: the Royal Chapel, a masterpiece of Mudahar art, is built
Speaker 1: to house the tombs of two kings of Castile. Fifteen
Speaker 1: twenty three, master builder Hernan Ruvis the First starts construction
Speaker 1: of a new main chapel to become the focus of
Speaker 1: Christian worship. Next Choga Zanbil, the Zigurat of Elam. Excavations
Speaker 1: in southern Iran revealed the remains of a towering ancient
Speaker 1: tembile in the nineteen fifties. One of the few zigurats
Speaker 1: outside of Mesopotamia, it was built by a culture that
Speaker 1: scholars named after the biblical kingdom of Elam. Flying a
Speaker 1: reconnaissance miss mission in nineteen thirty five over the Khuzistan
Speaker 1: region in southwestern Iran, oil prospectors noted in odd looking
Speaker 1: hill on the landscape. The Iranian Archeological Service was notified
Speaker 1: of the sighting. They in turn contacted the French archaeological
Speaker 1: delegation to Iran, which was excavating at nearby Susa, the
Speaker 1: ancient capital of the Elamite kingdom. When French archaeologists, led
Speaker 1: by Rolande Makuernem inspected the mound, they found it contained
Speaker 1: the ruins of a city. Later studies would reveal a
Speaker 1: ziggurat at its heart, the largest outside of Mesopotamia city
Speaker 1: of Elam. Local people knew the hill as Choga Zambil,
Speaker 1: meaning basket shaped mound. It became the official name for
Speaker 1: the site, whose excavation began in nineteen thirty six under
Speaker 1: the direction of Maquinem. The French team identified the mound
Speaker 1: as ancient dur Untash the city of Untash, built by
Speaker 1: Untashe Naperchia and Elamite king Untash Napisha, who descended from
Speaker 1: the long line of Elamite kings who had dominated the
Speaker 1: region for centuries, reigned around the heart of the thirteenth
Speaker 1: century b C. Extending across the plateau east and north
Speaker 1: of the Persian Gulf, Elam straddled today's border of Iran
Speaker 1: and Iraq. It comprises a loose federation of leaders whose
Speaker 1: chief monarch ruled from the ancient city of Suza. The
Speaker 1: people of this region called themselves the Hatami. The name
Speaker 1: Elam fell into popular use when archaeologists adopted the Hebrew
Speaker 1: term from the Old Testament, in which there are numerous
Speaker 1: references to the kingdom. A king of Elam in Genesis
Speaker 1: fourteen one is named as Chedo Laomer and, according to tradition,
Speaker 1: ruled Elam in the wider region at the same time
Speaker 1: as the Sumerian king Hamarabi in the eighteenth century BC.
Speaker 1: Historians do not know if Cheddo Laomer was a historical figure,
Speaker 1: but the Biblical references reflect Elam's regional importance, revealing the Zigarat.
Speaker 1: In nineteen thirty nine, the outbreak of World War II
Speaker 1: suspended the work of the French archaeologists at Chogha Zanbil
Speaker 1: and the Mother's site at Suza. More than a decade
Speaker 1: would pass before work finally resumed. The newly appointed head
Speaker 1: of the French Archaeological Delegation in Iran, Roman Gershman, would
Speaker 1: now continue the excavations at the site. Born in Khardif Kharkiv, Ukraine,
Speaker 1: Gershmann emigrated following the Russian Revolution of nineteen seventeen and
Speaker 1: established a career in archaeology in France. He chocked up
Speaker 1: a series of successful projects, including excavations at the Sasanian
Speaker 1: Persian city of Bishapur, Iran and the ancient Khushan city
Speaker 1: of Begram in Afghanistan. His nineteen forty six appointment to
Speaker 1: France's archaeological delegation in Iran centered on the ongoing excavation
Speaker 1: at Susa and from the space Gershman restarted the excavation
Speaker 1: at Chogai Zanbil in nineteen fifty one. Turning their attention
Speaker 1: to the mound, his team peeled away the earth to
Speaker 1: reveal a stepped pyramid or a zigarat. Girshman established that
Speaker 1: the three story structure once had five stories, including the
Speaker 1: temple on top, and originally stood more than one hundred
Speaker 1: seventy feet tall by some estimates, double the height of
Speaker 1: the existing ruins. The zigarat was the highest expression of
Speaker 1: Mesopotamian architecture because these structures were built with mud baked bricks.
Speaker 1: Most Mesopotamian ziggurats have been unearthed in a poor state
Speaker 1: of preservation. Chogat Zanbil is an exception, is the largest
Speaker 1: outside Mesopotamia and the best preserved of its kind. Kirshman
Speaker 1: and his team of archaeologists would spend nine season at
Speaker 1: the Choga Zanbil site methodically working to uncover the remains
Speaker 1: of the Elamite structures. There. A royal quarter had been
Speaker 1: built near the productive city walls, which surrounded several smaller
Speaker 1: temples and the towering zigarat. The zigurat dominates the central
Speaker 1: sacred area of dur Untashi, where Girshman uncovered temples dedicated
Speaker 1: to Elamite gods, including Pinikir, the mother goddess. Beyond the
Speaker 1: sacred area lay the royal quarter, consisting of richly decorated
Speaker 1: palaces built using brick, plaster, stucco, majolica, and glass. Underground,
Speaker 1: a hypogium contains vaulted burial chambers. The Zigurat was dedicated
Speaker 1: to in Shushinak, god of the Earth, and Napirisha, god
Speaker 1: of Suza, the two principal Elamite deities. Choosing these gods,
Speaker 1: Untash Napirisha may have intended the new city to transcend
Speaker 1: the role of a local religious center and become an
Speaker 1: equal to or even outshine Suza. Coinciding with a surge
Speaker 1: of Elamite regional power and confidence, Untash Napirisha's reign produced
Speaker 1: notable artworks, which is the magnificent detailed bronze statue of
Speaker 1: his queen Napiasu found at Suza, along with the works
Speaker 1: of art found at Shoga Zanvil. After Untash Napirisha's death, however,
Speaker 1: the complex was not finished. Tiles were stacked unused, and
Speaker 1: the royal burial vaults remained empty. The site was spared
Speaker 1: plundering and became a place of pilgrimage until around one
Speaker 1: thousand BC, when it was abandoned. By the first millennium BC,
Speaker 1: elam was a worthy competitor to the great powers of
Speaker 1: the region. It was no match, however, for Asherbanopol and
Speaker 1: the Assyrians, whose troops sacked but did not destroy, chogat
Speaker 1: Zanbil in the mid seventh century BC. One hundred years later,
Speaker 1: Elam was absorbed into the Persian Empire. Its treasures were
Speaker 1: entombed and forgotten until its rediscovery twenty five hundred years
Speaker 1: later in the Age of colonialism and oil. This article
Speaker 1: by Antonio RATIAKX Cannons in the Savannah A Blast from
Speaker 1: Georgia's Past by Braden Phillips. Dredging operations on Georgia's Savannah
Speaker 1: River have turned up nineteen cannons likely to be linked
Speaker 1: to the American War for Independence. To deepen the shipping
Speaker 1: channel of Georgia's Savannah River, contractors for the Army Corps
Speaker 1: of Engineers have been hauling up not only twenty four
Speaker 1: million cubic guards of sand and clay, but also something
Speaker 1: even more impressive. Artifacts from the Revolutionary War. To date,
Speaker 1: as many as nineteen cannons have been recovered. The weapons
Speaker 1: appeared to have come from British Navy ships involved in
Speaker 1: the war. The Red Coats captured the port of Savannah
Speaker 1: in seventeen seventy eight. A year later, the British Navy
Speaker 1: scuttled the HMS Savannah and HMS Venus to create a
Speaker 1: blockage and prevent French ships from aiding the colonialists. Their
Speaker 1: tactics seceded succeeded, and the British were able to hold
Speaker 1: Savannah until July seventeen eighty two. The cannons were not
Speaker 1: the only recovered objects. Parts of US ship's bell, ammunition,
Speaker 1: including cannonballs and bar shot, and anchors from the Revolutionary
Speaker 1: War era have been pulled from the murky water. Archaeologists
Speaker 1: hope conservation work on the cannons and the bell will
Speaker 1: connect them to a specific vessel. Current archival research points
Speaker 1: to the HMS Savannah as the origin of most of
Speaker 1: the found artifacts, including anchors and armament. Researchers are requesting
Speaker 1: access to the ship's logs for both the Savannah and Venus,
Speaker 1: which are held by the United Kingdom's National Maritime Museum
Speaker 1: in Greenwich, London. These documents would help definitely identify the
Speaker 1: origins of the cannons. We know the river is full
Speaker 1: of undiscovered history, but didn't expect to find anything in
Speaker 1: this area due to past investigations, said Andrea Farmer, Corps
Speaker 1: District Archaeologists. It's a remarkable find. In the meantime, historians
Speaker 1: have plenty of clues to go on the style. The
Speaker 1: shape of the muzzle and breech indicates their classic Armstrong
Speaker 1: type British ordinance from the mid to late seventeen hundreds,
Speaker 1: said Stephen James, an archaeologist with Commonwealth Heritage Group. James
Speaker 1: believes that fourteen of the guns came from the Savannah,
Speaker 1: with others belonging to the Venus or other scuttled transport ships.
Speaker 1: The Savannah was scuttled with all of its fourteen cannons
Speaker 1: on board, which was unusual. Typically weapons were removed before
Speaker 1: scuttling a ship. Corp archaeologist Farmer noted the British must
Speaker 1: have had to move quickly to keep French forces from advancing.
Speaker 1: This is giving us an opportunity to investigate a story
Speaker 1: of Savannah that hasn't been looked at in a very
Speaker 1: long time, said Farmer. Next, Europa Regina a continent personified.
Speaker 1: Johannes Putch's fifteen thirty map depicts the continent as a
Speaker 1: queen pleading for peace and unity, personification that sparked a
Speaker 1: sixteen century cartographic craze. In the late fourteen hundreds, map
Speaker 1: making in Europe was flourishing. Many maps were practical produced
Speaker 1: for navigating expanding trade routes, but a few notable creations
Speaker 1: contained more than just geography. These reflected cultural, social, and
Speaker 1: political concerns of the time. One of the most notable
Speaker 1: maps was produced in the fifteen thirties by the Austrian
Speaker 1: scholar and courtier Johannes Pusch, whose most famous work personified
Speaker 1: Europe as a crowned and gowned queen holding an orb
Speaker 1: and scepter. PUSH's original map, a somewhat crude woodcut, became
Speaker 1: known by a variety of titles, including Europa Regina Queen Europe.
Speaker 1: The progression from the queen's head to foot moves from
Speaker 1: west to east, which labeling each region with a Latin name.
Speaker 1: Hispania Iberian Peninsula in the west is the figure's head,
Speaker 1: and eastern regions of Bulgaria and Mascovia from her form
Speaker 1: her feet on the left of Italy and Sicily is
Speaker 1: represented by an orb in its hand, the arm on
Speaker 1: the right of Denmark. Seeing Europe as a woman must
Speaker 1: have come naturally to readers of classical myths, who would
Speaker 1: have known the continent was named for Europa. The princess
Speaker 1: kidnapped by the Greek god Zeus. Personifications of Europe circulated
Speaker 1: in the form of drawings by the fourteenth century Italian
Speaker 1: mystic Opiciginus de Canistris. Although it is not known off
Speaker 1: Pusch had seen Opisinus's works, it is likely he witnessed
Speaker 1: imperial processions stage by the Habsburg rulers, in which continents
Speaker 1: were often personified as women. Putch's beautiful image sent a
Speaker 1: powerful message by showing Europe as one entity. The Habsburg Empire,
Speaker 1: centered on Spain and the Holy Roman Empire in Germany,
Speaker 1: was Europe's most powerful military force, and its role in
Speaker 1: holding Europe together is central to Pucha's theme of unity.
Speaker 1: Accompanying the map where verses, Pooch wrote in Latin, speaking
Speaker 1: in the first person, Queen Europe pleas for unity and
Speaker 1: directly addresses Charles, the fifth Holy Roman Emperor and King
Speaker 1: of Spain and his brother Fernan, the First of Austria,
Speaker 1: in whose court Pooch worked. The Queen addresses them as
Speaker 1: the most brilliant stars of the world and entreats them
Speaker 1: to end the wars in Italy and between Protestants and
Speaker 1: Catholics that are tearing her apart with additional threats from
Speaker 1: the Ottoman Turks in the east. Her safety depends on
Speaker 1: the faithful and mighty offices of Habsburg, Germany, located near
Speaker 1: her heart, and Spain in her head. Few biographical details
Speaker 1: are known of Pusch. He died a young man in
Speaker 1: fifteen forty two, but his creation lived on, smoothed out
Speaker 1: in later editions and enhanced with color. This concludes readings
Speaker 1: from National Geographic History magazine. For to day, your reader
Speaker 1: has been more USA. Thank you for listening, Keep on listening,
Speaker 1: and have a great day.