Journey to discover Wonders
Think Smart
Topic of the new 2024 agenda and calendar, is some of the most famous monuments in the world. In this article you can read some curiosities about them.
“No monument indicates the direction of the sky better than the Eiffel Tower.” Fabrizio Caramagna
The Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris and entire France. The tower is 324 meters hight, it was designed by the engineer Gustave Eiffel for the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1889.
The tower is today one of the most visited monument in the world with 7 million tourists a year. Initially it was brick red, while in 1899 it was painted in five different colors, from orange to yellow. It has been bronze color since 1968.
“America is a statue that welcomes you that symbolizes freedom, and from above, proudly, it embraces the entire nation.”
Francesco Guccini
At 93 meters high, the Statue of Liberty inaugurated in 1886, dominates the bay of New York and is visible from 40 km away. The metal part is the work of Gustave Eiffel while the sculpture was created by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.
The 7 points of the crown represent the seven seas and seven continents, while the 25 gems are windows from which visitors can observe New York. The sandals worn by the Statue of Liberty, if they were real, would correspond to the number 879 (about 7.6 meters).
“London has a huge clock right in the center of the city called Big Ben. But it’s not used to measure the hours. It’s actually the city’s time machine. Depending on where you are you can take a trip into the past or the future .” Fabrizio Caramagna
Big Ben, the clock tower, symbol of London, was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012. Built from 1834 to 1858 it has 334 steps up to the bell tower (and a total of 399 for the lantern, or Ayrton Light, above it).
The name Big Ben does not refer to the tower but to the bell inside the bell tower. Big Ben is positioned above four other smaller bells that ring every quarter hour. It has a diameter of 2.7 meters and its hammer weighs 200 kg.
“The first time I saw it, Rio seemed mythical to me, with its mountains, its beaches and incredible light. It is one of the most beautiful urban landscapes in the world. There is nothing similar to it, not even remotely.” Steve McCurry
In Rio de Janeiro, on the Corcovado mountain, stands the statue of Christ the Redeemer. 40 meters high and illuminated at night, it cannot go unnoticed, even to the less attentive eye. It is the fourth tallest statue in the world.
On the day of the inauguration, 12 October 1931, the statue of Christ the Redeemer was illuminated thanks to Guglielmo Marconi who sent a radio pulse from Rome to light up the imposing structure. An event that, in those days, was considered prodigious.
“We turned back to look at Hiroshima. The city was hidden by that awful cloud… mushrooming, terrible and incredibly tall.” Paul Tibbets after dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima
The Japanese Torii is a door that symbolizes the border point between the realm of human beings and the divine realm of the Kami; it is closely linked to the Shinto religion and in almost all cases it indicates the entrance to a shrine.
A Japanese Torii gate survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan. A curiosity: this door is also represented in the 2013 film Wolverine.
“Unfortunately, more men build walls than bridges.” Chinese proverb
The Great Wall of China, known in every corner of the universe, is one of the seven wonders of the world. Its construction dates back to over 2,000 years ago, around 700 BC. and was built at the behest of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty.
Today the total length of the Great Wall of China is 8,851 kilometers. However, it is thought that over the centuries many sections have been destroyed and that its total length, over the centuries, has reached 21,196 kilometres.
“I saw Berlin and it made a huge impression on me. For the first time I felt the rhythm, the thrill and the excitement of the metropolis.” Gerhart Haupmann
Inaugurated in 1791, together with the Pariser Platz, the Brandenburg Gate is the symbol of the triumph of peace over war. It is a huge gate 26 meters high which, with its classic style, recalls the buildings of the Acropolis of Athens.
The Brandenburg Gate is one of the most important and beautiful points to see in Berlin. It has five entrances but, from its construction until 1918, its main entrance could only be crossed by members of the royal family and a few lucky others.
“A tear of marble, still on the cheek of time.” Rabindranath Tagore
Taj Mahal, the Indian monument Unesco heritage is one of the 7 wonders of the world. Every year 7 million tourists from all over the world visit the Crown Palace.
The Taj Mahal is built in white marble, the color of mourning, thanks to the precious and semi-precious stones (28 different types) set that the building manages to change color depending on the time of day, going from pink to beige.
“Australia is one of the few countries that are more spectacular when seen in person rather than in a photograph or postcard.” Sergio Bambaren
The Sydney Opera House, an opera house located on a small peninsula in the center of the city of Sydney, is Australia’s most famous architectural construction.
The exterior of the Opera House is covered in over one million tiles imported from Sweden that are entirely self-cleaning.
“When you enter a place as splendid and rich in treasures as St. Peter’s Basilica, it is natural that your gaze runs upwards, or all around…” Alberto Angela
St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest Catholic church in the world. 218 meters long, 45 meters high in the vaults, with the dome reaching 133 meters in height, and a total area of 23,000 square meters. Outside of the Basilica, St. Peter’s Square can accommodate over 80,000 people.
The construction works of the current St. Peter’s Basilica ended in 1626. 22 Popes, 14 architects (including great masters such as Bramante, Raffaello Sanzio, Michelangelo and Bernini) and countless of the most famous artists in the world have made history in the 120 years of its construction.
“Colour, it is the color that makes the difference in Barcelona. And color is no small thing for a city, it is its soul.” Tom Gore
The Sagrada Família is one of Gaudí’s most famous works in Barcelona. It is a large basilica. Construction began in 1882, in the neo-Gothic style. A year later, the project was awarded to Gaudí, who completely redefined it.
The original design of the Sagrada Família is quite a feat: 18 spiers representing the Apostles, Evangelists, the Virgin Mary and Jesus. When the new spiers are completed, Gaudí’s masterpiece with a height of 172 meters will surpass the Ulm Cathedral, the tallest church building in the world.
“You choose who to believe. There’s no point in choosing. It’s all true. In Russia there is one and the other. In Russia everything is contradictory.” Viktor Borisovič Šklovskij
St. Basil’s Cathedral, a cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church, is one of the architectural wonders of the world built on Red Square in Moscow between 1555 and 1561 by order of Ivan the Terrible.
The church’s imaginative design, bright colors and onion domes are singular, a symbol of Russia and its culture. The interior of San Basilio is a labyrinth of galleries winding from chapel to chapel through narrow stairways and low arches.
“The pyramids of Giza are a giant camel with three humps.” Fabrizio Caramagna
The only one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World still standing is the Great Pyramid of Giza. Dating back to 2650 BC, it was built with approximately 2.3 million blocks of stone.
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