A chronicle of several famous monuments in Europe.

1. By Me!! (That is, by Srikar Baireddy)

2. Monuments
 Relevant to monuments is
architecture. Everything
around us is architecture.
The house you live in, the
buildings you see…… they
are all perfect examples.
 Europe, since the ancient
days, has been well known
for its brilliant monuments.
 Its examples range from
the Roman Coliseum
(Background), built in 72
AD, to the ultra-modern
Parliament in Brussels
(right).

3. England
 England, England, England. Home to the
first country to conquer others, and also
home to the first cannibals, England has
got a large history behind it.
 The celebrities among English buildings
are:
 The Big Ben,
 The Palace of Westminster,
 Westminster Abbey
 The London Eye,
 Tower Bridge

4. The Big Ben (actually, the Clock
Tower)
 It is interesting to note a common misconception:
The "Big Ben" is not the Clock or the Clock Tower; it
is actually the bell that chimes.
 It weighs 14 tons and was cast in Whitechapel.
 It is named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the Chief
Commissioner of the works when the Clock Tower
was finally completed in 1858.
 Actually, The Big Ben is the second bell for the
Clock Tower: the original broke during a tests ringing.
 The Clock Tower, along with the Palace of
Westminster, is an excellent example of Neo-Gothic
Architecture.

5. The Palace of Westminster
 Work on the Palace began in 1042, but the
devastating fire of 1834 destroyed a large
part of the original building.
 It was rebuilt from 1834 – 1868. It was
during this time the Clock Tower was
introduced.
 The Palace of Westminster is a brilliant
example of Neo-Gothic architecture in
London.
 It now serves as the House of Parliament.

6. Westminster Abbey
 Westminster Abbey
is one of the most
impressive buildings
in Europe. Pictured
is its west façade,
and the background
of the slide is its
interior.
 It acts as a memorial
for noteworthy
individuals such as
Oscar Wilde.

7. The London Eye
 Ah…some break from endless ancient
engineering. The London Eye, is, in
fact, and oversized Ferris Wheel.
 The entire structure is 135 metres
(443 ft) tall and the wheel has a
diameter of 120 metres (394 ft).
 It is the most popular paid tourist
attraction in the UK, receiving 3.5 million
visitors per year.

8. The Tower Bridge
 The Tower Bridge gets its name from the
London Tower nearby. It became
functional in 1894.
 It has become an iconic symbol of
London.
 It is a combined bascule and suspension
bridge that connects two sides of the
Thames.

9. France
 Closely competing with Great Britain was
France. Sworn enemies, they were always
at each others necks, trying to crush the
other.
 In the end, they both ended up with finely
engineered structures – once again, stuck
at a tie.
 Notable ones are:
 La Tour Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower)
 L’Arc de Triomphe (The Arc of Triumph)
 Château de Versailles(The Palace of Versailles)
 Le Panthéon (The French Pantheon)

10. La Tour Eiffel
 Something that is world-famous
today…could it actually have been hated,
once upon a time?
 The Eiffel Tower, the most famous symbol
of France, was originally despised by many
brilliant minds, including Alexandre Dumas,
who believed it was like a “blotch” on Paris.
 Nevertheless, Gustave Eiffel’s puddle-iron
masterpiece persevered and remains to
this day, the first modern structure and one
of the most beautiful structures in the
world.

11. L’Arc de Triomphe
 The arc of triumph was built by the
notoriously dwarfish, yet cunning
general Napoleon Bonaparte after their
victory at Austerlitz.
 The Arc is the second largest arc in the
world.
 In fact, it is so large, that after the end of
hostilities of the World War 1, Charles
Godefroy flew his biplane through it.

12. Château de Versailles
 When the palace was
built, Versailles was a
village in France; now, it
is one of the largest
suburbs of Paris.
 The Palace, which was
originally thought of by
Louis the XIV, is famed
for its gardens.
 On the right is the layout
of the palace in 1746. It
is in this palace that the
famed Hall of Mirrors is
found.

13. Le Panthéon
 The Panthéon was originally a church, then it
became a mausoleum, later a church, next a
church, and finally a mausoleum.
 It provides a brilliant example of French
architecture in the 1700s. The picture on the
right and below is the interior of the Panthéon,
while the background is its exterior.
 There is a statue of the famous philosopher,
Voltaire, in the Panthéon.

14. Italy
 Ah…Italy! Marco Polo, Pizzas, Pastas,
and…more monuments.
 Of course the first that that comes to
your mind will be the Coliseum, but
there are many others…
 The Arch of Constantine
 Pantheon (Roman)
 Pompeii
 Ca' Brüta

15. The Roman Coliseum
 Blood, sweat, and tears! Italy is the home to one of
the bloodiest arenas in the world, where people
(termed as gladiators) were forced or chose to fight.
 The construction of the amphitheater was started by
emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty in 72 AD
and was finished by his son Titus in 80 AD.
 During the Coliseum’s opening
ceremonies, spectacles were held for 100 days in
which 5,000 of animals and 2,000 gladiators were
killed.
 The Coliseum was capable of holding 50,000
spectators.

16. The Arch of Constantine
 Built in 315 AD as a commemoration of
the victory of Constantine I over
Maxentius at Milvian Bridge in AD 312.
 It is located in the valley of the Coliseum
and marks an important part of
traditional proceedings.

17. Roman Pantheon
 In Rome, we meet another Pantheon.
 It is a Roman temple built in 126 AD by
Publius Aelius Hadrianus.
 Even 2000 years after it was
built, today, the dome of the Pantheon is
the world’s largest unreinforced concrete
dome.
 It is not secular, unlike its French
counterpart. Since the 7th Century, it has
been used as a Catholic Church
dedicated to St. Mary and the Martyrs.

18. Pompeii
 The eruption of Mount
Vesuvius in AD 79
changed the lives of
the people. Most were
immediately buried
alive by the ash that
formed a shell around
their bodies (see left).
 It is for such a terrible
thing that Pompeii
finally received
attention.
 It is now a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.

19. Ca' Brüta
 Yet another then-hated, by now-loved
monument.
 This was designed in 1919-1923 by the
Studio Barelli-Colonnese, where the young
Muzio also worked. The name means “The
Ugly House”.
 The strange name is due to the critical
reactions that the building received after
completion.
 However, now it is considered to be an
Italian masterpiece of the 20th Century.

20. Greece
 Η Ελλάδα είναι μια πολύ – Sorry,
Greece is a very interesting place, filled
to the brim with significant and beautiful
monuments.
 Athenian Acropolis
 Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus
 Hadrian's Arch
 Hellenic Parliament
 Ramnous

21. Athenian Acropolis
 The most important of the archaeological
remains on the Acropolis is without question
the Parthenon, completed in 432 BC and
dedicated to Athena, the Greek goddess of
courage, inspiration and wisdom.
 Further significant Acropolis attractions include
the
 Erechtheion Temple,
 the Odeon of Herodes Atticus,
 the Old Temple of Athena,
 the Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus,
 the Temple of Athena Nike, and the
 Propylaea.

22. Theatre of Dionysus
Eleuthereus
 Dating back to the 5th century, the
theatre this giant amphitheatre began its
life as a more modest wooden structure,
before being constructed in stone during
the 6th century.
 It can contain about 20,000 spectators.

23. Hadrian’s Arch
 Measuring in at some 18 metres / 59 feet
high by just over 13 metres / 43 feet
wide, the famous Arch of Hadrian was
constructed to function as the gate to the
city, connecting Athens with the Roman
quarters.
 The archway was built from marble during
the early part of the 2nd century AD, in
order to celebrate the arrival of renowned
Roman Emperor Hadrian (76 to 138 AD).

24. Hellenic Parliament
 The Hellenic Parliament building, completed in the
early 1840s, began its life as a royal palace.
 However, it was not long before a great fire in 1909
destroyed it and it had to be reconstructed.
 In the early 1920s, when Greek monarchy was
abolished, it first became a hospital, and later a
museum.
 In 1929, the government decreed that the former
palace would become the official home of
parliament, and whilst the monarchy was restored in
1935 (being later abolished again in 1973), this
landmark has remained as the Hellenic Parliament
building ever since.

25. Ramnous
 The archaeological site of Ramnous comes
with some very important preserved
ruins, as well as two old harbours
connecting the Aegean Sea (named after
the king who cmmitted suicide in the sea).
 There are a number of important temples
from the 5th and 6th century, particularly
around the Sanctuary of Nemesis, along
with various fortifications, remains of
ancient walls and interconnecting
pathways, appearing rather like a giant
maze.

26. Belgium
 Overshadowed by the Big Four
(England, France, Italy, and Greece)
Belgium barely gets noticed.
 I am mentioning it in this presentation for
a single reason that you will find out,
soon enough….
 The EU Parliament
 The Atomium
 Anglo-Belgian Memorial
 “Le Manneken-Pis”

27. EU Parliament
 In stark contrast with
the sober, historical
structures flaunted by
this presentation, the
EU Parliament in
Brussels is one of the
most modern
buildings in the world.
 One glance at its
beautiful design is
sure to leave you
amazed.

28. The Atomium
 This unique
monument is just as
modern as the
Parliament.
 Built for the
Universal Exhibition
of 1958, it
represents a
molecule of 9 atoms
joined together.

29. Anglo-Belgian Memorial
 It was built and unveiled by the Prince of
Wales.
 It was officially unveiled in 1923.
 It is a commemoration to the support
given by the Belgian People to British
Prisoners of War in World War 1.

30. Le Manneken Pis
 Ah…this is the reason I put
Belgium in! Want to know
what “Le Manneken Pis”
means? Little Man Pee.
 At the Grand-Place in
Brussels, there is a boy
peeing. There are several
legends revolving around
it, some having a boy
peeing on explosives and
others containing him
peeing on enemy soldiers.
 What’s more, the Belgian
people dress him up for
special occasions! (see
right) The top left is him as
usual – without clothes.

31. Thank You!
I hope you learned something (or rather
more than just something)
REMEMBER: This was made by Srikar
and Srikar only…