Tag: history

Explore Thailand: Founder Rama I

by Administrator

The king the world remembers as King Rama I of Siam was born as Thongduang. His own country, now known as Thailand, remembers him as Phraphutthayotfa Chulalok. He was born on the 21st March 1737 in the city of Ayutthaya, located in central Thailand, north of Bangkok.

His mother, of mixed Chinese and Thai origin, was the wife of a top court official in Ayutthaya. He became King of Siam in 1782 after defeating a rebellion that had deposed the previous king, Taksin. Thongduang, as they then knew him was then, a successful military leader.

Thongduang led campaigns against Burmese and Cambodian invaders. He rose to become the highest-ranking among the nobility of the region. After the fall of King Taksin, he took the throne and crowned himself the king of Siam.

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Achievements of Rama I’s Reign

He set up his capital at Rattanakosin, known today as Bangkok. During his reign, Siam asserted itself as a powerful nation. Under Rama I, Siam defeated Burmese invasions. It asserted its influence over Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Rama I was a wartime king rather than a peacetime king.

He constructed temples and monuments. This gave his people work after the losses incurred by wars and invasions. He was the father of 42 children, by his wife and various concubines.

Legacy of Rama I

King Rama I died on the 7th September 1809. Although an 18th-century king, Rama I’s influence has endureded in Thailand, as Siam now called. History remembers him as a majestic warrior king. His country also remembers him as the founder of the Chakri dynasty. Each year on 6 April “Chakri Memorial Day” is observed as a public holiday to commemorate the founder of the Chakri dynasty. This is the dynasty that reigns over Thailand until the present day.

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The capital city of Bangkok to this day sets itself apart as one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the Far East, with cuisine that draws people from all over the world. Dishes that unite the flavours from Chinese, Indian and seemingly international dishes, when in fact it is Thailand that was the original for these flavoursome dishes.

 

 

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A Visit to the amazing Cappelle Medicee of Florence!

by Administrator

Why visit Cappelle Medicee of Florence?

Cappelle Medicee is a glorious monumental dynasty. It has architecturally designed museum, church, duke’s statutes, The chapel of the Princes and an Academic library of the Medici family.

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Ever thought of visiting an ancient monumental dynasty? Then Cappelle Medicee of Florence in Italy is the place to visit. The magnificently built chapels decorated in gold and jewels redefines affluence and beauty of the then most powerful families of the Medici lineage.

 

Here are the monumental structures for you to see at Cappelle Medicee of Florence:

 

The private Chapel of the Princes

This grand mausoleum built between 1604-1640, has a very lavish interior design of hard stones, marble and bronze statues. With the walls erected several feet high and the tombs aligned on the walls, the visitors tend to be dwarfed inside. This octagonal dome-shaped heavily ornamented solemn place meant to celebrate the might of the Medicis has continued to flourish in fame several centuries later.

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The New Sacristy

This heart of beautifully crafted designs hosts the statues of the two Dukes; Lorenzo, the Duke of Urbino and Giuliano, the Duke of Nemours and that of Medici Madonna; mother and child. The architect; Michelangelo also brought out an aspect of life and death in the statues of ‘Day and Night’ and ‘Dawn and Dusk.’ These works done in nudity of the Dukes on their tombs, at the entrance wall of the chapel, heightened the actions of the architect and his students.

The two statues both show the Dukes seated in position at the top. Beneath, there two reclining figures on the sarcophagus with bright and dull shadings to portray the different times and life changes. Other minor members of the Medici family were also unceremoniously buried here with visible tombs though erection of their statues misses.

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The church of San Lorenzo

It is so far the oldest church in Florence and was also the place of worship for the Medici family. It is also ornamented in semi-precious stones since most of the interior designs were catered for by the ancient rulers. The vast church has an underground chamber which connects it to the church’s museum and hosts the tomb of the head of the Medici family head that corresponds to the altar in the church directly above it.

 

The Medici Library

Though not open to the general public unless there is an exhibition, the family library is an artistic work of Michelangelo. As an architect good at his job, he designed a curvaceous staircase that links the luminous library to the ground. With aisles and desks, the library constitutes the works of the elite members of the family majorly.

 

Though long gone, the Medici Chapels have remained a tourist attraction, and visitors get the privilege of a private tour through the property. As much as mystery engulfs the scenery, the beauty plastered all over the chapels shadows the intense feeling. If you are the type of person that loves the more exceptional things in life and history compacted, then this is the ultimate destination. For visitors intending to spend a night in Florence, FIBNB Apartments offer a variety of luxurious rentals for the short or long stay.

 

So visit Cappelle Medicee of Florence today and enjoy the sight of this monumental dynasty!