Il-Kastell in Victoria, Gozo
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Il-Kastell in Victoria, Gozo |
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This pano is taken at the ramparts of Il-Kastell (Citadelle) which crown the hill of Victoria, capital of Gozo. The first fortifications date back to the bronze age, approx. 1500BC; further developed by the Phoenicians and than the Romans. The semi circular northern wall was built in the Aragonese rule (13. - 16. century). The southern half was re-built by the Knights of St John in the 17th century. The northern side of the Citadel is still in ruins, but restoration work has been and still is under way. The views from almost everywhere on the rapmarts are breathtaking, you can see as far as the coastline of Malta. Even though I really love the dramatic cloudy sky, i wish I`d have stayed just a half an hour longer, when the setting sun finally emerged and painted the entire city gold.
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Europe is generally agreed to be the birthplace of western culture, including such legendary innovations as the democratic nation-state, football and tomato sauce.
The word Europe comes from the Greek goddess Europa, who was kidnapped by Zeus and plunked down on the island of Crete. Europa gradually changed from referring to mainland Greece until it extended finally to include Norway and Russia.
Don't be confused that Europe is called a continent without looking like an island, the way the other continents do. It's okay. The Ural mountains have steadily been there to divide Europe from Asia for the last 250 million years. Russia technically inhabits "Eurasia".
Europe is presently uniting into one political and economic zone with a common currency called the Euro. The European Union originated in 1993 and is now composed of 27 member states. Its headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium.
Do not confuse the EU with the Council of Europe, which has 47 member states and dates to 1949. These two bodies share the same flag, national anthem, and mission of integrating Europe. The headquarters of the Council are located in Strasbourg, France, and it is most famous for its European Court of Human Rights.
In spite of these two bodies, there is still no single Constitution or set of laws applying to all the countries of Europe. Debate rages over the role of the EU in regards to national sovereignty. As of January 2009, the Lisbon Treaty is the closest thing to a European Constitution, yet it has not been approved by all the EU states.
Text by Steve Smith.
