LONDON ATTRACTIONS AND LANDMARKS 1 BUCKINGHAM PALACE George III bought Buckingham House in 1761 for his wife Queen Charlotte. Parts of Buckingham house were demolished and rebuilt on a larger scale. In 1913 the decision was taken to reface the facade. It is the administrative headquarter1 of the monarch and the centre of UK’s Constitutional Monarchy. It has 775 rooms. The balcony of Buckingham Palace is one of the most famous in the world. Buckingham Palace is often a focal point for significant national celebrations and commemorations. More than 50.000 people visit the Palace each year and guests go to State banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and Garden Parties. 1 Headquarter: sede generale. 2 THE ROYAL FAMILY Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are married and have four sons. The oldest, named Charles, is the Prince of Wales. He married Lady Diana and they had two sons, William and Harry. Princess Diana died in a car accident in 1997 and Charles married Camilla (Duchess of Cornwell). William is married to Kate Middelton (Duchess of Cambridge) and they have two children, a son and a daughter: George and Charlotte. 3 HOUSES OF PARLIAMENTS In 1265 a parliament was created with two houses: The Lords and the Commons2. In the past the House of Lord met at the Palace of Westminster while the House of Commons did not have a permanent location. In 1547 the House of Commons also moved here. The Palace lies on the north bank of the River Thames3. The Elizabeth Tower, with its main bell4 (Big Ben), is an iconic landmark5 of London and the United Kingdom in general, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, and an emblem of parliamentary democracy. The Palace of Westminster is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. 2 La Camera dei lord e la Camera dei comuni sono le due assemblee parlamentari che costituiscono il Parlamento del Regno Unito. The Palace lies on the north bank: giace sulla sponda nord. 4 Bell: campanile. 5 Landmark: luogo storico. 3 4 THE BIG BEN The Big Ben rang for the first time on 31st May 1859. The tower is 106 meters tall and it is built in Gothic style. It has four big clocks on it and each quadrant is 7 meters of diameter. Each lancet weights 100 kg. A special lights above the clock lights up6 when the parliaments meet up. The clock didn’t stop even after a bomb in the Second Word War. HYDE PARK Hyde Park is one of the largest and Royal Parks7 in London. The park is divided by the Serpentine and the Long Water8. In this park, there’s the Speakers' Corner9 where in the past and still today people can give free speech about different topics and can express opinions. South of the Serpentine there is the Diana, Princess of Wales, memorial. 6 To light up: accendersi. There are 8 Royal Parks in London: Hyde Park, Kensington Garden, Richmond Park, Bushy Park, St. James’s Park, The Green Park, Regent’s Park, Greenwich Park. To know more: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/ 8 Two lakes in the Park. 9 Speakers’ Corner: luogo dove si svolgevano dibattiti e discorsi pubblici a tema politico e non. Ancora oggi viene usato, soprattutto per le campagne elettorali dei politici inglesi. L’idea è quella di far valere la libertà di opinione ed espressione. 7 5 THE WESTMINSTER ABBEY The Westminster Abbey is the most important Anglican Church in London. It was built from 1045 to 1050 by Edward the Confessor. It is called “Westminster” to distinguish it from the church of St. Mary of Graces that is at east. Westminster Abbey is a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. The Abbey has been the Coronation Church10 since 1066 and is the final resting place11 of seventeen monarchs. The present church is one of the most important Gothic buildings in the country. Westminster Abbey is also the place where some of the most significant people in the nation's history are buried or commemorated. The tombs and memorials comprise the most significant single collection of monumental sculpture anywhere in the United Kingdom. In this church: on 6th September 1997 there was the funeral of Lady Diana and on 29th April 2011 the wedding of Prince Williams and Kate Middelton 10 Chiesa dove avvengono le incoronazioni dei reali. L’ultima risale al 1953, quando è stata incoronata Queen Elisabeth II. Resting place: luogo di riposo. La chiesa ospita infatti moltissime tombe, tra cui quelle di 17 monarchi e di altri importanti personaggi che hanno fatto la storia del Regno Unito. 11 6 THE BRITISH MUSEUM The British Museum was founded in 1753 by the scientist Hans Sloane. Over his lifetime, Sloane collected more than 71,000 objects which he wanted to be preserved intact after his death. The founding collections consisted of books, manuscripts and natural specimens12 with some antiquities (including coins and medals, prints and drawings) and ethnographic material. In the 19th century, the museum widen its collections with the Rosetta Stone13, the Townley collection of classical sculpture, and the Parthenon sculptures. The 20th century saw a great expansion in public services and the Museum celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2003 with the restoration of the King's Library, the Museum's oldest room. The 21st century saw the opening of four new permanent galleries in 2008/9:Chinese ceramics, Clocks and watches, Europe AD 1050–1540, The Tomb-chapel of Nebamun: Ancient Egyptian life and death. 12 Specimens: campioni/modelli/esempi. La Stele di Rosetta: importantissimo reperto storico, fondamentale nella decifrazione dei geroglifici egizi. È scritta in tre diverse grafie, ovvero l’egiziano geroglifico, l’egiziano demotico e il greco. 13 7 THE LONDON EYE The London Eye is a symbol of the City of London. It was opened by the Prime Minister Tony Blair on 31st December 1999. It is located near the river Thames, at the hearth of London. It is 135 m tall and the wheel has a diameter of 394. There are 32 ovoidal capsules that weigh 10 tonnes and can carry 25 people. TOWER BRIDGE The Tower Bridge is a quite recent bridge (it was built from 1886 to 1894). 432 people built the bridge and the style is elegant. Thanks to modern technology is able to open in just 90 seconds to let the ships pass under it. It is a bridge consisting of two towers that are connected at the top by two light footbridges (ponti pedonali). 8 ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL It is the Church mother of the Anglican diocese of London. It is considerated a masterpiece of the architect Christopher. At 365 feet (111 m) high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1967. The dome is among the highest in the world. St Paul's is the second-largest church building in area in the United Kingdom after Liverpool Cathedral. It is built in a sober Baroque style. The cathedral survived the bombs on 10 October 1940 and 17 April 1941. Some parts of it were destroyed and then rebuilt or restored. 9 Some other landmarks and attractions: Trafalgar Square Science Museum Tower of London Imperial War Museum Millenium Bridge Tate Gallery London Bridge Madame Tussaud’s National Gallery … Portobello Market Camden Town Parks Victoria and Albert Museum Natural History Museum Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Covent Garden Piccadilly Circus Notthing Hill 10
