Happy Solstice!

A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is most inclined toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun's apparent position in the sky to reach its northernmost or southernmost extreme. The name is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination; that is, the apparent movement of the Sun's path north or south comes to a stop before reversing direction.

The term solstice can also be used in a broader sense, as the date (day) when this occurs. The solstices, together with the equinoxes, are connected with the seasons. In some cultures they are considered to start or separate the seasons, while in others they fall nearer the middle.

The Summer Solstice occurs exactly when the Earth's axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun at its maximum of 23° 26'. Though the Summer Solstice is an instant in time, the term is also colloquially used like Midsummer to refer to the day on which it occurs. Except in the Polar Regions (where daylight is continuous for half of the year), the day on which the Summer Solstice occurs is the day of the year with the longest period of daylight. Thus the seasonal significance of the Summer Solstice is in the reversal of the gradual shortening of nights and lengthening of days. The summer solstice occurs in June in the Northern Hemisphere, in December in the Southern Hemisphere.
June 20-21 is a very important day for our planet and its relationship with the sun. June 20-21 is one of two solstices, days when the rays of the sun directly strike one of the two tropical latitude lines. June 21 marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and simultaneously heralds the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere. In 2010, the solstice occurs and summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere summer begins early on June 21, 11:28 UTC (16:58 Indian Standard Time).

The earth spins around its axis, an imaginary line going right through the planet between the north and south poles. The axis is tilted somewhat off the plane of the earth's revolution around the sun. The tilt of the axis is 23.5 degrees; thanks to this tilt, we enjoy the four seasons. For several months of the year, one half of the earth receives more direct rays of the sun than the other half.

When the axis tilts towards the sun, as it does between June and September, it is summer in the northern hemisphere but winter in the southern hemisphere. Alternatively, when the axis points away from the sun from December to March, the southern hemisphere enjoys the direct rays of the sun during their summer months.
June 21 is called the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and simultaneously the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Around December 21 the solstices are reversed and winter begins in the northern hemisphere.

On June 21, there are 24 hours of daylight north of the Arctic Circle (66.5° north of the equator) and 24 hours of darkness south of the Antarctic Circle (66.5° south of the equator). The sun's rays are directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer (the latitude line at 23.5° north, passing through Mexico, Saharan Africa, and India) on June 21.

Hundreds of years ago on the summer solstice, our ancestors sat in sun-drenched fields or on stones as warm as living flesh, fashioning small round suns from straw or vines, decorating them with sun-colored flowers, honoring the mysterious, fiery light that warmed and brightened their days and made the plants grow that fed them.

The summer solstice is a perfect time to help children make a tangible connection with the earth and to connect with the sun.

No matter where you live, Happy Solstice!

Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany

Commanding a view of the bluish-green Alpsee lake and girded by dark forests, King Ludwig's (sometimes referred to as Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria) fairy-tale marble castle Neuschwanstein rises from a lofty rock west of Hohenschwangau in Bavaria, Germany. The very image of the castle makes you want to start planning your trip to Germany.
Neuschwanstein Castle also known as New Swan Stone Castle is a 19th century Romanesque Revival palace. The castle was built by Ludwig II, as a retreat and homage to Richard Wagner, the King's inspiring muse. The King was an immense devotee of Richard Wagner, even going as far as naming the castle after a character in one of Wagner's operas--the Swan Knight.

The conception of the palace was outlined by Ludwig II in a letter to Richard Wagner, dated May 13, 1868;
       “ It is my intention to rebuild the old castle ruin at Hohenschwangau near the Pollat Gorge in the authentic style of the old German knights' castles... the location is the most beautiful one could find, holy and unapproachable, a worthy temple for the divine friend who has brought salvation and true blessing to the world. ”
Neuschwanstein Castle provides a fascinating glimpse into the king's state of mind. Ludwig aimed to build Neuschwanstein in Bavaria in the authentic style of old German knights' castles and the foundation stone of the castle was laid in Germany in September 5, 1869. Neuschwanstein was designed by Christian Jank, a theatrical set designer, rather than an architect, which says much regarding Ludwig's intentions and explains much of the fantastical nature of the resulting building. The architectural expertise, vital to such a perilously-sited building, was provided first by the Munich court architect, Eduard Riedel, and latterly by Georg Dollman and Leo Von Klenze.

Loved by the people but hated by his ministers Ludwig was removed by power due to intrigue within his own cabinet. The King himself was rarely concerned with matters of state and was sometimes thought to suffer from hallucinations. However, what frightened the cabinet were the rumors of their possible removal. Under Bavarian law, a King could be removed from power if he were found unfit to rule. The cabinet produced this report and Dr. von Gudden, Ludwig was declared insane, deposed and interned in Berg Palace, which is not far from Neuschwanstein. On 13th June 1886 he was found drowned in Lake Starnberg along with von Gudden, the psychiatrist who certified him. Was it suicide, accident or murder? The exact circumstances of his and von Gudden's deaths remain unexplained. This bit of mystery makes the atmosphere of Neuschwanstein one of the most intriguing of the castles in Germany.

Ludwig did not allow visitors to his castles, but after his death the castle was opened to the public; in part due to the need to pay off the debts Ludwig incurred financing its construction. Since that time over 50 million people have visited the Neuschwanstein Castle. About 1.3 million people visit annually, with up to 6,000 per day in the summer. The palace has appeared in several movies, and was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle at both Disneyland Park and Hong Kong Disneyland.
The castle was given to the state of Bavaria by the Crown Prince Ruppreht in the year 1923, unlike the nearby Hohenschwangau Castle, which is owned by the head of the house of Wittelsbach, currently Franz, Duke of Bavaria. Till date more than €14.5 million have been spent by the Free State of Bavaria in the renovation, maintenance as well as visitors service since the year 1990.

Architecture
The palace comprises a gatehouse, a Tower, the Knight's House with a square tower, and a Palas, or citadel, with two towers to the Western end. The effect of the whole is highly theatrical, both externally and internally. The king's influence is apparent throughout, and he took a keen personal interest in the design and decoration. An example can be seen in his comments, or commands, regarding a mural depicting Lohengrin in the Palas;
       "His Majesty wishes that … the ship be placed further from the shore, that Lohengrin's neck be less tilted, that the chain from the ship to the swan be of gold and not of roses, and finally that the style of the castle shall be kept medieval."
The suite of rooms within the Palas contains the Throne Room, Ludwig's suite, the Singers' Hall, and the Grotto. Throughout, the design pays homage to the German legends of Lohengrin, the Swan Knight. Hohenschwangau, where Ludwig spent much of his youth, had decorations of these sagas. These themes were taken up in the operas of Richard Wagner.
Many rooms bear a border depicting the various operas written by Wagner, including a theater permanently featuring the set of one such play. Many of the interior rooms remain undecorated, with only 14 rooms finished before Ludwig's death. With the palace under construction at the King's death, one of the major features of the palace remained unbuilt. A massive keep was planned for the middle of the upper courtyard but was never built, at the decision of the King's family. The foundation for the keep is visible in the upper courtyard.

The finished rooms include the throne room, which features a glass gem-encrusted chandelier; all Twelve Apostles and six canonised kings are painted on the wall that surrounds the dais for the throne, and Jesus behind the dais - the actual throne was never finished. This reflects Ludwig's view of himself as king, by the grace of God. The King's master suite includes a four-post bed hand carved of wood, the canopy of which is carved as the cathedral towers from every cathedral in Bavaria, a secret flushing toilet and a running sink in the shape of a swan. The hand carved wood was very detailed and adorned the entire room, causing the master suite to take 10 years to complete.

The palace also includes an oratory, accessible from the dressing room and the master suite, which features an ivory crucifix, a room made to look like a cavern, a full kitchen equipped with hot and cold running water and heated cupboards, servants' quarters, a study, a dining room and the Singers' Hall. The Singers' Hall is a venue for performances by musicians and playwrights. The King built it for Wagner as a place to write and perform plays. The King died before watching a performance in the Singers' Hall, but it has been used since the King's death.

The pictures of some of the finished rooms such as Living Room, Study, Dressing Room, Dining Room and Kitchen.



Despite its medieval look, the construction of Neuschwanstein required the modern technology of the day, and the palace is a marvel of technological structural achievements. The structure uses steam engines, electricity, modern venting, a modern water system on all floors, and heating pipes.

It is now almost forgotten that Ludwig II was a patron of modern inventions and that he pioneered the introduction of electricity into public life in Bavaria. His new palaces were the first buildings to use electricity (e.g. the Venus Grotto at Linderhof) and other modern conveniences. Through his building activities, Ludwig kept many particular crafts alive, the knowledge and expertise of which would have died out otherwise, and he provided work and income to artisans, builders, plasterers, and decorators.

Castel Presule, South Tyrol

Castel Presule is a fortied medieval castle, surrounded by lush rolling countryside in South Tirol, Italy, Europe. The current form of Presule Castle dated back to the time of Maximilian (1500 ca.), and is a fine example of Late Gothic architecture.

Due to the German/Italian population of the South Tyrol, the castle is known by multiple names. Schloss Prosels is the German version, Castello di Presule is Italian. The Italians also call it Castel Colonna, reflecting the fact that around the time of Leonhard II, the Völs (Fiè) family started to add the Colonna family name to their own. The reason for this is unclear, although a number of hypotheses have been advanced. According to some the family originated as a branch of the Colonnas who came to Tyrol in the twelfth century; others believe that Leonhard II, fighting alongside Marcantonio Colonna (1535-1584) at the Battle of Lepanto, was affirming his family’s origins in the Colonnas of Tusculum. A third version speculates that Marcantonio adopted Leonhard in order to enable the latter to display his membership of the noble Roman dynasty. Most probably, perhaps, Leonhard II simply requested and obtained the right to add the name Colonna to his own.
The Castle was mentioned for the first time in a document dating back to the year 1279 as “Castrum Presila”. It is believed that the Lords of Völs/Fie, feudatories of the Bishopric of Brixen, had built the castle here by 1200. Today the central palace with a Romanesque archway is the surviving part of this first fortress.

In the sixteenth century the Presule Castle was transformed into a more elegant and grand residence by the Count Leonhard von Vols. Leonhard of Völs was born in 1458. He was the administrator of the salt mines of Hall ( near Innsbruck ) and earned quite a lot of money during his time there.

Around 1525 there were peasants´uprisings throughout Tyrol. The farmers occupied the castle and burnt all documents, thus hoping to cancel all their debts. But after two days they were expelled by Leonhard's men and six of these rebellious farmers were sentenced to death.

Leonhard was also involved in the first witchcraft trials of Tyrol when nine women of the surroundings were convicted of witchcraft. At that time there was a high newborn mortality rate, because the farmers were poor and starving. They accused Leonhard of being responsible for this high mortality rate. So Leonhard found the nine women guilty of witchcraft and tortured them. They confessed that, they had stolen the babies and had ridden on their brooms to the Schlern - the highest mountain near Völs - where they had eaten the babies together with the devil. The origins of many legends about witches come from these stories. The Schlern witches ( Schlernhexen ) have even become symbols for this area and are being used as logos to promote tourism.
The castle belonged to the Lords of Völs until its last member, Felix, Freiherr von Völs, died childless in 1810. For the next 50 years the castle stood uninhabited and nearly fell into ruins. Between 1860 and 1978 the castle changed hands no fewer than 14 times, suffering periods of decay followed by attempted restoration before finally being abandoned to its fate. However, in 1981 the Kuratorium Schloss Prösels (Prösels Castle Curatorship) was formed to restore the castle with the financial help of the local government.

In 1982 the castle was made open for public. Along with the guided tours offered, the castle is also the venue for concerts, exhibitions and theatre performances. You can also get married in the castle chapel and celebrate your wedding in the Medieval rooms. Also parts of the “Oswald von Wolkenstein horse tournament” take place in the castle. Every year this Mediaeval festival attracts a large number of visitors to Fiè allo Sciliar.