WikiWeb_Ursuline Church of St. Michael_1

Inside the church are altar pieces by Bartolomeo Altomonte.
The high altar was designed by Johann Matthias Krinner, and dedicated in 1741. The altar piece dates from 1738–1740, and is by Martino Altomonte. It shows the Archangel Michael in the center, surrounded by the archangels Gabriel and Raphael.
The late baroque chancel, from 1740, shows three scenes, Raphael walking with Tobias, Jacob's Dream, and The Sacrifice of Manoah. The chancel's sounding board shows the (then) four parts of the world: Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.
Since its restoration in 1985 the church serves as an art center and concert hall, and as parish church for the Forum St. Severin (Katholischer Akademikerverband der Diözese Linz).


Prior to the discovery in the late 1980s of the 4810m Peak 4810 in Karavshin, Ushba, together with Chatyn-Tau and Free Korea Peak in Kyrgyzstan, were considered some of the most difficult and prestigious peaks to climb in the former Soviet Union.


The pipe organ and Steinway & Sons piano B-211 in the gallery were installed by Orgelbau Goll Luzern in 1963, and revised in 1984, 1997 and 2009.
1) Gedeckt 8' Prinzipal 4' Flöte 4' Prinzipal 2' Mixtur


Utah, commonly known as Utah Beach, was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), during World War II. The westernmost of the five code-named landing beaches in Normandy, Utah is on the Cotentin Peninsula, west of the mouths of the Douve and Vire rivers. Amphibious landings at Utah were undertaken by United States Army troops, with sea transport, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment force provided by the United States Navy and Coast Guard as well as elements from the British, Dutch and other Allied navies.
The objective at Utah was to secure a beachhead on the Cotentin Peninsula, the location of important port facilities at Cherbourg. The amphibious assault, primarily by the US 4th Infantry Division and 70th Tank Battalion, was supported by airborne landings of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Division. The intention was to rapidly seal off the Cotentin Peninsula, prevent the Germans from reinforcing Cherbourg, and capture the port as quickly as possible. Utah, along with Sword on the eastern flank, was added to the invasion plan in December 1943. These changes doubled the frontage of the invasion and necessitated a month-long delay so that additional landing craft and personnel could be assembled in England. Allied forces attacking Utah faced two battalions of the 919th Grenadier Regiment, part of the 709th Static Infantry Division. While improvements to fortifications had been undertaken under the leadership of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel beginning in October 1943, the troops assigned to defend the area were mostly poorly equipped non-German conscripts.
D-Day at Utah began at 01:30, when the first of the airborne units arrived, tasked with securing the key crossroads at Sainte-Mère-Église and controlling the causeways through the flooded farmland behind Utah so the infantry could advance inland. While some airborne objectives were quickly met, many paratroopers landed far from their drop zones and were unable to fulfill their objectives on the first day. On the beach itself, infantry and tanks landed in four waves beginning at 06:30 and quickly secured the immediate area with minimal casualties. Meanwhile, engineers set to work clearing the area of obstacles and mines, and additional waves of reinforcements continued to arrive. At the close of D-Day, Allied forces had only captured about half of the planned area and contingents of German defenders remained, but the beachhead was secure.
The 4th Infantry Division landed 21,000 troops on Utah at the cost of only 197 casualties. Airborne troops arriving by parachute and glider numbered an additional 14,000 men, with 2,500 casualties. Around 700 men were lost in engineering units, 70th Tank Battalion, and seaborne vessels sunk by the enemy. German losses are unknown. Cherbourg was captured on June 26, but by this time the Germans had destroyed the port facilities, which were not brought back into full operation until September.


The decision to undertake a cross-channel invasion of continental Europe within the next year was taken at the Trident Conference, held in Washington in May 1943. The Allies initially planned to launch the invasion on May 1, 1944, and a draft of the plan was accepted at the Quebec Conference in August 1943. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed commander of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). General Bernard Montgomery was named as commander of the 21st Army Group, which comprised all of the land forces involved in the invasion.
On December 31, 1943, Eisenhower and Montgomery first saw the plan, which proposed amphibious landings by three divisions and two-thirds of an airborne division. The two generals immediately insisted that the scale of the initial invasion be expanded to five divisions, with airborne descents by three divisions, to allow operations on a wider front. The change doubled the frontage of the invasion from 25 miles (40 km) to 50 miles (80 km). This would allow for quicker offloading of men and materiel, make it more difficult for the Germans to respond, and speed up the capture of the port at Cherbourg. Eisenhower and Lieutenant General Omar Bradley selected for Utah the VII Corps. Major General J. Lawton Collins, who had experience with amphibious operations in the Pacific Theater of Operations (though not in the initial assaults), replaced Major General Roscoe Woodruff as commander of VII Corps.
The coastline of Normandy was divided into seventeen sectors, with codenames using a spelling alphabet—from Able, west of Omaha, to Roger on the east flank of Sword. Utah was originally designated "Yoke" and Omaha was "X-ray", from the phonetic alphabet. The two names were changed on 3 March 1944. "Omaha" and "Utah" were probably suggested by Bradley. Eight further sectors were added when the invasion was extended to include Utah. Sectors were further subdivided into beaches identified by the colors Green, Red, and White.
Utah, the westernmost of the five landing beaches, is on the Cotentin Peninsula, west of the mouths of the Douve and Vire rivers. The terrain between Utah and the neighboring Omaha was swampy and difficult to cross, which meant that the troops landing at Utah would be isolated. The Germans had flooded the farmland behind Utah, restricting travel off the beach to a few narrow causeways. To help secure the terrain inland of the landing zone, rapidly seal off the Cotentin Peninsula, and prevent the Germans from reinforcing the port at Cherbourg, two airborne divisions were assigned to airdrop into German territory in the early hours of the invasion.
The need to acquire or produce extra landing craft and troop carrier aircraft for the expanded operation meant that the invasion had to be delayed to June. Production of landing craft was ramped up in late 1943 and continued into early 1944, and existing craft were relocated from other theaters. More than 600 Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft and their crews took a circuitous route to England in early 1944 from Baer Field, Indiana, bringing the number of available troop carrier planes to over a thousand.


By 1909 no capitol had yet been constructed and Governor William Spry, recognizing that Utah was one of only a few states without a capitol building, sent a proposal to the state legislature asking for the creation of a new commission to oversee the construction of a capitol. During that year's legislative session the commission was created and efforts made to gain funding for construction. An appropriation bill, which would use a one mill property tax, was produced but failed in a required popular vote that June. Funding options in the form of bonds and loans were also researched. In 1910 the state constitution was amended to allow bonding for the capitol building, and by 1911 a bill authorizing $1,305,000 (equivalent to $26.3 million in 2019) in bonds was presented to the state legislature. The bill passed both houses after the amount was reduced to $1 million (equivalent to $20.2 million in 2019)and was signed into law by the governor in Spring 1911. Funds were also boosted when Union Pacific Railroad president, Edward Henry Harriman, died in 1909, and his widow was required to pay a five-percent inheritance tax to the state of Utah. Union Pacific had helped to construct the Transcontinental Railroad, which was completed in Utah, and Harriman had invested $3.5 million in Salt Lake City's electric trolley system. Because of these investments within the state, Mrs. Harriman paid the state treasurer $798,546 (equivalent to $16.2 million in 2019) on March 1, 1911, as required by law.
After funding was secured, the commission began the design process for the building and grounds. The Olmsted Brothers of Massachusetts were chosen to provide the landscaping design and site plan. As options for the site on Capitol Hill were researched several members of various committees expressed concerns with the proposed site, due mainly to the cost of grading the steep hillside. In December 1911, a three-person committee was organized to consider other locations for a capitol building. One of the more popular sites considered was located on Fort Douglas property, near the present University of Utah, while others proposed locating the building in downtown Salt Lake City near the City and County Building. In the end, it was decided to construct on the original 20 acres (81,000 m²) site known as Capitol Hill, and attempt to acquire surrounding property for the capitol campus. Aware of the demand for their properties, several owners charged the state exorbitant prices for the property needed to complete the site.
Even as questions arose concerning the site location, and work progressed on site plans, the design of the building was begun. The commission decided to hold a design competition, a practice common for many public buildings of that era. A program for the competition was created with design requirements such as required square footage, the desired number of floors, and stipulation to keep the total cost under $2 million (equivalent to $40.5 million in 2019). The program was approved August 30, 1911, and information was sent to architectural firms. Those who were interested responded, and the commission selected 24 firms to compete. Because the compensation was less than expected, several contenders withdrew from the competition, and the commission further reduced the list to eight firms. The final designs for the building were due on January 12, 1912, less than five months after the finalists were selected. After designs were submitted the commission met several times to discuss their selections, and some architects were asked to make presentations. After two months the commission reduced the list of designs to just two, those submitted by Richard K.A. Kletting and Young & Sons, both of Salt Lake City.  On March 13, 1912, the commission made its final vote and selected Richard Kletting's design by a vote of four to three. After his appointment as capitol architect, Kletting traveled to several capitals in the eastern United States, including the Kentucky State Capitol which influenced his final designs. His first working plans for the building were due July 15, 1912.


Artwork on the grounds includes:
Beehive sculptures
Statue of Daniel C. Jackling by Avard Fairbanks
Edward Harriman Memorial
Statue of Thomas L. Kane by Ortho Fairbanks
Statue of Martha Hughes Cannon by Laura Lee Stay Bradshaw
Statue of Marriner S. Eccles by Mark DeGraffenried
Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos Veterans Memorial featuring a bronze statue of a soldier by Clyde Ross Morgan and a circular wall by Mark Davenport
There are 22 statues, monuments, and plaques, with spaces designated for several more.


In Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (2003) the Utah State Capitol was used for exterior and interior pictures of the U.S. Capitol. In Drive Me Crazy (1999), the Centennial prom scene was filmed in the Capitol Rotunda.


The temple is considered sacred along the lines of Ramanathapuram, Sethu Madhava Theertham and Lakshmana Theertham. The emerald image of Nataraja is anointed with sandal paste round the year except on Tiruvathidirai festival day when special worship is practiced. It is believed that even small vibrations can damage the image and hence no percussion instruments are used during worship practises. The front hall has lingams made of Padigam (spatika), that are anointed with cooked rice every afternoon. As per Hindu legend, Vishnu and Brahma contested for superiority, Shiva appeared as a flame, and challenged them to find his source. Brahma took the form of a swan, and flew to the sky to see the top of the flame, while Vishnu became the boar Varaha, and sought its base. Neither Brahma nor Vishnu could find the source, and while Vishnu conceded his defeat, Brahma lied with the help of a thazhambu (Pandanus odorifer flower / Screw Pine Flower / Ketaki flower) and said he had found the pinnacle. In punishment, Shiva ordained that Brahma would never have temples on earth in his worship and all Shiva temples do not use thazhambu during worship practises. This is one such temple where thazhambu is still used for worship practises. This story is found in Shaivaite scriptures.
Manickavasagar, the 9th century Tamil saivite saint poet has revered Mangalanathar and the temple in his verses in Thiruvasakam, compiled as the Eighth Tirumurai. Arunagirinathar, a 15th-century Tamil poet has composed Tamil hymns glorifying Murugan in the temple. As per Hindu legend, Muruga was awarded the Airavata (white elephant) of celestial deity Indra at this place.


The origin of the Utrecht Archives can be found in a chest with charters, which was stored in one of the city gates during the Middle Ages. This gate was the ‘Catharijnepoort’. Due to the fact that this gate was also used as a place to store gunpowder, the city archive had to be moved to another location. From 1546 it was placed in a house called ‘Lichtenberg’ located at the ‘Stadhuisbrug’. In April 1803, magistrate Pertus van Musschenbroek, from Utrecht, was appointed ‘archivarius honorair’ (honorary keeper of records) for the department of Utrecht. On October 17, 1803, he was permanently appointed as archivist of the City of Utrecht. From 1826 on, a Royal Decree mandated that provinces and local authorities draw up an inventory of their archives. For the ecclesiastical records they named Christiaan Paulus de Vos as keeper of records. These records would become the foundation for the future Public Record Office in Utrecht. De Vos’ successor, Gerrit Dedel, who already went by the name of ‘Master of the Rolls’. The current Utrecht Archives originated in 1998 from a merger between the Public Record Office and the Communal Archive and Photo Service of Utrecht. Since then, the Utrecht Archives are managed by a ‘mutual arrangement’ of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the municipality of Utrecht. There are over 70 employees and a large group of volunteers working at the Archive. Until 1 October 2012, the director of the Utrecht Archives was Saskia van Dockum.


The reserve is located in the southwestern Serbia, in the municipalities of Nova Varoš (approximately 2/3) and Sjenica (1/3) in the Zlatibor District. The protected area is elongated and comprises the valley of the Uvac river, including the Uvac Gorge.


Västerlånggatan ("the Western Long Street") is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching southward between the squares Mynttorget and Järntorget, it follows the course of the city's now demolished 13th-century defensive wall.
The blocks along the street are elongated but only a few meters in width; those on the eastern side oriented lengthwise, and those on the western crosswise.  Only four blocks thus forms the eastern side of the street while some 20 are lined-up along the western side.  Most of the front doors of the buildings are located either on the quiet Prästgatan, the parallel street passing along the eastern side, or in one of the numerous alleys on the street's western side.  The intact façades of the northernmost blocks are hiding the semi-detached offices of the Riksdag.  To the south of those are the remaining numerous and very narrow blocks and alleys which before the great fire of 1625 occupied the entire western side of the street.


The river Visera is attested in Carolingian monastic medieval manuscripts in 889. It should not be confused in the Dordogne with the Upper Vézère, or Auvézère, a tributary of the L'Isle, 10 kilometers east of Périgueux.
The name Vézère comes, according to some scholars, from the ancient hydronym Vizara or Izara, formed by two contiguous Ligurian roots. The first, viz or iz, and the second ara. Viz or Iz means a "hollow Valley", and ara means a "watercourse", the word Vézère means "streams in the hollow valley".
It could also be a Celtic word Isara, meaning a "fast and impetuous flow (in case of flood)" to indicate to the travellers the dangers of a river during periods of intense rains or snow melt. The simple Latin variation is visara in the Gallo-Roman world which explains the logical phonetic evolution into Old French and Occitan.


Vía Blanca starts at the Ciudad Deportiva, on the south-western side of Havana, between Cerro and Diez de Octubre. It runs for 12 km through Luyanó and Old Havana border, the harbour area, Regla and Guanabacoa, before crossing the Vía Monumental in Habana del Este. A brief section in Luyanó includes the route of the Carretera Central highway.
The motorway-type section (138 kilometres (86 mi)) starts in Havana, on a roundabout (Rotonda de Cojímar) before the Monumental, and ends north of Cárdenas. In Matanzas city center it crosses the seafront. It is a dual carriageway road, with four lanes for almost the entire route, but there are six lanes for a short section in east Havana. It has some at-grade intersections with rural roads. The exit at Varadero is the starting point of an 18-km long beltway, named Autopista Sur ("South Motorway"), that runs through the town.
The table below shows the exits of the motorway-type section of the Vía Blanca:


Văcărești ([vəkəˈreʃtʲ]) is a neighbourhood in south-eastern Bucharest, located near Dâmbovița River and the Văcărești Lake. Nearby neighbourhoods include Vitan, Olteniței, and Berceni.  Originally a village, it was incorporated into Bucharest as it expanded. Its name is related to the Wallachian aristocratic Văcărescu family, with an etymology leading back to the Romanian văcar, "cow-herder," and the suffix -ești.


The Văcărești Monastery, built by Nicholas Mavrocordatos in 1716, was located on the Văcărești hill, nowadays near Piața Sudului. It was demolished in 1984 during the regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu to make room for a Palace of Justice that was never built. It was the largest 18th-century monastery in Southeastern Europe and it had a church in the style of Curtea de Argeș Cathedral. It was also designed to be used as a fortress, and was seized in May 1771 by the Imperial Russian army, under commander Nikolai Vasilyeich Repnin, in the context of the Russo-Turkish War and Pârvu Cantacuzino's rebellion.
Part of the buildings of the monastery were used as a prison. Inmates that were incarcerated at Văcărești Prison during the 20th century include Ioan Slavici, Tudor Arghezi, Corneliu Zelea Codreanu and other members of the Iron Guard, and Richard Wurmbrand. The nearby hill was home to Arghezi's long-time residence, the house he nicknamed Mărțișor (nowadays a museum).


On 27 December 2017, the first event was officially confirmed for the stadium - a concert by Imagine Dragons on 29 August 2018 as part of their Evolve World Tour.  In June 2018, the show was moved to Luzhniki Stadium as VTB Arena was not completed by the expected date.
The stadium has received official permit for use on 27 November 2018 and the first event booked was a figure skating adaptation of the "Swan Lake" by Evgeni Plushenko on 20 December 2018.
Many events were booked for 2019 following the opening: concerts by Twenty One Pilots, Dima Bilan, Manowar, Hollywood Undead, Splean and Disturbed as well as the Walking with Dinosaurs show at the indoor arena and concerts by KISS (End of the Road World Tour), Rammstein (Europe Stadium Tour 2019, later moved to the higher-capacity Luzhniki Stadium after tickets were quickly sold out) and Max Korzh at the outdoor stadium. Other 2019 concerts booked at the arena were The Chemical Brothers, Christina Aguilera (The X Tour), Bi-2, Scorpions (Crazy World Tour), Mumiy Troll, Zveri, LOBODA and Sergey Lazarev at the indoor arena and Jennifer Lopez (It's My Party Tour) at the outdoor stadium. The concerts booked for 2020 included Chaif, The World of Hans Zimmer symphonic show, Diana Arbenina and Novoye Radio awards show feat. Basta, Ruki Vverh! and Little Big (all indoors). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, 2020 bookings were limited. The concerts booked for 2021 included shows by Aerosmith, Bi-2 and Twenty One Pilots at the outdoor stadium and by Powerwolf, LSP, Kasta, Kino, Aria, Artik & Asti, Enrique Iglesias, Korn, Diana Arbenina and Pavel Volya at the indoor arena. Due to continuing waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, several 2021 shows were cancelled or rescheduled for 2022. Concerts currently booked for 2022 include rescheduled shows by Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Enrique Iglesias, Powerwolf and Korn.


Vaduvoor Bird Sanctuary is a 128.10-hectare area located in Vaduvoor lake, Mannargudi Taluk, Thiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu, India. The sanctuary is about 25 kilometers from Thanjavur and 14 kilometers from Mannargudi on the Thanjavur-Kodiakkarai State Highway 63. It was created in the year 1999. The irrigation tank receives water from November to April every year which attracts a numerous foreign birds from Europe and America. The sanctuary attracts more than 40 species of water birds like the white ibis, painted stork, grey pelican, pintails, cormorants, teals, herons, spoonbills, darters, coots, Open bill storks, and pheasant–tailed jacana. The sanctuary is a favorite spot for the migratory birds and during the months of November and December more than 20000 winged visitors reach this area. The sanctuary has basic facilities for tourists to stay overnight and enjoy watching the birds from the two watch towers.
Bird migration is a seasonal phenomenon and when the temperature escalates in Europe and in the North America, the birds move to more favourable climes. The wetlands in this region is quite suitable for the migratory birds as it provides suitable environment for food, shelter and reproduction. The farmers of this region also love the arrival of migratory birds as the irrigation water becomes fertile once it was enriched with the excretory of the birds. The state government had appointed officers for prevention of both hunting and poaching. Poaching and hunting is illegal and it is a punishable offence. The villagers were aware of this and a friendly environment for the shelter of the birds prevails. The small town is a good agricultural land and rice is grown in plenty.


The Vaishno Devi Temple also referred to as Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple and Vaishno Devi Bhavan is a prominent and widely revered Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Vaishno Devi. It is located in Katra, Reasi on the slopes of Trikuta Hills within the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir in India. The temple is recognized as one of the 108 Maha (major) Shakti Peethas dedicated to Durga, who is worshipped as Vaishno Devi. Having the principal aspect of Durga, hindus consider Vaishno Devi as an incarnation of Kali, Saraswati and Lakshmi. The temple is governed by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), chaired by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir in August 1986.
It is one of the most visited pilgrimage centers of India. Every year, millions of devotees visit the temple. During festivals like Navaratri, the footfall increases to as high as one crore. It is also one of the richest temples in India with annual receipts of almost 16 million dollars according to some authors.
The temple is sacred to both Hindus and Sikhs. Many prominent saints such as Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Swami Vivekananda have visited the temple.
The temple is governed by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB). The board was established under the Jammu and Kashmir state government Act No. XVI/1988, also known as Shri Mata Vaishno devi Shrine Act. The board is chaired by the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir who also appoints 9 board members for governing the Shrine.


The three idols — Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, all images of Vaishno Devi are worshipped at the temple. The feet of the idols are washed by the water brought from the perennial flowing river Banganga.


After the initial worldwide reporting, the tragedy became regarded as part of the price of economic growth in the 1950s and 1960s.
Interest was rejuvenated by a 1997 television program by Marco Paolini and Gabriele Vacis, Il racconto del Vajont.
In 2001, a docudrama about the disaster was released. A joint production of Italian and French companies, it was titled Vajont—La diga del disonore ("Vajont—The Dam of Dishonour") in Italy, and La Folie des hommes ("The Madness of Men") in France. It stars Michel Serrault and Daniel Auteuil.
The tragedy was included in the 2008 documentary series Disasters of the Century.
The TV show Seconds from Disaster featured the event in episode two, "Mountain Tsunami," of its fifth season in 2012.
In 2013, the eleventh stage of the Giro d'Italia finished in Vajont to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the disaster.
In March 2018, the dam and the disaster were also covered in Season 2, Episode 1 ("Armageddon Highway") of Science Channel's Mysteries of the Abandoned.


Traditionally, the valley's entrances are considered the towns of Pinerolo and Sestriere. It is bounded by the Val di Susa (to which it is connected by the Sestriere Pass, at 2,035 metres (6,677 ft)) to the north and east, the Val Sangone to the north, the Val Pellice to the south, while eastwards is the plain of the Po Valley.
The valley is crossed by the torrent from which it takes its name, the Chisone. The valley has a main branch, the Valle Germanasca, and a smaller branch in the area of Pragelato, Parco naturale Val Troncea, a nature park, an ideal destination for hikers, snowshoe hikers and cross-country skiers.


Val Veny was formed by two glaciers: the Miage Glacier and the Brenva Glacier.
Val Veny is divided into three parts:
the part that lies parallel to the Mont Blanc massif, between the Seigne pass (2,512m) and part of the Miage Glacier
the part called Plan Vény
the mouth of the valley, dominated by Mont Blanc and the lower Brenva Glacier (1,444m)
Chécrouit Lake (2,165m) lies on the right side of the Val Veny, near Courmayeur. On the opposite side you can see Mont Blanc, the Dent du Géant (4,013 m ) and the Brenva Glacier.
At the entrance of the valley lies the shrine of Our Lady of Healing (French: Notre-Dame-de-guérison).


Valbonë Valley has been inhabited since classical times what argues for the proper conditions that valley provides. The villages where the population is concentrated are: Rrogam, Valbona, Dragobi and Çerem which are located at the valley extensions. After 90’ the situation began to change. As a result of not favorable economic conditions, the majority of the population moved out. Valley is inhabited by "Krasniqi" and "Gashi" tribes.  A part of the population that has left the village, is settled at lower villages of Margegajmunicipality. Despite the recent changes that have been made in the demographic structure, the population still differs for its vitality. This affects at their ability to be active in the sector of tourism. Only during the years 1995-2002, villages like Çerem and Rragam have had a population decrease respectively of 63% and 57%.In 2008 the population at these villages was 920 persons but now it is 817. Stopping the phenomenon of the people leaving their country, is important, in order to reduce the risk of villages turning into seasonal ones.
It is a transboundary park in Albania and Montenegro, with the highest biodiversity value of the country's mountain mainlands. Moreover, Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro are planning to establish another tri-state park in the area, that will be called the Balkan Peace Park.
Four villages are located within the park (Dragobi, Valbonë, Cerem and Rragam) with 852 inhabitants. All of these factors create more favorable conditions for coexistence and socioeconomical development, including Valbona National Park. Clean air, high and characteristic mountain peaks, lakes, numerous water resources, forests, mountains, flora and fauna provide conditions for profitable eco tourism.


The area of 1,362 square kilometres (526 sq mi) which makes it 85.9% of the total area of the park, is occupied by forest. Water (mostly lakes) occupies 9.2% of the area, swamps — 2.9%. The most common tree species are birch (Betula pubescens, Betula pendula), alder (Alnus incana), spruce (Picea abies), and pine (Pinus sylvestris). A special type are oak forest (about 0.1% of the total forested area), which are in the park at their northern range.


The park comprises historically significant area, including the town of Valday, Valday Iversky Monastery, and a number of the 19th century estates. The area attracted artists and authors since the 19th century, and is currently one of the most popular tourist destinations in Central Russia. The area of the park is sufficiently covered by roads. There are many recreational facilities, mostly located at and around Lake Valdayskoye and Lake Seliger.


The sanctuary is a South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forest. The thorny hardwood and xerophytes:
Dalbergia horrida (see Dalbergia), Dichrostachys cinerea, Vachellia horrida, Acacia planifrons, Albizia amara, Zizyphus sp. and a few Azadirachta indica, Dodonaea viscosa Carissa carandas, Pterolobium hexapetalum, Euphorbia, Acalypha fruticosa and Ocimum tenuiflorum form the undergrowth.


The baptismal font is the oldest fitting of the church, dating from the middle of the 13th century. The altarpiece dates from the 14th century and was acquired when the new choir was inaugurated. From the same century dates a crucifix, as well as a richly decorated chest for donations for the poor. From the 14th century are also to tombstones on either side of the altar, carrying inscriptions in both Latin and Old Gutnish; the latter in runes. A few 14th century wooden statues depicting saints originally from Vallstena Church are today housed in Gotland Museum in Visby.


The axial chapel of the abbey (from the 16th century) dedicated to the Virgin is the only surviving part of the main church as the nave collapsed in 1730. It is the artistic marvel of the site entirely in Renaissance style. The most well-known is the Chapel of Six O'clock which refers to the time when the monks heard the first office of the day. There are tombs and recumbent tombstones (from the 15th and 16th centuries) of the Lords of Estouteville and their wives. The vault is harmonious  and well-designed: the very prominent ribs abut against a circular keystone recessed in the dome. Stained glass dating to 1552 depicts the life of the Virgin and, above the altar, an Annunciation attributed to Germain Pilon.
Of the abbey church itself, there remains only the ruins of the choir built in 1520. Consisting of four straight rows, it ends in a five-sided rounded end leading to an Ambulatory which opens in to the Chapel of Six O'clock. Large semicircular arches rest on cylindrical columns and are surmounted by a gallery of ionic columns forming the triforium. The whole is in very pure Renaissance style. This elegant architectural layout was designed by Jehan Ribaud, former abbot of Bec Abbey, who headed Valmont in 1517. It restored the abbey to the fashionable style and may have been used at the Abbey by Italian workers who worked at the time at the Chateau of Gaillon and Fécamp Abbey.
The Departmental Museum of Antiquities at Rouen conserves the 16th century stained glass from the Abbey.


The rock is named in honor of Charles Van Hise, a prominent geologist who chaired the University of Wisconsin Department of Mineralogy and Geology. Among his significant accomplishments in geology and politics, Van Hise determined how the quartzite in the Baraboo Range had formed. Building on earlier discoveries that the quartzite formed in the Precambrian Era and had metamorphosed, Van Hise was able to determine the forces that deformed the rock; his discoveries helped form the key principles of structural geology. Van Hise also used his studies of the quartzite's conversion from sandstone to write the Treatise on Metamorphism in 1904, the first publication to describe the process of metamorphism in detail. University of Wisconsin geologists used Van Hise Rock to demonstrate the properties and principles which Van Hise discovered; the rock is still used in geological education and research.


The Safavid emperor Tahmasp I ransacked the monastery in 1534. In 1648, along with other buildings in the region, Varagavank was destroyed by an earthquake. Its restoration began immediately thereafter by monastery father Kirakos who found financial support among the wealthy merchants in Van. According to the 17th-century historian Arakel of Tabriz, four churches were restored and renovated.
The architect Tiratur built a square-planned gavit (narthex) west of Church of Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) in 1648. It functioned as a church during the 19th century, called Surb Gevorg. To the west of the narthex was a 17th-century three-arched open-air porch; to the north was Church of Surb Khach (Holy Cross); while to the south was the 17th-century Church of Surb Sion. Urartian cuneiform inscriptions were used as lintels on their western entrances.
Suleyman, the prince of Hoşap Castle, invaded the monastery in 1651, looting it of its Holy Cross, manuscripts, and treasures. The cross was later repurchased and it was added to the Tiramayr Church of Van in 1655.  The monastery declined in the late 17th century and, in 1679, many of its treasures were sold due to economic difficulties. Archbishop Bardughimeos Shushanetsi renovated the monastery in 1724.
In 1779, father Baghdasar vardapet decorated the narthex walls with frescoes of King Abgar V, Theodosius I, Saint Gayane, Hripsime, Khosrovidukht, and Gabriel. According to Murad Hasratyan, the unknown painter had fused together the styles of Armenian, Persian, and Western European art.


On 20 April 1915, some 30 gendarmes arrived at Varagavank and murdered the monastery's two monks together with four of their servants. The monastery remained under their occupation until 30 April, when, for unknown reasons, the gendarmes withdrew and returned to Van city. This withdrawal coincided with the arrival on Varag mountain of some 3000 Armenian refugees from the Hayatzor valley who had escaped the massacres that had taken place there several days earlier. They were soon joined by some 3000 survivors of massacres elsewhere, and together they found a temporary refuge in the Armenian villages and monasteries on the mountain, including Varagavank. Self-defense units were also set up in an attempt to protect the villages - about 250 men, almost half the force, was stationed at Varag, with most of the remainder based at nearby Shushants monastery. On the order of Van's governor, Djevdet Bey, Turkish forces returned in strength, with 300 calvarymen, 1000 militia, and three batteries of artillery. According to Kevorkian this was on 8 May. Shushants quickly fell after putting up a feeble defense and was burnt down. Varagavank fell shortly afterwards and was also burnt. The majority of the villagers and the refugees managed to escape to Van at night. The Turkish forces made no attempt to stop them entering the Armenian-controlled sectors of the city; it is speculated that they were deliberately allowed in so that they would use up the limited food supplies of the defenders.
The exact date of the burning of the monastery is not known for certain. On 27 April 1915, a message sent "To Americans, or any Foreign Consul" by Clarence Ussher and Ernest Yarrow, American missionaries in Van, said that "From our window we could plainly see Shushantz afire on its mountain-side and Varak Monastery, with its priceless store of ancient manuscripts, going up in smoke." However, a fellow missionary, Elizabeth Barrows Ussher, Clarence Ussher's wife, wrote in her diary that the monastery was attacked by 200 cavalry and foot soldiers on 30 April, but they were repulsed. She gave 4 May as the day the monastery was burned. Another missionary teacher, Grace H. Knapp, recounted, however, that "On the 8th May we saw the place in flames, and Varak Monastery near by, with its priceless ancient manuscripts, also went up in smoke."


The temple is a small monolithic rock-cut temple with a mandapa carved into the rock face of pink granite formations, dating from the 7th century. The cave is of smaller dimension and has a simple plan. The fluted columns separating the openings have cushion-shaped capitals and seated lions at the base. Certain Greco-Roman architectural styles could also be discerned and the sitting statues are said to have likeness to the sitting styles seen in European architecture, as against the Indian cross legged style. The style thus created at Mahabalipuram became a forerunner for South Indian style of architecture. The walls inside the cave have several striking mythological scenes carved in relief. Vishnu rescuing the earth, Vishnu taking three strides, Gaja Laksmi and Durga are all impressive panels carved in the Adivaraha Cave.


Close the French border the valley is divided in two sub-valleys named Valle di Bellino (south) and Valle di Chianale (north), which meet near Casteldelfino.
The municipalities of Varaita Valley are Bellino, Brossasco, Casteldelfino, Costigliole Saluzzo, Frassino, Isasca, Melle, Piasco, Pontechianale, Rossana, Sampeyre, Valmala, Venasca and Verzuolo.


In the existing site, three main structures were found. The front part is the Varendra Research Museum and the structural system is load-bearing brick wall. The linear rectangular building has two major functions: Administration and the Library. There is a Residential Block for officers and staff with a limited number of curators and the director. These structures have been constructed with brick. There is a garden in front of the director's residence with large old trees scattered among the entire site.
Services:
Gas, Water, Electricity is available with Internet, Postal, Cable and Phone Services.
Surrounding built form:
North: Hatem Kha boro mosque.
South: Chest disease hospital Jadhughor mor, Choto kutir, Boro kutir and Padma river
East:  Rajshahi Govt. Hospital, Shaheb bazar road and Rajshahi Railway Station
West: Residential zone, shops.


Varistaipale canal (Finnish: Varistaipaleen kanava) is a Finnish canal in Heinävesi.  It is another of the canals which connects Juojärvi to Varisvesi. The canal is a part of Heinävesi route (Heinäveden reitti), a route with six canals: Kerma, Vihovuonne, Pilppa, Karvio, Taivallahti and Varistaipale canals. The canal was built in 1911–1913 and has four locks. It is the biggest canal in Finland being the only canal to have this many locks. The height of drop totals 14.5 metres (48 ft) and the length is 1,100 metres (3,600 ft).
Next to the canal there is a canal museum.


A vaṭadāge (Sinhala: වටදාගෙ) is a type of Buddhist structure found in Sri Lanka. It also known as a dage, thupagara and a cetiyagara. Although it may have had some Indian influence, it is a structure that is more or less unique to the architecture of ancient Sri Lanka. Vatadages were built around small stupas for their protection, which often enshrined a relic or were built on hallowed ground. Circular in shape, they were commonly built of stone and brick and adorned with elaborate stone carvings. Vatadages may have also had a wooden roof, supported by a number of stone columns arranged in several concentric rows.
Only ten vatadages now remain in Sri Lanka. The builders of many of these monuments are unknown, as are their time of creation. The oldest such construction is believed to be the one surrounding the Thuparamaya. The best example of a vatadage is generally believed to be the Polonnaruwa Vatadage. Along with it, the vatadages at Medirigiriya and Thiriyaya remain more or less intact.


Swimming with Sharks (16 October 2007 – 19 January 2008) starring Christian Slater
The Importance of Being Earnest (22 January 2008 – 26 April 2008) starring Penelope Keith
The Deep Blue Sea (29 April 2008 – 5 July 2008) starring Greta Scacchi
The Female of the Species (16 July 2008 – 4 October  2008) starring Eileen Atkins and Anna Maxwell Martin
Piaf (14 October 2008 – 24 January 2009) starring Elena Roger
Woman in Mind (6 February 2009 – 2 May 2009) starring Janie Dee
Duet for One (12 May 2009 – 1 August 2009) starring Juliet Stevenson and Henry Goodman
Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today (1 September 2009 – 6 September 2009) starring Alan Cumming
Ed Byrne: Different Class (7 September 2009 – 19 September 2009) starring Ed Byrne
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (20 October 2009 – 30 January 2010) starring Diana Vickers, Lesley Sharp and Marc Warren
Marcus Brigstocke – God Collar (4 February 2010 – 10 February 2010) starring Marcus Brigstocke
Megan Mullally & Supreme Music Programme (16–21 February 2010) starring Megan Mullally
Private Lives (3 March 2010 – 1 May 2010) starring Kim Cattrall and Matthew Macfadyen
The Prisoner of Second Avenue (30 June 2010 – 11 September 2010) starring Jeff Goldblum and Mercedes Ruehl
Pam Ann – Flying High (29 September 2010 – 17 October 2010), starring Pam Ann
An Ideal Husband (4 November 2010 – 19 February 2011) starring Alexander Hanson and Samantha Bond
In a Forest, Dark and Deep (3 March 2011 – 4 June 2011) starring Matthew Fox and Olivia Williams
The Flying Karamazov Brothers (9 June 2011 – 20 August 2011)
Broken Glass (16 September 2011 – 10 December 2011) starring Antony Sher and Tara Fitzgerald
Swallows and Amazons (20 December 2011 – 14 January 2012)
Master Class (7 February 2012 – 28 April 2012) starring Tyne Daly
What the Butler Saw (16 May 2012 – 28 July 2012) starring Omid Djalili
Volcano (16 August 2012 – 29 September 2012) starring Jenny Seagrove
Paul Merton – Out of My Head (1 October 2012 – 12 October 2012) starring Paul Merton
Uncle Vanya (2 November 2012 – 26 January 2013) starring Ken Stott, Anna Friel and Samuel West
Great Expectations (6 February 2013 – 30 March 2013) starring Paula Wilcox
The West End Men (25 May 2013 – 22 June 2013) starring Lee Mead, David Thaxton, Matt Willis, Glenn Carter and Stephen Rahman-Hughes
The Ladykillers (29 June 2013 – 26 October 2013)
The Duck House (27 November 2013 – 29 March 2014) starring Ben Miller
Handbagged (10 April 2014 – 2 August 2014) starring Marion Bailey, Stella Gonet and Fenella Woolgar
Forbidden Broadway (15 September 2014 – 22 November 2014)
The Wind in the Willows (26 November 2014 – 17 January 2015)
Di and Viv and Rose (29 January 2015 – 14 March 2015) starring Tamzin Outhwaite, Samantha Spiro and Jenna Russell
Oppenheimer (31 March 2015 – 23 May 2015)
Just Jim Dale (28 May 2015 – 20 June 2015) starring Jim Dale
The Importance of Being Earnest (1 July 2015 – 4 November 2015) starring David Suchet
Bill Bailey: Limbo Land (10 December 2015 – 17 January 2016) starring Bill Bailey
Hand to God (15 February 2016 – 30 April 2016) starring Janie Dee and Neil Pearson
Hobson's Choice (14 June 2016 – 10 September 2016) starring Martin Shaw
My Family: Not the Sitcom (15 September 2016 – 15 October 2016) starring David Baddiel
Dead Funny (3 November 2016 – 4 February 2017) starring Steve Pemberton, Ralf Little and Katherine Parkinson
The Boys in the Band (7 February 2017 – 18 February 2017) starring Mark Gatiss, Ian Hallard and Daniel Boys
Stepping Out (14 March 2017 – 17 June 2017) starring Amanda Holden, Natalie Casey, Anna-Jane Casey and Tracy-Ann Oberman
The Mentor (4 July 2017 – 2 September 2017) starring F. Murray Abraham
True West (23 November 2018 – 23 February 2019) starring Kit Harington and Johnny Flynn
Emilia (21 March 2019 – 15 June 2019)
The Worst Witch (24 July 2019 – 8 September 2019)
Six (29 September 2021 - booking until April 2023) music and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss


Vault Beach (also Bow Beach) is situated on the south coast of Cornwall, England, UK, near Gorran Haven. The beach consists mainly of shingle but does have some sand at low tide. Vault Beach faces southeast onto the English Channel and lies between Cadythew Rocks in the north and Dodman Point at the southern end.
Car parking is available in Gorran Haven and Lamledra which are both some distance from the beach. Toilet facilities are available at Gorran Haven. The southern end of the beach tends to attract naturists.
Vault beach was named Vault as during the wind powered days of sail should a ship or boat mess up its navigation and flounder upon the Dodman (Deadman) the bodies would normally wash up on this stretch of beach. The Dodman was quite easy to mistake with Lands End and with the wrong winds could end up with disastrous consequences.


The fortress was originally constructed by Gustav Vasa in 1548 to defend Stockholm against shipborne attacks from the east. This wooden blockhouse was replaced by a stone tower during Johan III's reign.  Most of the current structure dates from 1833–1863. Its design was inspired by the ideas on fortifications propounded by the French engineers Marc René Montalbert and Lazare Carnot. Russian prisoners-of-war were used in part to build the fortress. The stretch of water below the building was formerly the main sea route to Stockholm. Thus, the fortress was strategically situated to defend the city from naval attacks. The Danes attacked it in 1612 and the Russian navy in 1719.
Since the mid-19th century, its military importance has ceased. So weak had the fort become that it was said the great Prussian field marshal von Moltke was only ever seen to smile twice – once when they told him his mother-in-law was dead and again when he saw Vaxholm Fort. Today, it is home to the Vaxholm Fortress Museum.


Located near the mouth of the Adriatic Sea, Corfu was a very strategic location for Venice and the Venetians built extensive fortifications to defend the island against incursions. The island  was also at the centre of their naval operations in the Levant. As part of their defence plans the Venetians stationed two squadrons in Corfu, one of twenty five galleys, the other of twelve heavy sailing ships. Two Venetian Vice Admirals oversaw the naval operations in Corfu, one for each squadron.
In the aftermath of the second great siege of Corfu by the Ottomans in 1716, the Venetians, as part of their reinforcement of the fortifications of Corfu, built the arsenal to service their ships, that used the bay as a port.  Besides its strategic importance, the location was near a forested area that could provide high quality wood for ship repairs.
The shipyard at Gouvia was part of a network of Venetian arsenals and naval stations in Greece, including shipyards in the Aegean Sea, Epirus, the Peloponnese, the Kingdom of Candia (modern Crete) and even Venice itself. Aside from Corfu, such locations in Greece included Methoni, Koroni, Chalkis, Preveza, Chania and Heraklion.
The keystone of the arched gate at the entrance to the shipyard bears the inscription"ZBM/ANNO/MDCCL/XXVIII" in four lines.  "ANNO MDCCLXXVIII" means "year 1778". The letters "ZBM" are probably the initials of one of the Venetian captains who constructed the arsenal and added their coat of arms and initials to the buildings. (This practice by the Venetian captains has been documented in the late-18th-century writings of French consul to Corfu Saint-Sauveur.)
The arsenal at Gouvia was supposed to be used for ship repairs during the winter after each fleet had returned from their yearly campaign during peacetime.  However, the Venetian Senate became alarmed at the prospect of an arsenal in proximity to Venice which could potentially compete with  the central arsenal in Venice.  In order to protect the privileges of the latter, the Senate limited the repair activities at Corfu to basic maintenance such as cleaning and caulking. Many captains, instead of repairing their damaged ships at the arsenal, chose to sink them.
As time went on, the number of ships being serviced at the location declined. Use of the site was finally discontinued when the Treaty of Campo Formio, signed on 18 October 1798, put an end to the Republic of Venice and to the Venetian dominion over Corfu, which had lasted for over 400 years.
Admiral Ushakov landed his troops at the site of the arsenal and created a military camp there during the Siege of Corfu in 1798. The arsenal also functioned as a base for the French in 1917–1918.


WikiWeb_Venice Seaboard Air Line Railway Station_1

In the 1870s, Richard Roberts established a homestead near Roberts Bay. In 1884, he sold a portion of his holdings to Frank Higel. Higel established a citrus operation involving the production of several lines of canned citrus items, and for the next 30 years the Higel family members were boat builders, fishermen, grove caretakers and contractors. Darwin Curry was the first postmaster. The Higel and Curry families chose the name "Venice" for their community post office, located south of Shakett Creek on what is now Portia Street in the unincorporated community of Nokomis.
The Seaboard Air Line (SAL) was the first railroad to expand its network into Sarasota County, Florida, extending tracks first to Sarasota in 1903 and Fruitville in 1905. The SAL extended their network into Venice in 1911, at the instigation of Mrs. Potter ("Bertha") Palmer, whose family had just purchased thousands of acres south of Fruitville and adjacent to the Venice area. The first depot in Venice was located originally at the junction of what is now Tampa and Nokomis Avenues.
In 1925, Fred H. Albee purchased 2,916 acres (1,180 ha) of land from the Venice-Sarasota Company. Albee had previously developed Nokomis and built its first luxury hotel, known as the Pollyanna Inn. Albee asked John Nolen to design a city on his land, but Albee did not have a chance to implement his city plan before he was approached with a proposal from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) to purchase the land in October 1925. The purchase was motivated by a desire by the BLE to increase the union's assets and holdings in the area.
The BLE Realty Corporation was organized to develop the area, and the Venice Company was created to market property. The company retained Nolen to complete a city plan in 1926. Nolen moved the SAL tracks eastward to the present location of the Venice depot. The new depot was designed by New York architectural firm of Walker & Gillette (still extant today under the name Swanke Hayden Connell Architects), who the BLE retained to design most of the new buildings they were planning for Venice. Walker & Gillette designed the depot in harmony with the other structures in Venice, adopting a Mediterranean Revival style then highly popular in Florida due to its warm climate and Spanish heritage. The spare, unornamented exterior yellow stucco surfaces, in combination with the simple arched and blocky volumes gently-sloping red tile roofs seen in the depot building are the hallmarks of this style. The structure of the building under the stucco used a hollow clay tile.
For a town as small as Venice was, the train station was commodious, boasting a 400-foot-long platform, baggage and freight rooms, a prominent tower, extensive arcades spanning the length of the platform, and (as was normal in much of the United States at the time) segregated white and colored waiting rooms. As Venice was a planned city, the large size of the depot can probably be explained by its founders' hopes that it would grow to the point where it would require such a grand reception for prodigious rail service. The total cost of the depot was $47,500. It opened for service on March 27, 1927.
The Venice Seaboard Air Line Depot became an important point of transit for the city over the next forty-five years. It was served by great SCL trains such as the Camellia and the Orange Blossom Special. The station regularly welcomed Kentucky Military Institute students and faculty for annual winter terms, beginning in January 1933. It became the primary point of entry to the city for U.S. Army material and personnel once the Army established an air base in Venice in 1942, during World War II.
The SAL ran a section of its Silver Meteor, from Tampa to Bradenton, Sarasota and finally to the Venice station. The Silver Meteor offered through coaches and sleepers (no transfer needed) from New York City on this section. In 1960s, when passenger rail traffic had become moribund across the US, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus used it for shipping their equipment and operations around the country once they moved to Venice in 1960. Operations were taken over by the new Seaboard Coast Line in 1967 when it was formed from the merger of the SAL and its rival, the Atlantic Coast Line Railway. Passenger service to the station finally ceased on April 30, 1971 with the consolidation of nearly all the nation's passenger trains into the new National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), which came into existence the following day, May 1. The last passenger train crew operating from Venice to Tampa on April 30, 1971 consisted of Frank Riddle, Engineer; James Marshall, Conductor; John Scott, Fireman and (unknown), Baggage Master.
In 1998, Sarasota County acquired the building, which is the last extant railroad depot in its jurisdiction, and local government undertook restoration of the structure, including archaeological excavations.  Today the city of Venice has incorporated the grounds of the historic depot into the Venetian Waterway Park, which covers both banks of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, bordering the depot's grounds to the west. The SAL tracks have largely been removed and the station now houses the Venice Area Historical Society Museum, along with event space that can be privately rented. Bus service to the area is provided from the arcaded waiting area at the south end of the station. A former red Seaboard Air Line freight car, now restored and used as offices for the Historical Society, stands beyond the station's north end adjacent to a large freestanding wooden deck. A historic marker was installed by the Sarasota County Historical Commissions in 2003.


The area was originally a rough and muddy field used for grazing cattle, but in 1824 Julius Høegh-Guldberg rented the area of Aarhus Municipality for a period of 25 years, with the intention of creating a new commercial recreational area. In 1830, the new park opened under the name Vennelystparken after extensive landscaping. The park was a fenced, guarded and required a fee for entry, but still became a popular recreational destination for the Aarhus citizens.
In 1849, permission was given to build a small theatre in the park, initiating a century long cultural high-point in the history of the park. The theatre hosted innumerable parties, social events, concerts, song performances and became the usual venue for touring theatre groups, vaudeville and circuses. Fireworks and hot air balloon shows, were also popular and in 1880 the first summer revue was held, a tradition that lasted 60 years. In the fall of 1896, a "Sami-caravane" consisting of two Sami families, eight reindeer and their dogs, became an exhibition and attraction. The theatre was decorated in a suitably winterish landscape and entrants were charged a fee to see performances. The Sami dogs multiplied during their stay, and became high fashion in Aarhus at the time.
In 1897, a new wooden venue was built, designed by Thorvald Jørgensen in National Romantic style, with a characteristic 35m tall lookout tower. It burned in 1908 but the year after a new theatre was built, supplemented by an outdoor scene in 1910. The upper social classes started frequenting the park at this time and it was a fashionable and popular location through the 1920s and 1930s. In January 1945, in the latter months of the German occupation, the Vennelyst Theatre was bombed during a schalburgtage terror attack. It was never rebuilt and the park today remains open-air.
In 1957, Aarhus University expanded its campus to include Vennelystparken. Architect C. F. Møller designed a building for education in Journalism and many other buildings has followed, including education buildings for nurses and dentists, student housing and an arts museum. In 1973 the journalist education moved to the Danish School of Media and Journalism and in 2002, the arts museum moved out and has exhibited in the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum since 2004. Today all the buildings are owned and administered by Aarhus University and used for education, research or housing.


The island, the remains of an ancient volcano, is elongated, with a length of 3 kilometres (2 miles) and a maximum width of about 800 metres (2,600 feet).
The municipality includes the small ancillary island of Santo Stefano, located 2 km (1+1⁄4 mi) to the east, which was the site of a massive prison, now closed. Further islands are Ponza, Palmarola and Zannone, located 40 km (25 mi) to the west.


Ventotene is a well-known birdwatching location as the island serves as an essential stopover point for large numbers of migratory birds. The bird observatory, which was founded in 1988, rings approximately 20,000 birds a year. During the height of the spring migration in April and May, thousands of birds arrive daily from North Africa’s coasts after having flown 400 – 500 km non-stop. The Pontian Archipelago offers the first chance to stop after the prolonged flight and, due to the tiny size of Ventotene, the concentration of birds of numerous species is extremely high. The exhausted birds rest and feed frenetically quite indifferent to human presence, allowing birdwatchers to observe and photograph them as in few other places in Italy.
The bird observatory is part of PPI (Progetto Piccole Isole), a project which has studied the bird migration across the Mediterranean since 1988 at 46 sites in seven countries. The results of these studies led to the creation of the Ventotene Bird Migration Museum in 2006.


The island is connected by a daily ferry and hydrofoil service to Formia provided by the ferry company Laziomar. This is supplemented by summer services to Anzio and Terracina on the mainland, and the nearby island Ponza. During the summer months, SNAV also operates routes between Ventotene and Naples, as well as the island of Ischia.


Near the bridge is a memorial structure built in memory of all the construction workers who lost their lives in the course of building the bridge and its nearby tunnels. The Austrian Engineer Walter Aigner, following his wishes, is buried in the local cemetery of Veresk. Under the bridge is a tunnel through which trains pass after crossing the bridge and gradually dropping altitude and before pulling into the train station. During World War II, it was known as the Pol-e-Piroozi, or the bridge of victory. During the course of the war, Reza Shah was asked by Hitler to blow up all tunnels and bridges, including the Veresk Bridge, on Iran's railway lines in order to delay the transfer of goods and reinforcement troops to the north for the Russians. He furthermore promised to replace and reconstruct all of such demolished structures following the Germans’ victory in the war. Reza Shah rejected the request. Today trains connecting Tehran to Gorgan or Sari pass over this bridge an average of 4 times a day.


Verinag is located at 33.55°N 75.25°E. It has an average elevation of 1,851 metres (6,076 feet). This town is located in the vicinity of Banihal pass of Pir Panjal mountain range. Major towns located near this place are Anantnag, Kokernag, Achabal and Qazigund.


Verla is a typical example of a late-19th-century wood-processing mill village.  The mill owner's residence, made out of wood, and the surrounding park are located on the western side of the river along with the factory buildings, and the workers' houses are arranged in a regular pattern on the eastern side. Most of the factory buildings are made out of red brick, and despite their somewhat outdated Neo Gothic style, they were technologically advanced for the time. These include the mill, the drying-plant, a flour mill and a few storehouses. Along the river, there are three power plants, constructed in the 1920s, 1954 and 1995. Prehistoric rock art (roughly 6,000 years old) was found on the eastern side of the river, depicting elk, humans and geometric patterns in red ink.


The Vermio Mountains (Greek: Βέρμιο), known in antiquity as the Bermion (Greek: Βέρμιον), is a mountain range in northern Greece. It lies between the Imathia Regional Unit of the Central Macedonia Region and the Kozani Regional Unit of the Western Macedonia Region. The range is west of the plain of Kambania. The town of Veria, which is the capital of Imathia, is built on the foot of these mountains. The highest point in the range is the peak Chamiti (Greek: Χαμίτη), 2,065 metres (6,775 ft) elevation, west of Naousa. In Turkish the mountain is known as Karatash (Karataş), and in Bulgarian it is known as Karakamen (Каракамен).
The Vermio Mountains are the site of ski resorts such as Seli and Tria Pente Pigadia.
It was mentioned in antiquity by Pliny, Strabo, Stephen of Byzantium, Hierocles, Ptolemy, and Thucydides and Herodotus. In classical times the mountain was thought by Herodotus to be impassible and according to tradition, paradise was to be held on the other side. During Hellenistic times was an internal boundary of the Macedonian state.


The Vero Beach Diesel Power Plant (also known as the City of Vero Beach Municipal Power Plant) is a historic power plant in Vero Beach, Florida. Located at 1133 19th Place, the Vero Beach Diesel Power Plant was built in 1926 replacing an earlier power plant due to the areas extensive growth. It was built in the masonry vernacular style by architects Carter and Damerow and by the engineering firm of Kennard and Sons. The structure was the city's first public utilitarian facility. It is also the city's oldest municipal building. On February 26, 1999, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.  In June 2016, the Diesel Plant was sold to real estate developer Michael R. Rechter.  Following a $6 million renovation, the building and property were adapted and reutilized as American Icon Brewery - a brewpub/production brewery which opened in September 2017.


The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is owned by Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority bondholders who paid for the bridge at its construction. It is operated by the TBTA, which is an affiliate agency of the MTA, using the business name MTA Bridges and Tunnels. The bridge carries Interstate 278, which continues onto the Staten Island Expressway to the west and the Gowanus Expressway to the northeast. The Verrazzano, in combination with the Goethals Bridge and the Staten Island Expressway, created a new way for commuters and travelers to reach Brooklyn, Long Island, and Manhattan by car from New Jersey.


Three local bus routes operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations use the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge: the S53 local route, the S79 Select Bus Service route, and the S93 limited-stop route. The bridge also carries 20 express bus routes that connect Staten Island with Manhattan and are also operated by New York City Transit. They are the SIM1, SIM1C, SIM2, SIM3, SIM3C, SIM4, SIM4C, SIM4X, SIM5, SIM6, SIM7, SIM9, SIM10, SIM15, SIM31, SIM32, SIM33, SIM33C, SIM34, and SIM35.
Subway tracks were proposed for the bridge early in the planning process, but Moses rejected them, ostensibly over cost concerns. Other bridges proposed and built by Moses, including the Triborough Bridge, Henry Hudson Bridge, Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, and Throgs Neck Bridge, also lack provisions for subway tracks. According to biographer Robert Caro, Moses purposely excluded any provisions for mass transit on his bridges in order to promote private transportation.


The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge was not built with a pedestrian walkway. At the time, it was seen as too expensive, and planners believed the lack of a walkway would help prevent suicide jumps. Non-motorized transportation is limited to using the bridge during the New York City Marathon and Five Boro Bike Tour. In 1976, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge was designated as the starting point of the New York City Marathon. The 1976 marathon was the first year in the marathon's six-year history that its course went outside Manhattan. Since then, the marathon has started at the bridge's Staten Island end every year.
The lack of a walkway did not stop suicides completely, since by 1975, four people had died after jumping off the bridge. The number of suicides has increased over time, despite efforts at deterrence. A sign that says "Life Is Worth Living" is located on the Staten Island approach. In 2008, the MTA also installed six suicide hotlines on the bridge. In December 2019, the MTA began installing a prototype suicide barrier after a series of fatal jumps from the bridge. A permanent suicide barrier began to be installed in 2021 and is to be completed by the end of 2022.


Vester Egesborg Church (Danish: Vester Egesborg Kirke) is located in Næstved Municipality of Region Zealand, Denmark. It was built in 1250–1300, with the addition of the tower and vestry around 1500. The choir was rebuilt at the end of the 18th century. The pulpit and altarpiece were carved around the middle of the 17th century by Abel Schrøder in the auricular style. The wrought iron baptismal font from the 1670s bears the arms of Niels Trolle and Helle Rosenkrantz. A farmer, John Jensen, believed that a church should also have a ship, so with his wife, he bequeathed money for that purpose; Neptunus hangs from the ceiling of the church.
The exterior faces of the church are in red brick with a stepped gable. It is located at a distance of about 3 miles (4.8 km) to the north of Kong where there is another church.


The church was built in the early Gothic style in brick masonry over a partially existing structure. However, the tower was built in the late Gothic period with a vestry facing the north and with cross vaults. The chancel was fully rebuilt in 1780 but the old Gothic arch was preserved. The elaborately carved Baroque altarpiece (1669) was made in the workshop of Abel Schrøder in Næstved. The altarpiece has a large central scene of the Last Supper flanked by the Evangelists. The side panels have depictions of the Baptism, Birth, Bearing the Cross and Gethsemane. The top section contains a scene of the Crucifixion and the monograms of Frederik III and Sophie Amalie. It also bears the carved arms of Frederick Reedtz. The pedestal depicts the Washing of the Feet flanked by Peter and Paul. The altarpiece is similar to that in Vejlø Church.
Frederick Reedtz, the lensmand or vassal responsible for Vordingborg, an important figure in the area, paid for the altarpiece and the pulpit crafted in carved oak by the Schrøder workshop. The pulpit (1632) is decorated with the figures of the Evangelists while the canopy bears Christian IV's monogram and the arms of Frederick Reedtz. The wrought iron font from the 1670s displays the arms of Niels Trolle and Lisa Rosenkrantz. Altarpieces, pulpits and chairs and gables all bear the Reedtz arms.
Within the church premises there are tombstones and epitaphs for the Frederick Reedtz who was buried here. Some of the headstones are dated from 1450 to 1600. The oldest headstone shows two coats of arms and the later ones, of Frederick Reedtz and his wife, show 16. There are epitaphs of both sandstone and wood.


Vesterbrogade ([vestɐˈpʁoˌkɛːðə]) is the main shopping street of the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. The 1.5 km long street runs from the City Hall Square in the east to Pile Allé in Frederiksberg in the west where it turns into Roskildevej. On its way, it passes Copenhagen Central Station as well as the small triangular square Vesterbros Torv. It is one of four such -bro streets, the other being Nørrebrogade, Østerbrogade and Amagerbrogade.


The Veterans Memorial Wall is located at 1145 East Adams Street, adjacent to the Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. The quarter-million dollar monument was dedicated in November, 1995 and serves as a tribute to more than 1,500 Jacksonville area American war heroes. The outdoor memorial was promoted as "the largest of its kind" and "the only wall that honors veterans from all six [service] branches" (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine).
The 65 foot-long black granite monument contains the names of servicemen and women from World War I through Operation Desert Storm and the current war on terrorism. In front of the wall stands a torch with an eternal flame.
The Wall is the site of the city's Memorial Day ceremony, when any local servicewoman and serviceman who lost their lives in the prior year are honored and their names added to the obelisque.
Every Memorial Day since the monument was completed, a group of family, friends and classmates of Navy pilot Scott Speicher gather at the wall. Speicher, who grew up in Jacksonville, was shot down on the first night of Operation Desert Storm in 1991. His remains went unrecovered until August 2, 2009.
When the Wall was built, it was located just eight feet from the exterior wall of the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and extraordinary measures were taken to protect it when the Coliseum was demolished in 2003. When all of the debris was removed and the site restored to grade, the Memorial was surrounded by a 2-acre (8,100 m²) walking park.
An additional 2,500 pound base and 5,000 pound panel were added in 2005 to provide space for those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it became clear that the single panel would not be sufficient, based on the course of the war, so one more was added prior to the Memorial Day ceremony in 2010, the 15th anniversary of the monument. Ten names were added in 2010, four of which are on the most recent panel, which brings the total number to over 1,600. Four more names were added in 2014.


Initially, like other streets in the Ludovisi neighborhood, Via Veneto was dedicated to an Italian region, in this case, Venetia. After the First World War, the name was changed to commemorate the Battle of Vittorio Veneto.
The street was built in the 1880s, during a real estate boom subsequent to the annexation of Rome to the new Kingdom of Italy. In the 1950s and 60s, Via Veneto acquired international fame as the centre of la dolce vita ("the sweet life"), when its bars and restaurants attracted Hollywood stars and jet set personalities such as Audrey Hepburn, Anita Ekberg, Anna Magnani, Gary Cooper, Orson Welles, Tennessee Williams, Jean Cocteau and Coco Chanel.  The 1960 film La Dolce Vita by Federico Fellini immortalized Via Veneto's hyperactive lifestyle, lights, and crawling stream of honking traffic. Some of Rome's most renowned cafés and five star hotels, like Café de Paris, Harry's Bar, Regina Hotel Baglioni, and The Westin Excelsior, Rome, are located in Via Veneto. The Embassy of the United States, housed in Palazzo Margherita, is located along the avenue.


Plans were drawn up several times over the years for the construction of a major link between the Vatican City and the centre of Rome; the number of submissions increasing dramatically with the onset of the Italian Renaissance. The first design was submitted by Leone Battista Alberti during the reign of Pope Nicholas V, and formed one of the two perennial designs proposed for the area. Alberti envisioned an "open" plan, consisting of a single voluminous V-shaped boulevard, widest at St. Peter's Basilica itself and tapering as it approached the Tiber. The other scheme of designs submitted by architects was a "closed" plan that would consist of two roads arching outwards in an ellipse, with the Tiber and the Square at opposite ends. Proponents of a closed plan would usually suggest that the space between the two causeways be separated by a colonnade, or by a row of inhabited structures whose designs would be scrutinised and approved by architects employed by the Holy See. Variations on both themes were submitted time and time again. Proponents of an "open" plan included such architects as Giovanni Battista Nolli and Cosimo Morelli. A number of other architects, such as Carlo Fontana, and at least one Pope (Sixtus V) favoured a "closed" design, with a number of streets radiating from the central square, maintaining the "spina", or spine, of the structures of Borgo directly between the square and the Tiber. Neither approach moved beyond sketches and blueprints. Both open and closed designs were considered by the Vatican, but were ultimately discarded for reasons of expense. A thorough examination of the costs of constructing a thoroughfare was made by the Vatican-approved St. Peter's Building Commission in 1651. Their conclusion was that "the cardinals' proposal to demolish all the buildings between the Borgo Nuovo and the Borgo Vecchio for a greater and longer vista to the church" would be infeasible due to inordinately high expropriation costs and vested property interests.
Further momentum was lost when Gian Lorenzo Bernini was commissioned to redesign the terrace in front of the Basilica in 1656. After discarding several sketches, Bernini settled on a colossal open space in the shape of an ellipse. With the potential expense of clearing Borgo, Bernini decided instead to make use of the warren of poorly maintained medieval buildings to obscure any view of the Vatican structures from any significant distance. In this way, pilgrims emerged from the relative darkness of the city into the vast open space and grandeur of the Square and its surrounding buildings – a sight calculated to inspire awe in first-time visitors to the Holy See's seat of power. Bernini had originally planned to demolish a square roughly 100 m to a side directly in front of the square, filling the space with a third colonnade (or "terzo braccio") to match the two still standing today. This would afford a longer vantage point to allow visitors a better viewing angle of the new Basilica. The death of his patron, Pope Alexander VII, put a halt to Bernini's work. The third set of columns was abandoned, and Bernini's piazza remained open-ended and incomplete.
From the final major reconstruction of Borgo in the 15th century, the site which the Via della Conciliazione now covers remained occupied by residential, religious, and historical buildings for nearly 500 years. The final impetus behind the road's construction was primarily political. Borgo, along with the rest of the Papal States outside of the Vatican itself, was taken by the Kingdom of Italy during the Italian unification in the 19th Century – leading to Pope Pius IX's declaration that he had become a prisoner in the Vatican and the formation of the Roman Question. For the next 59 years, the Popes refused to leave the Vatican, in order to avoid any appearance of accepting the authority wielded by the Italian government over Rome as a whole. Initially, parts of the Italian government welcomed this, expecting the influence of the Papacy to fade to the point that enough political support could be gained to abolish it altogether. However, this failed to come to pass, and eventually a compromise acceptable to both states was reached in the Lateran treaty of 1929.


Viamala or Via Mala (Romansh: literally, "bad path") is a narrow gorge along the river Hinterrhein between Zillis-Reischen and Thusis in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, as well as the ancient and notorious pathway which traverses the gorge. Historically the Viamala was the most serious obstacle on the approach to the Splügen and San Bernardino mountain passes.


The castle is open to visitors throughout the year from 10 am to 4 pm every day. In March and October, the closing time is extended to 5 pm and in the summer months to 6 pm. Guided tours are also available.


In 1994, the building was designed as an art hall and has since been one of the leading exhibition venues for contemporary art in Denmark. Prior artist exhibitions include notable works of Henrik Vibskov, Andreas Emenius, Per Arnoldi, Kent Klich
Viborg Kunsthal also has a well-established residency program, offering workshop facilities, assistance for practical and art-related tasks, and access to a local, national and international network.


It has been the home of Watford since 1922, when the club moved from Cassio Road. The ground was officially opened by Col. Charles Healey of Benskins Brewery for the visit of Millwall on 30 August 1922. In addition to being Watford's home since opening, the stadium was also home to Wealdstone F.C. between 1991 and 1993, and to rugby union side Saracens from 1997 until they moved to their new home of Copthall Stadium in north London in February 2013.
After purchasing the freehold of the stadium from Benskins in January 2002, Watford's financial situation forced them to sell and lease back the stadium later that year. However, after a campaign entitled 'Let's Buy Back The Vic' with donations coming from fans, as well as celebrity former owner Elton John donating the entire proceeds of a concert held at the venue, the club was able to repurchase the stadium in September 2004.
On 1 September 2011 it hosted England under-21s 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group 8 match against Azerbaijan under-21s. The hosts thrashed the visitors 6 – 0 with braces from Craig Dawson and Henri Lansbury and single goals from Jordan Henderson and Martyn Waghorn. There were 7,738 in attendance.


The stadium hosted the final of the Copa del Rey (also previously known as the Copa del Generalísimo) on 14 occasions: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2017.


The Victoria Bridge is a vehicular and pedestrian bridge over the Brisbane River. The current bridge, opened in 1969, is the third permanent crossing erected at this location. Since 24 January 2021, the bridge was closed to general traffic and carried buses, pedestrians and cyclists only.
The Victoria Bridge, the Brisbane River's first road crossing has had a long and interesting history. Since 1865 there have been several versions of the bridge built to connect South Brisbane (near the South Bank Parklands and Queensland Cultural Centre) to the Brisbane central business district (CBD) at North Quay. Half of the road space on the bridge is now given over to the South-East Busway. In the 2006 Brisbane City Centre Draft Masterplan, a new crossing immediately adjacent to the Victoria Bridge, tentatively named the Adelaide Street Bridge was recommended for a feasibility study.


In the main garden there is a café, open in the warmer periods, and a band shell where concerts are held daily in June and July.  A charge is made for seats in the enclosure, but the concerts can easily be heard outside on the paths' seats. The York Water Gate can be seen adjacent to the Villier Street entrance. This marks the original bank of the Thames, which is now 135 metres away. Public toilets are outside the gardens' Embankment gate next to the underground station.


To the front, the exterior has a symmetrical, eleven-bay Italianate facade, with vermiculated quoins at ground floor level and pilaster quoins to the first floor. The central bay of the building breaks forward. On top of this bay is an elaborate square tower with pyramidal ashlar roof. Each side of the tower has a modillioned segmental pediment on an enriched entablature, supported by Corinthian columns, framing slender, round-arched windows. The central portal has double, panelled doors, fanlight, and large open segmental pediment supported on large consoles. The tympanum has a cartouche bearing the Salt family coat of arms, flanked by the carved figures of Art and Science by Thomas Milnes.
At basement level, the windows are square-headed, while at ground and first floor level the windows are round-arched and archivolted, the first floor windows being framed by fluted Corinthian colonnettes, and with carved head keystones and blind balustrade with turned balusters. There is a dentilled cornice between the ground and first floors. The modillioned cornice forms the base to a deep, panelled parapet decorated with rosettes and pedimented piers with grotesque winged beasts supporting iron finials. Three-bay return elevations.
The main hall projects at the rear. It is seven bays long by five bays wide with tall slender round-arched windows with glazing bars and circles in heads.


On 26 September 1906 the foundation stone for the new Victoria Hall was laid followed by a celebratory lunch at the Cutlers Hall. The Hall was opened on Thursday 24 September 1908 with the final cost being in excess of £40,000, a huge sum at the time, but the Wesleyan mission cleared the debt within three years. The total expenditure included the outlay for extra land, with Sheffield entrepreneur Thomas Cole donating land for an enlarged site for the new church . The new Hall was originally designed by Waddington Son & Dunkerley but much of the design was re-worked by William John Hale (1862–1929) in 1908. Hale blended Gothic and Arts and Crafts styles and was instrumental in designing the large Baroque top to the tower. The carved decorations on the hall are by Alfred and William Tory and portrayals of the Wesley brothers are integrated into the design.
The new hall was part of the Forward Movement of the Methodist church inspired by Hugh Price Hughes who called for a national religion which preached to the poor and resulted in the building of Central Halls in most of Britain's large cities. One of the Hall's first accomplishments was to set up the Sheffield Mission Labour Yard in Joiner Lane off The Wicker. This tackled the high level of unemployment of the time and by June 1909 had provided 5,903 days work to almost 6,000 men. The yard closed in 1915 as the First World War reduced unemployment to virtually nil. The Hall has always had strong connections with Trade unionism and in September 1909 the Trade Union Congress held its annual conference at the hall, since then various unions have held meetings there. In the Hall's early days the surrounding area was densely populated and thousands of young people attended Sunday School, Scouting, Girl Guides and Boys' Brigade.


Fame – The Musical (3 October 2000 – 8 September 2001) by Jacques Levy and Steve Margoshes
Kiss Me, Kate (30 August 2001 – 24 August 2002)
Grease (2 October 2002 – 6 September 2003) starring Ben Richards and Lee Latchford-Evans
Tonight's the Night (7 November 2003 – 9 October 2004)
Billy Elliot the Musical (11 May 2005 – 9 April 2016) by Lee Hall, starring Tim Healy and Haydn Gwynne.
Hamilton: An American Musical (21 December 2017 – present) by Lin-Manuel Miranda


In the latter half of the 19th Century, Victoria Park became an essential amenity for the working classes of the East End. For some East End children in the 1880s, this may have been the only large stretch of uninterrupted greenery they ever encountered. Facilities like the Bathing Pond (picture right) —later superseded by the park lido—would have introduced many to swimming in an era when many public baths (like that at Shacklewell) were still simply communal washing facilities.
Victoria Park's reputation as the 'People's Park' grew as it became a centre for political meetings and rallies, perhaps exceeding in importance than the more well-known Hyde Park in this regard. The park occupies much of the space between Tower Hamlets — experiencing poverty in the 19th century and with a tradition of socialist and revolutionary agitation — and Hackney, more genteel, but heir to a legacy of religious dissent and non-conformism that led to its own brand of reformism. So there was a lot of activity at Speaker's Corners.
Although any one could set up their own soapbox, the biggest crowds were usually drawn to 'star' socialist speakers such as William Morris and Annie Besant.
This description by J. H. Rosney, correspondent for Harper's Magazine (February 1888) evokes a scene:
On the big central lawn are scattered numerous groups, some of which are very closely packed. Almost all the religious sects of England and all the political and social parties are preaching their ideas and disputing [...]
On this lawn the listener, as his fancy prompts him, may assist on Malthusianism, atheism, agnosticism, secularism, Calvinism, socialism, anarchism, Salvationism, Darwinism, and even, in exceptional cases, Swedenborgianism and Mormonism. I once heard there a prophet, a man who professed to be inspired by the Holy Ghost; but this prophet ended by being locked up in an asylum, where he will have to convert the doctor before he can recover his liberty.
The tradition of public speaking in the park continued until well after the Second World War, and was still later reflected in politically oriented rock concerts, such as those held by Rock Against Racism and the Anti-Nazi League in the 1970s and 1980s. And it is still not uncommon for marches or demonstrations to begin or end in Victoria Park.
On 26 June 2014, a campaign to revive the Speakers' Corner at Victoria Park was launched at a democratic theatre event held in Shoreditch Town Hall. Hosted by The People Speak, a participatory campaign and events group, 66 audience members deliberated over how to use the pooled cash revenue from their tickets, and eventually voted to recreate the well-known tradition of free speech and debate in Hyde Park in East London's Victoria Park. The campaign was to formally launch in July 2014.


During the Second World War, Victoria Park was largely closed to the public and effectively became one huge Ack-Ack (anti-aircraft) site.  The gun emplacements conveniently straddled the path of German Luftwaffe bombers looping north west after attacking the docks and warehouses further south in what is now Tower Hamlets, and so the park was of some strategic importance.
Prisoner of war camps were erected along the north eastern edge parallel to Victoria Park Road and were used to house both Germans and Italians. An air raid shelter was built underground just inside St Marks Gate. On 15 October 1940 a bomb made a direct hit, trapping around a hundred inside and killing fifteen. Much of the park was taken to be used as part of the war effort, which much of the earth being used for allotments, military stations and barrage balloon sites, even the park railings were melted down to be re-used.
More controversially, anti-aircraft activity in the park has been implicated in the crowd panic that caused the Bethnal Green tube disaster of 1943. Some eyewitness accounts have led to the suggestion that, after several air raid alerts, the panic run for shelter was caused by a gigantic explosion of noise from the direction of the park. A BBC documentary on the event suggests that this was due to the first firing of the new Z-Battery anti-aircraft rockets. The UK Ministry of Defence, however, disputes this account.
The war destroyed many of the park's beautiful early features: three lodges including the Bonner Lodge were completely reduced to rubble, the palm house was shattered, St Augustine's Church collapsed in on itself and the pagoda, moorish shelter and lido were all damaged. With finances tight after the war ended, most were torn down rather than repaired.


London Buses Routes 277, 425 serve the heart of the park, 8, 339, D6, and Night Route N8 on Roman Road. 309 and D3 at London Chest Hospital via Approach Road. 388 (westbound) on Victoria Park Road.
Mile End tube station for the Central line, District line, Hammersmith & City line services to Stratford, Upminster, Barking or Central London is 10min via Grove Road, you can take the 277 or 425 to Mile End which is 5min away. Cambridge Heath station for National Rail services to Liverpool Street and Enfield or Chingford is 5mins away via Bishops Way. Victoria Park had its own rather grand station Victoria Park railway station (London), on the North London Railway, closed in 1943. The station survived into the 1960s, but when the line to Stratford reopened, it was replaced by Hackney Wick railway station, which is also a short walk from the Park.
The Regent's Canal and Hertford Union Canal is located next to the park; this offers to access to walk or cycle on its towpaths. Mare Street or Mile End or Hackney Wick can easily be reached from here. The National Cycle Route 1 (NCR1) passes here on the Hertford Union Canal.
The Greenway walk/cycle path to Beckton via Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Newham General Hospital starts nearby at the far end of the park.


In a meeting held in March 1882 at the Pachaiyappa's Hall in George Town by some leading citizens, the decision to construct a town hall for Madras was taken. This resulted in the mobilisation of a sum of ₹ 16,425 from around 30 persons who attended the meeting, and a 12-member trust was formed for the execution of the project. The municipal corporation leased a 57-ground (3.14 acres) site in the People's Park to the Victoria Public Hall Trust for 99 years effective from 1 April 1886 at a lease rent of eight annas a ground or ₹ 28 for the property. The then Maharajah of Vizianagaram, Sir Pusapati Ananda Gajapati Raju, who laid the foundation stone for the new building on 17 December 1883, also led a list of 35 donors for the construction work with a contribution of ₹ 10,000. The list included the Travancore Maharajah (₹ 8,000), Mysore Maharajah, Pudukottai Rajah and former Madras High Court Judge Muthuswamy Iyer (all ₹ 1,000 each) and P.Orr and Sons, a city-based watch company (₹ 1,400). Other contributors included Ramnad Raja Bhaskara Setupati, Zamindar of Ettiapuram and Hadji Abdul Batcha Sahib. It took about five years to complete the construction.
The hall, an example of Indo-Saracenic architecture, was designed by Robert Fellowes Chisholm (1840–1915) in the Romanesque style and was built by Namperumal Chetty between 1888 and 1890. It was opened to public by Lord Connemara in 1887, although another version suggests that Sir Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff, the governor of Madras during 1886–1890, declared open the hall. In January 1888, a citizens' meeting decided to name the hall after Queen Victoria. The then Municipal Corporation President Sir A.T. Arundale took the initiative.
The hall soon become a venue of important public and social events. Several eminent personalities, including Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda, have visited the hall. National leaders like Swami Vivekananda, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Sardar Vallabhai Patel have addressed meetings in the hall. The pioneers of Tamil play, such as Sankaradoss Swamigal and Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar, have staged their plays at the hall.
The Suguna Vilasa Sabha (SVS), founded in 1891, was most closely associated with the hall. It conducted the first evening drama shows in Madras. In October 1906, the play Kaadalar Kangal was staged at the hall. For the next 30 years, the Sabha remained at the hall and later, built its own theatre on acquisition of 36 grounds next to Christ Church on Anna Salai and now functions only as a social club.
The  Justice Party was established on 20 November 1916 in the hall and it is seen as the start of the Dravidian Movement.
It was there that the first cinema show was held in Chennai. T. Stevenson, proprietor of the Madras Photographic Store, ran some shows that consisted of ten short films.
As the city grew southward and the medium of cinema acquired greater popularity, the building gradually went out of public attention. The lease expired in 1985 and a legal battle ensued as the Corporation did not want to extend the lease. With a compromise being reached in the matter, a petition to that effect was submitted in the court and decision was taken to take action against sub-leases. The land of the hall was occupied by several organisations before the 2010 renovation. The Andhra Mahila Sabha was functioning from a building behind the hall. The building occupied 5.25 grounds of land belonging to Victoria Public Hall. The building was demolished as part of the 2010 renovation. Hotel Picnic, a private hotel, had acquired 13 grounds from the Victoria Public Hall Trust through a sub-lease that expired on 30 April 1985. The hotel has been paying a monthly rent of ₹ 4,000 to the corporation. In 2010, the Supreme Court ordered the hotel to hand over the land to the Corporation of Chennai. About 32 shops that had encroached upon the land belonging to the hall were also removed as part of the renovation.


At the laying of the foundation stone on 24 May 1838 the President of the Victoria Rooms, Thomas Daniel, opened the ceremony by saying 'I congratulate you, my friends, that this, the birth-day of our amiable and virtuous Queen, has been selected to lay the foundation-stone of these rooms, which are intended for Conservative purposes - rooms where all may meet to assert their loyalty and attachment to the throne, and to support their religion, and the best interests of their country.' P. F. Aiken Esq went on to make a speech including the following: '... The stately edifice we are gong to erect, our children's children will look upon with admiring eyes, and generations yet unborn will throng its spacious halls... public buildings are memorials of the age, the city, the country in which they are erected, and indicate their progress in civilization to future generations.'
The Victoria Rooms were opened on 24 May 1842; building had begun in 1838, and cost about £23,000.'.The money was raised by a "body of Conservative citizens".
Jenny Lind and Charles Dickens were just two of the artists known to have performed there. Numerous private subscription balls were held at the rooms, in competition with those organised at the assembly rooms in the Mall, Clifton. This rivalry occasioned disputes between the promoters and accusations of prejudice and snobbery. Other uses included what was the first public demonstration of electric lighting in Bristol in 1863. It was also the scene for large banquets, such as that to celebrate the opening of the Clifton Suspension Bridge in 1864, and the celebrations, in 1897, of the four hundredth anniversary of John Cabot's 'discovery' of North America.
On 11 June 1874 the Victoria Rooms hosted a meeting to promote what was described as a College of Science and Literature for the West of England and South Wales, which became University College, Bristol, an educational institution which existed from 1876 to 1909. It was the predecessor institution to the University of Bristol, which gained a Royal Charter in 1909. The meeting was attended by the then President of the British Association and Sir William Thompson (later Lord Kelvin). This meeting has been described as a partial success, as it gained the support of Albert Fry and Lewis Fry, members of the influential Fry family (the Fry name being known for the chocolate business set up by their grandfather and developed by their father Joseph Storrs Fry). Lewis Fry was a Quaker, lawyer and later a Liberal and Unionist Member of Parliament from 1885–1892 and 1895-1890 for the constituency Bristol North. In 1898 the third congress of the British Association for the Advancement of Science was held at the rooms.
In the early twentieth century, Annie Kenney and Clara Codd, local organisers of the Women's Social and Political Union (the suffragettes), used the Victoria Rooms to host "at homes", to which all were invited. In 1920, the rooms were purchased from the original private company by wealthy local industrialist Sir George Wills and given to the University to house the students' union. It appears that the University briefly leased the building for use as the Clifton Cinema which was situated there in March 1924, when local photographer Reece Winstone took a photograph.  All seats were priced at 1/3d. The Victoria Rooms remained the base for the student union until 1964 when a purpose-built facility was constructed in nearby Queen's Road. The building then became a conference and exhibition centre, hosting occasional concerts such as those by Pink Floyd in 1967 and 1969.  In 1987 the building housed the first incarnation of the Exploratory founded by Richard Gregory – a hands-on science centre and precursor of At-Bristol – until 1989. The University Music Department was moved into the Victoria Rooms in 1996.
The venue, in the 21st century, has a regular programme of concerts, theatrical performances, lectures and conferences, serving a similar purpose to that for which the building was constructed in the nineteenth century.


On 10 March 1957, Chris Barber's Jazz Band played at the venue, with Ottilie Patterson, and on 19 May 1961, Acker Bilk performed.
In 2004, British rock band Status Quo first performed at the theatre, and have made frequent visits to the venue. They returned on 12 October 2008 as part of their Pictures: 40 Years of Hits Tour 2008.
Other famous bands that have performed at the Victoria Theatre include The Beatles, The Jackson 5, Kasabian and The Human League.
In 2005, Steve Harley played the theatre as part of the September-December 2005 'The Quality of Mercy aLive 05' tour, promoting the new album 'The Quality Of Mercy' by Harley's band, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel. The album is significant because it is the first album in 29 years (since 1976's 'Love's A Prima Donna') to be credited as by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, as opposed to just Steve Harley. The show at the Victoria Theatre on 24th September 2005 was the opening night of this tour.
In 2006, the theatre hosted a number of famous acts, including Embrace, with tickets selling out in just four hours following the success of their 2006 FIFA World Cup anthem "World at Your Feet", and Morrissey, whose tickets sold out even faster.  Elkie Brooks, Jo Brand, an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, the Chuckle Brothers and illusionist Derren Brown.
On 3 October 2007, Ian Brown played at the theatre to a sell-out crowd.
On 14 April 2012, the Victoria Theatre played host to a special production of Titanic performed by the Halifax Amateur Operatic Society.  To mark the centennial of the sinking of the ship, the final performance of the run began at 11.40 p.m. – 100 years to the minute the Titanic hit the iceberg.
Westlife lead vocalist Shane Filan played at the theatre as a solo artist in 2017.