Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
Yahoo! Search
Search:
Sign InNew User? Sign Up
News Home -
Help
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Asia Pacific
World
Search
Search:
Charles the Bold stars in Vienna exhibit
AFP - Wednesday, September 16
VIENNA (AFP) - - A stylish but ruthless ruler who failed to win the crown of the Holy Roman Empire but paved the way for the Habsburg dynasty, Charles of Burgundy, nicknamed "the Bold", is the subject of a new exhibition in Vienna.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Charles the Bold: Splendour and Fall of the Last Duke of Burgundy", which opened on Tuesday, is an elegant, restrained display of medieval opulence -- some items shown abroad for the first time in half a millennium.
Under the ornately painted ceilings and carved pillars of the prestigious Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM), golden statues, stern portraits, exquisite tapestries and thick manuscripts are soberly displayed, each vying for attention from the visitor.
Set up in collaboration with the Historisches Museum in Bern and the Groeningemuseum in Bruges, with contributions from a dozen other collections, the exhibit made stops in Switzerland and Belgium before coming to Vienna.
But it took on new significance here, in the former Habsburg capital.
"(Charles the Bold) laid the founding stone for the creation of the Habsburg Empire," KHM director Sabine Haag told journalists ahead of the exhibit's opening.
More than a medieval exposition, it is a portrait of a man of extremes.
"He was a cruel man, but also a pious one," noted Franz Kirchweger, one of the curators.
Born in 1433, Charles the Bold was one of the most powerful rulers of medieval Europe, his empire including parts of present France and much of what is now Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Praised for his valour and chivalry, he set a benchmark for glamour at his court. His motto "Je l'ay emprins" ("I have dared to do it") later brought him his nickname.
However, his contemporaries also judged him as vain, obstinate and power-hungry, as he constantly sought quarrels with neighbouring rulers.
In a bid to win the crown of the Holy Roman Empire, Charles offered his daughter Mary in marriage to the son of Emperor Frederick III and put mounds of riches on display to impress the sovereign, earning the Burgundy court's reputation for pomp and glory.
These treasures, which fell to the Swiss when they defeated the Burgundy army in Grandson and Morat in 1476, are now being displayed abroad for the first time in over 500 years.
Among the treasures shown at the Kunsthistorisches Museum are a gold statuette of Charles the Bold, the only one still in existence, and perfectly conserved alliance and marriage treaties that he skillfully used to extend his empire.
Finely worked tapestries, silverware, banners, suits of armour, delicate textiles, and beautifully illuminated manuscripts complete the exhibit, alongside media aids with maps, graphics and family trees.
When Charles the Bold, the last Burgundian, was killed on the battlefield in 1477, many saw his downfall as the curse of a ruler who had been too power-hungry.
His daughter Mary wed Frederick's son Maximilian of Austria shortly thereafter, finally bringing the houses of Habsburg and Burgundy together and expanding the Habsburgs' sphere of influence westwards.
The exhibit, part of which is also held in the nearby Imperial Treasury, has been insured for 300 million euros (438 million dollars), according to KHM director Haag.
Also offering lectures, workshops and guided tours for children, it runs until January 10, 2010.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Sign in to recommend this article »
0 users recommend
Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle
German writer Enzensberger wins Danish prizeAP - 1 hour 11 minutes ago
Emmy Countdown: Workers busy at Nokia TheatreAP - 1 hour 26 minutes ago
President's opinion of Kanye West sparks debateAP - 1 hour 57 minutes ago
Danish daily prints soldier's book despite protestAP - 2 hours 5 minutes ago
CORRECTED: FCC to take another look at Janet Jackson caseReuters - Thursday, September 17