Lutana Garden Village, Hobart

a Lutana Arts and Crafts house, c1922

Britain’s company towns were settled by giant companies for their workers. In 1887 for example, Lever Brothers Co. began looking for a new site on which to expand its soap-making business, build housing and develop services for their factory workers. They bought 56 acres of flat unused marshy land near Liverpool, well located near a railway line. The site became Port Sunlight, where William Lever built his industry and his model village. Lever wanted a healthy, happy and productive work­force.

The garden city movement was a contemporary but slightly different British approach to urban planning, founded in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard. Garden cities were planned, self-contained communities surrounded by green belts. They included carefully balanced areas of residences, industry and agriculture. Howard’s book Tom­or­row: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform came out in 1898, followed by Letchworth /Welwyn Garden Cities, both in or near London.

View of the Valley
over the top of the gardens

Reformers before WW1 were concerned with town planning, sanitation, building regulations and slum clearance, influenced by the Garden City Movement in Britain and City Beautif­ul ideas from the USA. I have described planned towns in Australia in this blog, especially Colonel Light Gard­ens in Adelaide, an excellent example of town plan­n­ing. It had radial street pattern, reserves and gardens, wide avenues, useful laneways, street frontages and a park-like setting. This post-WW1 Adelaide suburb adopted a consistent architectural style: Californian bungalows.

But I had not heard of Lutana Garden Villa in Tasmania. There had certainly been state government initiatives to build garden cities in Tasmania. In fact Charles Reade, the visiting English town planner, designed a scheme for Lutana, but all hopes were defeated by conservative politicians. Instead the next Tasmanian government negotiated the establishment of a private corporation, the Electro­lytic Zinc Co., on the site. Herbert Gepp was the General Manager.

This zinc company did indeed plan a garden suburb complete with com­munity and health services for its workers, but economic diff­ic­ult­ies resulted in only a section being completed. The lasting legacy of this compromised vision was a low density suburb with individual houses and gardens; but without the associated overall planning.

Built between 1918-21, and designed by architect and town planner William Butler, Lutana’s prime goal was to build a most beautiful and healthful site just over the hill from the recently established zinc works. Since this suburb was remote from the centre of Hobart, the Company had to provide access to shops and transport. Two railways services daily allowed families to travel and shop.

Unlike the Colonel Light Gardens with its exclusively California Bungalow architecture, Lutana had excellent Arts and Crafts style houses that formed coherent street­scapes. The Garden City approach to housing development was further acc­en­tuated in the curvilinear street pattern and the arrangement of buildings. The strong visual quality of the open spaces and semi-rural land was loved, as was the development of the river.

I've no doubt that providing good housing at an affordable price by a major Tasmanian industry was to attract quality staff at a time of staff shortages. As was the company’s early C20th philosophy of Welfare Capitalism.

Before the village started, all the surrounding countryside was open farm land. Once the locality started to become the centre of the zinc working com­munity, some workers would be living in the village and some would be building around the village. The roads were professionally organised and footpaths were laid down.

In 1922 General Manager of the zinc works, Herbert Gepp, set a first task in Lutana Village of planting special trees with his own silky hands. In the first 2 years, 6 dozen horse chestnut trees were imported to the village and planted.

The houses and facilities were not the private property of the people in the village, but were to be rented. Once the village started, more homes were built by the comp­any and more were rented out to workers. Then the village got their first shared community facility, Lutana’s village hall. Opened in 1924, the hall was surrounded by fine grounds, where the village children could play games. The interior of the hall was compact, but it had plenty of open floor space and an excellent stage at one end of the building.

The hall became the home for the village kindergarten. The parents were asked to assist the kindergarten teacher, if they were going to make it successful for the youngest children (a la kibbutz). A Sunday School was opened in the hall, to save the kiddies a long walk on Sunday afternoons.

The town's kindergarten 

in Lutana's Village Hall

See the outside of the hall as it was orginally built. A gate and fence were built, later to be replaced with a higher fence and more security for the hall and garden. The wooden boxes were built at the front of the hall to protect the horse chestnut trees. Then the co-operative shop was opened, to provide the necessaries of life (once again a la kibbutz). It was a beautiful building, both the exterior and interior.

A mutual assistance tenants' committee of tenants was formed to promote social cohesiveness and to run a scheme of improvements. Many ideas were considered to improve the village, and to pro­vide pleasure for the residents. For example the postal authorities installed a public telephone and opened a letter clearance. A Lutana Xmas Tree was placed in the Hall, for a children’s party. In addition to a bus service from Lutana to central Hobart and good sanitary conditions, Lutana gained its own gas supply, greatly appreciated by the villagers in Tasmania’s cool winters.

The houses, which had 4,5 or 6 rooms each, were fitted with modern con­veniences, including sewerage, water and electric light. The company planned for 180 homes on the site, but they stopped at 42. These 42 houses were rented to employees at very fair rentals: a 4 room house cost only 20 shillings per week. Tenants were selected and the houses were allotted by a sub-committee of the Co-operative Council, Workers HAD to have a high moral character, and men with large families were given preference.

advertising for the Lutana co-operative shop 

that also promoted social cohesiveness

The gardener/workers laid out their own gardens spaces in attractive flower beds, lawns and vegetable plots. The vegetables ensured fresh table supplies of onions, cabbages and beans at a minimum cost, and providing healthy exercise. The houses’ beauty was enhanced by pot plants and garden seats; creepers appeared on trellis work.

Re the interior of the homes, the colours were charmingly done and handy cupboards and shelves were built in. The baths have been made from our own rolled zinc sheets.

The views from the verandas revealed some of Tasmania's finest scenery, including the Derwent Valley beyond Prince of Wales' Bay and the lofty Wellington over Hobart. A beautiful panorama of green past­ures was visible, dotted with splashes of colour, orchards, trees and shrubs.

Clearly the zinc workers’ houses were built on ample blocks, were sewered, well drained & fitted with modern facilities. So why did the company not start the second tranch of home building? And why did the Company write to the Co-operative Council advising there were very substantial reductions in the rents of Lutana homes? In 1926 house rentals were dropped to 14 shillings/week for four rooms! Workers were even advised that the very low rents provided an opportunity for them to start a Savings Bank Account.

Now called Nyrstar, the company still advertises the strong themes it's held since starting in 1917 on the site formerly called the Hobart Zinc Works. The strong relation­ship the smelter created with the community was forged early and continues today via community meetings, sponsorships and partnerships. A engineering heritage marker cerem­ony at Lutana was unveiled by the state Govern­or in Ap 2013

Lennox Avenue, Lutana 2024

Real Estate

Quotes come from Lutana Village - Historical Website

Ferrara - what a cultured city

The first official document on Ferrara in Nth Italy was published by Lombard King Astolfo in 753 AD. Late in their era, Ferrara was ruled by the Church in 774 & became a fief of the Canossa family; under the Grand Countess Matilda of Canossa it reached its peak. The city was successively occupied by Tedaldo di Canossa (988), Countess Matilda of Tuscany (1101) and Frederick I Barbarossa (1158), while its internal C12th history was that of the conflict between rival families. The Cathedral of San Giorgio was consecrated in 1185, after the independent commune emerged.

 

Cathedral

The Este family didn’t assume absolute power until 1242 when the city was becoming a growing medieval centre with its own laws and its own mint. It was only under the Estes was it to become an internationally known capital with great value for arts, economics, ideology & religion. The court flourished and for 2 centuries equalled Florence and Venice, or great European courts in France or Spain.

Estense Castle

Estense Castle & moat, built 1385 by the Estes, remained their bastion until 1598. Urban planning schemes were created in 14th-C16th, making Ferrara the first Renaissance city to be developed using a complex urban plan. Thus the network of streets and walls were linked with palaces, churches and gardens, a scheme that gave precedence to a united urban layout. Ferrara, an archbishopric, gained other impressive churches: San Francesco, Corpus Domini, Santa Maria in Vado and San Cristoforo

City walls

In Ferrara

The last Duke had no legitimate descendants, so the dynasty became extinct in 1597 and the Church took over. Ferrara became the seat of a powerful princip-ality and cultural centre but declined both commercially and politically under the Papacy. Revolutionary uprisings came much later.

Palazzo del Comune/Town Hall 1245 and Palazzo della Ragione/Court 1325 are medieval structures, safe once medieval walls could hold growth. Plans were extensively restored, and the uni founded in 1391 is now housed in a later building whose library holds valuable manuscripts, including works by the poets L Ariosto & T Tasso.

From 1400-1600 Ferrara was home to prominent people in literature and the arts. Its historic centre is the perfect example of the ideal city from a humanist view. Each step offers the magic air of a glorious, preserved past: the Este dynasty for 3 centuries, transformed a rural centre into a masterpiece. This town was hospitable, environmentally aware and sustainable present. Artists Michelangelo, Piero della Francesca, Mantegna attended the Este Court and worked there. With great support from artists, the Estes created the first studiolo, their art collection becoming a model for both the Medici family and Papacy. 

The major treasure is the series of palaces of the later 15th-C16th. These palazzi include Diamanti, housing a municipal art gallery; Schifanoia Civic Museum; and Ludovico il Moro National Archaeological Museum with objects from an ancient Etruscan port. Piero della Francesca, Jacopo Bellini and Andrea Mantegna decorated the palaces of the House of Este. Neighbourhoods were built from 1492 by Biagio Rossetti. This project’s completion marked modern town-planning and influenced its development.

 Archaeological Museum

 Trip Advisor

National Museum of Ferrara School, 

amazing art donated by the Estes

Trip Advisor

Emilia-Romagna comprises Ferrara’s urban centre and agricultural lands into the large, ancient Po River Valley. The city extended to defensive walls that had enclosed the historic urban centre of C12th Ferrara. From 14th-C16th, the ruling Estes did extensive land recovery & building projects. Distinctive Renaissance changes made included: drainage of huge swamplands, establishment of estates, creation of new waterways and streets a la the urban development plans and building noble residences. Ducal residences were the political sign of glory, designed to widely mirror the image of the Court. In the key Renaissance years, the Este’s brilliant court drew star artists, poets and scholars of humanism.

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narrow cobbled streets and artisan workshops

Winalist

In time the encircling medieval walls were extended to accommodate urban growth, and today the walls still encircle the city. The Municipality has identified the whole of the historic city inside the walls as an area of cultural interest and protection that’s been there since 1975.

The creation of coordinated management between urban & rural spaces led to effective control of the area and infrastructure development, more awareness of heritage values and the definition of policies for the adaptive re-use of historic properties that were damaged. Note the cooperation of public institutions at different levels of government: national, regional, provincial and municipal. It’s protected under national cultural heritage legislation: Legislative Decree.

One end of Piazza Trento e Trieste

Wiki

The Medieval built piazza is the perfect spot for sunset cocktails. With grand historic buildings behind, an impressive cathedral and one of Italy’s oldest universities, it’s long been the central city’s heart. Linked by rail with Bologna, Padua, Venice, Ravenna and Comacchio, Ferrara is the centre of a flourishing agricultural area.

Ferrara was involved in WWI with many workers, motivated by the promise of new arable land at the end of the conflict. Massive losses prevented this and the betrayal led to a wide adherence to Fascism. After WW2 there was a great expansion of industrial activity and the creation of a large industrial zone. The city’s principal products are chemicals, sugar, alcohol, shoes and hemp.

Ferrara’s cultural treasures were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995 and expanded in 1999 beyond the walls. There was damage from the 2012 earth quakes to the city walls, Estense Castle, medieval cathedral and other historic buildings. 

Ferrara is a vibrant city (pop:131,200) rich in art exhibitions & a top concert season. Thanks to World Heritage Convention

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Tel Aviv glorified by Bauhaus architecture

Avraham Soskin House, 12 Lilienblum St 

by Zeev Rechter, 1933. Dezeen

Sir Patrick Geddes (1854–1932) was a Scottish urban planner, and having publicised his Cities and Town Planning Exhibition 1911, he was involved in town planning work mainly in India. But he was committed to Utopian ideals to be applied to the new Jewish homeland.

When Tel-Aviv became a city in 1921, Meir Dizengoff was elected mayor. In 1925 Dizengoff asked Geddes to submit a mas­t­er plan for the city, the limits being the Yarkon River in the North and Ibn Gvirol St in the East. Ged­des presented a great report in 1927, soon ap­prov­ed by the City Council. He brief was to cr­eate a European Garden City for 40,000 citizens, planning wide, main streets on a grid pattern, single plots for family homes, small pub­lic gar­d­ens in side streets and open access to beaches. He sp­ecified mixed residential-commercial use on the main roads.

This building designed for photographer Avraham Soskin was divided into two asymmetrical wings, each with its own entrance and stairwell. The front wing for the family had a flat roof with a pergola and a horizontal emphasis, expressed in rows of windows and the balconies' elongated ventilation slits. The large more industrial rear wing, invisible from the street, had 2 floors and basement for the photography studio. The balconies, windows, entrance details and roof pergola were all reconstructed meticulously according to historic plans and photographs. Three new flats were built in the back wing.

Cinema Theatre, now Cinema Hotel

1 Zamenhof St, 1934

Jerusalem Post

See the 1931 Master Plan of Tel-Aviv, drawn up by the Engineering Dept, on the original Geddes master plan of 1927. The primary roads, containing the city’s com­m­ercial activity, ARE broad and flow N-S. The second­ary roads, residential, DO flow E-W. Wide tree-lined streets increased shade and colour, and provided a pleasant public space.

Inevitably Geddes’ plan had to be modified. The city’s density soon needed growth to cater to the flood of 1930s imm­igr­ants. By the height of British Mand­ate, the city was home to 150,00 people and 8,000 buildings! Of Geddes’ 60 public gardens, only half were ever built. The population today is c498,000!

The German Jews who arrived brought with them modernist architectural ideas from Le Corb­usier and Walter Gropius. Just as Tel-Aviv was burgeon­ing on the Mediterranean (1933), many of the lead­ing Bau­haus ar­chitects left Germany for Britain and USA, at least 20 Bauhausers and their colleagues migrated to the British Mandate in Israel.

By the mid-1930s it was the only city anywhere being built largely in the Bauhaus Style; its simple concrete curv­es, boxy shapes, small windows set in large walls, glass-brick vert­icals, asymm­et­ric­al fac­ades, horizontal lines and balcon­ies all washed in white. Tel-Aviv was a vis­ion of startling white: c4,000 buildings, all built from 1933.

65 Shenkin St. 1935

Archinect

Tel-Aviv city council design­ers chose the Bau­haus style because of four ideological reasons:

1. Tel-Aviv architecture wasn't historically consistent with buildings from the past; there WAS no past.
2. The architects’ job was to improve so­c­iety: housing for working famil­ies, trade unions, free clinics.
3. Prefabricated blocks of reinforced concrete, flat roof and sheer façade, no cornices or decoration saved money. Plus a three storey limit.
4. 20+ energetic Bauhaus-influenced architects fled Germany in 1933. Tel-Aviv city council drew on this amazing pool of available talent.

Bauhaus elements were characteristic of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe, with some local Tel-Aviv adaptat­ions. Glass was used sparingly, and narrow, horizon­tal win­dows appeared on many of Tel-Aviv’s Bauhaus buildings. Vertical windows were used on stairwells.

Along the Mediter­r­anean, balconies in­creased the movement of breezes and sea views. So overhanging brows blocked dir­ect rays of sunshine from entering the win­dows. This changed in the 1930s when desperate, homeless immigrants were arriving. Bauhaus lines were then obscured by ugly balcony enclosures, while giving an extra bedroom.

Bauhaus interiors in Germany were already white, functional and plain. But Tel-Aviv has a hot climate, so rooms had to be as cool as possible. No wall-to-wall carpets and curtains; marble floors instead; and shutters could close windows entirely. And space could be used flexibly, of necessity.

first pilotis in TA, designed for Engel House, 1933

garden under house; trees around the building

architect Ze'ev Rechter,

84 Rothschild

The original Bauhaus build­ings might have ended up being bull­dozed, but a miracle happened: In 1991 the Engin­eer­ing Dept of Tel-Aviv municipality created a Modern Heritage Preservation under architect Nitza Szmuk. Bauhaus Renovation Foundation organised a Conf­er­ence for May 1994 for 2,000+ inter­nation­al particip­ants. Along with Dizengoff, Geddes planned a Garden City of wide tree-lined boulevards, small roads with smaller green spots, clean-lined, boxy buildings with little ornamentation and a beach focus. In 2008 Tel-Aviv opened a Bauhaus Museum in Bialik St to dis­play its furnishing designs etc.

 
Tel Aviv is now home to c4,000 buildings of Bauhaus architecture (2,000 protected under preservation law), the world’s largest collection of Bauhaus-inspired buildings. With the hearty help of Dizengoff, Geddes planned a Garden City of wide tree-lined boulevards, small roads with smaller green spots, clean-lined, boxy buildings with very little ornamentation and a beach focus.

Concrete pilotis/stilts raised the buildings off street level, creat­ing space for green gardens and air flow. As with the balconies, some of the once-open area from stilts were later enclosed. European Bauhaus buildings already had flat roofs, not shingled and slanted roofs. While Tel-Aviv roofs sometimes did not feature roof gar­d­ens a la Le Corbusier, they DID serve serve some building res­idents.

White kitchen and eating area

in a Tel Aviv Bauhaus flat

Thank you to Bauhaus in Tel Aviv.

Saskatoon Ca. and its satellite communities

Saskatchewan's fastest growing communities aren't its largest cities, but the satellite communities around them. In fact half the communities that saw large growth rates were towns surrounding Saskatoon, the latest census tells.

Saskatoon

Five of communities that saw the largest percentage of population growth from 2016-21 were Saskatoon’s bedroom communities. The population centre that grew the most was Pilot Butte, where its population grew by 26% from 2016-21! The Mayor said residents are choosing Pilot Butte because they like the small town feel. And yet they are quite close (c20 ks) to large Regina, so enjoying the amenities close gives the best of both worlds.

Pilot Butte residences, work facilities and family parks

Facebook

 

Urban sprawl is a universal problem but the Faculty of City Planning of Saskatchewan Uni has proposed a scholarly & practical scheme. Prof Avi Akkerman said a bedroom community is one where there would be few people in the day, as they commute for jobs or study. Some growing communities have now developed their own business communities and recreational centres, which means they weren’t empty in the day. Called exurban communities, the communities are autonomous, independent of mother city.

The predictable growth of Saskatchewan’s exurban communities, now 288,000, is expected. Land was relatively cheap, agents enticed people to buy cheaper homes, and banks enticed people to take out the cheaper mortgages. And COVID-19 was probably a minor motive for people choosing to move out of large cities. Prof Akkerman acknowledged that the factors that once drew people to the exurban communities could be changing. Inflation is higher now, so costs are rising. While a longer commute may have not been a concern when petrol prices were relatively low, a volatile energy market could change the price of driving to the big city office.

Town councils have created a plan so that the structure can support the growth. Most Mayors welcomed the town's growth, saying they are prepared for even more people. More programmes and services that the residents want are being built but still with a small-town feel

In Jan 2021 Saskatoon was identified as one of Canada's top 10 fastest-growing urban centres. Despite economic challenges and dealing with the COVID, Saskatoon emerged with a strong future. Its growth of 7.6% from 2016-21 was impressive given the global crisis. The city offers a high quality of life, safety, controlled traffic congestion and many outdoor spaces that are for pleasure. And with plans to accommodate up to a million people, Saskatoon is continuously growing and developing.

As Saskatoon expands, surrounding small towns are also growing. These towns are developing unique identities beyond Saskatoon's influence, themselves attractive destinations actively shaping their own futures. Many families seek a small-town lifestyle near a larger city, so they are enhancing community services to build their own economic and cultural services. Eg Brighton Towns on Delainey (pop 14,500), has different townhouses available, communal green space, a community centre, pet walks and family bike spaces. With modern architecture, large windows and high-end finishings, the houses are an excellent move en route to buying a home

Does Saskatoon need a $2-billion perimeter highway? As developers design new subdivisions near the city, some urban planners are rethinking the proposed perimeter highway. The bypass, first proposed 20 years ago, would now cut through the growing city. So before spending enormous money, the planners have to look at the big picture.. which has changed. The province recently released a map showing the path of a proposed Saskatoon Freeway. A working group including staff from many of the rural municipalities is having consultations with landowners who may be affected by the bypass.

Traffic on old Circle Drive East piled up, 

CBC 

Prof Akkerman said Saskatoon would be more successful shelving the perimeter Saskatoon Freeway and limiting Saskatoon’s geographic spread. Note that decades years ago, Circle Drive was supposed to be a bypass perimeter freeway, and it ended up as a clogged arterial road. Another Saskatoon freeway could promote sprawl, burdening taxpayers with decades of upkeep costs. Officials could use other tactics to ease truck-related congestion on existing roads eg having trucks move outside peak hours. So the city and province must rethink the way they manage freeways, re-allocating the $2 billion.

Saskatchewan's Ministry of Highways published this route 

for the Saskatoon Freeway in 2018, 

CBC Canada 

Landowners are jockeying for position, now that the proposed route for a Saskatoon bypass is clear. Once the freeway arrives, the adjoining real-estate quickly goes up in price because of the precious access road. But Akkerman didn't think that the community at large would benefit.

The nearby communities were not merely bedrooms. White City & Warman developed their business and recreational facilities, gaining autonomy from larger cities. This growth is driven by affordable housing and a desire for more space.

affordable family homes, Warman.

Brighton Towns on Delainey

Colliers Rentals

Rising costs from higher mortgages and pricier petrol are making life more expensive for commuters. So bringing jobs closer to home is a wise decision. Employed Saskatoon residents wouldn’t drop their jobs because of attempts to bring more industry elsewhere eg Martensville doesn’t have to compete with its big neighbour, Saskatoon. Rather it will find niches that aren’t completely filled eg small workshops near workers’ residences. It won’t stop commuting into Saskatoon, but lowering the number of people driving every day would help the environment and reduce the drivers’ financial loads.

Demography is becoming more critical in understanding & managing the environment and population increases have growing negative impacts. Thus demography becomes an important complement to environmental science. But in a recent poll, 23% of people thought the city's roads was the top issue in the civic election campaign (CBC News).

Conclusion
If costs continue to grow for taxpayers, there are fewer resources to repair and replace the ageing structure in inner Saskatoon. While Prof Akkerman didn't believe the solution was to build only high-rise towers, it was important to use the space that residents already used. And Saskatoon needs to declare an urban growth boundary around it to mark the city’s outer limits.

Professor Avi Akkerman

Education News Canada

Akkerman is now lecturing in Demography, showing social sciences students the processes of growth, decline and distribution of human populations over geographic space. Perhaps people in other big cities around the world should participate in these lectures.

Thanks to CBC News Sep 2016; April 2019; and Mar 2022.

Catholics killed heretics; Protestants killed witches

Heresies

Catholic Answers

The Inquisition was set up in the Catholic Church to root out & punish heresy. In 1184 Pope Lucius III sent bishops to southern France to track down Cathar heretics. In 1231 Pope Gregory officially charged the Dominican & Franciscan Orders with hunting heretics. Then in the C14th, the church pursued the Waldensians in Germany and Northern Italy.

Inquisitors moved into a town and announced their arrival, giving citizens a chance to admit to heresy. Those who confessed were forced to testify and received a punishment. If the heretic did not confess, torture and execution were inescapable. Heretics weren’t allowed to face accusers and received no counsel. The Inquisitors, on the other hand, were supported with a manual called “Conduct of the Inquisition into Heretical Depravity”.

Nonetheless there were many abuses of power. In 1307 Inquisitors were involved in the mass arrest and tortures of 15,000 Knights Templar in France, resulting in many executions. Joan of Arc was also burned at the stake in 1431 by this Inquisition.

In the late C15th, King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain believed corruption in the Spanish Catholic Church was caused by Jews who, to survive increasing anti-Semitism, converted to Christianity. These Conversos were viewed with suspicion and were blamed for plagues, accused of poisoning peoples’ water and abducting Christian children.

Auto de fé, final, public stage for punishing religious heretics.
Jan Hus at the stake, 1485
FreeSpeechHistory

The 2 monarchs believed Conversos were secretly practising their old religion;  and that Christian support would be crucial for their upcoming crusade in Muslim Granada. King Ferdinand felt an Inquisition was the best way to fund that crusade, by seizing the wealth of heretic Conversos.

In 1478, urged by clergyman Tomas de Torquemada, the two monarchs created the Tribunal of Castile to investigate heresy among Conversos. The effort at first focused on stronger Catholic education for Conversos, but by 1480, Jews in Castile were forced into isolated and locked up ghettos. The Inquisition expanded to Seville and a mass exodus of Conversos followed. In 1481, 20,000 Conversos confessed to heresy, hoping to avoid execution. But by the year’s end, hundreds of Conversos were burned at the stake.

Hearing the complaints of Conversos who had fled to Rome, Pope Sextus stated that the Spanish Inquisition was wrongly accusing Conversos. In 1482 Sextus appointed a council to take command of the Inquisition, but the same Torquemada was named Inquisitor Gen­eral and established courts across Spain. Torture became systemised and routinely used to elicit confessions. Sent­encing of confessed heretics was done in a public event called the Auto-da-Fe. Torque­mada’s downfall came only when he investigated members of the clergy for heresy. Diego de Deza took over as Inquisitor General, escalating the hunt for heresy within cities and rounding up scores of accused heretics, including members of the nobility and local governments. Some were able to bribe their way out of imprisonment.

After Isabella’s death in 1504, Ferdinand promoted Cardinal Gonzalo Ximenes de Cisneros, head of the Spanish Catholic Church, to In­qu­is­itor General. Ximenes had previously been successful in pers­ecuting Islamic Moors in in Granada. As Inquisitor General, Ximenes pursued Muslims into North Africa, encouraging the king to take military action and to establish the Inquisition there.

The Protestant Reformation

Martin Luther published his 95 Theses in 1517 and the Reformation began.  Rome renewed its own Inquisition in 1542 when Pope Paul III created the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman Inquisition to combat Protestant heresy!! And in 1545, the Spanish Index was created, a list of heretical European books forbidden in Spain, based on the Roman Inquisition’s own index.

The popul­at­ion of Spanish Protestants increased, particularly in the 1550s. In 1556, King Philip II ascended the Spanish throne - he had previously brought the Roman Inquisition to the Netherlands, where Lutherans had been hunted and burned at the stake. Although origin­al­ly organised to deal only with Jews and Moors, The Spanish Inquisition now had to widen out to include Protestant heretics.

As Spain expanded into the Americas, so did the New World Inquis­it­ion; it was established in Mexico in 1570 and in 1574 in Peru. In 1580 Spain conquered Portugal, and began rounding up and kill­ing Jews and Protestants who had fled Spain. Philip II also renewed hostilities against the Moors, selling them into slavery. 

A late witch trial in Protestant Europe in Paisley, near Glasgow, 1697.
Amusing Planet

Witch-hunts were completely different. They started only after the Reformation in majority-Protestant countries, with the num­ber of cases increasing in the later C16th. At the very same time in Catholic countries in southern Europe, there were almost no witch trials because they were banned by the Catholic Church. As a result the Spanish killed only a handful of witches, the Portuguese just one and the Italians none at all. 

So the witch-craze focused on Protestant northern Europe, in countries like Germany, France and Scotland. Presumably in those countries witchcraft was seen as a remnant of ignorant Catholic beliefs that needed to be eradicated. 

Witchcraft and heresy were thus inversely related: as witchcraft trials were on the rise in Protestant countries, large-scale heresy trials rapidly decreased. In Scotland there were large-scale witch-hunts in 1590, 1597, the 1620s and 1649. Was witchcraft merely an alternative way of accusing heretics, without calling it heresy? 

Even in majority Protestant populations, there were regional differences. In places like Russia and Estonia the majority of executed witches were men (68%), not women (32%). In Germany the vast majority of executed witches were women (82%).  Did Eastern Europe communities have different views of women? And witch prosecutions in the Protestant Low Countries had almost ended by 1578, many decades before they died out in Germany and Scotland. 

Where the Catholic Church was strong (Spain, Portugal, Italy), the Reformation was definitely the first time that the church had to cope with a large-scale threat to its existence and legitimacy. The Spanish Inquisition was so busy executing c32,000 religious heretics in 200+ years that they didn’t have the time or the need to go after witches. 

In 150 years in Protestant countries, c80,000 people were tried for witch­craft and c40,000 of them were executed. Only after 1700 did witch trials disappear, almost completely, in Protestant communities. 

The world’s most beautiful cities - 2023

San Francisco

A 2023 survey by Travel + Leisure invited readers to vote on the world’s most beautiful cities. Recognising the answer is different for everyone, here is the by-no-means exhaustive list of the world’s (25) most beautiful cities.

Sydney Australia sparkles with its yacht-filled harbour, golden beach­es, spectacular headland views, lush parks and gardens, and abundance of sunshine. Take a ferry tour to see the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge from the water. Explore the city's wealth of picturesque coastal walks and great beach­es; Manly has wide, clean sand and perfect surf. 

Barcelona Spain Covered food markets, tapas bars, iconic Modernist ar­chitecture and golden-sand Mediterranean beaches are big appeal fact­ors for Catalonia’s colourful capital. But the culture of afternoon siestas, late dinners and people-watching on busy plaz­as, stop near Santa Cater­ina Market and capture the beautif­ully relaxed life style.

Barcelona

Adventure capital of the world, Queenstown New Zeal­and is the ult­imate playground for outdoor activities. The city has hiking, skiing, sky-diving, rafting, winery-hopping and cruising Milford Sound. Queenst­own is built around a finger of Lake Wakatipu, a glacial lake whose reflect­ion of the Remarkables Mountain Range makes the scene stunning.

Istanbul Turkey is an intoxicating jumble of domed and intricately mos­aiced mosques, Ottoman-era palaces, maze-like markets and hilly cobble­stoned streets where bar parties spill out the door. The food scene stretches beyond the ubiquitous kebab; the mezze and grilled seafood are fantastic, as is the city’s coffeehouse culture at night.

In beautiful Paris France, go from a cosy sidewalk cafe tightly packed with chic Parisians to proud boulevards lined with creamy stone Haussmann-era mansions. The pat­is­series may be as delight­ful as Paris’ splendid art and ar­chitec­ture. Museé d’Orsay has C19th paintings & sculpture in a glorious Beaux-Arts train station on the Seine.

San Francisco CA US, set on a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, offers beautiful hilltop views of skyscrapers, bridges, mountains and ocean. Golden Gate Bridge, Painted Ladies and cable cars are emblems of the city. See North Beach, Chinatown’s dim sum par­lours and Presidio Tunnel Tops, a 14-acre park above highway tunnels.

Sun-soaked Palermo Sicily is a dream for archit­ect­ure buffs. It­aly’s biggest opera house is here! Tea­t­ro Mass­imo’s copper dome is c250’ over the piazza bel­ow. The striking gold-stone cathedral is one of the many old Arab-Norman structures. From the roof­top, see the city’s terra-cotta skyline in the early evening, settle on the bohemian Piazza Caracciolo.    

Cape Town

Perched between flat-topped Table Mountain and the Atlantic, Cape Town South Africa has endless natural beauty. Share in 1]ad­ren­aline-fueled action (dive with sharks, hike or take the cable car up Table Mountain), 2]leisurely (swimming, cock­tails on Camps Bay Beach, biking on Sea Point Promenade) and 3]cultural (museums, cel­lars, music festivals).

Visit Seoul South Korea’s vibrant food and nightlife scene, and urban green spaces. The past and present live together with party distr­icts, ancient palaces, ultra-modern subways, Buddhist temples, sky scr­apers and street markets. This fast neon metropolis has beaut­ifully landsc­aped parks along Han River, mountain hiking trails and free outdoor gyms.

Cartagena Colombia has a great mix of Caribbean beaches and islands in South America, with 5 centuries of history and UNESCO-listed walled Old City. It is splendidly preserved and photo­genic. Bougainvilleas burst from the balconies. Go people-watching in the squares and samp­l­ing grilled arepas from street vendors. At night find live salsa music.

Lovely low-rise Kyoto Japan is different from sprawling, daunting Tokyo. The city has a major UNESCO World Heritage front; 17 sites, including temples, shrines and Golden Pavilion. Plum, cherry and willow trees spill over Kyoto’s riverbanks, and lanterns-lit tiny alleys lined with wooden teahouses. Visit tranquil Silver Pav­ilion then Moss Temple.

Brazil’s second city, Rio de Janeiro Brazil, is home to celeb­rated Ip­anema and Copacab­ana beaches and the largest Art Deco statue: Christ the Redeemer via a steep railway ride. See parks, rain forests waterfalls, caves, great vistas and Jardim Botânico. Art­sy Santa Teresa is for cafe life, bou­tiques, and samba street parties.

Rio

Tbilisi Geor­g­­ia’s cap­it­al is fairy-tale mat­erial. The Old Town is a joy to explore, with carv­ed wooden bal­conies over-looking sleepy court­yards and cobbled streets lined with wine bars and tr­aditional Georgian cafes. Brave the funicular to the C4th Narikala Fort­ress for views of Tbil­isi and the encircling Caucasus Mountains.

Rome Italy is an open-air museum showing 3 millennia of sumptuous art & architecture. Visit the city’s tangle of mean­­­d­ering alleys, hidden piaz­z­as and imperial streets. Note the all-mighty Roman Forum or St Pe­t­er’s Basilica, then stop for a creamy gel­ato or reviving bowl of car­b­onara. When the heat breaks, watch the parade of dapper Romans strolling

Hoi An Vietnam is a riverside jewel. Its preserved old town is an un­touched UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spared the ruin of the Vietnam War, Hội An harbours hundreds of historic timber-frame hous­es, sacred temp­les, pagodas and C18th Jap­an­ese bridge. Go on a bike ride, cooking clas­ses, river­boat rides, local cafes or a trip to a bespoke tailor.

The Middle Ages, Victorian era and modern world coexist in London UK: medieval Westminster Abbey and Tow­er of Lon­don, near Victorian Trafalgar Square, with busy C21st London bustling around. Delight in the Gothic, Baroque and El­izab­ethan buildings; museums and art gall­eries; street markets; and green spaces: Hyde, St James’ and Regent’s parks.

Cosmopolitan Buenos Aires Argentina marries Euro­p­ean and Latin flavour. See green and yel­low par­rots at Bosques de Palermo, find the balcony from wh­ich Eva Perón addres­sed fans at Casa Rosada and refuel with cake in a bar not­able. The city has Paris-worthy man­s­ions, food hangouts, street markets and shopping arcades. It's the birthplace of tango.

Good TV shows benefitted from Dubrovnik Croatia’s cin­em­atic looks eg Game of Thrones. And UNESCO named Dubrovnik a World Heritage Site. This Pearl of the Adriatic, in the charming and traffic-free Old Town, has mint-condition medieval architecture, incl­ud­ing the Gothic-Renaissance Rector’s Palace and the town’s thick stone medieval fortifications.

Taipei Taiwan is the Beautiful Island. From a very tall sky­scrap­er, Taipei 101, the observatory offers gorgeous city views and lush green mount­ains. Then visit tranquil temples, flower markets, shopping streets and food-stall alleys. Hike Elephant Mountain-Nangang District Trail, admire green forests, hot springs and Taipei views at the National Park.

An ancient city set on a dramatic landscape of extinct volcanoes and an­chored by a grand, Acropolis-like castle? Yes, Edinburgh Scotland! Af­ter Edinburgh’s hills, rest in one of the many parks and squares or pop into a pub for steak-and-ale pie and a smooth Scottish stout. Note the bigg­est arts festival in the world descends upon the city every Aug.

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico is the uncontested queen of Mexico’s cen­t­ral highlands. This city is a beautiful maze of cobbled alleys, cool court­yards and buildings built in Spanish colonial, Baroque, neoclass­ical and neo-Gothic styles. The latter is best seen in the grand Parr­oquia de San Miguel Arcángel, a gorgeous pink C17th church.

Singapore’s skyline has futuristic high rises, undulat­ing cloud forest domes and a 540’ Ferris wheel. Its enclaves like Chinatown, Arab Quarter and Little India reveal the city’s multi­cul­tural past. Colourful food streets and hawker centres are packed with stalls. Stroll along Marina Bay’s illumin­ated wat­erfront, the Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the Bay

Manhattan Island New York has huge buildings eg the 104-storey World Trade Centre and Empire State Building. Other architectural treas­ures eg Greek Revival mansions in the Bronx, are found in all 5 bor­oughs. See Monets at the Met, Warhol’s soups at MoMA, or The Dinner Party at Brooklyn Museum. See Central Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park.  

Palermo

Of course tastes differ. My partner voted for ocean-front cities: Sydney, Cape Town, San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Bergen and Vancouver. I voted for cit­ies with gal­leries, churches and old architecture: Paris, London, Prague, Vienna and Amsterdam

historic Gastown in beautiful Vancouver

Vancouver actually started in Gastown, the core of the city na­med for Gassy Jack Deighton. He was a Yorkshire seaman, steam­boat cap­tain and bar­keep who arrived in 1867 to open the area’s first saloon. The town soon prosp­ered as the site of Hastings Mill sawmill and seaport, and quick­ly became a general centre of trade and commerce on Burrard Inlet. It was a tough resort for off-work loggers and fisher­men, plus the men on the sailing ships that came to Gas­town, on the north side of the inlet to load logs and timber.

Gassy Jack Deighton wandered through the wild Coast Salish indigenous lands in 1867 and set up his saloon. Where the whisky barr­els went, the loggers and mill-workers followed Gassy Jack, because of his gen­er­ous drinks. As Vancouver grew out of this rough old neighbourhood, Gastown transform­ed into the city’s commercial and ship­ping hub, its brick ware­­houses and stone struc­t­ures still standing. Now a thriving, diver­se urban community, these historic spaces are home to some of the coun­t­ry’s most creative companies. The neighbour­hood off­ers a recognised mix of hip and heritage, with award-winning restaurants distinctive boutiques, clubs and renowned art galleries.

Outdoor cafes

Today Gastown is an attractive mixture of old and new, casual and pion­eering, welcoming visitors and pro­viding an energetic backdrop for ent­erprising Vancouverites. Today the district re­tains its historic charm, still based around Gassy Jack Deighton’s orig­inal 1867 pub. Vict­or­ian arch­it­­ec­ture retains a fl­our­ishing fashion scene, well curated décor bout­iq­ues and special­ist galleries. It’s a gat­her­ing spot for up-market locals and energet­ic tourists. For outsid­ers, a bird’s eye view from the Vancouver Lookout gives visitors a 360˚ view. A visit to Gas­town should include a stroll along Water St, exam­ining a magical coll­ect­ion of old build­ings, cobble stones, steam clock and vintage lamp posts. Continue to the end of Water St to visit a statue of the Gassy man who started it all. Architecture and history fans, of which I am both, can take organised walking tours of the area to explore further.

statue of Gassy Jack Deighton

Gastown is home to many fine restaurants, including European cuisine with farm fresh flair and Asian-inspired treasures. Another possib­ility is stopping by a wine bar for a cheese and hors-d'œuvre platter. This neighbourhood also has a classy cocktail reputation.

Indigenous art

First Nations art might be a surprise to tourists. See the symbolic designs telling stories, marking events and decorating build­ings throughout the city. Note the sculptures, story poles and other artworks eg Bill Reid’s beautiful killer whale sculpture at the entrance of the Vancouver Aqua­rium. These art works display and explain a un­ique culture that was part of aboriginal life, including the art created for practical purp­oses, eg in ceremonies. Find excellent examples of First Nations art at the UBC Museum of Anthropology.

The Canadian Pacific Railway terminated on piles on the shore parallel to Water St in 1886. From this the area became a hive of warehouses. Carrall St was particularly swampy owing to it being low ground between False Creek and Burrard Inlet. Bridges overcame the problem, and the low ground and beach was slowly filled in. In 1886 the town was incorporated in Vancouver City.

steam clock and vintage lamp posts

The McLennan and McFeely Building is a large 5-storey brick-and-stone commercial building in Gastown which includes the former Canadian Pac­ific Railway right-of-way! The building is a good example of a ware­house built in Vancouver's commerc­ial centre in the early C20th, its heritage value lying in the hist­oric relationship between Gastown and Vancouver’s early economy. Con­sid­er how Gastown became the trans-shipment point between the railway terminus and Pacific shipping rout­es, predicting Vancouver’s expansion as western Canada’s predominant comm­ercial centre. The building’s con­struction in 1906 was for McLen­nan & McFeely, a company special­ising in the import and dist­ribution of hardware and building supplies.

historic Water Street

The foreshore became an important staging area with the N & W Vancouv­er Ferries, and Union Steamships docks. Warehouses quickly open­ed, Fleck Brothers distributors had buildings and department stores opened eg Spencer’s, Hudson’s Bay Company, Army and Navy stores, Woodward’s and Fairbanks Morse. Gastown peaked as the centre of the city’s wholesale produce distribution in the 1930s Great Depression (but not after).

In the 1960s, citizens became concerned with preserving Gastown’s dis­tinctive and historic architecture, which like the nearby Chinatown and Strathcona, was scheduled to be demolished (to build a major freeway into the downtown area). A campaign to save Gastown was led by business people and property owners, as well as the counterculture and assoc­iat­ed political protest­ors, gained traction. Dutch immig­rant Henk Vander­horst opened the Exposition Gallery in Water St which started, flour­ished and encouraged a flow of other newly established businesses.

Henk’s role in the revitalisation of Gastown was rewarded in 1976 by being awarded The First Pioneer Citizen of Gastown, given by the mayor. Vanderhorst’s efforts pressured the provincial and federal governments to declare Gas­town a National Hist­or­ic Site in 2009.

Gastown displays some of the city’s best Victorian Italianate, Ed­ward­ian commercial and Romanesque architecture, running along the north of the downtown Vancouver pen­in­sula. Gastown is a vital part of Vanc­ouv­er’s position as one of the most cosmop­ol­itan cities in the world.

Map of Vancouver

Note Gastown, on Burrard Inlet

please protect Preston Market, fresh food & multi-cultural hub in Melbourne

Front entrance to Preston Market

Colonial occupation of the Port Phillip District from 1835 resulted in the survey and subdivision of the land, with the land being taken up largely for grazing, and then tanneries was establish­ed in Preston. In 1888 a huge tannery was built on the block surrounded by High St, Cramer St, the railway line & Murray St, the site now occupied by Preston Market. Demolition of the tannery in 1964 left a large vac­ant site, ripe for redevelopment. 10 years earlier, a report prepared as a part of the 1954 Melbourne and Metropolitan Plan­ning Scheme id­en­t­ified Preston as one of the 5 District Business Centres that could be the focus of commerce & employment. Concept plans for the Preston District Centre proposed new development across the tannery site, crossed by a series of shopping walks.

Northlands opened in 1966, a regional shopping centre representing the modern, cl­osed retailing concept, fully enclosed and ped­estrian­­is­ed. It responded to social & ec­onomic conditions after WW2 i.e rapid expansion of the suburbs, drama­tic increase in private car ownership, increased prosperity and an emphasis on new lifestyles.

Leon Jolson, developer and original owner decided in the late 1960s to build a traditional European market. He wanted his market to be a place of noise and act­ivity and when the housewife arrived back home, he wanted her to feel exhilarated’. Note that at that time, only four of the C19th retail markets re­mained: Queen Victoria Market, South Mel­bourne Market, Prah­ran Market and Dandenong Market. [I lived near Prahran Market, and happily shopped there regularly].

Preston Market comm­en­c­ed in 1969, on a key site in the centre of Pres­ton, and close to the civ­ic and commercial precinct that developed at High and Cramer Sts. This market referred back to trad­it­ional open air markets, now reflecting key themes in the social & economic history of this lo­c­ality: ex­pansion of suburban Melb­ourne, post-WW2 migration and the development of dist­inctive retail­ing modes.

The concept employed by the designer team was for a market build­ing that would be adaptable over time. The large open shed-like build­ings were pre-fabricated, with a strong range of ind­ust­rial materials. A key element was the use of a new technology and the design offered good access to natural light and open air between the buildings. The layout was created around two axes that functioned as pedestrian streets and defined the overall market plan

By Aug 1970 the market had 250 stalls: greengrocers, butchers, delis, coffee and food stalls, and 130 others.

Delis

Greengrocers

Coffee shops

A few years later, canopies were added to walkways. The Preston Fresh Food Market was opened in 2016 in Cramer St Bingo Hall and refurb­ish­ment began within the market complex itself. The market was now the second largest in Melbourne, especially once Sunday trade commenced.

This market has grown into a famous centre of cultural and culinary wealth, changing as the neighbourhood changed over the 50 years and continue to ev­olve. But its place at the heart of the community rem­ains strong. Melbourne’s multi­cultural hub of the north, the market was to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Aug 2020 (deferred by COVID), by sharing history, trad­ers’ stories, old photos and recipes. This was the beating heart of Preston.

Now the world is changing. In Aug 2017, the Minister for Planning asked the Victorian Planning Authority to review the current planning controls across the whole market site.

A decision about the market's future will be fast-tracked to help stimulate Victoria's struggling economy but Darebin Council fears mov­ing too quickly could undermine the review process. The site in Melb­ourne's north has been earmarked for redevelopment, with plans to add multi-storey blocks of flats, raising the probability that the market could be demolished and rebuilt elsewhere. Thus the heritage value and all the things that make the market so special could be lost. A petition has been opened to preserve the market. 

In response, historians have shown that since being established in 1970 as a traditional European heart in Melbourne, Preston Market has changed with the city’s ever-growing diverse makeup and has evol­v­ed into a vibrant multi­cultural precinct. Its evolution from a European-centric market to a multicultural one reflected the shifts in Melb­our­ne’s migrant communities. Hailed as Melbourne's second-largest market, it welcomed c80,000 visitors every week before the Covid pandemic: Indians, Sri Lankans, African communities, Chinese, Greeks, Ital­ians who sell foods that res­on­ate with their own cultures and others. Pres­ton Market has thus created the opport­unity to open a busin­ess interact­ing with customers from all over the world.

For traders, the intimate connection to communities they serve is what sets them apart in a competitive commercial environment. It is a place where the customer can connect and form relation­sh­ips. Each family-owned business has its own particular strengths, but the unique sell­ing point lies in good prices, fresher food and personal attention from the owner. Yes, the big super­mark­ets and the shopping centres are making big profits, but that is not all that locals want.

Prahran Market