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  Western Europe II  
       
  The interior of the Monreale Cathedral is renowned for its ornate twelfth-century gilded mosaics.  
       
  Resplendent here are the ramparts and the castle of the Knights of Malta, who successfully defended their Catholic stronghold against the Muslim Turks in 15  
       
  Piazza Banchi (Banking Square) in Genoa reputedly was the site of the first bank in Western Europe.  
       
  Although Venice has a long history dating back to the Roman era, its heyday occurred in the fifteenth century, when it was a major Mediterranean commercial city. Here we see the Campanile Tower and the Doge's Palace, with St. Mark's Cathedral in the background.  
       
  Built on pilings over 150 canals, Venice represents an engineering and architectural wonder. Shown here is the Grand Canal, the main thoroughfare of the city.  
       
  Rivaling Venice in influence was the Italian city-state of Florence. Known primarily as the gem of the Italian Renaissance, Florence boasted a panoply of artists and writers. This view shows the Arno River and the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio.  
       
  As opposed to the Gothic cathedrals of northern Europe, with their awe-inspiring upward thrust, Florence's cathedral, known as Il Duomo, emphasizes horizontal dimensions. Its massive dome, completed by Brunelleschi in 14is considered one of the architectural wonders of the Renaissance.  
       
  The Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge spanning the River Arno, has housed the gold shops of Florence right up to present times.  
       
  The Gothic basilica at Assisi, which was erected over the tomb of St. Francis, contains frescoes by the Italian artists Giotto and Cimabue.  
       
  The Cathedral at Milan, with its flamboyant facade recently steam-cleaned, is a good example of late Gothic architecture.  
       
  The Trevi Fountain in Rome, a famous spot for lovers, represents Baroque exuberance.  
       
  The Spanish Steps are another of Rome's signature sites.  
       
  Fishermen at the port of Camogli, on Italy's western coast, are repairing their nets, as have their forefathers for millennia.  
       
  After Julius Ceasar conquered Gaul in 52 B.C.E., the Roman Empire constructed some of its finest architectural triumphs there, such as this temple in Nīmes. It was used subsequently as a fort, a warehouse, a private dwelling, a stable, and a church. Thomas Jefferson so admired the temple that he used it as a model for the Virginia state capitol.  
       
  This aqueduct in Provence, known as the Pont du Gard, testifies to the brilliance of Roman engineering. Here we see three levels of uncemented blocks, each weighing two tons, that were quarried from the banks of the river.  
       
  The eighth-century castle at Les Baux in Provence was constructed as a refuge from Saracen raids for the local population. Like most sites in Europe, it endured a long succession of landlords, thus contributing to a fascinating if complex history.  
       
  The Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel off the coast of Normandy was constructed in the tenth century. Heavily fortified, it withstood many invasions during the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion, and was made into a prison by Napoleon.  
       
  Completed in 12this Loire Valley castle at Angers is built on large drumtowers rising from the rock. Their massive size, when added to the impressive moat, offered protection against foolhardy attackers.  
       
  The medieval fortified city of Carcassonne in southern France was one of the few walled towns never to be captured by attackers, not even by the notorious Black Prince.  
       
  Begun in the tenth century, the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny was at one time the largest church in the world. Cluny, in eastern France, was a leading ecclesiastical and cultural center of Europe. Largely destroyed in 1790 by the French Revolution, the vaulted Gothic ceiling of the wine cellar, seen here, still survives.  
       
   
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