Virtuoso Insights - October/November 2008 - (Page 20) rhaetian railway in the albula/bernina landscapes (italy/switzerland) Comprised of two historic rail lines — the Albula and Bernina — the Rhaetian Railway crosses some 80 miles in the Swiss Alps from Thusis via St. Moritz to Tirano. First opened in 1904 as a steampowered railway, the Albula line marks the zenith of classic rail construction, featuring an impressive 42 tunnels and covered galleries, as well as 144 viaducts and bridges. The Bernina line, an electric railway completed in 1910, features 13 tunnels and galleries, with 52 viaducts and bridges. By making the isolated Upper Engadine accessible to outsiders, these rail lines have had, according to UNESCO, “a major and lasting socio-economic impact on life in the mountains” and represent stupendous architectural and civil engineering achievements that stand in harmony with the pristine alpine landscape. The zenith of classic rail construction: Landwasser Viaduct – Switzerland. Unorthodox Orthodoxy: a wooden house of worship. Wooden churches of the slovak Portion of the carpathian mountain area (slovakia) Some of the world’s finest examples of local religious architecture, this collection of eight churches consists of two Roman Catholic, three Protestant, and three Greek Orthodox places of worship, all built between the 16th and 18th centuries. In 1681, the AustroHungarian Emperor decreed that only Roman Catholic churches could use hard materials such as stone and metal; other religious denominations were ordered to build their edifices only out of wood — and without the use of nails. Carpenters used ingenious techniques to join together pieces of wood in forming these delightful structures, which feature characteristic onion domes and interiors adorned with wall paintings and other works of art. more uNescO on page 22 P 20 Virtuoso insights
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.