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"The ruined aqueducts in the Campagna." — Young, 1901

Ruined aqueducts

"The ruined aqueducts in the Campagna." — Young, 1901

"The viciously inclined considered that the parliamentary order to destroy all 'monuments of idolatry' gave them liberty and license for every kind of sacrilege; so that it became a common pastime to break the painted windows and deface any statuary which adorned and beautified [England's] churches. The old market crosses which had been a notable feature of English tows, reminding the passers by of the great act of Redemption, were all ruthlessly destroyed."

Destruction of Cheapside Cross

"The viciously inclined considered that the parliamentary order to destroy all 'monuments of idolatry'…

"View of the Fort Euryalus at Syracuse." — Smith, 1882

Fort Euryalus

"View of the Fort Euryalus at Syracuse." — Smith, 1882

Fort Sumter after its bombardment.

Fort Sumter

Fort Sumter after its bombardment.

The Great Fire of London, a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of London from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666, was one of the major events in the history of England. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall. It threatened, but did not reach, the aristocratic district of Westminster (the modern West End), Charles II's Palace of Whitehall, and most of the suburban slums. It consumed 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St. Paul's Cathedral, and most of the buildings of the City authorities. It is estimated that it destroyed the homes of 70,000 of the City's ca. 80,000 inhabitants.

Great Fire of London

The Great Fire of London, a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of London from…

A small mill sits on a briskly-flowing mountain stream. A footbridge crosses the stream. A larger building (perhaps the ruin of a church) sits atop a mountain in the distance.

Mill on a Mountain Stream

A small mill sits on a briskly-flowing mountain stream. A footbridge crosses the stream. A larger building…

Old St. Paul's is a name used to refer to the Gothic cathedral in the City of London built between 1087 and 1314. At its peak, the cathedral was the third longest church in Europe and had one of the tallest spires. Old St Paul's was completely gutted in the Great Fire of London of 1666, which destroyed the roof and much of the stonework. Temporary repairs were made to the building, but while it might have been salvageable, albeit with almost complete reconstruction, a decision was taken to build a new cathedral in a modern style instead, a step which had been contemplated even before the fire.

Old St. Paul's Cathedral

Old St. Paul's is a name used to refer to the Gothic cathedral in the City of London built between 1087…

"The Palantine from the Aventine." — Young, 1901

Palatine

"The Palantine from the Aventine." — Young, 1901

"Amid the barren deserts of Arabia, a few fertile spots of soil arise out of the sandy waste, like islands out of the wide ocean. One of these places, termed <em>oases</em> by the inhabitants of those countries, became the seat of a rich, flourishing, and magnificent city, the immense ruins of which, at the present day, strike every traveller with astonishment. Palmyra, as this city was called in the Latin, and Tadmor, in the Syriac language, are both derrived from the multitude of palm-trees which grew upon this fertile region." &mdash; Goodrich, 1844

Palmyra

"Amid the barren deserts of Arabia, a few fertile spots of soil arise out of the sandy waste, like islands…

"Ancient Persia was among the great empires that figure in the early history of mankind. Little of their history is known till the conqueror Cyrus ascended the throne, about the year, about 559 B.C." &mdash; Goodrich, 1844

Ancient Persia

"Ancient Persia was among the great empires that figure in the early history of mankind. Little of their…

The city of Thebes was a major city during the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. Portrays the wreckage of the city, with many buildings and pillars eroded.

Ruins of Thebes

The city of Thebes was a major city during the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. Portrays the wreckage of the city,…