Skip to main content

Geneva, Capital of Peace

In the city that boasts 1000 delights, there remains hundreds of discoveries to make. So each time I pass through Geneva, there's always something new to discover. Recently, I visited the European headquarters of the Palais des Nations where important discussions are held throughout the year to keep the fragile peace that binds our nations. 

Broken Chair, Geneva, Switzerland, sculpture
In front of the United Nations building is the wooden sculpture, Broken Chair by Daniel Berset, a Swiss sculptor. It is a reminder of the victims of landmines, cluster bombs and the ¨desperate cry of war torn populations¨. Rising to a height of 39 feet tall, it dwarfs visitors who pose by those long legs. Broken Chair was crafted by Louie Gèneve. 

Albert György, Melancholy, Geneva, sculpture
Melancholy is the most poignant sculpture I've ever seen. Nothing speaks of emptiness more than the gaping hole through which one can see the peaceful lake in the background. Melancholy was created by Romanian artist, Albert György, who experienced this void when his wife passed away. 

The Jet d'eau is the iconic symbol of Geneva. This fountain was originally created for the purpose of releasing water pressure into the air after the hydraulic pumping station on the Rhone River that powered factory machines was shut off at the end of the day. People were entranced and the valve releasing the water was relocated to its current central location.

The Brunswick Monument is a Neo-Gothic mausoleum built for Charles d'Este Guelph, the Duke of Brunswick. Expelled from his duchy in Germany in 1830, he made his fortune in Paris. He later moved to Geneva where he died in 1873 and left his considerable fortune to the city in exchange for a funeral befitting his stature and a monument to his name. The mausoleum is on Jardin des Alpes, a stone's throw from Lake Geneva.

Behind Cornavin Station is a quiet neighborhood with interesting architecture. These buildings are in the Renaissance style and look, there's even an Italian flag displayed on the balcony.

I was actually looking for some street art which this neighborhood had a few of but couldn't find the ones I had seen in pictures. Here's a sampler.

This is an innovative way to park as many bicycles and keep them off the streets.

Looking forward to more delightful discoveries in Geneva. 

Where to stay:
Ibis Styles
across the street from Cornavin Station
ibis.accor.com
I have stayed at this hotel a couple of times in the past year because of its proximity to Cornavin Station. It is also a short walk to the Old Town. Dining and shopping options nearby. The hotel serves a hearty breakfast which is included in the room rate. 

Note: Switzerland is an expensive destination. You pay much more for hotels and food.

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie
Labels:
Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called  Kasaysayan ng Maynila  (History of Manila).  The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and
Post a Comment
Read more

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by  Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with   Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was
1 comment
Read more

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the
2 comments
Read more