The Cistercian Abbey of Alba Ripa, founded in 1135 by 12 monks from Clairvaux, has played a key role in French history, influenced by notable figures.
Built in the typical Bernardine style, it features a church with an east-facing flat-walled chevet, sections for choir monks and lay-brothers, and a communal north wing. Situated in a remote area, the monks mastered water resources, diverting the Aube River for self-sufficiency.
After flourishing in the 13th century, the abbey declined during the 100 Years’ War. It endured religious wars in the 16th century and underwent reconstruction in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Following the dissolution of monastic orders in 1790, the abbey saw industrial and residential use before becoming a prison in 1856, housing female prisoners, including the communard Louise Michel. Later, it served as a reform school and returned to religious use between 1925 and 1960.
The Solvay company owned it from 1960, using it as a holiday camp until 2004.
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.