Located in Santiponce, the Monasterio de San Isidoro del Campo was founded somewhere near the Roman ruins of Itálica, by Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán and María Coronel Alonso in 1301, where according to tradition San Isidoro de Sevilla had been buried. His remains were discovered and moved to León in 1063.
Since its foundation, the monastery has been under the spiritual and temporary administration of different religious orders. In 1432 the Hieronymites of the Order of Saint Jerome significantly reformed the monastery which is reflected in the concept of monastic life and in the decoration.
In this unique fortress-monastery, with a double church, the Gothic style is juxtaposed with clear Languedoc and Mudejar influences, where the Almohad tradition is clearly visible. Unlike Cistercian austerity, the Hieronymite monastery is decorated with murals that make up what is possibly one of the most outstanding ensembles in Spain.
The monastery was extended and became richer over the centuries, eventually having a tower, a belfry, five cloisters and, next to the monastic quarters, the attorney general's quarters, a hostelry and the farming facilities expected of an institution aspiring to self-sufficiency.
During the Baroque, period, this medieval establishment was transformed with altarpieces (the two by Martínez Montañés on public display are worthy of special mention), stalls, new murals and plaster vaults.
References:Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.