Spalentor - Carnival - Basel, Switzerland
Posted by: 
frodobi
Assisted by: fi67
N 47° 33.482 E 007° 34.877
32T E 393270 N 5268154
The Spalentor is the most imposing of the three surviving city gates that formed part of the fortifications of 1400.
Waymark Code: WMD4TV
Location: Basel Stadt, Switzerland
Date Posted: 11/19/2011
Views: 20
Created From:
[Deleted Waymark] - posted by
fi67
In the middle of the 19th century the fortifications and the city gates were destroyed to let the city grow. Only a small part of the city walls and three gates were left. Spalentor is the most imposing of these three. It has become a landmark of Basel and is considered to be one of the most beautiful gates of Switzerland
The walls are over two meters thick, the side towers have a height of 28 meters the main tower is 40.3 meters high.
The side facing away from the town is decorated with three figures from the beginning of the 15th century - the Madonna and two prophets. The roof is tiled with a colored pattern.
The stamp is the left one of a three stamp series of CHF 1 each, this is the regular letter price. They were issued in 2010 to commemorate the centenary of the organizing committee of the three-day Fasnacht (carnival) of Basel. The carnival itself dates back to the 14th century.
The stamp shows typical costumes, lanterns and instruments in front of the three best known landmarks of the city, one for each day of the Fasnacht: the Spalentor, the city hall and the cathedral. They were created by local artist Andreas Daniel Vetsch.
The viewpoint of the stamp is completely virtual. There is no place where you could see the gate in this angle, especially not behind a row of houses. Even if this location would exist, the gate is seen from the outer side and the carnival takes place in the historic center.
Stamp Issuing Country: Switzerland (Helvetia)
Date of Issue: 2009
Denomination: CHF 1.00
Color: Multicolor
Stamp Type: Multiple (blocks, etc.)
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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