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Monday, November 12, 2012

Utrecht


If you ask yourself where is utrecht you can find out that it is a remarcable town in The Netherlands, capital of the province of Utrecht. It is the fourth largest and populated city in this country. 

             The foundations of this city dates back to Roman times when it was built as a wooden fortress on the river Rhine. The fortress was named Traiectum. As time passed, Traiectum was Latinized as Ultra Traiectum and the wooden walls were replaced with stone walls. When Germanic tribes invaded the Roman territories the area was abandoned. A confederation of Germanic tribes, named the Franks, built a church which later had to be destroyed due to the border conflicts with the Frisians. In the mid-7th century, Frisians were converted by English and Irish missionaries. The events led for Utrecht to become one of the most influential seats of power for the Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands. The importance of Utrecht as a center of Christianity is evidenced by the election of the pope in 1522. After 1870, Utrecht became the center of the non-Roman Old Catholic Churches in the world. In the Modern history the town walls were demolished and the technology and modernism put their mark, being opened a railway between Amsterdam and Utrecht. On 5 May 1945, the German general surrendered Utrecht to Netherlands. This was the beginning of city growing, development and modernization.

            The city of Utrecht is best known for its university. Established in 1636, the University of Utrecht is one of the oldest in Netherlands and has been the center of cultural life ever since. The University of Utrecht started with four faculties: philosophy, theology, medicine and law.  During the 17th century, the university flourished and attracted many students. It also established a botanical garden and an astronomical observatory. The development continued and now the University of Utrecht offers 46 undergraduate and 196 graduate programs.
            The city of Utrecht is filed with history and has a lot to offer for the tourists visiting it.

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