The buildings and architecture of Bristol are an eclectic combination of styles, ranging from the medieval to 20th century brutalism and beyond. During the mid-19th century, Bristol Byzantine, an architectural style unique to the city was developed, of which several examples have survived. Buildings from most of the architectural periods of the United Kingdom can be seen throughout Bristol. Parts of the fortified city and castle date back to the medieval era, as do some churches dating from the 12th century onwards. As the city grew, it merged with its surrounding villages, each with its own character and centre, often clustered around a parish church. The construction of the city's floating harbour, taking in the wharves on the Avon and Frome rivers, provided a focus for industrial development and the growth of the local transport infrastructure, including the Clifton Suspension Bridge and Temple Meads railway station. The 20th century saw further expansion of the city, the growth of the University of Bristol, and the arrival of the aircraft industry. During World War II, the city centre suffered from extensive bombing during the Bristol Blitz. The redevelopment of shopping centres, office buildings, and the harbourside continues to this day.

Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buildings_and_architecture_of_Bristol>

_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:

1858:

Fourteen year-old peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous reported the first of eighteen Marian apparitions in Lourdes, France, resulting in the town becoming a major site for pilgrimages by Catholics.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Soubirous>

1929:

To help settle the "Roman Question", Italy and the Holy See of the Roman Catholic Church agreed to establish the Vatican City as an independent sovereign enclave within Italy.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_City>

1979:

During the Iranian Revolution, the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran effectively collapsed when the military declared itself "neutral" after rebel troops overwhelmed forces loyal to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in armed street fighting.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pahlavi_dynasty>

1990:

Anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner for 27 years, was released from Victor Verster Prison near Paarl, South Africa.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela>

660 BC:

According to tradition, Emperor Jimmu founded Japan and established his capital in Yamato.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Jimmu>

_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:

adjacent (adj):
1. Lying next to, close, or contiguous; neighboring; bordering on.
2. Just before, after, or facing
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/adjacent>

___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:

In Common Sense Paine flared forth with a document so powerful that the Revolution became inevitable. Washington recognized the difference, and in his calm way said that matters never could be the same again.   --Thomas Alva Edison
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Alva_Edison>