Francis Petre was a prominent New Zealand-born architect based in Dunedin. Before his time, 19th-century New Zealand architecture was dominated by an almost institutionalized Gothic revival style, favoured by the British Empire for its far flung colonies. One of the first of New Zealand's native born architects, Petre played an important part in guiding it towards the brighter Palladian and Renaissance southern European styles which were more suited to New Zealand's climate than the gloomier Gothic. Able to work competently in a wide diversity of architectural styles, he was also notable for his pioneering work in concrete development and construction. He designed numerous public and private buildings, many of which are still standing in and around Dunedin. He is chiefly remembered for the monumental Roman Catholic cathedrals of Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, which survive today as testimony to his talent and architectural expertise.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1527: Spanish and German troops sacked Rome, marking the symbolic end of Italian Renaissance. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Renaissance)

1682: King Louis XIV of France took up residence in the Château de Versailles. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles)

1863: American Civil War: The Army of Northern Virginia led by Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson scored a decisive Confederate victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chancellorsville)

1937: The German zeppelin Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed in Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster)

1994: The Channel Tunnel, a 50-km long rail tunnel beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover, was officially opened. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Tunnel)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"If you shut your door to all errors truth will be shut out." -- Rabindranath Tagore (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagore)