Groundspeak Portal

I would like to express my thanks to all reviewers who support our efforts for creating of this Architecture category... Most of reviews were positive and we are very glad for them. Some colleagues were again disappointed by the limitation given by the year of origin. But it is the sense of the "baroque architecture" category - we want to show real, original Baroque structures, which in the context of its realisation and construction are one of the gem of world's architecture heritage and also are kind of artistic thinkink and expression of philosophic & ideologic concepts of Baroque era (cca 1600-1790).. 

Neo-Baroque bulding built for example around 1880 can be beautiful and valuable, but it is NOT Baroque, it appeared in totally diferrent economical, social, industrial and philosphical environment.  Builder use much modern techniques and materials, the interiors are mostly more modern and Baroque is only "the first look" over the building. Limitation has another practical point, especially for us, living in European historic towns - in Prague, for example, are whole districts built in 1850-1900 in Neo-Baroque style. Thousands of nice residential houses... but they are not so original and valuable for Baroque architecture wayamark. You can find them in all West-Central European towns... it can be good for making of millions of new points into the statistics but not for showing reallz valuable historic architecture.

Moreover, still in our country and Austria, Slovakia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, England, Spain or Portugal etc. you can find countless examples of valuable original Baroque suitable for this category... Baroque buildings are also in Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Cuba - practically over all Latin America. Some of them are in Turkey, Phillipines, Russia... So in our opinion it is global category...

PS: and in the end one heretic question... Why can not be category "Baroque architecture" restrictive and must be global...?? For example categories:  Elk lodges, U.S. Post Offices, Knights of Columbus Counsil, lot of National restaurants, all US historic markers and dozens and dozens of another categories are pure U.S. specialities... and it is not problem . So why ONE category, for people who are interesting in Baroque architecture, is so controversial..???

Congratulations on a well-written category!

I was one who expressed reservations about the date limitations, but your explanation is clear and convincing!  So, if someone is interested in neo-baroque or neo-gothic, I guess the door is open.

I certainly have no problem with it being confined to a geographical region, as we have many that are!  Many are U.S. specific, but there are a lot of others from Latvia to New Zealand (Korea, too).   I think it is these categories that reflect the global nature of waymarking as much as the broad, global categories.  There is room for everyone here!

Dorcadion Team:

PS: and in the end one heretic question... Why can not be category "Baroque architecture" restrictive and must be global...?? For example categories:  Elk lodges, U.S. Post Offices, Knights of Columbus Counsil, lot of National restaurants, all US historic markers and dozens and dozens of another categories are pure U.S. specialities... and it is not problem . So why ONE category, for people who are interesting in Baroque architecture, is so controversial..???

See, that's the thing. It's a technicality.
For example. The Texas Historical Markers category is NOT geographically restrictive as a category. But the subject is. As it happens, there are actually some TxHMs in other states of the Union.

That's one of the keys to writing a category.

Congratulations!

As far as the global thing, I totally agree with you.  We have too many US/Canada only categories.  I voted against the German-American category, because I felt it should be much wider - at least Western Hemisphere if not anything outside Europe.

I would object to a category that purposefully excluded US and/or Canada without a good reason.  I believe your category has one!  (I'm assuming that they're excluded - I'm not aware of any Baroque buildings that old on this side of the pond)

I hope to one day be able to post in your category, but it will be a while.  The only building near me that is that old (at least as far as I know) is a pyramid.  I'm sure it's not Baroque.  Besides it's also underwater and I would need to learn to Scuba (or rent one of those underwater subs) to get a picture of it!

I can't help it...

"If it's not baroque, don't fix it"

onfire4jesus:

Congratulations!

As far as the global thing, I totally agree with you.  We have too many US/Canada only categories.  I voted against the German-American category, because I felt it should be much wider - at least Western Hemisphere if not anything outside Europe.

I would object to a category that purposefully excluded US and/or Canada without a good reason.  I believe your category has one!  (I'm assuming that they're excluded - I'm not aware of any Baroque buildings that old on this side of the pond)

I hope to one day be able to post in your category, but it will be a while.  The only building near me that is that old (at least as far as I know) is a pyramid.  I'm sure it's not Baroque.  Besides it's also underwater and I would need to learn to Scuba (or rent one of those underwater subs) to get a picture of it!

This category does not exclude US and/or Canada.  It may a limited number in the US and Canada.  I have one accepted in the category and it is in Missouri, but there are not many Sir Christopher Wren designed churches in the US (actually I think only one).    At one time there was a Spanish Baroque church in the US (San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio, TX)  however when it was rebuilt its style was changed.