John Cox

Blogs · @wyome

Tagged monument · everything

Mental Floss

The Remarkable Story of the Tree That Survived 9/11

A Callery pear tree discovered nearly dead in the rubble after 9/11 was carefully rehabilitated by arborists and replanted at Ground Zero in 2010, where it now stands as a living symbol of survival and renewal. The tree bears a visible scar line marking the boundary between its burned 2001 bark and the new growth that emerged after its recovery, and visitors regularly leave messages of hope on tags attached to its protective railing. Beginning in 2013, seeds from the Survivor Tree were distributed to communities affected by tragedy around the world, creating a broader legacy of resilience that extended far beyond the memorial plaza.

Permalink historynaturemonument

euronews

Roman revelation: Biggest ancient monumental wall mosaic unveiled after 2,000 years | Euronews

Rome has opened a newly restored museum showcasing what is believed to be the largest fresco and mosaic complex from ancient Rome, discovered underground during 1990s excavations at the Baths of Trajan near the Colosseum. The "Painted City" fresco and the monumental "Great Mosaic" feature first-century A.D. depictions of maritime cities rendered in still-vivid blues and terracotta, with the mosaic's multiple levels showing both intimate theatrical scenes and bird's-eye views of a harbor layout. To preserve these artworks, visits are being restricted to small guided groups at limited times, starting with weekends-only access in September before expanding to Friday-Sunday slots in October.

Permalink arthistorymonumentarchaeology

www.theatlantic.com

Why Confederate Lies Live On

Clint Smith visits Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia—home to 30,000 Confederate graves and magnificent Tiffany stained-glass windows—and discovers how the "Lost Cause" mythology has allowed white Americans to sanitize the Civil War's origins in slavery while dismissing the discomfort of Black visitors. Through encounters with cemetery staff, Sons of Confederate Veterans members, and Civil War reenactors, Smith documents how people insist the war was about states' rights and personal heritage rather than the documented truth that Confederate leaders fought explicitly to preserve slavery. He contrasts this with the Whitney Plantation in Louisiana, which centers enslaved people's experiences and refuses the nostalgia that allows visitors elsewhere to ignore slavery's brutality, suggesting that confronting the full reality of American slavery requires rejecting comfortable family narratives in favor of historical truth.

Permalink historymonument