Bratislava Castle is a stunning example of medieval architecture and of course a must-visit when visiting Slovakia.
It was around the time when Jesus Christ was born when the Romans first settled in the area around what is called today Bratislava. There they built a military camp of strategic importance to secure the trade routes. But why do you find statues of speared roman soldiers on the gates to the Bratislava Castle?
I searched for information on side, I rummaged around the internet – but I didn’t find any information regarding those statues. Why are they there? Maybe some of my Slovakian readers can help me?
On the evening that I took the photo, the castle seemed almost haunting, with its ancient walls and imposing towers casting eerie shadows over the surrounding landscape. Perhaps the statues of the Roman soldiers were meant to inspire fear in those who approached the castle, or to keep out evil spirits that might seek to do harm.
Whatever their purpose, the statues of the speared Roman soldiers are just one of the many intriguing features of Bratislava Castle, a remarkable example of medieval architecture and a testament to Slovakia’s rich history and cultural heritage.
Technical Details
Camera: Canon EOS 500D
Lens: Canon EF-S 10-22mm @ 10mm
ISO: 100
Exposures: 2×7 in 1 EV steps
Aperture: 11
Exposure time (middle): 1s
Tripod: Manfrotto 190CXPRO4
Size: 12 MPx
Date: Taken in December 2013
Location: Southern Side of the Bratislava Castle
Software: Lightroom 5.2, Photoshop CS6, Photomatix Pro
Workflow: To have the statue as well as the castle sharp, I took two separate brackets with each 7 exposures. The image therefore is based on 14 photos in total.
Both exposure brackets I post-processed in Lightroom and Photomatix with the same settings and blended them together later on in Photoshop. That way I could get both the foreground and the background sharp.
