Manitoba Legislative Building
Encyclopedia
The Manitoba Legislative Building is the meeting place of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
, in central Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
. It was originally named the Manitoba Parliament Building, not Legislative. The neoclassical building was completed in 1920 and stands seventy-seven meters tall (253 ft). It was designed and built by Frank Worthington Simon (1862-1933) and Henry Boddington III, along with other masons and many skilled craftsmen. The building is famous for the Golden Boy
, a gold covered bronze statue based on the style of the Roman god Mercury
, or the Greek god Hermes
, at the top of the cupola
, or domed ceiling.
The Manitoba Legislative Building is open every day of the year (including Saturdays and Sundays) for self-guided tours, and guided tours are available.
government announced an architectural competition to all architects in the British Empire
, with a grand prize of $10,000 was offered for the best design for the new Manitoba Legislative Building. It is the third building used by Manitoba's legislative assembly, the first being the home of A.G.B. Bannatyne
, while the second stood on the same grounds as the current Legislative building. Of the 67 submissions, Frank Worthington Simon, a former student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts
, had his design chosen for the construction of the impressive structure.
Construction began in 1913, with Tyndall stone, quarried at Garson, about 20 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg
. On June 3, 1914 the north-east cornerstone ceremony, which was commonly done by masons
, was laid by Thomas Kelly, the contractor. Kelly stole many of the materials to build his own house three blocks away, so the construction of the massive building was slowed and was not ready for partial occupancy until 1919. On July 15, 1920, the province's 50th anniversary date, opening ceremonies were performed by Sir James Aikins
, then Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba.
The base of the building forms the letter H. The total square footage of the building is 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²), with a total height of 242 feet (73.8 m) above ground level toped with a bronze statue, gilded with 23.75 k gold leaf, of the Greek God Hermes
or the Roman God Mercury
. The Legislative grounds cover 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of landscaped grounds. Throughout the exterior and interior of the building are examples of Fibonacci Sequence, Golden Ratio
and Sacred Geometry
.
s, is the main pediment
. In the bottom-left corner of the pediment is the Indolent
Man, with a half-kneeling woman, the spirit of progress, beckoning the Indolent Man into the new land of promise. Next is the goddess
Europa
leading a bull, symbolizing Canada's European
heritage and immigration. To the right of Europa, a man, woman and child symbolizing the colonization of a new land. Seated in the centre is Lady Manitoba with the rays of the sun behind her. She closely resembles the fertility goddesses Ishtar
and Demeter
, both patron deities of agriculture, with Neptune
's trident symbolizing the Pacific Ocean
, and to the left and to the right are ships wheels symbolizing the Atlantic Ocean
. Next to the right of Lady Manitoba are a man and a woman laden with wheat and fruit, products of the soil. Then next is a muscular male figure with a team of powerful horses and a primitive plough tilling the soil. Finally in the bottom right corner are two entwined female figures representing the Red
and Assiniboine River
s.
Above the main pediment, flanking both sides are two Egyptian sphinx
es facing both east and west. Carved onto a flat piece of stone, just below the chin, in Egyptian hieroglyphics, is "The everlasting manifestation of the Sun God Ra
, the good God who gives life."
On both the east and west portico
s sit figures representing war and peace. On the east side, with engraved images of weapons of war, are two male figures, one a native warrior with an eagle head-dress, another a Roman soldier
, and on the west side there are two female figures for peace. Each pair guards a chest, rumoured to represent the Ark of the Covenant
because of the proper proportions as mentioned in the ancient Hebrew texts.
On the grounds of the Legislative Building, facing the Assiniboine River
, there is the Louis-Riel sculpture by Miguel Joyal
. It was erected in 1996 and commemorates Métis
leader Louis Riel
.
Each one of the four corners of the copper dome supporting the Golden Boy has a stonework grouping representing the four elements of alchemy
, earth, air, fire and water
. They are identified as Agriculture
, Science
, Industry
and Art
. The dome is 223 in 7 in (68.15 m) above the main floor. The height of the central tower without the Golden Boy is 242 feet (73.8 m). The statue was first installed in 1919, originally called Eternal Youth, and sculpted by Parisian artist Georges Gardet
. The Golden Boy was last regilded and refurbished in 2002, and is illuminated by floodlights.
Within the main entrance is the Grand Staircase. This is a perfectly square room measuring 66.6 feet (20.3 m) on each side, which is meant to represent the numerological number 666
, which are all the numbers added from one to 36, which is the square of 6, in mathematics
, geometry
, and arithmetic
. The stair case is composed of three flights of steps each with 13 steps. The steps are brown-veined Carrara marble, the finest marble in the world. Flanking the steps are life size North American bison. Made of solid bronze
, they were modelled by Georges Gardet, creator of the Golden Boy, and cast at the Roman Bronze Works in New York City
. Each bison weighs 2,268 kilograms (2½ tons). Legend has it that to install the bison safely without damaging the marble floors, the main entrance was flooded and left to freeze. Both bison were then placed on enormous slabs of ice cut from the Assiniboine River, and safely slid into the building. The bison are one example of apotropaic icons in the Grand Staircase.
The bison, a symbol of the Province of Manitoba, are meant to represent the sacred bulls which guard temple entrances. Above the south entrance to the legislature lobby is the Medusa
's head, and over the north entrance facing Medusa is the bust of Athena
, Greek goddess of war, embodiment of democracy and also the protector of cities. Around the perimeter of the room are 14 lion heads and 8 cattle skulls at the edge of the ceiling. Around the second floor balcony, lamps rise from the balustrades, each containing 13 bulbs, 12 around 1 (Twelve Apostles and Jesus). The third floor facing the Grand Staircase is supported by two pairs of columns, reproductions of the caryatids, sculpted female figures serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar. Each figure holds a scroll and key. The figures located on the third floor were carved by the Piccirilli Brothers
of New York, using models prepared by Albert Hodge
of London, England. The ceiling is made of a glass atrium to allow natural sunlight to illuminate the room.
The antechamber at the head of the grand staircase provides a formal approach to the legislative chamber. 8 Corinthian
columns rise from the floor to the cornice
surrounding the base of the dome. Between each pair of columns are busts of Hermes
. The floor of the dome rotunda is Tennessee marble
bordered with black Vermont and verde antique marble. The height to the eye of the dome is 87 feet (26.5 m) and the diameter is 54 feet (16.5 m). Within the dome above are four panels containing 5 gold rosettes. In the centre of the Rotunda
is an Italian marble balustrade 13 feet (4 m) across surrounding the Pool of the Black Star on the floor of the level below, a representation of the altars of the ancient Greeks. The diameter of the circle above the balustrade is also 13 feet (4 m), and both align with the Golden Boy above these. Above the doorway to the Manitoba Assembly is a mural by Frank Brangwyn
depicting World War I. In the centre of the painting is a man in tattered rags with his left chest and arm exposed, being helped along by a comrade. Above the men are a faint depiction of The Madonna and child.
The Pool of the Black Star is the room below the Rotunda
with four entrances and marked by 3 steps forming a circumference of the room. The room is circular with a radius of 27 feet (8.2 m). At the centre of the floor is an 8-pointed black marble star. Directly above in alignment with the Pool of the Black Star is the dome of the building, on which the Golden Boy is mounted. The design of the building allows sounds from all over the building to be caught and heard in the circular room, and echoes can be heard by speaking in the room.
are posted on either side of the door and military aides assist the Lieutenant-Governor with official duties. The room is panelled in black American walnut
inlaid with ebony, and decorated with hand-carved ornaments around the ceiling and along the four corner pillars. Pictures of sovereigns grace the walls and a French gilt chandelier
hangs from the ceiling. The floor features a carpet specially hand-woven in Donegal
, Ireland
. Facing across from each other on the north and south wall are two elaborate mirrors in gilt frames. The room measures 24 feet (7.3 m) in both directions. Directly above the Lieutenant-Governor's Reception Room are the two male warriors (War), one native in full eagle feathered head dress, and one Roman, guarding the representation of the Ark of the Covenant
.
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
and the Lieutenant Governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislative branch of government in the Canadian Province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post voting. Originally, in 1870, there were 24 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). As the province grew in population and size, more electoral divisions were added. Winnipeg was once the third largest city in Canada, and often called Chicago of the North.
Manitoba's Legislative chamber is unique among Provincial Legislatures in that the Members' benches are grouped in a horseshoe shape. The Speaker of the House's chair is located on the south wall below the press gallery of 13 seats. All debate is addressed to the Speaker, who rules on points of order and procedure and has the responsibility of maintaining order and decorum
.
When the Legislature is in session, each day begins in accordance with procedures that have origins in the early beginnings of Parliamentary rule. The speaker enters the Legislative Chamber followed by the clerks of the Legislative Assembly and preceded by the Sergeant-at-arms bearing Manitoba's Mace.
The original desks and chairs of the Chamber are fashioned of walnut with inlaid ebony. They are arranged in three tiers rising from a sunken floor in the centre of the Chamber. Each desk is equipped with a microphone connected to a public address system and a recording machine used in the publication of Hansard, a verbatim report of debates and proceedings in the Legislature. During question period, translators provide simultaneous translation from French to English. The Chamber is also equipped for video and internet broadcasts of question period and special events such as throne and budget speeches. Yet even as such changes have brought the assembly into the future, the original inkwells employed by an earlier generation of Manitoban politicians are still visible. To the right of the speaker is a statue of Moses
holding the Ten Commandments
, to the left is Solon
, a famous lawmaker of ancient Athens
. Each statue is made of bronze and sculpted by Gardet.
A book was published in 2007 entitled The Hermetic Code, by Frank Albo
, which details the Masonic and classical history incorporated into the building.
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
, in central Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was originally named the Manitoba Parliament Building, not Legislative. The neoclassical building was completed in 1920 and stands seventy-seven meters tall (253 ft). It was designed and built by Frank Worthington Simon (1862-1933) and Henry Boddington III, along with other masons and many skilled craftsmen. The building is famous for the Golden Boy
Golden Boy (Manitoba)
The Golden Boy statue is 5.25 metres tall from the toe to the top of the torch and 4.27 metres from head to toe. It weighs 1650 kg , and the top of his torch is 77 metres above ground...
, a gold covered bronze statue based on the style of the Roman god Mercury
Mercury (mythology)
Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...
, or the Greek god Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
, at the top of the cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
, or domed ceiling.
The Manitoba Legislative Building is open every day of the year (including Saturdays and Sundays) for self-guided tours, and guided tours are available.
History and construction
In 1911, the ManitobaManitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
government announced an architectural competition to all architects in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, with a grand prize of $10,000 was offered for the best design for the new Manitoba Legislative Building. It is the third building used by Manitoba's legislative assembly, the first being the home of A.G.B. Bannatyne
Andrew Bannatyne
Andrew Graham Ballenden Bannatyne was a Canadian politician, fur trader and leading citizen of Winnipeg, Manitoba....
, while the second stood on the same grounds as the current Legislative building. Of the 67 submissions, Frank Worthington Simon, a former student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
, had his design chosen for the construction of the impressive structure.
Construction began in 1913, with Tyndall stone, quarried at Garson, about 20 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. On June 3, 1914 the north-east cornerstone ceremony, which was commonly done by masons
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
, was laid by Thomas Kelly, the contractor. Kelly stole many of the materials to build his own house three blocks away, so the construction of the massive building was slowed and was not ready for partial occupancy until 1919. On July 15, 1920, the province's 50th anniversary date, opening ceremonies were performed by Sir James Aikins
James Albert Manning Aikins
Sir James Albert Manning Aikins was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was the leader of the Manitoba Conservative Party in the provincial election of 1915, and later served as the province's ninth Lieutenant Governor.Aikins was born in Grahamsville, Peel County, Canada West and educated at...
, then Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba.
The base of the building forms the letter H. The total square footage of the building is 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²), with a total height of 242 feet (73.8 m) above ground level toped with a bronze statue, gilded with 23.75 k gold leaf, of the Greek God Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
or the Roman God Mercury
Mercury (mythology)
Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...
. The Legislative grounds cover 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of landscaped grounds. Throughout the exterior and interior of the building are examples of Fibonacci Sequence, Golden Ratio
Golden ratio
In mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio of the sum of the quantities to the larger quantity is equal to the ratio of the larger quantity to the smaller one. The golden ratio is an irrational mathematical constant, approximately 1.61803398874989...
and Sacred Geometry
Sacred geometry
Sacred geometry is the geometry used in the planning and construction of religious structures such as churches, temples, mosques, religious monuments, altars, tabernacles; as well as for sacred spaces such as temenoi, sacred groves, village greens and holy wells, and the creation of religious art...
.
Exterior
Coming up to the north side of the Legislative Building, above the 6 main columnColumn
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s, is the main pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
. In the bottom-left corner of the pediment is the Indolent
Indolent
Indolent may refer to:*Laziness*A music label owned by Bertelsmann Music Group.*the lowest of three grades of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma...
Man, with a half-kneeling woman, the spirit of progress, beckoning the Indolent Man into the new land of promise. Next is the goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
Europa
Europa (mythology)
In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician woman of high lineage, from whom the name of the continent Europe has ultimately been taken. The name Europa occurs in Hesiod's long list of daughters of primordial Oceanus and Tethys...
leading a bull, symbolizing Canada's European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
heritage and immigration. To the right of Europa, a man, woman and child symbolizing the colonization of a new land. Seated in the centre is Lady Manitoba with the rays of the sun behind her. She closely resembles the fertility goddesses Ishtar
Ishtar
Ishtar is the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. She is the counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate north-west Semitic goddess Astarte.-Characteristics:...
and Demeter
Demeter
In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...
, both patron deities of agriculture, with Neptune
Neptune (mythology)
Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,...
's trident symbolizing the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, and to the left and to the right are ships wheels symbolizing the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Next to the right of Lady Manitoba are a man and a woman laden with wheat and fruit, products of the soil. Then next is a muscular male figure with a team of powerful horses and a primitive plough tilling the soil. Finally in the bottom right corner are two entwined female figures representing the Red
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
and Assiniboine River
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
s.
Above the main pediment, flanking both sides are two Egyptian sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
es facing both east and west. Carved onto a flat piece of stone, just below the chin, in Egyptian hieroglyphics, is "The everlasting manifestation of the Sun God Ra
Ra
Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty he had become a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the mid-day sun...
, the good God who gives life."
On both the east and west portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
s sit figures representing war and peace. On the east side, with engraved images of weapons of war, are two male figures, one a native warrior with an eagle head-dress, another a Roman soldier
Roman army
The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
, and on the west side there are two female figures for peace. Each pair guards a chest, rumoured to represent the Ark of the Covenant
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed...
because of the proper proportions as mentioned in the ancient Hebrew texts.
On the grounds of the Legislative Building, facing the Assiniboine River
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
, there is the Louis-Riel sculpture by Miguel Joyal
Louis-Riel sculpture by Miguel Joyal
The Louis-Riel sculpture by Miguel Joyal presently located at 450 Broadway Avenue facing the Assiniboine River on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building, was unveiled on May 12, 1996 at precisely two thirty in the afternoon. This statue of Riel was executed by Winnipeg born Miguel Joyal...
. It was erected in 1996 and commemorates Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
leader Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
.
The Golden Boy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
, earth, air, fire and water
Classical element
Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
. They are identified as Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, Industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
and Art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
. The dome is 223 in 7 in (68.15 m) above the main floor. The height of the central tower without the Golden Boy is 242 feet (73.8 m). The statue was first installed in 1919, originally called Eternal Youth, and sculpted by Parisian artist Georges Gardet
Georges Gardet
Georges Gardet was a French sculptor and animalier.The son of a sculptor, Gardet attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in the atelier of Aimé Millet and Emmanuel Fremiet...
. The Golden Boy was last regilded and refurbished in 2002, and is illuminated by floodlights.
Grand Staircase
666 (number)
666 is the natural number following 665 and preceding 667.- In mathematics :666 is the sum of the first 36 natural numbers 666 (six hundred and sixty-six) is the natural number following 665 and preceding 667.- In mathematics :666 is the sum of the first 36 natural numbers 666 (six hundred and...
, which are all the numbers added from one to 36, which is the square of 6, in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
, and arithmetic
Arithmetic
Arithmetic or arithmetics is the oldest and most elementary branch of mathematics, used by almost everyone, for tasks ranging from simple day-to-day counting to advanced science and business calculations. It involves the study of quantity, especially as the result of combining numbers...
. The stair case is composed of three flights of steps each with 13 steps. The steps are brown-veined Carrara marble, the finest marble in the world. Flanking the steps are life size North American bison. Made of solid bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
, they were modelled by Georges Gardet, creator of the Golden Boy, and cast at the Roman Bronze Works in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Each bison weighs 2,268 kilograms (2½ tons). Legend has it that to install the bison safely without damaging the marble floors, the main entrance was flooded and left to freeze. Both bison were then placed on enormous slabs of ice cut from the Assiniboine River, and safely slid into the building. The bison are one example of apotropaic icons in the Grand Staircase.
The bison, a symbol of the Province of Manitoba, are meant to represent the sacred bulls which guard temple entrances. Above the south entrance to the legislature lobby is the Medusa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
's head, and over the north entrance facing Medusa is the bust of Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, Greek goddess of war, embodiment of democracy and also the protector of cities. Around the perimeter of the room are 14 lion heads and 8 cattle skulls at the edge of the ceiling. Around the second floor balcony, lamps rise from the balustrades, each containing 13 bulbs, 12 around 1 (Twelve Apostles and Jesus). The third floor facing the Grand Staircase is supported by two pairs of columns, reproductions of the caryatids, sculpted female figures serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar. Each figure holds a scroll and key. The figures located on the third floor were carved by the Piccirilli Brothers
Piccirilli Brothers
The Piccirilli Brothers were a family of renowned marble carvers who carved a large number of the most significant marble sculptures in the United States, including Daniel Chester French’s colossal Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.-History:In 1888, Giuseppe Piccirilli , a...
of New York, using models prepared by Albert Hodge
Albert Hodge (sculptor)
Albert Henstock Hodge was a Scottish born British sculptor. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art. Initially he worked as an architect with William Leiper, but his ability as a modeler led him to continue his career as a sculptor. In 1901 he moved to London, where he died in 1917 or 1918...
of London, England. The ceiling is made of a glass atrium to allow natural sunlight to illuminate the room.
Rotunda
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns rise from the floor to the cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
surrounding the base of the dome. Between each pair of columns are busts of Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
. The floor of the dome rotunda is Tennessee marble
Tennessee marble
Tennessee marble is a type of crystalline limestone found primarily in East Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Long esteemed by architects and builders for its pinkish-gray color and the ease with which it is polished, this stone has been used in the construction of numerous notable...
bordered with black Vermont and verde antique marble. The height to the eye of the dome is 87 feet (26.5 m) and the diameter is 54 feet (16.5 m). Within the dome above are four panels containing 5 gold rosettes. In the centre of the Rotunda
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
is an Italian marble balustrade 13 feet (4 m) across surrounding the Pool of the Black Star on the floor of the level below, a representation of the altars of the ancient Greeks. The diameter of the circle above the balustrade is also 13 feet (4 m), and both align with the Golden Boy above these. Above the doorway to the Manitoba Assembly is a mural by Frank Brangwyn
Frank Brangwyn
Sir Frank William Brangwyn RA RWS RBA was an Anglo-Welsh artist, painter, water colourist, virtuoso engraver and illustrator, and progressive designer.- Biography :...
depicting World War I. In the centre of the painting is a man in tattered rags with his left chest and arm exposed, being helped along by a comrade. Above the men are a faint depiction of The Madonna and child.
Pool of the Black Star
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
with four entrances and marked by 3 steps forming a circumference of the room. The room is circular with a radius of 27 feet (8.2 m). At the centre of the floor is an 8-pointed black marble star. Directly above in alignment with the Pool of the Black Star is the dome of the building, on which the Golden Boy is mounted. The design of the building allows sounds from all over the building to be caught and heard in the circular room, and echoes can be heard by speaking in the room.
Lieutenant-Governor's Reception Room
In the east corridor of the Manitoba Legislative Building is the Lieutenant-Governor's Reception Room. This finely decorated room is used by the Lieutenant-Governor on state occasions to receive visiting royalty and foreign dignitaries and general public is barred from entry. During such events, scarlet-coated Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
are posted on either side of the door and military aides assist the Lieutenant-Governor with official duties. The room is panelled in black American walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
inlaid with ebony, and decorated with hand-carved ornaments around the ceiling and along the four corner pillars. Pictures of sovereigns grace the walls and a French gilt chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
hangs from the ceiling. The floor features a carpet specially hand-woven in Donegal
Donegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Facing across from each other on the north and south wall are two elaborate mirrors in gilt frames. The room measures 24 feet (7.3 m) in both directions. Directly above the Lieutenant-Governor's Reception Room are the two male warriors (War), one native in full eagle feathered head dress, and one Roman, guarding the representation of the Ark of the Covenant
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed...
.
Legislative Chamber
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
and the Lieutenant Governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislative branch of government in the Canadian Province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post voting. Originally, in 1870, there were 24 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). As the province grew in population and size, more electoral divisions were added. Winnipeg was once the third largest city in Canada, and often called Chicago of the North.
Manitoba's Legislative chamber is unique among Provincial Legislatures in that the Members' benches are grouped in a horseshoe shape. The Speaker of the House's chair is located on the south wall below the press gallery of 13 seats. All debate is addressed to the Speaker, who rules on points of order and procedure and has the responsibility of maintaining order and decorum
Decorum
Decorum was a principle of classical rhetoric, poetry and theatrical theory that was about the fitness or otherwise of a style to a theatrical subject...
.
When the Legislature is in session, each day begins in accordance with procedures that have origins in the early beginnings of Parliamentary rule. The speaker enters the Legislative Chamber followed by the clerks of the Legislative Assembly and preceded by the Sergeant-at-arms bearing Manitoba's Mace.
The original desks and chairs of the Chamber are fashioned of walnut with inlaid ebony. They are arranged in three tiers rising from a sunken floor in the centre of the Chamber. Each desk is equipped with a microphone connected to a public address system and a recording machine used in the publication of Hansard, a verbatim report of debates and proceedings in the Legislature. During question period, translators provide simultaneous translation from French to English. The Chamber is also equipped for video and internet broadcasts of question period and special events such as throne and budget speeches. Yet even as such changes have brought the assembly into the future, the original inkwells employed by an earlier generation of Manitoban politicians are still visible. To the right of the speaker is a statue of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
holding the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
, to the left is Solon
Solon
Solon was an Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and poet. He is remembered particularly for his efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline in archaic Athens...
, a famous lawmaker of ancient Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Each statue is made of bronze and sculpted by Gardet.
Today
The cost of reconstruction today would be prohibitive, due to such factors as a shortage of skilled masons.A book was published in 2007 entitled The Hermetic Code, by Frank Albo
Frank Albo
Frank Albo is a researcher and teacher from the University of Winnipeg, in Manitoba, Canada. He is known for his writings about the Manitoba Legislature...
, which details the Masonic and classical history incorporated into the building.
External links
- Legislative tour at the Province of Manitoba
- Manitoba Legislative Building at emporis.com
- A Report on the Manitoba Legislature- Metaphor for Occult Thought?
- Researcher probes occult at Manitoba legislature CTV, Feb. 17 2005 10:28 PM ET
- www.FrankAlbo.com
- Manitoba, eh?!