Patek Phillipe Museum is noble and prestigious private museum mapping the history of luxury watchmaking, since 16th century up to present. Huge collection of precious clocks and watches make the visit of museum artistic experience.
Antoni Patek was Polish watchmaking pioneer, who settled in Switzerland in 1834, after career in millitary. Interested in art and trading, with good connections in Paris, he soon got into luxury watch trading and watch production. In 1839, Patek together with his partner Franciszek Czapek, (who was also Polish immigrant) created their first watchmaking company, Patek, Czapek & Co.
In 1844, Adrien Philippe presented his invention of mechanism for watches on the French Industrial Exposition, which won him the first price. There he met Antoni Patek, who invited him to Geneva and soon employed him as the head watchmaker of the now renamed company, Patek, Philippe & Co, entitling him for 1/3rd of the profits.
Switzerland, and especially Geneva region were already at these thimes the hub for high-quality watchmaking. Patek, Philippe & Co merged swiss precision with beautiful decorative making, creating one of the most ultra-luxury watchmaking brand in the world.
Because of the prestigious artistic work and high accuracy of time measurement, they soon become world most popular high-end watches and clocks, reassuring the trend of high quality swiss clocks fame.
References:Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.
The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.
The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.
Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.
The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.
The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.