Cattala (AIN)

[+Guest Member 193110]

Nice rain effects.

[Benedict 3,119]

Another atmospheric update. My favorite town name is Teliseri.

[ThomasSimpson 466]

Thank you all for your kind words, and for getting us to Page 7. It's taken a while but it's been great fun.

Welcome to Confini once again. We begin our journey in the centre of the city, on a busy Friday night.

Confini is a sprawling town surrounded by the southern tips of the Calida Mountains, that stretch from the far north of Cattala to the southern plains, where we are today.

Historically, the town was centred around the Convetus Monastery. All that remains today of that once vast monastery is the village of Convetus, in the south east of the town. It is still home to the town’s oldest church.

Convetus has become the poorest area of Confini in recent years. Whilst the centre of the town has grown and become modern, the edges have become run down and Convetus Fini is symbolic of this poverty.

Much of the city has been kept modern and up-to-date though. Despite their old exteriors, all of these properties have central heating, fast internet connections and most have off-road parking. Rare in an old town, but crucial to keeping it viable.

The town is also a thriving tourist destination. Many people want to leave the hustle and bustle of Jennai for a day or so in their holiday, and visiting the Palazzo D’Arte in Confini is one of the most popular choices. Classical and modern art are shown side-by-side in this neo-classical building.

Confini is also home to one of the most prominent relics of British imperialism in Jennai province. The famous Confini Market was built in 1834, and once occupied a site of over half an acre. Nowadays it’s more modest, but the original building remains and is still one of the most popular farmers markets around.

Confini is also an important commuter town, with the Inter-City line linking Jennai, Celeste and Calora running through the city. The north, and formerly industrial area of the city is traversed by the busiest train line in the country. At peak times, 12 carriage trains rush through five times an hour.

The city itself has tried to stay true to its heritage. Despite the encroaching post-war buildings, the old heart of the town has escaped untouched from most reconstruction and redevelopment efforts. The Quattro Building, seen here in the right, has remained tall over west Confini for nearly 300 years.

To end today’s update, a final look at central Confini during the evening rush hour. Over the next few weeks, I am planning to take a break from updating and work on some more mini-series for Cattala. So I hope that you enjoyed this update, and look out for some specials in the next month or so!

[emperordaniel 1,281]

Beautiful city! And that is a simply GINORMOUS train!

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Looking good... a nice place for a scenic tour

[Benedict 3,119]

The colors are stunning. And I love that train!

[ThomasSimpson 466]

EmperorDaniel: Thank you - and yeh, I don't know why that train was so long.

Schulmanator: Thanks. I am planning to do some king of tour soon.

Benedict: Thanks for the comment!

[ThomasSimpson 466]

Hello and welcome to Elloria, a small town in the north west of Jennai. Elloria is the final town between Jennai City and the Bosco di Celeste, which forms the natural border with Amosseri province.

Elloria is a modern town, built predominantly in the 1960s and 70s, as urban sprawl from Jennai continued northwards. Much of the town is in an American style and is very different to other areas of Cattala.

In the heart of Elloria is the town’s market, which is one of the oldest buildings in the town and remains a very popular provincial market.

Nearby is the town’s central library, which was built in the 1980s and is a centrepiece of culture in the town. Education in Elloria is well funded and it’s infrastructure is recognised nationally as exemplary.

Near the library is the town’s main secondary school. It was built in the 1970s alongside a lot of the town, and has a large athletics track and football pitch inside the grounds. Most Cattalian schools, built in the traditional Mediterranean style, don’t have these facilities.

Elloria is also home to a large business park in the south-west of the town. The park is home to numerous international offices and employs much of the towns population.

In the wealthier south of Elloria, the prominent building is the Cormiar Library, named after a prominent Jennian. It looks out onto the local park and is one of the centrepieces of the Ellorian education system.

Elloria’s main church is in the suburbs, and was built in a neo-medieval style. It’s a landmark building in the community and is symbolic of the fact that even though Elloria is more modern and Westernised than the rest of Cattala, the traditional faith is still popular here.

Persephone School is the largest “elementaria” school in the town, and is also found in the sprawling suburbs of Elloria. On school days traffic on these roads is terrible, with parents parking up and down the roads.

To end today, a brief overview of South East Elloria, including a small group of shops, more suburbs and a little park.

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Wow.l.. this is quite different. But still looking good!

[emperordaniel 1,281]

Great job Thomas!

[ThomasSimpson 466]

Last time we were in Elloria, we looked at the city centre and the modern urban sprawl that had occurred over the past 50 years. Today, we’ll be looking elsewhere in the town.

As you move out of the suburbs, the forests begin enveloping the town and encroaching on the American-style homes.

Out, east of the fringes, you will find the grand estates of Elloria, including Venmoor Hall. Rising out the forest, this neo-Georgian manor is one of the largest homes in the city and also the most expensive.

Vehicles travelling towards Venmoor Hall have to navigate winding, unpaved tracks that are unlit and unsafe during the night. Farms and fields surround this part of the road, close to the main town.

The road carries on, past the great hall, on to smaller hamlets nearby. In the forests of Jennai, the sharp junction up the house is a welcome sight to any lost visitor. In the hot days of summer the smell from the cattle farm can be less than pleasant, to say the least. At least now, in the autumn, the fresher winds from the Roumeli Strait keep the air clean.

Here is an overview of the Venmoor estate. All the lands you can see here, including the farm, are owned by the aristocratic Venmoor family, who have lived in this forest for centuries. You can also see where the gravel track to Elloria itself ends, and joins the sandy track to the manor house and beyond.

[Benedict 3,119]

Another couple of gorgeous updates. Is it me or does the lighting seem quite a shade darker than other updates?

[+Guest Member 193110]

Missed some updates due to lack of time. You're doing a great job!

[emperordaniel 1,281]

Looks great! I love that road made entirely of MMPs best of all!

[ThomasSimpson 466]

Benedict: I've just had a look through previous updates, and yes it does seem darker. I haven't changed any of the effects I use. It must just be darker colours maybe. Thank you for the comment as well.

Algis: Welcome back - it's great to hear your view again. I hope things haven't been too stressful with RL.

Daniel: Thank you very much for the comment. The road is my favourite part of the update as well.

[ThomasSimpson 466]

Welcome to Roumeli Province, in the far south-east of Cattala. This is a brand new province that we haven’t explored before, so I hope you enjoy it.

Roumeli is a completely separate island to Cattala, and has developed quite differently. Guila is quite a dense city compared to other regions, but also has many newer buildings and developments mixed in with the old.

However much of the town remains old and here we can see the town’s central square and it’s original station from on top of the city’s cathedral.

As I said earlier, parts of Guila are modern and recently developed. This apartment complex was very controversial as it was built in the historic centre of the city in the 1970s. Despite this, it has remained and is seen as another part of the city now, not a sore thumb.

Parts of old Guila were once a monastery, and the Chiesa Theatre was a central part of the religious order’s community. It’s now become a theatre and restaurant.

The hub of the city is it’s canal front commercial areas, including the central plaza featured here. The town’s main shops are based here, and on a summer evening the canal and shops are buzzing with people seeking refuge from the heat and swimming in the canal is commonplace.

Here’s an overview of the old town centre, including the railway line, some of the shops and the edge of the theatre. This update is dedicated to my old friend and Roumeli’s original creator DC. If there’s anywhere else that you would like to go please post a request and we’ll go there.

[emperordaniel 1,281]

Gorgeous update! You are the all-time master of this style!

[Benedict 3,119]

Even the more modern buildings look bright and cheerful - they fit right in, which is quite the achievement.

[ThomasSimpson 466]

No photo editing. No trimming. Pure, Cattala.

Welcome to the Holy Church of Calora, at the heart of the Realm's divine faith. Behind these walls reside the most powerful men in Cattala, that can empower a revolution or wipe out a government. This city has the ability to cast a cloud over the whole country.

In such a majestic and significant city, I deemed it vital that I spent such a lengthy period of time on what is really a small area. That's why I won't be updating Cattala again for many, many moons until I am absolutely certain that it is ready for publication.

I've built cities, towns, ports and villages, but until I feel it's the best it can be, I don't want to rush out updates like I have done in the past.

So I hope you will stay, and wait, for the return of Cattala. I'm sorry it may be a long time coming, but rest assured - it will be worth it.

Thank you for your patience,

Thomas

[Benedict 3,119]

Great to see you back with a new update!

[emperordaniel 1,281]

It's pure, unedited Cattala - and it is fantastic!

[ThomasSimpson 466]

Thank you both for the kind words.

[+Guest Member 193110]

Fantastic work.

[jacksunny 741]

It takes skill to photoshop a city properly and make it look good. It takes even greater skill to make a city look good without photoshopping, which is exactly what you have done here. Great job.

[ThomasSimpson 466]

Welcome back to Cattala. Over the past few months I've been restructuring and rebuilding my City Journal, starting with Celeste, the capital city of Cattala.

One of the busiest places in Celeste is the Celeste Centrale station. I think you can guess what that translates as. The station is the third-busiest in Cattala and forms part of the Railway Triangle between Jennai, Calora and the capital, the three notable cities in Cattala.

As day turns to evening, let's visit a place with a view of the city's defining feature - the Fiume Celestica, a river that once flowed through the heart of the city. I say once, because in the 19th century the river was dammed upstream and a canal network was built around the city, diverting the flow of the river and stopping the frequent winter floods that plagued the city.

Now to a new part of the city, one I never built in the original version of Celeste. The Stadio di Lady Eliza forms the centrepiece of an urban renewal project near the railway station that has taken more than three decades to complete. A sea of glass and steel dominates the area, with modern apartments and office blocks looming over the old city.

That heart being, Alder Hill. The area was once renowned for its aristocratic residents and the theatres that they frequented. Here's a prime example, located on the corner of a busy shopping road that leads up the the park at the centre of the enclave, which is surrounded by the Fiume Celestica.

The British renamed the city centre when they colonised the island in 1815, after a row of trees that lined the streets of the Parisian style city. The city has a clear definition between the homes of the wealthy and those who served them - most maids and butlers resided in the cramped upper floors of buildings or in separate buildings altogether. In this part of Celeste, the affluent lived across the river to the working classes. Now, even the servants quarters are upmarket homes and designer shops.

These days Alder Hill is most famous for its boutique stores, government offices and the Parliament building. Both the National Assembly and the Senato del Regno are based in Parliament, with various ministerial offices occupying upper floors of the landmark. Across the park is the largest police station in the realm, the Celeste Metropolitan Police headquarters, built in the 18th century.

To end today, an overview of the Alder Hill area at night. I hope to have further updates soon, but I can't make any guarantees.

  Edited June 26, 2012 by ThomasSimpson  

[Charlie_Zane 963]

Very nice looking station! And amazing night pics!

[petriknl 15]

Very vibrant cities! Nice work!

[paulmc 391]

totally amazing ! the cities are very well done !

[Fox 1,444]

Stunning night shots .. your city is so gorgeous at night time!

[simlink 1,098]

A very vibrant city, it is looking wonderful! The night pics are stunning, especially the arena photo.