The Somnath Temple, a Hindu shrine, was caught in a cycle of violence circa 1800 when The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins was published. The temple suffered several devastating attacks over many centuries. Many Muslim invaders defiled the shrine, most notably Mahmud of Ghazni in 1025-26, Allauddin Khilji in 1296, and Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1665. These invasions led to repeated destruction and construction between the Muslims and the Hindus that lasted for centuries.
This is my best guess at the location of the castle of Valperga.
"The castle of Valperga was situated on a rock, among the mountains that bound the pass through which the Serchio flows, and commanded the northern entrance to the Lucchese territory" (283).
Yorkshire is the largest county in England. Nestled between the North Sea and Pennine hills, the picturesque county rests South of River Trees and North of the Humber Estuary. Yorkshire spans seven cities: York, Ripon, Wakefield, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, and Kingston upon Hull. However, at the time The Moonstone was written,York, Ripon, and Wakefield were the sole county regions recognized as cities.
(If the image doesn't load: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1700_1799/tip…)
At the time of David Copperfield, Dover was expanding from the role of a garrison and protecting the shores of England, to a seaside destination town. The purpose Dover served as a garrison, was to protect the coastline of England for up to one and a half miles along the shortest crossing between England and France. A major landmark that served this purpose was the Dover Castle and the attached buildings which included medieval walls, a fort, artillery, and underground tunnels for protection.
Castruccio returns to Cremona to hear Pepi Benedetto's request. (Page 238). Upon finding out that Pepi intends to hold the city hostage with outstanding debts, Castruccio is disgusted and leaves as soon as he can. Not long after, Pepi is killed during a fight within the city. This is sort of a bizarre piece, as Shelley again seems to be trying to squeeze out some last pieces of sympath for Castruccio, while also making a statement about tax collection.
