Saturday, April 5, 2025

San Franceschetto

San Franceschetto, Piazza San Francesco, Lucca

San Franceschetto
Piazza San Francesco
Lucca, June 2024

"San Franceschetto is the small church on the corner of Piazza San Francesco, beside the entry of the cloister. Held by Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca Foundation, was transformed in a exhibition space: a cozy place where paintings, sculptures, modernity, originality, beauty are united to offer unique experiences." (San Franceschetto, The Lands of Giacomo Puccini)

Friday, April 4, 2025

Frescoes on the Altan

Frescoes by Benedetto and Gabriele Tola, Großer Schlosshof (Great Courtyard), Residenzschloss (Residential Palace), Schloßstraße, Altstadt, Dresden

Frescoes by Benedetto and Gabriele Tola, 1555
Großer Schlosshof (Great Courtyard)
Residenzschloss (Residential Palace)
Schloßstraße, Altstadt
Dresden, September 2024

“The history of the frescoes begins in the 16th century. Elector Moritz I of Saxony, like so many rulers and nobles of his time, had a soft spot for the Italian Renaissance. And after visiting the country in 1549, he brought capable artists and master builders to the Elbe. They were to transform Dresden Castle into the most modern residence north of the Alps, following the Italian model, and to let the Elector's power shine through their work. The highlight of the imposing Renaissance building was the Altan in the Great Courtyard with its giant paintings 19 metres long and up to 5.70 metres high, which Moritz commissioned the brothers Benedict and Gabriel Tola from Brescia to create. For centuries, they were considered the Saxon wonder of the world. But nothing had been seen of the original for a long time: A large part of the pictures was destroyed by the great castle fire of 1701, and another was simply painted over at the end of the 19th century. The little that remained was destroyed by the bombs in 1945. But the frescoes, which covered an area of 250 square metres, were not irretrievably lost: Already in the 1970s there were initial plans to recreate the paintings. In 2015, Matthias Zahn, who had been involved in planning the reconstruction of Dresden Castle since 1988, was finally commissioned to restore the loggia. Over several years, the restorer evaluated old models of the castle, studied historical engravings and oil paintings from the 17th century. Fortunately, some sketches by the Tola brothers for the Altan were found in the Kupferstichkabinett. A photo by the Dresden photographer Hermann Krone from 1865 also provided information about the motifs. But in which style did the artists paint? ‘Because the Tola brothers didn't leave any paintings behind, we had to look for other role models,’ reports Matthias Zahn.” (The frescoes on the Altan are finished, Dresden Magazin)

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Francesco Geminiani

Francesco Geminiani by Nicola Domenici, Piazza Guidiccioni, Lucca

Francesco Geminiani by Nicola Domenici, 2017
Piazza Guidiccioni
Lucca, June 2024

"Francesco Xaverio Geminiani (baptised 5 December 1687 – 17 September 1762) was an Italian violinist, composer, and music theorist. BBC Radio 3 once described him as ‘now largely forgotten, but in his time considered almost a musical god, deemed to be the equal of Handel and Corelli’. Born in Lucca, he received lessons in music from Alessandro Scarlatti, and studied the violin under Carlo Ambrogio Lonati in Milan and afterwards under Arcangelo Corelli. From 1707 he took the place of his father in the Cappella Palatina of Lucca. From 1711, he led the opera orchestra at Naples, as Leader of the Opera Orchestra and concertmaster, which gave him many opportunities for contact with Alessandro Scarlatti. After a brief return to Lucca, in 1714, he set off for London in the company of Francesco Barsanti, where he arrived with the reputation of a virtuoso violinist, and soon attracted attention and patrons, including William Capel, 3rd Earl of Essex, who remained a consistent patron. In 1715 Geminiani played his violin concerti for the court of George I, with Handel at the keyboard." (Francesco Geminiani, Wikipedia)

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Meran Hotel

Meran Hotel, Václavské náměstí, Nové Město, Prague

Meran Hotel
Václavské náměstí, Nové Město
Prague, September 2024

“The Meran Hotel, Wenceslas Square (formerly the Hotel Garni) was designed by Alois Dryák and Jan Letzel, and constructed between 1895 and 1906. Directly abutting on this building is another fine example of contemporary art nouveau work, the Grand Hotel Evropa.” (Meran Hotel, The Prague Vitruvius)

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Monumento ai Caduti

Monumento ai Caduti (War Memorial) by Alfredo Angeloni, Piazzale del Risorgimento, Lucca

Monumento ai Caduti (War Memorial) by Alfredo Angeloni, 1930
Piazzale del Risorgimento
Lucca, June 2024

"The monument, situated in piazza del Risorgimento near Lucca train station and S. Pietro gate in the town walls, has a large, tall stone base with steps. Above this there is a vertical element where, at either side, there are two high-relief statues (the Sacrifice; the Warrior). The structure is topped by a bronze equestrian statue of a classical warrior on a horse, with a small winged victory in his left hand and a flag pole in the right. The Lucca War Memorial was inaugurated, after eight years of work, numerous bureaucratic iterative, changes of plan and differences of opinion on its location, in 1930 in the presence of the King." (Lucca War Memorial, The Lands of Giacomo Puccini)

Monday, March 31, 2025

Danza Invisible

Street named after the band, Calle Danza Invisible, Torremolinos

Street named after the band
Calle Danza Invisible
Torremolinos, March 2024

“Danza Invisible are a Spanish new wave band founded in 1981 in Torremolinos, Spain, by Ricardo Texidó from the group Cámara, together with Chris Navas and Manolo Rubio from the punk group Adrenalina. Shortly after, Antonio Gil joined the guitar section. The last to join the band was Javier Ojeda, who replaced Ricardo Texidó as lead vocalist.They are one of the bands considered to have been part of the countercultural movement in Madrid in the 1980s. Their most popular songs include Sin aliento, Sabor de amor, A este lado de la carretera, and Agua sin Sueño. In 2022 they went on a sold out tour finishing in Palais de Rei.” (Danza Invisible, Wikipedia)

Sunday, March 30, 2025

Ducal Palace

Ducal Palace, Piazza Roma, Modena

Ducal Palace
Piazza Roma
Modena, May 2024

“The Ducal Palace of Modena is a Baroque palace in Modena, Italy. It was the residence of the Este Dukes of Modena between 1452 and 1859. It currently houses a portion of the Italian Military Academy. The palace occupies the site of the former Este Castle, once at the periphery of the city. Although generally credited to Bartolomeo Avanzini, it has been suggested that advice and guidance in the design process had been sought from Pietro da Cortona, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini. The Palace has a Baroque façade, from which the Honour Court and the Honour Staircase can be accessed.” (Ducal Palace of Modena, Wikipedia)