L'envol

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“L'envol” by Jean-Michel Folon, 2005
Giardino delle rose (Rose Garden)
Via Poggi
Florence, December 2023

“Since September 2011 the garden has hosted twelve sculptures by the Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon, donated by his widow to the municipality of Florence. The sculptures are: ‘Partir’ (2005), ‘Un oiseau’ (1993), ‘Chat-oiseau’ (1994), ‘Chat’ (1996), ‘Vingt-cinquième pensée’ (2001), ‘Méditerranée’ (2001), ‘Panthère’ (2003), ‘Walking’ (2003), ‘Je me souviens’ (2003), ‘Partir’ (2005) and ‘L’envol’ (2005).” (Giardino delle Rose, Wikipedia)

Lifeguard tower

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Lifeguard tower
Playa de La Carihuela
Costa de La Carihuela
Torremolinos, March 2024

“Perhaps most importantly, this beach offers ideal conditions for swimming with its sheltered, clear, and shallow waters. It is further complete with an extensive list of offered amenities, and is thus frequented by families, couples, and all those looking for a laid-back day by the sea. Similar to the other beaches in the area, La Carihuela is characterized by its dark but abundant sand. The beach is approximately 2,100 meters wide and 40 meters long. Being to the immediate west of Torremolinos, La Carihuela is a very popular area, and is often crowded in high-season despite its vast size! Parking nearby can be quite tricky during the busy months of June to August.” (Playa de La Carihuela, Spain Holiday)

Cromwell Tower

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Cromwell Tower by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, 1973
Seen from Golden Lane
Beech Street, City of London
London, May 2023

“The estate also contains three of London's tallest residential towers, at 42 storeys and 123 metres (404 ft) high. The top two or three floors of each block comprise three penthouse flats. The towers are:
- Cromwell Tower, completed in 1973 – named after Oliver Cromwell
- Lauderdale Tower, completed in 1974 – named after the Earls of Lauderdale
- Shakespeare Tower, completed in 1976 – named after William Shakespeare
Once the tallest residential towers in London, they were surpassed by the Pan Peninsula development on the Isle of Dogs.” (Barbican Estate, Wikipedia)

La Berta

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Head of “La Berta”
Church of Santa Maria Maggiore
Via dei Cerretani
Florence, December 2023

“According to legend, this disembodied head, dubbed ‘La Berta’, has been sticking out of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Florence since medieval times. Its origin is unclear, meaning locals have had centuries to cook up their own theories to explain its presence. The most common bit of lore says the head belongs to a woman who was petrified on September 16, 1326. According to this tale, the woman was a victim of Cecco d’Ascoli, an astrologer who was on his way to be burned at the stake for heresy. As he was carried in a procession along Via dei Cerretani, he stopped to ask for some water. Little did he know that looking out a church window was Berta, who at that very moment told everyone watching to deny him a drink. Berta claimed the man was an alchemist who could communicate with the devil using water, and that the devil himself would grant him immunity. D’Ascoli, furious, cast a curse on Berta, preventing her from ever moving. There are, however, more practical theories behind the head’s appearance. One theory says the head is a memorial to the greengrocer who donated bells to the church so they could chime whenever the city gates would open or close. This would explain why it sticks out the bell tower wall, and not a window. Some historians also claim Berta is no more than the head of an old Roman sculpture, for the remnants of such would be commonly used as decoration in the Middle Ages. This theory is probably the most believable, and yet, locals still tell legends of dark magic and curses to the few passersby who notice Berta.” (La Berta, Atlas Obscura)

Días de verano

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Mural by Lalone + Nesui inspired by
“Días de verano” by Vicente Palmaromi, 1885
Calle Compañía
Málaga, March 2024

“Inspired by the original painting, which represents a lady of the high bourgeoisie sitting on the seashore who stops her reading moment to look at the viewer, Lalone has chosen to approach ‘a reinterpretation that faithfully honors most of the original composition, maintaining the same concept of the beach and making only a change in the central figure to replace the young woman with a more contemporary figure, capable of communicating more personal and authentic sensations,’ the artist has detailed.” (Brisa Estival, Street Art City)

Canaletto Tower

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Canaletto Tower by UNStudio, 2017
City Road, Islington
London, May 2023

“The 22,000m2 Canaletto residential tower in London employs the concept of clustering several floors together to establish a group of ‘vertical communities’. Offering waterside living, the 31-storey tower comprises studios, one and two-bedroom apartments, a variety of three bedrooms and one distinct penthouse with a full rooftop. Canaletto also includes shared amenities such as a swimming pool, health club, media room and resident’s club lounge with a terrace on the 24th floor. UNStudio's design for the tower, which is located in the London borough of Islington, incorporates the remodeling of the facade, a streamlining of the building’s mass and a contrasting of scale and detail untypical of a residential tower. The facade for the Canaletto tower was designed to emphasise its residential character and to define a distinct ‘Islington’ response.” (UNStudio, World-Architects)

Cat on a windowsill

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Cat on a windowsill
Piazza Sant'Ambrogio
Florence, December 2023