San Pietro in Archivolto

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San Pietro in Archivolto
Via San Giusto
Verona, May 2025

“The church of San Pietro in Archivolto is a former Catholic place of worship located in the heart of Verona's historic center. Built on commission from the Lord of Verona, Cangrande della Scala, and consecrated in 1359 by Bishop Pietro della Scala, it is currently used as a multipurpose hall. The church, built in the 12th century, took on the characteristic Gothic forms that still distinguish it today in the first half of the 14th century, at the behest of Cangrande della Scala, Lord of Verona. The works were directed by Bono di Lanfranchino and the building was consecrated by the bishop of Verona Pietro della Scala on 12 and 13 September 1359. Of the church, positioned at an angle, the eastern façade and the northern side are visible, both with exposed brick facing. The gabled façade is characterised by a central tympanum portal and two lateral rectangular windows and ends with a decoration of hanging arches. The side, marked by pilasters and also ending with a decoration of hanging arches, has a lateral entrance protected by a porch supported by small columns in red ammonite, inside which is placed a statue of Saint Peter.” (Chiesa di San Pietro in Archivolto, Wikipedia)

Blue chimneys

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Blue chimneys
Calle Santa Matilde
Benalmádena, March 2025

Graziani Garzadori Altar

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Graziani Garzadori Altar
Santa Corona
Contrà Santa Corona
Vicenza, May 2025

“Attached to the wall of the fifth bay on the left is the Garzadori Altar, the most sumptuous in the city, built in the early 16th century by the workshop of Tommaso da Lugano and Bernardino da Como, with contributions from Rocco da Vicenza, designed vertically with a mixed order of columns, pilasters, and pillars. Framing the arch are four ringed columns, adorned with garlands at the base; the upper shafts of the two more prominent ones have Corinthian capitals, while the two recessed ones have Ionic capitals spiraling upward. Flanking the arch are two narrow recessed pilasters with the Garzadori crests adorned with an imperial eagle and animal heads in the capitals. At the ends, two wider pillars with sphinges in the capitals support the entablature, above which, aligned with the columns, four small pillars hold a wide lowered arch pediment, with a coffered and rosette-decorated intrados and an extrados enriched with bicaudate Nereids and topped by the Redeemer. Within the tympanum, under a garland of flowers and fruit, is a medallion depicting the Virgin nursing the Child; on either side of the attic, two pairs of facing dolphins hold flaming vases. Throughout are embedded small and large paterae of polychrome marbles brought by Graziani from Palestine, like the black touchstone inserted in the pedestals or those forming a cross adorning the altar frontal of the table. The altar houses Giovanni Bellini's masterpiece, Baptism of Christ, which was painted around 1500–1502.” (Santa Corona, Wikipedia)

Al pueblo del 2 de mayo de 1808

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“Al pueblo del 2 de mayo de 1808” by Aniceto Marinas, 1891
Jardines del General Fanjul, Calle Ferraz
Madrid, September 2025

“‘A los héroes del dos de mayo’ or ‘Al pueblo del dos de mayo de 1808’ is an instance of public art in Madrid, Spain. A sculptural work by Aniceto Marinas, the monument is an homage to the role of the Madrilenian people during the 1808 Dos de mayo uprising. Originally sculpted in Rome by Aniceto Marinas in 1891, the sculptural group depicts a winged statue holding a banner that emerges on top of a soldier, a cannon, a small boy and a number of corpses, male and female alike.” (Al pueblo del dos de mayo de 1808, Wikipedia)

Porta Molino

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Porta Molino
Vicolo Ponte Molino
Padua, May 2025

“The Porta Molino or Porta dei Molini was the main of the four royal entrances that opened into the medieval walls of Padua. Facing north, it stands at the end of the Roman Ponte Molino bridge that crosses the branch of the Bacchiglione called the Tronco Maestro. Until 1884, thirty-three wheels of as many mills mounted on boats operated, giving the gate and bridge their name. Nearly 26 meters high, it was built of stone and brick in the 13th century and was intended as a formal entrance to the Stra' Regia or Stra' Maggiore (now Via Dante), Padua's most important street. The tower rises externally on a sort of Romanesque triumphal stone arch (also decorated with a pair of lions), while inside there are two arches (the wider and more evocative one is pointed ) that allowed the defense mechanisms to be operated, including the large doors hinged in stone recesses that are still visible. Of interest is the Baroque access to the upper tower, a 17th-century construction adjacent to the internal façade, on the left. Sections of the municipal walls unravel on the sides, which continue westward along Via del Casin Rosso. The pedestrian access is the result of 19th-century renovations. At the end of the 19th century, the upper part of the gate was used as a storage tank for the city's first drinking water distribution network. The rumor that Galileo Galilei, during his time in Padua, used the gate as an astronomical observatory is probably false (although supported by a plaque by Carlo Leoni).” (Porta Molino, Wikipedia)

Casa de los Picos

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Casa de los Picos
Calle Juan Bravo
Segovia, September 2025

“The Casa de los Picos is a building in the Spanish city of Segovia, home to the Segovia School of Art and Design. It is located on Calle Juan Bravo, in the historic center of Segovia. It was built in the last third of the 15th century as a fortified house by Don Pedro López de Ayala, in order to defend the Puerta de San Martín, demolished in 1883. The house was later acquired by Alonso González de la Hoz, Chief Accountant of the Kingdom, and passed by inheritance to his son Juan de la Hoz, Councilor of Segovia. It is known for its façade, with 617 granite peaks, and its Renaissance courtyard. The heraldry of the de la Hoz family can be seen on the lintels of the five balconies and on the entrance door. The entrance hall and courtyard are decorated with Talavera tiles depicting various Segovia buildings.” (Casa de los Picos, Wikipedia)

Holy Fire Stones

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Reliquary of the Holy Fire Stones
Santi Apostoli
Piazza del Limbo
Florence, January 2025

“The church houses three flints (Pietre del Santo Sepolcro) putatively from the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. These were putatively used to light the lamps of the tomb when Jesus was buried. Tradition holds that they were acquired in 1101 by Pazzino dei Pazzi, who was among the first Christians to scale the walls and lead to the capture of Jerusalem during the First Crusade. From then on, the Pazzi included a flaming cup in their coat of arms. The flints are linked to the ceremony of ‘Lo Scoppio del Carro’ and the lighting of fireworks from the ‘Portafuoco’ after a celebratory mass.” (Santi Apostoli, Wikipedia)