Santa Maria ‘ad Portas Contarenas’

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Church of Santa Maria ‘ad Portas Contarenas’
Via Matteotti
Padova, May 2025

“As attested by the inscription on the facade, the Church was built in 1723, by the Comini family who built the church for public use. Later, in 1839, together with Palazzo Cavalli, the Church became the seat of the Austrian Customs, and after the Unification of Italy it was used as a hydraulic warehouse. In 1893, when the mill was purchased and modernised by Ilario Ercego, the little church risked being demolished, but was finally restored in 1968, as the plaque on the façade recalls.” (Porte Contarine, Wikipedia)

Casa Lis

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Museo Art Nouveau y Art Déco - Casa Lis
Calle Gibraltar
Salamanca, September 2025

“The Casa Lis is a museum located in the ancient city wall of Salamanca, Spain. Also known as Museo Art Nouveau and Art Déco, it is a museum of decorative arts, with exhibits dating from the last decades of the 19th century to World War II. The Museum is an old mansion that was built for its first owner, Miguel de Lis, by Joaquin de Vargas y Aguirre, a provincial architect from Jerez de la Frontera. Don Miguel de Lis was the owner of a tannery which he had inherited from his father. The thriving business gave him a privileged economic position and he was well-travelled; he chose a modernist design. The mansion changed ownership in 1917, when D. Enrique Esperabé de Arteaga, rector of the University of Salamanca, moved there with his family. Subsequently, the Casa Lis was inhabited by various tenants until in the 1970s, closed and unused, and fell into decay. In 1981, the city of Salamanca was able to save it from ruin.” (Casa Lis, Wikipedia)

Automat revisited

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‘Automat’ by Edward Hopper revisited
Via de' Guicciardini
Florence, December 2024

Casa consistorial

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Casa consistorial (Town Hall)
Plaza del Mercado Chico
Ávila, September 2025

“The Ávila Town Hall is the headquarters of the Ávila City Council, located in the Plaza del Mercado Chico, in the Spanish city of Ávila. Its erection dates back to the last years of the reign of Isabel II. Designed by the municipal architect Ildefonso Vázquez de Zúñiga, the works would take place in a period between 1861 and 1868. It is located presiding over the central Plaza del Mercado Chico, inside the walls of the medieval city . It replaced another town hall located in the same square and built during the 16th century. The building, which would be restored in the early 1980s, has a clock on its facade.” (Casa consistorial de Ávila, Wikipedia)

Cathedral of Santa Maria Matricolare

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Cathedral of Santa Maria Matricolare
Piazza Duomo
Verona, May 2025

“Verona Cathedral (Cattedrale Santa Maria Matricolare; Duomo di Verona) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Verona, northern Italy, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the designation Santa Maria Matricolare. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Verona. It was erected after two Palaeo-Christian churches on the same site had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1117. Built in Romanesque style, the cathedral was consecrated on September 13, 1187. The structure was later modified by several renovation interventions, although the plan has remained unchanged.” (Verona Cathedral, Wikipedia)

“Soho” on a kiosk

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“Soho” on a kiosk
Calle Casas de Campos
Málaga, March 2025

“A central neighbourhood which is an icon of urban art and underground culture in the city of Málaga thanks to a project started by the public. Its most recognisable feature is probably the large-scale graffiti art covering some of its buildings. These murals include work by internationally recognised graffiti artists like Obey and D*face. The district is easy to explore on foot and is very close to Málaga’s main tourist area. Its streets feature independent local businesses with a strong sense of identity, and several art and cultural centres, including private galleries, artists’ studios, La Alameda theatre, and the Contemporary Art Centre; many restaurants offering local, organic or gourmet food; and modern, functional, well-designed public spaces. The ‘Made in Soho’ market is held on the first Saturday of every month, with stalls selling design, crafts, works of art and audiovisual art, antiques, and vintage items.” (Soho Málaga - the Art District, Spain.info)

Basilica Palladiana

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Torre Bissara and Basilica Palladiana
Piazza dei Signori
Vicenza, May 2025

“The Basilica Palladiana is a Renaissance building in the central Piazza dei Signori in Vicenza, north-eastern Italy. The most notable feature of the edifice is the loggia, which shows one of the first examples of what have come to be known as the Palladian window, designed by a young Andrea Palladio, whose work in architecture was to have a significant effect on the field during the Renaissance and later periods. The building was originally constructed in the 15th century and was known as the Palazzo della Ragione, having been designed by Domenico da Venezia to include two pre-existing public palazzi. The building, which was in the Gothic style, served as the seat of government and also housed a number of shops on the ground floor. The 82-metre (269 ft)-tall Torre Bissara precedes this structure, as it is known from as early as 1172; however, its height was increased on this occasion, and its pinnacle was finished in 1444.” (Basilica Palladiana, Wikipedia)