Palacio de la Merced

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Palacio de la Merced
Plaza de Colón
Córdoba, September 2022

“The Palacio de la Merced, formerly the convent of La Merced Calzada, is the headquarters of the Provincial Council of Córdoba, in Córdoba, Spain. The former convent of Nuestra Señora la Merced has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest in the category of Monument since 2008. During the excavations carried out to build the garage between 1973 and 1974, remains of a construction made of Roman ashlars were found, which yielded abundant Aretine pottery of type H 8. Previously, remains of a baptistery and a crypt had been found, which was identified with that of Santa Eulalia. Some historians have thought that it is a Visigothic construction from the time of Recaredo, although the possibility that it could date from the Early Christian period is not ruled out. Traditionally the origin and foundation of this convent is linked to the figure of San Pedro Nolasco, to whom King Ferdinand III of Castile donated the Basilica of Santa Eulalia after the conquest of the city. The convent was built between 1245 and 1262 and was dedicated to Santa María de la Merced, although no remains have been preserved, except for a carving of Christ of Mercy in the modern church that belonged to it. The navigator Christopher Columbus inhabited the old convent during the years he lived in Córdoba waiting to meet with the Catholic Monarchs.” (Palacio de la Merced, Wikipedia)

Pozzo dell'amore

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Pozzo dell'amore (Well of Love)
Corso Porta Borsari
Verona, May 2025

“The ‘Pozzo dell'amore’ (Well of Love) is a romantic little corner of Verona, located just steps from the touristy and always crowded Piazza delle Erbe. To reach it, take Corso Porta Borsari to number 15 and turn left onto Vicolo San Marco in Foro. After about ten meters, the narrow, dead-end alley of Pozzo San Marco opens up on the left, at the end of which is the Well of Love. It is a simple, medieval-looking structure, without a roof, with a curb made of local stone and an elegant wrought-iron frame, culminating in an arrow pointing skyward from which a pulley hangs. Above the grate covering it, a brass plaque invites you to throw a lucky coin (Throw a single penny into the well, think for a moment of your destiny, don't get distracted, don't make any noise, here it is, here comes love). Coins are periodically collected to fund the initiatives of the Juliet Club, a non-profit organization that responds to the thousands of letters sent to Juliet each year from around the world. A well that, as its name suggests, has been present in this location for many centuries. The legend associated with it unfolded during the years when Verona was annexed by the Holy Roman Empire, between 1509 and 1516. Corrado di San Bonifazio was a young soldier who had fallen in love with a certain Isabella of the Donati family. She didn't seem to reciprocate, and he tried every way to make her fall in love. One cold winter day, the two met in the courtyard near the small church of San Marco ad Carceres. Tired of constant failures, the soldier told the young woman that she seemed to be made of ice, as cold as the water in the well in that courtyard. Isabella, as a challenge, told the young man to jump into the well to see if the water was as frozen as he thought. Corrado, in despair, obeyed the command and threw himself into the well. Isabella, who deeply loved Corrado, seeing what his words had caused, followed him into the well, disappearing with her lover.” (Pozzo dell'amore, Verona.net)

Pabellón de Chile

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Pabellón de Chile (Escuela de Arte de Sevilla)
Avenida de Chile, Casco Antiguo
Seville, September 2022

“Work of the Spanish architect based in Chile Juan Martínez Gutiérrez. It is currently the School of Art of Seville and the Chilean Consulate. It is the only avant-garde pavilion in the exhibition, framed in "Art Deco", even in its decorative elements, such as the forge; the building is intended to represent on one hand the Andean mountain range and on the other the coastal plain, which is achieved through a composition of volumes with a constant staggering that culminate in its tower.” (Pabellón de Chile, Visita Sevilla)

Palazzo vescovile

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Palazzo vescovile
Piazza del Duomo
Vicenza, May 2025

“The bishop's palace, or Vescovado, is a large and historic building in Vicenza, once the seat of the bishop and still the seat of the Diocesan Museum, which overlooks the Piazza del Duomo, a few metres from the Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunciata. Over the centuries, the bishop's palace of Vicenza has undergone radical transformations that have changed its appearance. From written and iconographic documentary sources it emerges that, in ancient times, it was a complex divided into three sectors. The first and oldest section, probably dating back to the 11th-12th century during the episcopal rule of the city, closed the southern side of the Piazza Duomo, parallel to the southern flank of the cathedral, where the Palazzo Roma and the cathedral rectory now stand. It was dominated by a tall and imposing tower, with a chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the remains of which are visible in the basement of the current diocesan museum.” (Palazzo vescovile, Wikipedia)

Mercado de Colón

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Mercado de Colón (Columbus Market)
Calle Conde de Salvatierra
Valencia, September 2022

“Mercado de Colón or Valencian: Mercat de Colom (Columbus Market) is a public market located in the city center of Valencia, Spain. It is one of the main works of the Valencian Art Nouveau. The building was designed by the Valencian architect Francisco Mora Berenguer between 1914 and 1916. It is a clear example of Valencian Art Nouveau architecture of the early century. It was declared national monument. It impresses with its extraordinary facade and lavish decor.” (Mercado de Colón, Wikipedia)

Angelo Beolco detto il Ruzante

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Angelo Beolco detto il Ruzante by Amleto Sartori, 1958
Piazzetta Lucia Valentini Terrani
Padua, May 2025

“Angelo Beolco (c. 1496 – March 17, 1542), better known by the nickname Ruzzante or Ruzante, was a Venetian (Paduan) actor and playwright. He is famous for his rustic comedies, written mostly in the Paduan variety of the Venetian language, featuring a peasant called ‘Ruzzante’. Those plays paint a vivid picture of Paduan country life in the 16th century. Born in Padua, Beolco was the illegitimate son of Giovan Francesco Beolco, a physician who occasionally worked at the University, and a certain Maria, possibly a maid. (It has been suggested, however, that his real name was Ruzzante, and that Beolco was a local corruption of bifolco, meaning ‘ploughman’ — by extension, ‘country simpleton’.) Some claim that he was born in Pernumia, a small town near Padua. Angelo was raised in his father's household and there he received a good education. After Giovan Francesco's death in 1524, Angelo became manager of the family's estate, and later (1529) also of the farm of Alvise Cornaro, a nobleman who had retired to the Paduan countryside and who became his friend and protector. He developed his theatrical vocation by associating with contemporary Padua intellectuals, such as Pietro Bembo and Sperone Speroni. His first stints as an author and actor may have been mariazi, impromptu sketches delivered at marriage parties. In 1520, already known as il Ruzzante, he played a role in a peasant play at the Foscari Palace in Venice. Soon afterwards he put together his own theater troupe. His plays were staged first at Ferrara (1529–1532) and then at Padua, in Cornaro's residence. He died in Padua in 1542, while preparing to stage Speroni's play Canace, for the Accademia degli Infiammati. In spite of his success as an actor, he was very poor through most of his life. His friend Speroni remarked that while Angelo had unsurpassed understanding of comedy, he was unable to perceive his own tragedy.” (Angelo Beolco, Wikipedia)

Antiguo Casino de Toledo

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Antiguo Casino de Toledo (Former Casino of Toledo)
Plaza de la Magdalena
Toledo, September 2022

“The building of the former Casino of Toledo (Spain), whose real name corresponds to the one of Center of Artists and Industrialists, belongs to the trend of Eclecticism that develops In Europe in the 19th century. The architect, Felipe Trigo, mixed elements of the Renaissance, in the configuration and planning of the facade, and Mudéjar, in the use of the brick. The building, whose plant is a quadrilateral, has four floors and a tower; the latter form chamfered corner and houses the main entrance. The materials used in the exterior are very different. Granite has been used in plinth, portal, corners and decorative elements; brick in holes, trim and turret, and masonry in the canvases. Two construction zones can be differentiated, considering the time in which they were erected. The oldest dating from the 1920s and the most recent was built in the 1960s.” (Former Casino of Toledo, Wikipedia)