Monument to Savonarola

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Monument to Savonarola by Enrico Pazzi, 1875
Piazza Savonarola
Florence, December 2024

“The Monument to Savonarola in Piazza Savonarola is an outdoor marble statue on a plinth in honor of the 15th-century Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola; it is located in a piazza of the same name a few blocks outside of the Viali di Circonvallazione, in Northeastern Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy. This monument has a colorful history of migrations. The statue was completed circa 1875 by Enrico Pazzi, a native of Ravenna, at a time, when anti-papal feelings ran high in Italy. However, Savonarola has always been a polarizing historic figure, maniacal in his faith, and the perpetrator of the original Bonfire of the Vanities. His theology was not compatible with contemporary liberal thought. The statue was conceived by Pazzi in 1861, who habitually created public monuments before they were requisitioned. A committee was formed in 1869 to commission a monument to Savonarola, which was to be placed in the convent of San Marco; however, they did not choose Pazzi's model, but instead chose one by Giovanni Duprè, a former mentor of Pazzi. This was to lead to fierce conflict between the two sculptors. In 1870, another committee, chaired by Prince Ferdinando Strozzi, selected to commission Pazzi's more grandiose and more anti-papal statue, and obtained the Commune's permission to site the sculpture in the first cloister of the Florentine convent. However, the drop in revenue caused by the transfer of the capital of Italy from Florence to Rome, cancelled this project. By 1873, Duprè completed his contribution: a simple plaque and relief bust placed in the cell of the friar in San Marco. Pazzi's work, completed only in 1875, did not find enough subscribers, and was donated ultimately to the Town Hall. It remained in studio till 1882, when it was installed, to much criticism, into the niche of the southern end of the Salone dei Cinquecento in the Palazzo Vecchio. One justification for this placement was that Savonarola had commissioned the creation of this large hall in 1497. There was still rumors that it would be moved in the future to the precinct of San Marco. The statue had displaced none other than a Michelangelo statue, placed here by Vasari.” (Monument to Savonarola in Piazza Savonarola, Wikipedia)

Bastei Köln

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Bastei Köln by Wilhelm Riphahn, 1924
Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer
Cologne, September 2024

“A striking example of expressionist architecture is located directly on the Rhine in the form of the Bastei, which opened in 1924. Built by architect Wilhelm Riphahn, the restaurant is built on the base of a former Prussian fortress tower and has taken on the name. The architecture, which was modern for its time, was initially controversial when it was built because there were concerns that it would spoil the panoramic view of the Rhine. However, these fears quickly gave way to enthusiasm for the modern building. For Wilhelm Riphahn, the bastion signalled his professional breakthrough. Later, after the building was destroyed in the Second World War, Riphahn rebuilt it in its original form. With its view over the Rhine, the Bastei was one of the best addresses for events for many years. Unfortunately, however, the listed building showed considerable substantial defects. It has therefore been closed. Whether and how maintenance can be guaranteed is currently being examined.” (Bastion, Cologne Tourist Board)

Ponte di Castelvecchio

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Ponte di Castelvecchio Castel Vecchio Bridge)
Corso Castelvecchio
Verona, May 2025

“The Castel Vecchio Bridge (Ponte di Castel Vecchio) or Scaliger Bridge (Ponte Scaligero) is a fortified bridge in Verona, northern Italy, over the Adige River. The segmental arch bridge featured the world's largest span at the time of its construction (48.70 m). It was built (most likely in 1354-1356) by Cangrande II della Scala, to grant him a safe way of escape from the annexed eponymous castle in the event of a rebellion of the population against his tyrannic rule. The solidity of the construction allowed it to resist untouched until, in the late 18th century, the French troops destroyed the tower on the left bank (although it probably dated from the occupation of Verona by the Visconti or the Republic of Venice). The bridge was however totally destroyed, along with the Ponte Pietra, by the retreating German troops on April 24, 1945. The bridge's reconstruction by architect Libero Cecchini began in 1949 and completed in 1951, with the exception of the left tower.” (Castelvecchio Bridge, Wikipedia)

Liegende

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“Liegende” (Reclining) by Willi Schmidt, 1977
Große Bockenheimer Landstraße
Frankfurt, September 2024

“The female figure in Freßgass was modeled after a much smaller one that the sculptor Willi Schmidt had exhibited in Frankfurt's former Technical City Hall. Frankfurt city officials liked it so much that Schmidt was commissioned to create a larger version for the city center. The material used, Naxos marble, takes its name from a Greek island where it has been mined since ancient times and continues to this day. Rudolf Kipp also created reclining figures for the Taunusanlage and Christian Peschke for Feuerbachstraße.” (Liegende, Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Frankfurt)

Santa Maria Annunciata

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Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunciata
Piazzetta del Duomo
Vicenza, May 2025

“Vicenza Cathedral (Italian: Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata, Duomo di Vicenza) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Vicenza, Veneto, northern Italy. It is the seat of the Bishop of Vicenza, and is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. Construction of the cathedral was begun in 1482, to plans by Lorenzo of Bologna, and completed in the 1560s. The cupola was planned by Andrea Palladio and probably the north doorway also. Only the original façade survived the bombing of World War II; the rest of the present building has been reconstructed.” (Vicenza Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Synagogendenkmal

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Synagogue Memorial by Sebastian Helm and Anna Dilengite, 2001
Gottschedstraße / Zentralstraße
Leipzig, September 2024

“On the site of the Moorish synagogue stands today the Holocaust memorial. This powerful installation is made of 140 empty bronze chairs, representing the 14.000 Jews who once prayed there and outlining the floor plan of the destroyed synagogue.” (Leipzig, The Cultural Guide to Jewish Europe) “The site of the former synagogue had served as a parking lot and the site of a transformer station for decades. After the city of Leipzig acquired the property only in 1997, it launched a Saxony-wide, anonymous competition in 1999 in collaboration with the Jewish Religious Community, inviting ten international artists. The design by Leipzig artists Sebastian Helm and Anna Dilengite, which had only made it onto the shortlist for implementation, was ultimately chosen. Following a majority vote by the Leipzig City Council in October 2000, the site was transformed into a large-scale memorial. Inaugurated on June 24, 2001, the memorial traces the floor plan of the destroyed building on an area of ​​12 × 12 meters. The interior is a field of 140 empty bronze chairs, intended to convey a tangible sense of the loss of the architectural shell. The western boundary of the site is formed by a wall of exposed concrete, with texts in English, German, and Hebrew on three bronze plaques each.” (Große Gemeindesynagoge, Wikipedia)

Loggia dei Carraresi

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Loggia dei Carraresi (Lodge Carrarese)
Via Accademia
Padua, May 2025

“The Loggia dei Carraresi is a historic building in Padua located in via Accademia. It is the last surviving part of the Reggia Carrarese, the large residence of the Da Carrara family, lords of Padua. Since 2021 it has been included by UNESCO among the world heritage sites in the site of the 14th-century fresco cycles of Padua.” (Loggia dei Carraresi, Wikipedia)