Iglesia de San Ignacio de Loyola

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Iglesia de San Ignacio de Loyola
Plaza Teniente Arévalo
Ávila, September 2025

“It dates back to 1623 with the acquisition by Archbishop Diego de Guzmán of some medieval buildings renovated in the 16th century, within the Dávila palace complex and adjoining the southern section of the wall within the walls. On the northern façade, a series of elements remain (a massive defensive tower, twin windows, and a large voussoired doorway) that denote its civil origin. The Jesuits settled there, adapting the acquired buildings to serve as a church, school, and hospice. After the expulsion of the Society of Jesus—decreed by Charles III in 1775—the premises became the Episcopal Palace (a function it still performs today), and the church was renamed Santo Tomé el Nuevo. It has three naves, each topped by its own apse (which, surprisingly, faces west), with no transept and a dome on pendentives; the side apses are unremarkable on the exterior. Inside, a high gallery, like a tribune and an exceptional case in the city of Ávila, runs along the side naves, serving as the Episcopal Archive. The different chapels house an interesting collection of Baroque and Churrigueresque altarpieces.” (San Ignacio de Loyola, ÁvilaTurismo)

Palazzo Chiericati

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Palazzo Chiericati
Piazza Matteotti
Vicenza, May 2025

“The Palazzo Chiericati is a Renaissance palace in Vicenza (northern Italy), designed by Andrea Palladio. Palladio was asked to design and build the palazzo by Count Girolamo Chiericati. The architect started building the palace in 1550, and some further work was completed under the patronage of Chiericati's son, Valerio. However, the palazzo was not fully finished until about 1680, possibly by Carlo Borella. Palladio also designed a country home, the Villa Chiericati, for the family. The palazzo was built in an area called ‘piazza dell'Isola’ (island square, currently Piazza Matteotti), which housed the wood and cattle market. At that time, it was an islet surrounded by the Retrone and Bacchiglione streams, and to protect the structure from the frequent floods, Palladio designed it on an elevated position: the entrance could be accessed by a triple Classic-style staircase.” (Palazzo Chiericati, Wikipedia)

Centro de Ciberseguridad de Andalucía

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Centro de Ciberseguridad de Andalucía
Palmeral de las Sorpresas
Paseo del Muelle Uno
Málaga, March 2025

“Located in the Palmeral de las Sorpresas, on Muelle 2 of the Port of Malaga, the Andalusian Cybersecurity Center is a cutting-edge institution destined to become the most important in Southern Europe. A benchmark center created with the mission of coordinating the Andalusian Cybersecurity Strategy 2022-2025. The building features modern facilities and houses the Andalusian Regional Government's Security Operations Center (SOC), as well as separate spaces designed to offer specific services to citizens, private companies, and public institutions within the Andalusian digital ecosystem.” (Centro de Ciberseguridad de Andalucía, Junta de Andalucía)

Palazzo della Ragione

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Palazzo della Ragione
Piazza delle Erbe
Padua, May 2025

“The Palazzo della Ragione is a medieval market hall, town hall and palace of justice building in Padua, in the Veneto region of Italy. The upper floor was dedicated to the town and justice administration; while the ground floor still hosts the historical covered market of the city. The palace separates the two market squares of Piazza delle Erbe from Piazza dei Frutti. It is popularly called il Salone (the big hall). It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed as ‘Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles’ in 2021. The building, with its great hall on the upper floor is believed to be one of the largest medieval halls still extant. The hall is nearly rectangular, its length 81.5m, its breadth 27m, and its height 24 m; the walls are covered with allegorical frescoes. The building stands on arches, and the upper storey is flanked by an open loggia, not unlike that which surrounds the Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza, that was indeed inspired by Padua's Palazzo della Ragione.” (Palazzo della Ragione,Wikipedia)

Monumento a Calvo Sotelo

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Monumento a Calvo Sotelo by Carlos Ferreira de la Torre, 1960
Paseo de la Castellana
Madrid, September 2025

“The Monument to Calvo Sotelo (Spanish: Monumento a Calvo Sotelo) is an instance of public art located in Madrid, Spain. Erected on the south of the Plaza de Castilla, it is dedicated to José Calvo Sotelo, who was assassinated shortly before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. The monument was an initiative of the ‘National Junta’ for the homage to the Glorious Proto-Martyr of the Crusade Don José Calvo Sotelo, an entity reanimated in 1954 by the Francoist dictatorship in order to resume earlier Burgos government's projects dating back to 1938 intending to commemorate the aforementioned politician and delayed by the then ongoing state of war. The location of the monument was decided in 1958. Commissioned to Manuel Manzano-Monís (architect) and Carlos Ferreira de la Torre (sculptor), the monument fuses the aesthetics of Italian fascism with the Spanish vanguard of the time. Made of reinforced concrete, the single written inscription on the material reads ‘España a Calvo Sotelo’ (Spain to Calvo Sotelo). It was unveiled on 13 July 1960. It was slightly relocated in 1992 during the works of reform of the Plaza de Castilla and put on a raised platform in the south end of the plaza. Its frontal perspective generates an axis of symmetry with the Puerta de Europa twin towers.” (Monument to Calvo Sotelo, Wikipedia)

Hercules and the Lion

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“Ercole e il Leone” (Hercules and the Lion) by Romano Romanelli, 1935
Piazza Ognissanti
Florence, January 2025

“At the centre of the square there is currently a bronze group by Romano Romanelli depicting ‘Hercules and the Lion’, created in 1935 and placed here in 1937, replacing a previous monument depicting Daniele Manin (work by Urbano Nono from 1890) moved to Piazzale Galileo along Viale dei Colli, in the Arcetri area.” (Piazza Ognissanti, Wikipedia)

Casa de las Cadenas

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Casa de las Cadenas
Plaza del Conde de Cheste
Segovia, September 2025

“The Casa de las Cadenas (House of Chains) is a building in the Spanish city of Segovia. It has the status of a Site of Cultural Interest. It is a defensive building with origins as old as the walls to which it is attached. The building was part of one of the abutments of the now-disappeared San Juan Gate that served as an entrance to the city, as a defensive bastion that protected the northeastern flank of the city. It is located at number 6, Plaza del Conde de Cheste.” (Casa de las Cadenas, Wikipedia)