Bell tower of Santa Maria Annunciata

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Bell tower of Santa Maria Annunciata
Contra' Graribaldi
Vicenza, May 2025

“It is slightly detached from the church and located across the road that runs along the southern flank of the cathedral. It is clearly a disjointed structure, the result of additions and modifications made in different periods and using different materials, as is still clearly evident, especially in the external base. The construction of the base probably dates back to the period of the Hungarian invasions, in the second decade of the 10th century, at the time of Bishop Vitale, Archchancellor of Emperor Berengario I. It was probably a tower to defend the cathedral and the bishop's palace, with perimeter walls 4 metres thick, made of conglomerate covered with trachyte slabs, fill materials from the Roman era. Above this tower – clearly pollarded – a brick tower approximately 20 metres high was added in the first decades of the 12th century, with a bell tower of typical Romanesque appearance. The bell tower was restored and brought to its current appearance in 1995-98.” (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunciata, Wikipedia)

San Miguel el Alto

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Church of San Miguel el Alto
Calle Corralillo San Miguel
Toledo, September 2022

“The Iglesia de San Miguel el Alto is a building of medieval origin located in Toledo (Castile-La Mancha, Spain). Dedicated to St Michael, the church served one of the old Latin parishes of the city, but is now part of the parish of San Justo. It appears that it also had some relation to the Knights Templar who are believed to have had a guest-house in Toledo. The original 12th century building was extensively remodelled in the 17th century by Juan Bautista Monegro, but retains some Mudejar features, notably its tower from around the end of the 13th century.” (Church of San Miguel el Alto, Wikipedia)

Church of Santa Margherita

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Church of Santa Margherita
Via San Francesco
Padua, May 2025

“The church of Santa Margherita is a religious building of medieval origin that overlooks Via San Francesco, in Padua. Dedicated to Saint Margaret of Antioch, it owes its current architectural form to the interventions of Tommaso Temanza and perhaps Domenico Rossi. Until 1797 it was the ‘Abbadia’ of the Gradenigo family , currently it is an oratory subject to the parish of San Francesco Grande. The church was founded on June 9, 1198, by the monks of the Abbey of San Cipriano in Murano . It was an important religious center for the district, which was known as ‘Santa Margherita’, but with the construction of the church of San Francesco Grande in 1416, it lost importance. The precise characteristics of the original building are unknown. In the 16th century, the assets of the Abbey of San Cipriano passed to the Patriarchate of Venice , but by order of Sixtus V, the sacred building remained with the Gradenigo patricians, who had previously assumed full patronage rights over the church and other assets of the defunct Murano Abbey. The independent church, ‘Abbadia de'Gradenighi’, which a member of the family governed with the title of Abbot, underwent various changes until its complete reconstruction, undertaken by its owners around the 1730s and 1740s. According to Rossetti (1780), the work was entrusted to a certain Domenico Rizzi, perhaps the same Domenico Rossi towards whom the critic Giulio Bresciani Alvarez was leaning. The façade was erected to a design by Tommaso Temanza in 1748. The first work of the Venetian architect, it provoked heavy criticism so much so that it risked demolition. It was saved thanks to the intervention of Giovanni Poleni, Temanza's mentor.” (Chiesa di Santa Margherita, Wikipedia)

Día y Noche

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‘Día y Noche’ (Day and Night) by Antonio López García, 2008
Avenida de la Ciudad de Barcelona
Madrid, September 2022

“Just outside Atocha Station (a transportation hub also known for its own tropical garden), a pair of gigantic, realistic baby heads greet passengers. Made of bronze, they stand 3 meters (or nearly 10 feet) tall and weigh over 2 tons each. Although they may seem slightly creepy, the story behind these sculptures is a sweet one. The baby heads, installed here in 2008, are the work of the Spanish artist Antonio López García. They represent ‘Day’ (Día) and ‘Night’ (Noche). One of them has its eyes open and the other has its eyes shut. Designed in López García's realistic style, the meaning behind the freestanding baby heads may leave viewers scratching their own heads. But actually, both are based on the face of López García's granddaughter Carmen, when she was only eight months old. Born in a rural town in 1936, López García came to Madrid when he was 13 years old to study art. He first arrived at Atocha Station, and made his name as an artist in the following years. So it's quite fitting to find his baby granddaughter here, even though most people pass by the heads without knowing their background.” (Día y Noche, Atlas Obscura)

Chimera of Arezzo

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‘Chimera of Arezzo’
National Archaeological Museum
Piazza Santissima Annunziata
Florence, January 2025

“The Chimera of Arezzo is regarded as the best example of ancient Etruscan art. The British art historian David Ekserdjian described the sculpture as ‘one of the most arresting of all animal sculptures and the supreme masterpiece of Etruscan bronze-casting’. Made entirely of bronze and measuring 78.5 cm high with a length of 129 cm, it was found alongside a small collection of other bronze statues in Arezzo, an ancient Etruscan and Roman city in Tuscany. The statue was originally part of a larger sculptural group representing a fight between a chimera and the Greek hero Bellerophon. This sculpture is likely to have been created as a votive offering to the Etruscan god Tinia and is held by the National Archaeological Museum, Florence.” (Chimera of Arezzo, Wikipedia)

A la mujer cordobesa

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Monumento a la mujer cordobesa by José Manuel Belmonte Cortés, 2003
Plaza de Colón
Córdoba, September 2022

“The ‘Monumento a la belleza de la mujer cordobesa’ (Monument to the Beauty of Cordoban Women) is located next to the Merced Gardens, in the Plaza de Colón in the city of Córdoba, province of Córdoba. The work was inaugurated on April 29, 2003, and is the creation of sculptor José Manuel Belmonte Cortés. It stands as a tribute to the women of Córdoba, highlighting their elegance and the symbolism of the city's ancient traditions. The sculpture was conceived to highlight the connection with Córdoba's culture and heritage. The bronze monument depicts two Cordoban women standing on either side of a fountain. One of the figures holds a pitcher on her hip, while the other extends her hand toward the water, the pitcher at her side. Both women wear traditional Cordoban buns and combs, evoking a time of refined beauty. The work is notable for its realism and the detail in their hairstyles and traditional costumes.” (Fuente Monumento a la belleza de la mujer cordobesa, MonumentalNet)

Arche scaligere

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Arche scaligere (Scaliger Tombs)
Via Santa Maria Antica
Verona, May 2025

“The Scaliger Tombs (Italian: Arche scaligere) is a group of five Gothic funerary monuments in Verona, Italy, celebrating the Scaliger family, who ruled in Verona from the 13th to the late 14th century. The tombs are located in a court outside the church of Santa Maria Antica, separated from the street by a wall with iron grilles. Built in Gothic style, they are a series of tombs, mostly freestanding open tabernacle-like structures rising high above the ground, with a sarcophagus surmounted by an elaborate baldachin, topped by a statue of the deceased, mounted and wearing armour. According to the French historian Georges Duby, they are one of the most outstanding examples of Gothic art.” (Scaliger Tombs, Wikipedia)