Casa-galleria Vichi

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Casa-galleria Vichi by Giovanni Michelazzi, 1911
Via Borgo Ognissanti
Florence, January 2025

“The Casa-galleria Vichi (Vichi house-gallery) is an Art Nouveau building in Florence, located in via Borgo Ognissanti, a few steps from the church of Ognissanti. The house was built according to a design by the architect Giovanni Michelazzi on commission from Argia Marinai nei Vichi and is, in addition to the most representative work of this architect, one of the few Liberty style buildings in the centre of Florence, certainly the most representative for the programmatic desire to adhere to the new style, proposed in a very personal way and without any compromise with local tradition. Since it appears to have been registered in the Old Urban Cadastre in 1913, it can be considered completed in 1911: in the years 1913-1914 Michelazzi himself lived there and probably also set up his studio there. In 2009, given the precarious state of conservation of the façade and its evident value, both for the overall design (the building has been subject to architectural constraints since 1965) and for the quality of the fake travertine (of extraordinary chromatic and material verisimilitude as can be seen by comparing it with that of the nearby church of Ognissanti), the front was subjected to careful restoration based on the design and direction of the works by the architect Renzo Funaro and the high supervision of the competent Superintendency (architect Lia Pescatori). Restorer Francesca Piccolino Boniforti worked on the artificial stone elements.” (Casa-galleria Vichi, Wikipedia)

Convento de San Esteban

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Convento de San Esteban
Plaza del Concilio de Trento
Salamanca, September 2025

“The Convento de San Esteban is a Dominican monastery of Plateresque style, situated in the Plaza del Concilio de Trento (Square of the Council of Trent) in Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. The Dominicans settled in Salamanca between 1255 and 1256. On the present site of the convent, occupied by the parish church of San Esteban, they built the primitive convent, later destroyed to build the present one, in 1524 on the initiative of Cardinal Friar Juan Álvarez de Toledo. Its construction lasted until 1610, with the participation of Friar Martín de Santiago, Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón, Juan Ribero de Rada and Pedro Gutiérrez. However, the plan and design are by Juan de Álava, who began the work in 1524, as evidenced by the preserved plan of this same master. Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón was in charge of the transept with the dome and the chancel. Although it is considered an excellent example of the Plateresque style, the length of its construction phases explains the mixture of styles ranging from the final Gothic to the Baroque, a style that is not very noticeable in its architecture but is well present in the main altarpiece by José Benito de Churriguera.” (Convento de San Esteban, Wikipedia)

Porta Leoni

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Porta Leoni (Gate of the Lions)
Via Leoni
Verona, May 2025

“Porta Leoni (Gate of the Lions) is an ancient Roman gate in Verona, northern Italy. The gate was built during the Roman Republic by P. Valerius, Q. Caecilius, Q. Servilius and P. Cornelius, and restructured in imperial times. It was connected to the road which led to Bologna and Aquileia. The original Roman name is unknown. During the Middle Ages it was called Porta San Fermo, due to the nearby church, while in the Renaissance it was known as ‘Arco di Valerio’. The current name derives from a Roman tomb decorated with two lions (Italian: leoni), now moved near Ponte Navi. The gate has a square structures, with a double façade and two towers which looked towards the countryside. Now only half of the inner façade, covered with white stone in the imperial age, and the foundings are visible. The original decorations are all lost. The lower part is similar to that of Porta Borsari (also in Verona), while the upper part has an exedra with twisted columns.” (Porta Leoni, Wikipedia)

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)