Atocha station memorial

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Atocha station memorial by FAM architectural studio, 2007
Plaza del Emperador Carlos V
Madrid, September 2022

“The Atocha station memorial is a memorial monument located at Atocha station in Madrid, Spain, that commemorates the 193 victims of the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings. Furthermore, it also honors the special forces agent who died when seven suicide bombers blew themselves up on 3 April 2004 during a raid on an apartment used by the bombers. The 11 m (36 ft) tall cylinder stands above Atocha station, the destination of the four trains that were attacked. Texts composed of hundreds of expressions of grief sent in the days after the attack from all over the world are printed on a clear colourless membrane that is inflated by air pressure, rising balloon-like inside a cylinder. That structure is composed of glass blocks and sits on a platform or terrace overhead. The light in the empty blue room below comes from this source alone. At night the cylinder is illuminated by lamps within its base and can be seen throughout the station neighborhood.” (Atocha station memorial, Wikipedia)

Vaso François

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Vaso François (François Vase)
National Archaeological Museum
Piazza Santissima Annunziata
Florence, January 2025

“The François Vase, (or François Krater), is a large Attic volute krater decorated in the black-figure style. It stands at 66 centimetres (26 in) in height and was inspired by earlier bronze vases. It was used for wine. A milestone in the development of ancient Greek pottery due to the drawing style used as well as the combination of related stories depicted in the numerous friezes, it is dated to circa 570/560 BCE. The François Vase was discovered in 1844 in Chiusi where an Etruscan tomb in the necropolis of Fonte Rotella was found located in central Italy. It was named after its discoverer Alessandro François, and is now in the Museo Archeologico in Florence. It remains uncertain whether the krater was used in Greece or in Etruria, and whether the handles were broken and repaired in Greece or in Etruria. The François Vase may have been made for a symposium given by a member of an aristocratic family in Solonian Athens (possibly for a special occasion, such as a wedding), then broken and, after being carefully repaired, sent to Etruria, perhaps as an instance of elite-gift exchange. It bears the inscriptions Ergotimos mepoiesen and Kleitias megraphsen, meaning ‘Ergotimos made me’ and ‘Kleitias painted me’. It depicts 270 figures, 121 of which have accompanying inscriptions. It is highly unusual for so many to be identifiable: the scenes depicted represent a number of mythological themes. On 9 September 1900 the vase was smashed into 638 pieces by a museum guard hurling a wooden stool against the protective glass. It was restored by Pietro Zei in 1902, followed by a second reconstruction in 1973 incorporating previously missing pieces.” (François Vase, Wikipedia)

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)