Basilica of San Domenico

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Basilica of San Domenico with the Siena Cathedral in background
Seen from Viale XXV Aprile
Siena, April 2017

“The Basilica of San Domenico, also known as Basilica Cateriniana, is a basilica church in Siena, Tuscany, Italy, one of the most important in the city. The church was begun in 1226-1265, but was enlarged in the 14th century resulting in the Gothic appearance it has now. However, aspects of the Gothic structure were subsequently destroyed by fires in 1443, 1456 and 1531, and further damage later resulted from military occupation (1548-1552). It is a large edifice built, like many contemporary edifices of the mendicant orders, in bricks, with a lofty bell tower on the left (this was reduced in height after an earthquake in 1798). The interior is on the Egyptian cross plan with a huge nave covered by trusses and with a transept featuring high chapels. The church contains several relics of St. Catherine of Siena, whose family house is nearby.” (Basilica of San Domenico, Wikipedia)

The She-wolf of Siena

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The She-wolf of Siena
Piazza di Postierla
Siena, April 2017

“The origins of Siena are uncertain, but the city long promoted the belief that it was founded by Senius and Ascius, the sons of Remus (the twin brother of Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome), hence the image of the Lupa Senese (the she-wolf suckling two infants), which one sees throughout the town. ​Following the murder of their father, Senius (who gave his name to the city) and his brother Ascius were forced to flee Rome on horseback, riding respectively on a black horse and a white horse, hence the two colours of the Balzana, the city’s coat of arms.” (The Wolf of Siena, Walking Tours of Florence & Siena )

Žižkov Television Tower

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Žižkov Television Tower by Václav Aulický, 1992
Mahlerovy sady
Prague, September 2017

“The Žižkov Television Tower (Žižkovský vysílač) is a unique transmitter tower built in Prague between 1985 and 1992. Designed by the architect Václav Aulický and the structural engineer Jiří Kozák, it stands high above the city's traditional skyline from its position on top of a hill in the district of Žižkov, from which it takes its name. The tower is an example of high-tech architecture. The structure of the tower is unconventional, based on a triangle whose corners are growing up in steel columns, consisting of three tubes with a double steel wall, filled with concrete. They support nine 'pods' and three decks for transmitting equipment. One of the three pillars extends considerably higher than the others, and this provides both the necessary height for some antennas, along with the structure's rocket and gantry appearance. In its time it was a unique technology, which authors have patented. The tower stands 216 metres (709 feet) high, altitude of the observatory is 93 m, the hotel room altitude is 70 m, restaurants altitude is 66 m, with a capacity of 180 people. Three elevators transport passengers at a speed of 4 m/s. Three of the pods, positioned directly beneath the decks at the top of the tower, are used for equipment related to the tower's primary function and are inaccessible to the public. The remaining six pods are open to visitors, providing a panoramic view of Prague and the surrounding area. The lower three, approximately half-way up the length of the pillars at 63 metres (207 feet), house a recently refurbished restaurant and café bar.” (Žižkov Television Tower, Wikipedia)

Greek Warrior

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Greek warrior by Astyanax-Scévola Bosio, 1852
Cirque d'hiver (Winter Circus)
Rue Amelot
Quartier de la Folie-Méricourt, 11th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

“Two equestrian statues framed the entrance: a seductive Amazon by James Pradier on the left (which is said to have been modeled after the famous equestrienne, Antoinette Lejars, and was the second version of a statue whose first version adorned the façade of the Cirque des Champs-Elysées), and a Greek warrior by Duret and Bosio, on the right. Frieze and statues are still in evidence today, but the Victory holding a lantern, which originally topped the building, has long disappeared.” (Cirque d'Hiver, Circopedia)

Turret on a Corner

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Turret on a corner
Via Ventisette Aprile / Via Santa Reparata
Florence, May 2017

Slovak National Theater

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Slovenské národné divadlo (Slovak National Theater)
Ganymédova fontána (Ganymede's Fountain) by Viktor Oskar Tilgner, 1888
Hviezdoslavovo námestie, Staré Mesto
Bratislava, September 2017

Paragliding in Barceloneta

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Paragliding in Barceloneta
Barcelona, March 2017

Giardino delle Varesine

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Giardino delle Varesine (Varesine Garden)
Via Joe Colombo
Milano, November 2016

Fat House

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“Fat House” by Erwin Wurm, 2003
Upper Belvedere
Vienna, September 2017

“An ‘obese house’ by Austrian sculptor Erwin Wurm has been installed on the lawn outside an 18th-century palace in Vienna. Wurm first created the Fat House in 2003, as a commentary on middle-class consumer culture. It is now on show outside the Upper Belvedere, one of Vienna's most important examples of baroque architecture. The seven-metre-high sculpture is similar in form to a conventional suburban house, with a pitched tile-clad roof, a central door and windows either side. But its walls appear to have swollen out, so they look more like fatty flesh than an architectural structure. These bulging surfaces were created using polystyrene, which wraps a metal framework. Wurm, 63, is one of Austria's best-known contemporary artists. Best known for works like his One Minute Sculptures, which featured in a Red Hot Chili Peppers music video, he was this year selected as one of the curators of Austria's national pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale.” (Erwin Wurm's Fat House installed outside baroque palace in Vienna, Dezeen)

Duke of Devonshire

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Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire by Herbert Hampton, 1910
Junction of Horse Guards Avenue and Whitehall
London, September 2014

“The statue of the Duke of Devonshire is a Grade II-listed outdoor bronze sculpture of Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire, the leader of three British political parties between 1875 and 1903, and is located at the entrance to Horse Guards Avenue, Whitehall, London, England. A work of the sculptor Herbert Hampton, it was unveiled in 1911. The statue is around 4 metres high and rests on a plinth around 5 metres high. The inscription on the plinth gives the Duke's name, title, honours (KG for Knight of the Garter; he is depicted wearing his Garter robes) and year of birth and death. A committee headed by the Marquess of Lansdowne secured permission for the statue's location and the sculptor's design was approved by Edward VII in 1909 and completed the following year. The Marquess of Lansdowne unveiled the statue on 11 February 1911.” (Statue of the Duke of Devonshire, Whitehall, Wikipedia)

Street Musicians

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Street musicians
Piazza della Repubblica
Florence, April 2017

World Judo Championships

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2017 World Judo Championships statue by Fodor-Lengyel Zoltán, 2017
Magyar Tudományos Akadémia (Hungarian Academy of Sciences)
Széchenyi István tér
Budapest, September 2017

Ramon Berenguer III

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Equestrian statue of Ramon Berenguer III by Josep Llimona i Bruguera, 1888
Restored and cast in bronze by Frederic Marès, 1950
Plaça de Ramon Berenguer el Gran
Barcelona, March 2017

“This life size bronze equestrian statue of Ramon Berenguer III was sculpted by Frederic Marès and inaugerated in 1950. Located in Plaça Ramon Berenguer el Gran, the monument is a replica of an earlier statue which was created by Josep Llimona for the Barcelona Universal Exposition of 1888. The Count, who ruled Barcelona from 1097 to 1131, is portrayed in regal pose riding his horse Danc. The ancient Roman walls of Barcelona and the medieval Palau Reial make a perefect backdrop.” (Monument to Ramon Berenguer the Great, Barcelona Lowdown)

Tower of the Hours

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Torre delle Ore (Tower of the Hours)
Via Fillungo
Lucca, October 2017

“The Torre delle Ore or Torre dell'Orologio is a clock-tower or turret clock located on Via Fillungo in central Lucca, region of Tuscany, Italy. Medieval Lucca, like many medieval cities in Italy abounded with private towers, built for protection, exemplified best today by the remaining towers of San Gimignano. This tower, the tallest in Lucca, was acquired by the government in the 14th century, and in 1390, it was decided to house a clock. In Lucca, the nearby Torre Guinigi with the scenographic tree-scape at the top is more visited. It is now owned by the Comune of Lucca. The present mechanism of the clock dates to the 18th-century. It is unclear what the face of the clock and the mechanism consisted in 1390. Earlier clock towers did have hour markings. In 2015, it is possible to climb to the tower and view the mechanism. There is a legend associated with a young woman who sold her soul to the devil, but was captured by the devil trying to stop the time of the clock.” (Torre delle Ore, Wikipedia)

V Tower

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V Tower by Radan Hubička, 2017
Milevská
Prague, September 2017

“V Tower is a skyscraper under construction in Prague, Czech Republic. It will be the highest residential building in the Czech Republic with 104 metres in height and 30 floors. An example of modern Czech architecture, the building will be divided into a pair of towers which are to be linked at two-thirds of their height, above which they will continue upwards separately. This will allow for the tower to expand in size as it rises whilst minimising its ground appropriation, leaving space for terraces around the outside of the building. The larger area towards the top of the towers is where the residential apartments will be, resulting in the highest apartments having more space than those which are slightly closer to the bottom of the towers.” (V Tower, Wikipedia)

Polypores Fountain

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Polypores Fountain by Jean-Yves Lechevallier, 1983
Rue Modigliani
Quartier de Javel, 15th arrondissement
Paris, July 2006

“The intersection between Balard and Saint Charles streets, offers a nice cozy square facing one of the entrances of the André Citroën garden. A peculiar fountain which remember a plate or shell stacking decorates the center. A few thin water dashes seep into it. Often, a pigeon finds the top of the fountain as a nice place to perch.” (La Fontaine de la place Modigliani, Paris by the Water)

Gate of Palmyra

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Palmyra’s Triumphal Arch (Gate of Palmyra)
Piazza della Signoria
Florence, April 2017

“At the centre of Palmyra is a spectacular colonnaded street. This thoroughfare interconnects with smaller side streets of similar style, linking together the city’s temples and major public buildings. At the middle of it there was Palmyra’s Triumphal Arch, or ‘gate of Palmyra’ as it is known by the Syrian people. This Roman archway was one of the most beautiful of the many notable monuments in the ancient city, built in the third century CE by Septimius Severus. In the late summer of 2015, the arch, together with a number of other important structures on the site, was reduced to rubble by extremists who had occupied the ancient city since the spring. The Institute for Digital Archaeology was, at that time, in the early stages of a documentation and cultural heritage protection project in collaboration with the people of the region. Plans were made to create a large scale reconstruction of one of the well-known structures from the site for public display using a combination of computer-based 3D rendering and a pioneering 3D carving technology capable of creating very accurate renditions of computer modelled objects in solid stone. The goal was to use this installation as a means of sending a message of peace and hope, of demonstrating how new technologies can contribute to the process of restoration and reconstruction, and drawing attention to the importance of helping to protect and preserve the history and heritage of peoples under threat all over the world. The arch – reconstructed thanks to Institute for Digital Archaeology in Oxford and the TorArt society in Carrara – has been on public display on London’s Trafalgar Square, New York’s City Hall Park, and at Dubai’s World Government Summit. It has become a true global symbol of the triumph of cooperation over conflict, optimism over despair, and human ingenuity over senseless destruction.” (Palmyra’s Triumphal Arch, Muse Firenze)

Bulgarian Partisans

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Memorial of the Bulgarian Partisans by F. David, 1949
Vajanského nábrežie
Bratislava, September 2017

Oliver's Wharf

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Oliver's Wharf by F. & H. Francis, 1870
Wapping High Street, Wapping
London, September 2014

“Built for George Oliver ‘in the Tudor gothic style, this wharf handled general cargo but had special facilities for tea’. Bought for redevelopment in 1972, it was the first warehouse in Wapping, and one of the first of all the old warehouses, to be converted into housing, yielding twenty-three very expensive luxury flats. It has been described as ‘the most architecturally sophisticated warehouse’ in its street ” (Oliver's Wharf, The Victorian Web)

Door Knocker

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A curious door knocker
Via Saragozza
Bologna, June 2015

Prince Eugene of Savoy

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Equestrian monument to Prince Eugene of Savoy, by Anton Dominik Fernkorn, 1865
Heldenplat (Heroes' Square)
Vienna, September 2017

“On the plaza, there are two equestrian statues designed by Anton Dominik Fernkorn with socles by Eduard van der Nüll. The statue of Archduke Charles of Austria, modelled on a popular painting by Johann Peter Krafft, was inaugurated already in 1860. It was meant to glorify the Habsburg dynasty as great Austrian military leaders, though they just had suffered a crushing defeat at the bloody Battle of Solferino. The second statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy was inaugurated in 1865, one year before the Austrian defeat in the Battle of Königgrätz.” (Heldenplatz, Wikipedia)

The Sherry-Netherland

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The Sherry-Netherland and the GM Building
Fifth Avenue at 59th Street
New York, September 2008

“The Sherry-Netherland is a 38-story apartment hotel located at 781 Fifth Avenue on the corner of East 59th Street in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was designed and built by Schultze & Weaver with Buchman & Kahn. The building is 560.01 feet (170.69 m) high, and was noted as the tallest apartment-hotel in New York City when it opened. The building is located in the Upper East Side Historic District, created in 1981.” (The Sherry-Netherland, Wikipedia)

“The General Motors Building is a 50-story, 705 ft (215 m) office tower at 767 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City. The building, which is bound by Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue between 59th Street and 58th Street, is one of the few structures in Manhattan to occupy a full city block. With 1,774,000 net leasable square feet, the tower sits on the site of the former Savoy-Plaza Hotel and affords views of Central Park. It was designed in the international style by Edward Durell Stone & Associates with Emery Roth & Sons and completed in 1968.” (GM Building, Wikipedia)

Farmacia di San Marco

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Former Farmacia di San Marco (St Mark Pharmacy)
Via Cavour (Closed since 1995)
Florence, April 2015

Living-Space

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“Living-Space” by Fat Heat and Bea Pántya, 2016
Arany Janos utca
Budapest, September 2017

“While walking around in Budapest’s 5. district you might stumble upon a strange building between the usual gray ones. This 28 meter giant, standing on its wooden legs gives a curious look from it’s windows to the people walking by on the streets. The mural is the creation Fat Heat and Bea Pántya, and it was executed within this years Colourful City Budapest festival. But it’s not just an other mural, it really can come alive. With the help of the recent technology of augmented reality, the artist dwelled into the depth of animation to make it move. So now all you have to do to reanimate it, is to walk there, have your smartphone with you, download and launch the LARA application and turn your phone against the wall.” (Living-Space, Fat Heat)

Alexandre Dumas

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Monument to Alexandre Dumas by Gustave Doré, 1883
Place du Général-Catroux
Quartier de la Plaine-de-Monceaux, 17th arrondissement
Paris, July 2011

Sallustio Bandini

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Statue of Sallustio Bandini by Tito Sarrocchi, 1880
Piazza Salimbeni
Siena, April 2017

“Sallustio Bandini (19 April 1677 – 8 June 1760) was an Italian archdeacon, economist, and politician. He was an advocate of free trade, and removal of local feudal tariffs and tolls. He wrote an influential piece on this subject, titled Discorso Economico sopra la Maremma di Siena, published posthumously in 1775. Approximately two years before his death, Bandini donated his private library to the University of Siena, under the agreement that the almost 3000 volumes would be made publicly available. From this donation the Biblioteca della Sapienza was formed, now known as Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati. Bandini was born Sallustio Antonio Bandini in Siena to a prominent local family. His father was Patrizio Bandini and his mother was Caterina Piccolomini di Modanella, a member of the influential Piccolomini nobility. He was their third son. Bandini is memorialised for his enlightened discourse on economics with a statue in the centre of Siena's Piazza Salimbeni, by the main entrance to Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, who commissioned the work. The statue was completed by Italian sculptor Tito Sarrocchi in 1880, more than a century after Bandini's death.” (Sallustio Bandini, Wikipedia)

Prague Castle Guard

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Prague castle guard
Pražský hrad (Prague Castle)
Prague, September 2017

“Castle Guard (Czech: Hradní stráž) is a specific and autonomous unit of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic directly subordinate to the Military Office of the President of the Czech Republic. Its main task is to guard and defend the seat of the President of the Czech Republic at the Prague Castle.” (Prague Castle Guard, Wikipedia)

Gargoyle in Münzstraße

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Residential and commercial building by Poentsch & Bohnstedt, 1893
Münzstraße 21/23
Berlin, September 2011

The Genius of Victory

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Il Genio della Vittoria (The Genius of Victory) by Urbano Lucchesi, 1897
Piazza XX Settembre
Lucca, October 2017

“The last civic monument by Urbano Lucchesi dedicated to the Fallen in the Battles for the Fatherland and in particular to the date of the capture of Rome because, to use the words of Antonio Mordini, «history has no finer date than 20 September». The convincing allegory of the Winged Genius, rising above the imposing monument to the Fallen in the Battles for the Fatherland in piazza XX Settembre in Lucca, was particularly appreciated for its ideological and political value: «that figure which from the top of the grotesque pyramid, surmounted with live ivy, extends its right arm in the gesture of offering a votive crown to be placed on the altar, which recalls the memorable event which sealed the Unity of Italy in the Eternal City and consecrated the triumph of freedom over theocratic and imperial despotism, is felt with vigour and, if the harshness of some of its parts is removed, can without doubt be considered one of the best sculptures of our artist.” (Percorso tra i monumenti risorgimentali a Lucca, Città di Lucca)

Blue Church

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Church of St. Elizabeth (Kostol svätej Alžbety)
Bezručova
Bratislava, September 2017

“The Church of St. Elizabeth (Slovak: Kostol svätej Alžbety, Hungarian: Szent Erzsébet templom), commonly known as Blue Church (Modrý kostolík, Kék templom), is a Hungarian Secessionist (Jugendstil, Art Nouveau) Catholic church located in the eastern part of the Old Town in Bratislava, present day Slovakia. It is consecrated to Elisabeth of Hungary, daughter of Andrew II, who grew up in the Pressburg Castle (pozsonyi vár). It is referred to as ‘The Little Blue Church’ because of the colour of its façade, mosaics, majolicas and blue-glazed roof. It was initially part of the neighboring gymnázium (high school) and served as the school chapel.” (Blue Church, Wikipedia)