Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Ulica Mariacka

Ulica Mariacka and Brama Mariacka (St. Mary's Street and St. Mary's Gate), Mariacka, Stare Miasto (Old Town), Gdańsk

Ulica Mariacka and Brama Mariacka (St. Mary's Street and St. Mary's Gate)
Mariacka
Stare Miasto (Old Town)
Gdańsk, September 2018

“The most atmospheric of all Gdańsk's streets and one of Poland’s most photogenic lanes is this length of cobbles between the waterfront St Mary’s Gate and the red-brick hulk of St Mary’s Church. Almost completely re-created after WWII, mostly on the basis of old documents, photographs and illustrations, every ornamental detail unearthed from the debris, including countless scary gargoyles, was incorporated. It’s the only street with a complete row of terraces, which lends the scene enormous charm. In recent years things have really come to life, with several artisan amber jewellery shops, some great cafes and bars, and one of northern Poland’s most characterful hotels (Kamienica Gotyk). Some of the best stalls are set up here during the Dominican Fair.” (Ulica Mariacka, Lonely Planet)

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Hormiga

Hormiga (Ant) by Julián Cerón, Plaza de la Catedral, Barcelona

“Hormiga” (Ant) by Julián Cerón
Plaza de la Catedral
Barcelona, March 2017

Monday, March 29, 2021

Palazzo Davia Bargellini

Giganti (Giants) by Gabriele Brunelli and Francesco Agnesini, Palazzo Davia Bargellini, Bologna

‘Giganti’ (Giants) by Gabriele Brunelli and Francesco Agnesini, 1658
Palazzo Davia Bargellini
Bologna, June 2015

“The Palazzo Davìa Bargellini is a Baroque style palace located on Strada Maggiore in central Bologna, Italy. It presently hosts the Civic Museum of Industrial art and Davìa Bargellini Gallery, which is an eclectic collection of paintings as well as applied arts and functional ornamentation, described as curiosities of the old Bologna. The diverse applied art collection includes ceramics, liturgical robes, keys, ornamental door knobs, marionettes from street theaters, furniture, iron grille work, elaborately carved wooden frame, and a gilded carriage. Construction of the palace was commissioned in 1638 by Camillo Bargellini of a Bolognese Senatorial family. The architect was Bartolomeo Provaglia, and building was directed by Antonio Uri. A notable feature of the palace entrance are the two flanking telamons, locally called giganti or giants. These were sculpted in 1658 by Gabriele Brunelli and Francesco Agnesini. The scenic entrance stairwell was designed in 1730 by Carlo Francesco Dotti and Alfonso Torregiani. After a feud between the Bargellini family and the Ariosto family in the late 17th century, that led to both families' extinction, the Davìa family inherited the name, property and money of the Bargellini. In 1839-1874, the Davìa family occupied the palace. The last member left everything to public institutions.” (Palazzo Davia Bargellini, Wikipedia)

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Krasiński Palace

Pałac Krasińskich, Krasiński Palace, seen from the Krasiński Garden, plac Krasińskich, Warsaw

Pałac Krasińskich (Krasiński Palace)
Seen from the Krasiński Garden
plac Krasińskich
Warsaw, September 2018

“The Krasiński Palace (Pałac Krasińskich), also known as the Palace of the Commonwealth, is a reconstructed Baroque palace in Warsaw, Poland, on Krasiński Square (Plac Krasińskich). Initially erected between 1677 and 1683 for the powerful Krasiński family, it was heavily damaged during World War II and rebuilt in the mid-20th century.” (Krasiński Palace, Wikipedia)

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Millennium Dawn

Millennium Dawn sightseeing boat, Victoria Embankment in background, London

Millennium Dawn sightseeing boat
Victoria Embankment in background
London, September 2014

Friday, March 26, 2021

CP 311

Coast Guard motorboat CP 311, Calata delle Capitanerie di Porto, Porto Antico (Old Port), Genoa

Coast Guard motorboat CP 311
Calata delle Capitanerie di Porto
Porto Antico (Old Port)
Genoa, April 2016

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Chimera

Chimera by Henryk Kunzek, Czapski Palace, Józefa Piłsudskiego, Kraków

Chimera by Henryk Kunzek, 1909
Czapski Palace
Józefa Piłsudskiego
Kraków, September 2018

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Font de la Portaferrissa

Font de la Portaferrissa, Carrer de la Portaferrissa, Barcelona

Font de la Portaferrissa, 1604 (current location 1681)
Carrer de la Portaferrissa
Barcelona, March 2017

“El Font de Portaferrisa was built in 1604 and named after the Porta Feriça gate which stood nearby. The fountain was initially built next to L’Església de Betlem church at the other side of what is now Las Ramblas (then a ditch). When the church was rebuilt in 1681, it was moved to the current location inside the city walls. Two brass taps are set in a recessed arch decorated with ceramic tiles that were added in 1959. Three panels between the taps recount the history of the gate.” (The Medieval Fountains of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, Barcelona Lowdown)

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Portico dei Servi

Portico dei Servi, Santa Maria dei Servi, Strada Maggiore, Bologna

Portico dei Servi
Santa Maria dei Servi
Strada Maggiore
Bologna, June 2015

“A remarkable feature of the church is its courtyard or atrium. This is a feature that was common in Early Christian churches, including the earlier St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, but has almost always disappeared. This is an unusual case of an atrium being built in the 16th century. It appears to have been modelled on the arcade built by Brunelleschi at the Hospital of the Innocents (Ospedale degli Innocenti) in Florence, and later extended to other parts of the large piazza, including the front of the Church of the Assumption. In the case of Santa Maria dei Servi, the piazza in front of the basilica was quite small—which permitted building a wide arcade around it that encloses the entire square without interruption. The arcade is closed on one side by the conventual buildings, but on two sides it is open to the street, and extends along the entire left side of the building. Where the arcade meets the facade, it forms a ‘narthex’ or wide portico of five arches, stretching across the front of the church. The arcade has a decorative cornice and circular moulding on the spandrels echoes the ocular window in the facade.” (Santa Maria dei Servi, Wikipedia)

Monday, March 22, 2021

Donaunixenbrunnen

Donaunixenbrunnen (Danube Water Nymph Fountain) by Anton Dominik Fernkorn, Freyung Passage, Palais Ferstel, Herrengasse, Vienna

Donaunixenbrunnen (Danube Water Nymph Fountain) by Anton Dominik Fernkorn
Freyung Passage
Palais Ferstel
Herrengasse
Vienna, June 2018

“Palais Ferstel is a building located in Herrengasse street, in Vienna. It was originally built as a National Bank and stock exchange building in 1860. It was constructed by Baron Heinrich von Ferstel. The design of the building is reminiscent of early Florentine Renaissance architecture. During the World War II, the building was severely damaged from air raids, particularly its facade. In 1971, the President of the Federal Monuments Office, Walter Frodl, was responsible for its reconstruction. Between 1975 and 1982, the building became privately owned and was renovated. The building is currently owned by a 2015 Karl Wlaschek foundation.” (Palais Ferstel, Wikipedia)

Sunday, March 21, 2021

Elizabethan

Elizabethan, a replica of a paddle steamer, Victoria Embankment in background, London

“Elizabethan”, a replica of a paddle steamer
Victoria Embankment in background
London, September 2014

“Our beautiful replica of an 1890s stern-wheeled Mississippi paddle steamer is one of the most desirable boats for hire on the River Thames. Whether you’re seeking a venue for press receptions, film shoots, product launches, seminars, dinner dances, sightseeing, luncheons, wedding receptions, or simply to celebrate, the Elizabethan is in a class of her own.” (About Elizabethan, Livett's)

Saturday, March 20, 2021

Queen of Genoa

Our Lady of the Assumption, Palazzo San Giorgio, Piazza Raibetta, Genoa

Our Lady of the Assumption
Palazzo San Giorgio
Piazza Raibetta
Genoa, April 2016

Friday, March 19, 2021

Colossus

Colossus by Tomasz Górnicki, Forum Gdańsk, Targ Sienny, Gdańsk

“Colossus” by Tomasz Górnicki, 2018
Forum Gdańsk
Targ Sienny
Gdańsk, September 2018

Thursday, March 18, 2021

Farmacia Nadal

Farmacia Nadal, La Rambla, Barcelona

Farmacia Nadal
La Rambla
Barcelona, March 2017

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Statue of Neptune

Statue of Neptune by Giambologna, Fountain of Neptune, Piazza del Nettuno, Bologna

Statue of Neptune by Giambologna, 1567
Fountain of Neptune
Piazza del Nettuno
Bologna, June 2015

“The work was designed by the Palermitan architect Tommaso Laureti in 1563, with an over-lifesize bronze of the god Neptune on the top, executed by Giambologna, who had submitted a model for the fountain of Neptune in Florence, but had lost the commission to Baccio Bandinelli. Before the fountain was built, an entire edifice was demolished to make space for it. The fountain was completed in 1565, and the Neptune was fixed in place within a couple of years.” (Fountain of Neptune, Wikipedia)

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Miła 18

Miła 18 memorial, Kopiec Anielewicza (Anielewicz Mound), ulica Miła, Warsaw

Miła 18 memorial
Kopiec Anielewicza (Anielewicz Mound)
ulica Miła
Warsaw, September 2018

“The bunker at Miła 18 was constructed by a group of underworld smugglers in 1943. The ŻOB fighters arrived there after their own hideout, at 29 Miła Street, had been discovered. The smugglers who had built it were helping the ŻOB as guides. On 8 May 1943, three weeks after the start of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, when the bunker was found out by the Nazis, there were around 300 people inside. The smugglers surrendered, but the ŻOB command, including Mordechaj Anielewicz, the leader of the uprising, stood firm. The Nazis threw tear gas into the shelter to force the occupants out. Anielewicz, his girlfriend Mira Fuchrer and many of his staff committed mass suicide by ingesting poison rather than surrender, though a few fighters who did neither managed to get out of a rear exit and later fled from the ghetto through the canals to the ‘Aryan side’ at Prosta Street on May 10. In July 1945 suriviors of the Jewish Underground (Among them Simcha Rotem) visted the ruins above the Command bunker. The bodies of Jewish fighters were not exhumed after 1945 and the place gained the status of war memorial. In 1946, the monument known as Anielewicz Mound, made of the rubble of Miła houses, was erected. A commemorative stone with the inscription in Polish and Yiddish was placed on top of the mound. In 2006, a new obelisk designed by Hanna Szmalenberg and Marek Moderau was added to the memorial.” (Miła 18, Wikipedia)

Monday, March 15, 2021

London RIB Voyages

London RIB Voyages, Victoria Embankment in background, London

London RIB Voyages
Victoria Embankment in background
London, September 2014

Sunday, March 14, 2021

The ‘arrotino’

Statue of the arrotino (knife sharpener) on the facade, Cathedral of Saint Lawrence, Piazza San Lorenzo, Genoa

Statue of the “arrotino” (knife sharpener) on the facade
Cattedrale di San Lorenzo (Cathedral of Saint Lawrence)
Piazza San Lorenzo
Genoa, April 2016

“Genoa Cathedral (Duomo di Genova, Cattedrale di San Lorenzo) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the Italian city of Genoa. It is dedicated to Saint Lawrence (San Lorenzo), and is the seat of the Archbishop of Genoa. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Gelasius II in 1118 and was built between the twelfth century and the fourteenth century as fundamentally a medieval building, with some later additions. Secondary naves and side covers are of Romanesque style and the main facade is Gothic from the early thirteenth century, while capitals and columns with interior corridors date from the early fourteenth century. The bell tower and dome were built in the sixteenth century.” (Genoa Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Jozef Czapski’s Pavilion

Jozef Czapski’s Pavilion, Emeryk Hutten-Czapski Museum, Józefa Piłsudskiego, Kraków

Jozef Czapski’s Pavilion
Emeryk Hutten-Czapski Museum
Józefa Piłsudskiego
Kraków, September 2018

“Józef Czapski’s pavilion is the newest and smallest building, forming part of the Emeryk Hutten-Czapski Museum complex, department of the National Museum in Cracow. Built in the back of the former garden adjacent to the Łoziński tenement, the pavilion is dedicated to the grandson of the creator of the most valuable numismatic collection in Poland, the eminent Polish intellectual, writer, painter and critic. The idea of building the pavilion is associated with Józef Czapski’s testament, executed in 1994, in which he posthumously gave his archives, including the invaluable diaries, personal mementos and books, as well as documents of his sister Maria Czapska (1894-1981) and other Czapski family members, to the National Museum in Krakow.” (The Czapski’s Pavilion, National Museum in Kraków)

Friday, March 12, 2021

Casa Pich i Pon

Casa Pich i Pon by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, Plaza de Cataluña, Barcelona

Casa Pich i Pon by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, 1921
Plaça de Catalunya (Plaza de Cataluña) 9
Barcelona, March 2017

Thursday, March 11, 2021

Three Marys and John

Mary Salome, Mary, mother of Jesus, John the Evangelist, and Mary of Clopas, Sorrow over Dead Christ by Niccolò dell'Arca, Santa Maria della Vita, Via Clavature, Bologna

Mary Salome, Mary, mother of Jesus, John the Evangelist, and Mary of Clopas
“Compianto sul Cristo morto” (Sorrow over Dead Christ) by Niccolò dell'Arca, 1463
Santa Maria della Vita
Via Clavature
Bologna, June 2015

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Electric guitars

Electric guitars, Gasometer Music City, Guglgasse, Vienna

Electric guitars
Gasometer Music City
Guglgasse
Vienna, June 2018

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Arundel House

Chimneys, Arundel House, Arundel Street, Temple, London

Chimneys, Arundel House
Arundel Street, Temple
London, September 2014

Monday, March 8, 2021

Bell tower of San Donato

Bell tower, church of San Donato, Via San Donato, Genoa

Bell tower
Church of San Donato
Via San Donato
Genoa, April 2016

“San Donato is a church in Genoa, Northern Italy. The interior contains a Madonna by the 14th-century painter Nicolò da Voltri; a St Joseph It dates from the 12th century and is in Romanesque style. It became a parish under archbishop Siro il Porcello, and was consecrated on May 1, 1189. After the bombardment of 1684 it was restored several times, being again consecrated on December 4, 1892. Other restorations in 1946-1951 have kept its Romanesque appearance.” (San Donato, Wikipedia)

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Kościół św. Jerzego

Kościół św. Jerzego (Church of St. George), Bohaterów Monte Cassino, Sopot

Kościół św. Jerzego (Church of St. George)
Bohaterów Monte Cassino
Sopot, September 2018

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Tarragona

Tarragona by Jaume Otero, Plaza de Cataluña, Barcelona

“Tarragona” by Jaume Otero, 1928
Plaça de Catalunya (Plaza de Cataluña)
Barcelona, March 2017

Friday, March 5, 2021

Joseph of Arimathea

Joseph of Arimathea and Mary Salome, Sorrow over Dead Christ by Niccolò dell'Arca, Santa Maria della Vita, Via Clavature, Bologna

Joseph of Arimathea and Mary Salome
“Compianto sul Cristo morto” (Sorrow over Dead Christ) by Niccolò dell'Arca, 1463
Santa Maria della Vita
Via Clavature
Bologna, June 2015

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Wrought iron railing

Wrought iron railing around the Adam Mickiewicz Monument by Cyprian Godebski, Krakowskie Przedmieście, Warsaw

Wrought iron railing around the
Adam Mickiewicz Monument by Cyprian Godebski, 1898
Krakowskie Przedmieście
Warsaw, September 2018

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Young Vic

Young Vic theatre, The Cut, Lambeth, London

Young Vic theatre
The Cut, Lambeth
London, September 2014

“The Young Vic theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Kwame Kwei-Armah has been Artistic Director since February 2018, succeeding David Lan.” (Young Vic, Wikipedia)

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Sant'Agostino

Bell tower, church of Sant'Agostino, Piazza di Sarzano, Genoa

Bell tower
Church of Sant'Agostino
Piazza di Sarzano
Genoa, April 2016

“Sant'Agostino is a church in the historical center of Genoa, northern Italy. It is today deconsecrated, sometimes used for representations of the nearby Teatro della Tosse. Begun by the Augustinians in 1260, it is one of the few Gothic buildings remaining in the city, after the numerous demolitions in the 19th century. It has a typical façade with bichrome stripes in white marble and blue stone, with a large rose window in the middle. Notable is the ogival portal with, in the lunette, a fresco depicting St Augustine by Giovanni Battista Merano. At the sides are two double mullioned windows. The interior has a nave and two aisles divided by ogival arches supported by robust columns with cubic capitals. The church has also two cloister now included into a museum.” (Sant'Agostino, Wikipedia)

Monday, March 1, 2021

Józef Piłsudski Monument

Józef Piłsudski Monument and the Four Legionnaires by Czesław Dźwigaj, Józefa Piłsudskiego, Kraków

Józef Piłsudski Monument and the Four Legionnaires by Czesław Dźwigaj, 2008
Józefa Piłsudskiego
Kraków, September 2018

“The idea to commemorate the statesman with a proper memorial was actually first put forward that same year, 1922. As it happened, the project was put on hold to focus on building the Józef Piłsudski House (al. 3 Maja 7), a commemorative modernist structure located on the spot from which the First Cadre Company, mobilised by Piłsudski, set out for Russia at the start of WWI. The building was completed in 1935, but before long WWII broke out in Europe and the memorial was delayed even more; by the time the war ended and the new communist government took over, any positive mention of Piłsudski was a no-no due to his anti-Russian and anti-communist views. All the while, pro-Piłsudski sentiment brewed among the Polish populace, and the fall of communism brought a renewed surge of commemorative efforts. Since 1989, two characters have started dominating the landscape, with monuments popping up left and right: our man Piłsudski and Pope John Paul II. This three-part statue, fittingly located on Piłsudski Street, was unveiled in 2008 thanks to the efforts of the local Marksmen’s Society, an organisation dating back to the 13th or 14th century, when their primary purpose was training civilians to be able to defend the city walls. Created by Czesław Dźwigaj, also responsible for churning out nearly fifty Pope John Paul II’s, the monument portrays a tall and intimidatingly mustachioed Piłsudski watching over four Polish Legions soldiers - apparently plagiarized from an earlier work by Jan Raszka. An 8.5m flag mast, wrapped with laurel foliage, completes the memorial.” (Józef Piłsudski Monument, In Your Pocket)