Sedící dívka

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“Sedící dívka” (Sitting girl) by Jan Hana, 1958
U Sovových mlýnů, Malá Strana
Prague, September 2024

“The ‘Sitting girl’, also called Jarmila, is a sandstone sculpture in Kampa Park on Kampa Island in Lesser Town, Prague. Sitting Girl is a nude of a slender girl sitting on a stone, created by the academic sculptor Jan Hána (1927–1994). The sculpture was created in 1958 or 1965 and has been located in Kampa Park since 1977. The sculpture is placed on a low ashlar plinth.” (Sedící dívka, Wikipedia)

St. Mark and the Redeemer

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Column with the lion of St. Mark, 1473
Column of the Redeemer, 1640
Piazza dei Signori
Vicenza, May 2025

“Parallel to the smaller eastern side of the square, the first of the two current columns was built in 1464: the winged lion that surmounts it is the symbol of the Republic of Venice and was placed there in 1473, after Vicenza had surrendered to the Serenissima. Over a century and a half later, a second column was added next to it, with the statue of Christ the Redeemer, in 1640. The choice was widely discussed and was decided in honour of the city and its citizens. Behind the columns is the area (which also includes the small Piazza Biade) once used as a grain market (the space is still used today for seasonal markets).” (Piazza dei Signori, Wikipedia)

St. Andrew's Church

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St. Andrew's Church
Komödienstraße
Cologne, September 2024

“St. Andrew's (German: St. Andreas) is a 10th-century Romanesque church located in the old town of Cologne, Germany. It is one of twelve churches built in Cologne in that period. Archbishop Gero consecrated the church in 974, dedicating it to St. Andrew, although an earlier church at the site was dedicated to St. Matthew. In the 12th century, the church was rebuilt in the Romanesque style, and was probably completed after the great fire of Cologne in 1220. In the crypt of the church lies a Roman sarcophagus from the 3rd century, which holds the remains of the 13th-century theologian and natural philosopher St. Albertus Magnus. Since 1947, the Dominican Order has ministered to the church.” (St. Andrew's Church, Wikipedia)

Scalinata del Portello

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Scalinata del Portello (Portello's Landing)
Porta Portello
Padova, May 2025

“The river dock of Portello, overlooking the Piovego Canal, is one of the most significant water sites in Padua's historical centre. Condensed within it are the history of flourishing commerce, valuable architectonic elements, as well as the centuries old customs and traditions of the waterways. The site, the name of which refers to a passageway within the medieval walls to allow the passage of people and goods, more precisely known as a ‘portello’, is closely linked to previous navigation on the Piovego Canal, the thirteenth century waterway that was constructed to connect the Bacchiglione with the Brenta Canal, making it possible to reach Venice directly without having to navigate via Chioggia. When Padua was annexed to the Venetian republic, the medieval wall system was markedly reshaped with the construction of the monumental Porta Ognissanti, the sixteenth century architectural work which dominates the river station. Coated in white Istrian stone, very similar to a triumphal arch, you get there by means of a footbridge next to the quay. The impressive set of steps, once the historical dockings of the famous passenger boat, the Burchiello, is found close to the Santa Maria dei Barcaioli shrine.” (The river station of Portello, Water museum of Venice)

Beethoven-Denkmal

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Beethoven-Denkmal (Beethoven Monument) by Georg Kolbe, 1948
Taunusanlage
Frankfurt, September 2024

“The Beethoven Memorial in Frankfurt am Main is a monument in the Taunusanlage, created between 1926 and 1948. It honors the composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The monument stands on a hilltop in Frankfurt's Anlagenring. It consists of three bronze figures: the middle of the three larger-than-life figures depicts Ludwig van Beethoven, although not in portrait form. The two female figures are geniuses from Roman mythology. The diabase base is adorned with the inscription ‘To the Genius of Beethoven’. The monument was designed by Georg Kolbe. In 1926, Kolbe received an offer from the city of Berlin to create a Beethoven monument for a competition. Due to time constraints, he declined the offer, but began a design nonetheless. The design was not completed until 1947, and the monument was cast in Berlin in May of the following year. It was inaugurated on June 16, 1951.” (Beethoven Monument, Wikipedia)

Serre Torrigiani in Piazzetta

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Serre Torrigiani in Piazzetta
Piazza dei Tre Re
Florence, December 2024

“The first square that we visited on our quest for the Middle Ages was ‘Piazza dei Tre Re’, the Square of the Three Kings, named after the tavern that was once located there and that was known for its deep-frying. In Florence many streets and squares got new names over the years, but under the new name you can often find a sign with the old name. This square was once called the ‘Corte de' Macci’, the domain of Macci family. The only thing that reminds of their power and wealth is the Torre de’ Macci.” (A journey through Medieval Florence, intoFlorence)

Thomaskirche

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Thomaskirche (St. Thomas Church)
Thomaskirchhof
Leipzig, September 2024

“The St. Thomas Church (German: Thomaskirche) is a Lutheran church in Leipzig, Germany, located at the western part of the inner city ring road in Leipzig's central district. Martin Luther preached in the church in 1539. It is associated with several well-known composers, especially Johann Sebastian Bach, who was its Thomaskantor (music director) from 1723 until his death in 1750. The church holds his remains. Although rebuilt over the centuries and damaged by Allied incendiary bombs in 1943, the church mainly retains the character of a late-Gothic hall church. The Thomanerchor, the church choir, likely founded in 1212, is an internationally known boys' choir.” (St. Thomas Church, Wikipedia)

Palazzo Barbieri

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Palazzo Barbieri by Giuseppe Barbieri, 1848
Piazza Bra
Verona, May 2025

“Palazzo Barbieri is a Neoclassical style palace located in Piazza Bra in Central Verona; it now serves as the town hall. The palace was originally named Palazzo della Gran Guardia Nuova, and housed staff associated with the Austrian Army forces. It was designed by Giuseppe Barbieri and was later named in his honor. Construction began in 1836 and was completed by 1848. The interiors contain a large canvas (1595) by Felice Brusasorzi depicting the victory of the Veronese over Benacensi in the year 829. Others who worked in the studio or contributed were Alessandro Turchi, Pasquale Ottino, and Sante Creara. A 14th-century fresco depicting a Crucifixion and the Madonna from a private house was implated into the wall near the entrance. One room has tapestries from the 16th century. One designed by Paolo Farinati depicts the 1164 Victory of the Veronese against Frederick Barbarossa. Tha palace also contains various paintings by Carlo Ferrari and Eugenio Gignous.” (Palazzo Barbieri, Wikipedia)

Friedensbrunnen

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Friedensbrunnen (Peace Fountain) by Johann Friedrich Steger, 1616
Jüdenhof
Dresden, September 2024

“The Friedensbrunnen (Peace Fountain) or Türkenbrunnen (Turkish Fountain) is located in Dresden's old town and is one of the oldest fountains in the city. The fountain stands in the Jüdenhof, west of the Neumarkt in front of the entrance to the Johanneum, which houses the Dresden Transport Museum. The sandstone fountain consists of an octagonal fountain basin with a floor plan of 4.5 by 4.5 meters. The eight sides of the basin are decorated with three eight-pointed rosettes. The basin is surrounded by a granite walkway. The fountain is 1.4 meters deep. In the center of the pool stands an octagonal column with a square pedestal, on which stands a water-spouting mask. The column's sides are decorated with oval, slightly arched reliefs bearing Latin inscriptions. On the pedestal stands a sculpture of the war goddess Bellona. At the back of the fountain basin there is an outlet pipe and below it a flat, round depression in the granite riser for the water to drain away.” (Friedensbrunnen, Wikipedia)

Santa Corona

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Santa Corona
Contrà Santa Corona
Vicenza, May 2025

“Santa Corona is a Gothic-style, Roman Catholic church located in Vicenza, region of Veneto, Italy. The church contains the Valmarana chapel (circa 1576), whose design is attributed to the Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Palladio himself was initially buried in this church. Construction on the church was begun in 1261 by the Blessed (Beato) Bishop Bartolomeo di Breganze to house a thorn from the supposed relic of the crown (corona) of thorns forced on Jesus during his passion. The thorn had been given to this bishop as a gift from Louis IX of France. The church belonged to the Dominican order until suppression during the Napoleonic era.” (Santa Corona, Wikipedia)

Latte a cheescake

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“Latte a cheescake” (Latte and cheesecake) by Veronika Psotková, 2023
U Sovových mlýnů, Malá Strana
Prague, September 2024

“She later discovered that it is possible to form sculptures from rabit mesh without a supporting structure to which she would transfer the sculpture, but she cuts, shapes and sews the rabit mesh directly into "shells" - spatial "drawings" and only uses the frame for larger objects, which she later removes. She lets the sculptures made of technical mesh grow with the natural color of rust, or repaints them and fixes them with varnish. For exterior sculptures, she also uses hot-dip galvanized mesh (‘Latte a cheescake’, Kampa Prague, 2023).” (Veronika Psotková, Wikipedia)

Memoria e Luce

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“Memoria e Luce” (Memory and Light) by David Libeskind, 2005
Via Giotto
Padua, May 2025

“The ‘Memoria e Luce’ is a memorial located in Padua, Italy for victims of the 9/11 attacks on New York City. A twisted steel beam salvaged from the wreckage of the World Trade Center, which was donated by the United States to the Veneto Region and in turn to the City of Padua, was used to realize the design of an open and luminous book.” (Memoria e Luce, 9/11 Memorial, Studio Libeskind)

Kölner Philharmonie

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Kölner Philharmonie
Bischofsgartenstraße
Cologne, September 2024

“The Kölner Philharmonie is a symphonic concert hall located in Cologne, Germany. It is part of the building ensemble of the Museum Ludwig and was opened in 1986. The Kölner Philharmonie is located close to the Cologne Cathedral and the Cologne Main Station. The ensemble was designed by the architects Busmann + Haberer in the 1980s. Roughly 400 concerts are performed annually with approximately 600,000 visitors. The Kölner Philharmonie is the home base for the Gürzenich Orchester Köln and the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln. The concert hall was made like an Amphitheatre, to get a close to perfect room acoustic. Therefore, there are no walls which are in parallel to each other, to produce no echo. Size and art of the padding for the seats (the seats were made by the German manufacturer Recaro, which is known for making car [sports] seats) is selected in a way, that the acoustic quieting is constant, independently of the fact if the seat is used by a person or not. The hall has no columns in it and has place for 2,000 people. The size of the hall gives some problems: The hall is below the public Heinrich-Böll square. Walking noise from people with stiletto heels or driving noise from skateboards or trolleys can be heard in the hall. Due to this reason, the town square is closed during performance.” (Kölner Philharmonie, Wikipedia)

Usho

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“Usho” (Cormorant Fisherman) by Kosei Tateno, 1982
Piazza Gavinana
Florence, December 2024

“A Japanese man in the traditional costume of a fisherman, leans over a basket holding the neck of a cormorant, a sea-bird, with his proper right hand as he rests his proper left hand on the bird's back. The bird is standing on the lid of a basket. The man wears sandals, a long pleated skirt, a rope and belt at his waist, an apron-like bib, and a long-sleeved shirt. A pointed scarf covers his hair and is tied over his forehead. The sculpture is mounted on a short base that sits on a concrete pad.” (Cormorant Fisherman, Smithsonian)

Ein Haus für Goethe

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“Ein Haus für Goethe” (A House for Goethe) by Eduardo Chillida, 1986
Taunusanlage
Frankfurt, September 2024

“With his architectural sculpture, sculptor Eduardo Chillida raises several questions. It is far removed from the usual monuments to great poets and thinkers: concrete instead of bronze, abstract forms and geometric structures instead of figurative representation. Indeed, the work connects to a completely different point than the monument tradition: It belongs to a group of works by Chillida that includes homages to well-known artists, scientists, and philosophers. With ‘Ein Haus für Goethe’, Chillida provides the public with unique access to Goethe and his works: He created a space that is open at the front and therefore accessible. This house also does not have a roof—perhaps the artist was thinking of Goethe's interest in ‘light’ and didn't want to exclude this from a house for Goethe... Several monuments to poets have been erected within the ramparts. A brief comparison of the Schiller Monument and the Heine Monument with ‘Ein Haus für Goethe’, which you can find in the text on the first-mentioned object, demonstrates how different the artistic interpretations can be.” (Ein Haus für Goethe, Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Frankfurt)

Fountain of Madonna Verona

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Fountain of Madonna Verona, 1368
Piazza delle Erbe
Verona, May 2025

“The square's most ancient monument is the fountain (built in 1368 by Cansignorio della Scala), surmounted by a statue called Madonna Verona, which is however a Roman sculpture dating to 380 AD. Also historical is the capitello, dating to the 13th century, during which it was used for several ceremonies, including the oath of investment of the city's medieval podestà and pretors. Towards Via Cappello is another column, with a 14th-century aedicula with reliefs of the Virgin and the Saints Zeno, Peter and Christopher.” (Piazza delle Erbe, Wikipedia)

Rathausbrunnen

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Rathausbrunnen (Town Hall Fountain) by Georg Wrba, 1908
Burgplatz
Leipzig, September 2024

“On Burgplatz, in front of the entrance to the Ratskeller, is the Town Hall Fountain, which was dedicated on October 7, 1908, the third anniversary of the inauguration of the New Town Hall. Since the completion of its complete renovation in 1999, the fountain has been in operation again after a five-year hiatus. The Town Hall Fountain was financed by Leipzig citizens and designed by the Dresden sculptor Georg Wrba (1872–1939). It consists of an octagonal water basin made of shell limestone, with a round column at its center. Attached to this column is the ‘Fairytale Wreath’, decorated with small figures from German fairy tales. Atop the column stands a group of bronze figures consisting of a life-size youth playing the flute and two boys playing at his feet. This makes the fairytale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin the central motif of the fountain, which is why it is also called the ‘Pied Piper Fountain’.” (Fountain in Leipzig, Wikipedia)

Santa Maria dei Servi

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Santa Maria dei Servi
Piazza delle Biade
Vicenza, May 2025

“Santa Maria in Foro, known as the Church of the Servi, is a church in Vicenza located in Piazza Biade, a small square adjacent to Piazza dei Signori. Its construction was begun in the early fifteenth century by the order of the Servants of Mary. The church's portal was made by the workshop where Andrea Palladio worked at the beginning of his career and could be one of his very first works. The construction of the current building of the church of Santa Maria in Foro was begun on a pre-existing building after 1404, the year in which Vicenza came under the dominion of the Republic of Venice.” (Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Servi, Wikipedia)

Johanneum

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Johanneum (Dresden Transport Museum)
Jüdenhof
Dresden, September 2024

“The Johanneum is a Renaissance building, originally desingated as Stallgebäude mit Harnischkammer because it was constructed as the elite part of the electoral mews. It was the first museum of modern times built in 1586-1588 and is located at the Neumarkt in Dresden. Today the Johanneum is home to the Dresden Transport Museum (Verkehrsmuseum Dresden), which displays vehicles of all modes of transport and their history. The Johanneum was built between 1586 and 1590 as Stallgebäude mit Harnischkammer, the elite stables of the adjacent Dresden Castle. The two halls on the building's ground floor provided space for 128 expensive riding-art horses imported in part from Italy. The stands for the horses were decorated with spectacular horse-paintings, modeled after the Sala dei cavalli in Mantua's Palazzo Té. In the stable, that was designed as a princely exhibition of elite horses, 35 rooms were lavishly decorated to contain horse and rider figurines, elaborate sleighs as well as an expensive arms collection of the Saxon Electors. Later also stuffed horses, a stuffed bear and wax figurines of the electors were exhibited. One of the exhibited horses, the Merseburger, became famous for its 8 m long mane.” (Johanneum, Wikipedia)

Basilica del Carmine

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Basilica del Carmine
Piazza Petrarca
Padua, May 2025

“The Basilica del Carmine is a 16th-century Roman Catholic church located on piazza Francesco Petrarca in Padua, region of Veneto, Italy. It was made a minor basilica in 1960 by pope John XXIII. The church and an attached monastery were founded by an order of Carmelite monks, hence the name. The order became established in Padua by the late 13th-century, and we have the first documentation of a church at the site by 1212. The adjacent monastery was refurbished in 1295, and the church was rebuilt in 1335 under the design of Lorenzo da Bologna. It was consecrated as Santa Maria del Carmine in 1446. In 1491, an earthquake nearly razed the building, requiring reconstruction in 1494. The bare brick facade only gained partial marble facing in the 18th-century; formerly, the facade had an open loggia. The church structure suffered various damaging events over the centuries, including another earthquake collapsing the roof in 1696; a fire during festivities burned the cupola in 1800; and two aerial bombardments hit the church, in 1917 and 1944.” (Basilica del Carmine, Wikipedia)

Dívka s amforou

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“Dívka s amforou” (Girl with an amphora) by Jaroslav Horejc, 1956
Nosticova zahrada (Nostic Garden)
Maltézské náměstí, Malá Strana
Prague, September 2024

“The ‘Girl with an amphora’ is a white marble sculpture in the exterior of the Nostic Garden, near the Čertovka canal in Lesser Town of Prague. It is a nude of a half-naked slender girl sitting on a stone and holding an amphora on her right shoulder. The author of the work in the Art Deco style is the Czech Prague academic sculptor Jaroslav Horejc (1886–1983). The sculpture is placed on a low sandstone block plinth. The work is in the care of the Gallery of the City of Prague. The first version of the work was created in 1938 and was made of plaster. Later, the author also created a bronze work and finally, in 1956, a marble version of the work was created. In 1980 or 1983, the work was placed in the Nostic Garden. In 2002, the work was restored.” (Dívka s amforou, Wikipedia)

San Bartolomeo a Ripoli

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Abbey of San Bartolomeo a Ripoli
Via di Ripoli
Florence, December 2024

"The Abbey of San Bartolomeo a Ripoli is located in the locality of Badia a Ripoli, in the municipality of Florence. ‘Badia’ is a popular contraction of the word abbey. In Florence and its surroundings there have existed five abbeys, located as if at the cardinal points of the city: to the north the Badia Fiesolana, to the west the Badia a Settimo, to the south the Abbey of San Miniato, to the east the Badia a Ripoli and in the centre the Badia fiorentina." (Abbey of San Bartolomeo a Ripoli, Wikipedia)

Edith Stein Memorial

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Edith Stein Memorial by sculptor Bert Gerresheim, 1999
Börsenplatz
Cologne, September 2024

“The memorial was created in 1999 by sculptor Bert Gerresheim and shows the different phases of Edith Stein's life: as a Jewish girl with the Star of David, as a philosopher searching for the truth and as a baptised Carmelite following Christ. Edith Stein's personal ordeal is depicted by the numerous shoe prints, shoes and concentration camp numbers, which also represent the countless people murdered in the concentration camps. Edith Stein was born on 12 October 1891 to Jewish parents in Breslau. Among other things, she studied philosophy, converted to Catholicism and worked as a teacher until she was banned from her profession. In 1933, she joined the Carmelite Order in Cologne and took the name Theresia Benedicta a Cruce. Due to her origins and her commitment against the persecution of Jewish citizens, she had to flee from the National Socialists to the Netherlands. Edith Stein and her sister Rosa Stein were arrested by the Gestapo and deported to Auschwitz, where they were murdered in the gas chamber on 9 August 1942. Edith Stein's willingness to make sacrifices for the Jewish people and the Catholic faith prompted Pope John Paul II to beatify her in Cologne on 1 May 1987. The canonisation then took place on 11 October 1998 in Rome.” (Edith Stein Memorial, Cologne Tourist Board)

Torre del Gardello

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Torre del Gardello
Piazza delle Erbe
Verona, May 2025

“The Gardello Tower is a medieval structure located in Verona, near the central Piazza delle Erbe. At the point where the Gardello tower stands, there was previously a tower house, most likely belonging to the Gardello family, from which it would have inherited its name. This tower was restored and raised in 1370 by Cansignorio della Scala, perhaps to a design by Giovanni da Ferrara or his son; the Scaliger prince had it erected, together with the bell clock that was installed there, to promote the prestige of the family and the city. With this intervention the building assumed its substantially definitive appearance, even if it underwent further work in 1626, when the structure was slightly raised by the construction of a truncated cone roof, which gave it its final height of 44 metres.” (Torre del Gardello, Wikipedia)

Heine-Denkmal

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Heine-Denkmal (Heine Monument) by Georg Kolbe, 1913
Friedberger Anlage
Frankfurt, September 2024

“The Heinrich Heine Memorial in the Wallanlagen park of Frankfurt am Main, built in 1913, is the first and only representative monument to the poet Heinrich Heine, who died in 1856 , in Germany. It was erected with the help of public funds and survived both the terror of the Nazi era and the Second World War largely unscathed. The bronze sculpture of a striding young man and a young woman seated at his feet, created by the sculptor Georg Kolbe, is an allegory of the youthfulness and lightness of Heine's poetry. The group of figures, a typical work of Art Nouveau, stands on a shell limestone base, to which a bronze relief, also designed by Kolbe, depicts the poet's profile and name.” (Heinrich-Heine-Denkmal, Wikipedia)

Torre Bissara

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Torre Bissara
Piazza dei Signori
Vicenza, May 2025

“Torre Bissara is a tower in Piazza dei Signori, Vicenza, Italy. Bissara Tower is a civic tower that overlooks Piazza dei Signori, alongside the famous Basilica Palladiana. At 82 meters high, it is one of the tallest buildings in Vicenza. The earliest records date back to 1174 when the tower was built at the behest of the family Bissari, next to their palazzo. Between 1211 and 1229 the municipality of Vicenza bought both the building (with the intention of turning it into the mayor's office) and the tower. The tower was not damaged in the terrible earthquake of January 25, 1347. In the mid- fifteenth century the tower was raised to the present height. The relics of saints and five bells were placed inside. Over the centuries, many interventions were done to maintain the stability and beauty of the tower. The history of the city is described in its stones: on top there is a headless statue of the goddess Athena from the Roman era; almost at the top there is the marble bas-relief of the Lion of Saint Mark, symbol of the Serenissima; at the base is a triumphal arch with the war memoria. On 18 March 1945, the tower (along with the Palladian Basilica) was hit in an Anglo-American bombing raid. The top of the tower caught fire and the dome collapsed to the ground: the tower was severed. The bells also had fallen off, destroying the pavement of the square. Together with the Basilica, in the years after the tower was rebuilt, not without controversy concerning the form, in part different from the original. Not all of the bells were also relocated, nor the ball indicating the moon's phases (which was placed under the clock).” (Torre Bissara, Wikipedia)

Löwenbrunnen

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Löwenbrunnen (Lions Fountain)
Naschmarkt
Leipzig, September 2024

“The Löwenbrunnen (Lions Fountain) located on the Naschmarkt opposite the main entrance of the Mädler Passage dates back to 1918. Several previous fountains had existed on the same site since 1690. The first fountain is known to have been surrounded by three steps and decorated with mythical maritime creatures and sandstone reliefs. Atop the painted copper cap was a pyramid crowned by a golden sun. Around 1820, the two iron lions and the pump handles, which still exist today, were cast in Lauchhammer according to designs by the Berlin sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow. Their arrangement was adopted in 1918, when the Löwenbrunnen received its present appearance according to plans by Leipzig's chief building inspector Hugo Licht. This is commemorated in gold-colored capital letters on the back of the fountain: ‘In the last year of the war, 1918, this fountain was rebuilt by the council in its original form with its wooden casing by the architect Dr. Ing. Hugo Licht. The funds for this were donated by Commercial Councillor Hugo Haschke’.” (Fountain in Leipzig, Wikipedia)

Torre di Ezzelino

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Torre di Ezzelino (Ezzelino Tower)
Via Petrarca
Padua, May 2025

“Known as the ‘Torre di Ezzelino’ (Ezzelino Tower), the building is located on the corner between Via Petrarca and Via Savonarola, near the Ponte Molino. The architectural elements of the first phase allow us to date its construction to the 13th century. It is more difficult to link it to the figure of Ezzelino even if numerous references in written sources refer to the tyrant's relationship with this district of the city.” (Torre di Ezzelino, ARMEP)

Erich-Kästner-Denkmal

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Erich-Kästner-Denkmal (Erich Kästner Memorial) by Wolf-Eike Kuntsche, 1987
Albertplatz
Dresden, September 2024

“This memorial is dedicated to the Dresden writer Erich Kästner. A collage of the things that characterized him, it is intended to bring the viewer closer to the man behind the nationally renowned author. Several of his books are stacked in a tower, with Kästner's hat on top. Surrounding the tower are writing utensils, a teacup, a copy of the Neue Zeitung newspaper, founded by Kästner in Munich in 1945, and an open book with the author's biographical details and the motto "There is nothing good unless you do it." A biographical and literary connection to the site is created by a block bearing the words "And I myself, whatever I became, always remained one, a child of Königsbrücker Straße" (1977) and a framed childhood picture as a reference to Kästner's Dresden childhood, which he documented in "When I was a little boy" (1957). The sculpture was created in 1987, before the establishment of the Kästner Museum (1999), and can be considered the first memorial to Erich Kästner in Dresden.” (Erich-Kästner-Denkmal, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden)

The Fantomatik Orchestra

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The Fantomatik Orchestra
Via Palazzuolo
Florence, December 2024

“The Fantomatik Orchestra is a musical project born in Tuscany in 1993 as a funky, soul and rhythm'n'blues group, with ethnic, pop and dance influences. In 2001 the band took an important turn: the stage group became a marching band, in the style of American street bands. The band, composed of more than 14 musicians, immediately managed to impose itself on public attention also thanks to the choice to constantly renew its repertoire by seeking new sounds and new ideas. Over the years the Fantomatik Orchestra has played on the streets and on the stages of many Italian and international capitals; it has introduced concerts of great artists, has participated in broadcasts, theatrical and cinematographic events, developing an original identity, which makes it resemble neither the traditional village band, nor the classic street band or American marching band.” (The Fantomatik Orchestra)

Svatý Václav

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Svatý Václav (Saint Wenceslas) by Vincenc Vosmík, 1906
Ke Hradu, Malá Strana
Prague, September 2024

“Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav; c. 907 – 28 September 935), Wenceslas I or Václav the Good was the Prince (kníže) of Bohemia from 921 until his death, probably in 935. According to the legend, he was assassinated by his younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel. His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of the well-known ‘Good King Wenceslas’ , a carol for Saint Stephen's Day.” (Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, Wikipedia)

The Whale Rib

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The Whale Rib
Arco della Costa
Verona, May 2025

“Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet, is mysteriously home to a centuries-old whalebone. The trouble is, Verona is located about 75 miles (120 km) from the sea, and no one is quite sure how it got there. The bone, believed to be a rib, hangs in the center of the medieval Arco della Costa (Arch of the Rib), the entry point between Verona's Piazza Erbe and Piazza dei Signori. It's been hanging there, suspended from an iron chain, since at least the 1700s, though some estimates suggest much longer, possibly since the 15th century. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance era, the walkway above the arch provided a safe passage for judges and magistrates between the city hall and their living quarters, so that they needn't associate with the common or ‘corrupt’ people below. This may be the ironic origin of the myth of the whalebone's magic: It's claimed that it will fall on the first innocent or truthful person to walk under the archway.” (Whale Bone of Arco della Costa, Atlas Obscura)

DuMont-Brunnen

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DuMont-Brunnen ‘Zeitungsbrunnen’
DuMont Fountain (Newspaper Fountain) by Theo Heiermann, 1986
Hanns-Hartmann-Platz
Cologne, September 2024

“The DuMont fountain was erected in 1986 on Breite Straße at Hanns-Hartmann-Platz by Theo Heiermann in bronze and granite. It was sponsored by the publishing house DuMont donated on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. The fountain reflects motifs from the newspaper world: a street vendor, a reader engrossed in reading, and a girl folding a hat from a newspaper. Next to it, a sculpture of the founder and publisher of the Kölnische Zeitung Marcus DuMont (1784-1831) to the newspaper house. The sculptor himself has immortalized himself in a very Cologne way: At the edge of the fountain he has placed a 5-mark piece, a ‘Heiermann’, in the mosaic of a hand.” (DuMont Fountain, Stadt Köln)

Palazzo Porto in Piazza Castello

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Palazzo Porto in Piazza Castello
Piazza Castello
Vicenza, May 2025

“The Palazzo Porto is a palace in Piazza Castello, Vicenza, northern Italy. It is one of two palazzi in the city designed by Andrea Palladio for members of the Porto family (the other is Palazzo Porto, for Iseppo Porto, in contrà Porti). Only two bays of it were ever built, beginning shortly after 1571. Why the patron, Alessandro Porto, did not continue with the project is not known. For completing the scheme, which was probably intended to have been seven bays wide, the Porto family's 15th-century case, still standing to the left of the great architectural torso, would have been incrementally demolished. The structure was completed after Palladio's death by Vincenzo Scamozzi. The project seems to have been initiated immediately following the publication in 1570 of Palladio's I quattro libri dell'architettura, in which its design does not appear.” (Palazzo Porto in Piazza Castello, Wikipedia)

Minerva-Brunnen

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Minerva-Brunnen (Minerva Fountain) by Friedrich Schierholz, 1894
(1983 copy from the original, destroyed in 1944)
Römerberg, Altstadt
Frankfurt, September 2024

“The eastern part of the Römerberg is also called ‘Samstagsberg’ (Saturday Hill) because, in the 15th century, public court was held here every Saturday in the open air. Later, weekly markets were also held regularly at this location. In 1481, the first open well was built here. Its early existence is documented by a document relating to the house Zum Ullner. In 1750, the fountain was converted into a pump well, and the old well trough was replaced with a smaller one. Further changes took place in 1893/1894. Since then, the figure of the goddess Minerva has stood on the cornice of the fountain. She is considered a symbol of wisdom, warfare, the arts, and crafts. The sculptor Friedrich Schierholz created the design but was never able to complete the work. The sculptor Fritz Klimsch completed the figure and fountain. The figure of Minerva gives the fountain its current name. On her head, she wears a helmet, holds a spear in her left hand, and a shield in her right. The shield depicts the severed head of Medusa. Rococo reliefs adorn all four sides of the pillar. An inscription on the back reads: ‘Renovated 1887’. The Minerva Fountain was destroyed in the war in 1944 and removed from the Römerberg in 1951. A largely historically accurate replica was reinstalled in 1983.” (Minerva-Brunnen, Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Frankfurt)

Casa della Dogana

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Casa della Dogana (Customs House)
Via Euganea
Padua, May 2025

“Considered one of the most beautiful Romanesque houses in Padua, the so-called Palazzo della Dogana has been fully recovered through careful restoration. Built in 1294 near the medieval gate of San Giovanni delle Navi, under the podestà Nicolo Morosini, the Casa della Dogana had the important function of controlling traffic coming from Monselice. The building, which falls within the 13th-century typology of porticoed houses, is attributed to the architect Leonardo Zise Bocaleca from Monselice, who was also active at the time for the Municipality and for the Basilica Antoniana, who took inspiration, in the high portico, from the 13th-century structure of the Palazzo della Ragione. During the restoration of 1611, documented by the date inscribed on a window, the original mezzanine with wooden floors was replaced by a brick structure supported by a portico with lowered arches. Among the single-lancet windows on the first floor, an elegant double-lancet window stands out, closed by a relieving arch and decorated with a perforated pattern of small diamonds on the lintel. The motif, derived from the Tomb of Antenor, also by Bocaleca, is present in various private buildings from the second half of the thirteenth century. The façade towards Riviera San Benedetto is enriched by the coat of arms of the Municipality of Padua and that of the mayor Morosini.” (Casa della Dogana, ZonzoFox)

Leibniz-Denkmal

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Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz by Ernst Hähnel, 1883
Leibnizforum, Universitätstraße
Leipzig, September 2024

“The Leibniz Monument in the courtyard of the new campus of the University of Leipzig (Leibniz Forum) honors the mathematician, philosopher, physicist, politician, and diplomat Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716), who was born in Leipzig on July 6, 1646, and studied at the university there. He is considered the polymath of his time, one of the most important philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries, and an important pioneer of the Enlightenment . Leibniz stands as a larger-than-life bronze statue on a square, bronze pedestal. The base of the monument is made of granite. Although only associated with Leipzig as a young man, in contrast to Goethe's monument on the Naschmarkt, Leibniz is not depicted as a youth, but as a mature man in the costume of his time as a ‘Prince of Science’ who strove to unite theory and practice in all scientific fields. On his right, he leans on a globe as a symbol of power and holds an open book as a scholarly characteristic, which characterizes his historical scope of action.” (Leibniz Monument, Wikipedia)

Lungarno delle Grazie

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Reflection with a yellow buoy
Lungarno delle Grazie
Florence, December 2024

“The Lungarno delle Grazie is that stretch of the northern bank of the Florentine Lungarni that goes from the National Central Library of Florence (Piazza dei Cavalleggeri, near the Canto dei Tardiboni) to the Ponte alle Grazie, from which it takes its name, on the corner of Via de' Benci and the Lungarno Diaz. The Volta dei Tintori is inserted along the route. The name is linked to the nearby presence of the oratory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, today on the Lungarno del Generale Armando Diaz, but once placed on one of the pine cones of the bridge of the same name (to preserve a miraculous image of the Madonna), and destroyed in 1876 to widen the roadway and allow the tram line to pass through.” (Lungarno delle Grazie, Wikipedia)

Artesischer Brunnen

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Artesischer Brunnen (Artesian well) by Hans Erlwein, 1906 Albertplatz
Dresden, September 2024

“The artesian well at Dresden's Albertplatz is a spatially separated fountain ensemble consisting of a well house, a drinking fountain, and a fountain with a water basin. The artesian well was drilled northwest of Albertplatz by Freiberg miners between 1832 and 1836 to supply Dresden's Neustadt district with clean water. The water from the 243.25-meter-deep well emerges through natural pressure and flowed year-round until June 21, 2023. Due to the small amount of water, the well was never able to fulfill its original purpose.” (Artesischer Brunnen, Wikipedia)

Civiltà Italica

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‘Civiltà Italica’ by Egidio Girelli, 1919
Piazzetta XIV Novembre
Verona, May 2025

“The statue, conceived as a female allegory, symbolizes the Civiltà Italica. It was commissioned to remember the victims of the Austrian bombardments on 14th November 1915, during the First World War. The monument was inaugurated on 14th November 1920, for the 5th anniversary of this tragic event. It is by Egidio Girelli (1878-1972), a sculptor from Verona and it is his first statue made of bronze. The female figure, attired in an ancient dress and with a sword in her hand, is seen as the perfect exponent of pain and suffering, also thanks to the loose movement of the statue, which reminds of the Modern Style. The work is in good enough state of preservation and finlyvalued.” (Statua della Civiltà Italica, VisitVerona)

Toileta

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Socha Eva (Statue of Eva) by Jan Štursa, 1908
Nerudova, Malá Strana
Prague, September 2024

“Statue of Eva (Woman in the Bath, Toilet). A work by Jan Štursa from 1908, on the dividing line between Art Nouveau and monumental neoclassicism. The result of several studies was a marble sculpture from 1901, followed by another so-called large version in bronze from 1908 and finally in 1910 a version in stone. At its current location in the niche of the ramp of Prague Castle at No. 226, the statue was placed in 1922. A woman on a rocky formation, her head turned to the right, holding back her flowing hair with both hands.” (Socha Eva, Wikimedia)

St. Mary of Mount Berico

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St. Mary of Mount Berico
Viale Dieci Giugno
Vicenza, May 2025

“The Church of St. Mary of Mount Berico (Italian: Basilica di S. Maria di Monte Berico) is a Roman Catholic and minor basilica in Vicenza, northern Italy. The church is a Marian shrine, and stands at the top of a hill which overlooks the city. According to the tradition, as recorded in several documents, the Blessed Virgin appeared on the hill twice to a peasant worker named Vincenza Pasini; the first time occurred on March 7, 1426, the second on August 1, 1428. At this time in Veneto, people and economy had been suffering from a terrible plague for years. Mary promised that if people of Vicenza built a church on the top of the hill she would rid them of the plague. People kept their promise and the church was built in 3 months.” (Monte Berico, Wikipedia)

Ostermann-Brunnen

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Willi-Ostermann-Brunnen (Ostermann Fountain) by Willi Klein, 1939
Ostermannplatz
Cologne, September 2024

“The Ostermann Fountain, which was completed in 1939, stands on the Ostermannplatz square in Cologne’s old town. The figures depicted on the fountain are references to the songs of the Cologne lyricist and singer Willi Ostermann (1876 –1936). His music is still an indispensable part of carnival today, songs such as ‘Däm Schmitz sind Frau eß durchjebrannt’, ‘Einmal am Rhein’ and, of course, the Cologne anthem ‘Heimweh nach Köln’ are among the best-known pieces.” (Ostermann Fountain, Cologne Tourist Board)

La Specola

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La Specola
Vicolo dell'Osservatorio
Padua, May 2025

“La Specola is a 14th-century tower, formerly part of a medieval castle, and converted in 1767 into an astronomical observatory (specula) in Padua, region of Veneto, Italy. The 13th-century ruler of Padua, Ezzelino III da Romano, had built a castle at the site; this tower had served as a dungeon. In the 14th-century during a reconstruction by Francesco I da Carrara, this tower was raised further. After its conversion to an astronomical observatory a decade before, in 1777 the tower housed a lower observatory, 16 metres above ground level, and an upper observatory at a height of 35 metres.” (La Specola, Wikipedia)

Pegasus

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“Pegasus” (Alte Oper) by Georg Hüter, 1983
Opernplatz
Frankfurt, September 2024

“In 1983, Pegasus returned to the top gable of the Old Opera House. After the original sculpture by Ludwig Brunow burned during the war in 1944, a faithful replica now adorns the impressive building. Sculptor Georg Hüter crafted it from embossed copper sheet. This hybrid creature, originating from Greek mythology, has the body of a horse and the wings of an eagle, thus combining the symbolic aspects of the horse—vitality and power—with those of the bird—freedom and the striving for transcendence. Together with the panther quadriga, which sits enthroned in the center of the lower gable, Pegasus forms the pinnacle of the Old Opera House's magnificent exterior façade.” (Pegasus, Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Frankfurt)

Partir

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“Partir” by Jean-Michel Folon, 2002
Giardino delle rose (Rose Garden)
Via Poggi
Florence, December 2024

“The Rose Garden is located below the Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, a superb place to visit also famous for its twelve sculptures by the great painter and sculptor Jean Michel Folon. It’s a place of extraordinary beauty, where there are many types of roses, artworks and a wonderful view of Florence. After a short walk we arrive at the panoramic area where there are the famous artworks ‘Partir’ and ‘Je me souviens’ (the frame-shaped suitcase, and the old man on the bench on which anyone can sit with and admire the Florence panorama).” (The Rose Garden of Florence, ChiantiLife)

Junges Paar

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“Junges Paar” (Young Couple) by Klaus Schwabe, 1968
Reichstraße / Salzgäßchen
Leipzig, September 2024

“Klaus Schwabe (1939-2017) was a German sculptor and graphic artist. From 1953 to 1956, Klaus Schwabe trained as a ceramic sculptor in Sitzendorf, neighboring his birthplace. From 1956 to 1960, he studied at the Leipzig School of Applied Arts, where he taught under Hellmuth Chemnitz, among others. This qualification qualified Schwabe for university studies, which he pursued from 1960 to 1965 at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts. There, he studied under Walter Arnold, Gerd Jaeger, Hans Steger, and Herbert Naumann, among others. From 1965, he worked as a freelance sculptor in Leipzig. From 1969 to 1972, he taught sculptural design at the evening academy of the Leipzig Academy of Visual Arts (HGB). In 1974, together with Frank Ruddigkeit and Rolf Kuhrt, he won the competition for visual arts design at the Karl Marx University of Leipzig with the monumental relief ‘Aufbruch’ (Marx Relief), beating, among others, Bernhard Heisig.” (Klaus Schwabe, Wikipedia)

Torre dei Lamberti

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Torre dei Lamberti
Via della Costa
Verona, May 2025

“The Torre dei Lamberti is an 84 m high tower in Verona, northern Italy. Construction of the tower began in 1172. In May 1403, the top of the tower was struck by lightning, but restoration works did not commence until 1448, lasting for 16 years. During this period, the tower was expanded, with the newer sections distinguishable today by their use of different materials, such as marble. The prominent clock was added in 1779. The tower houses two bells: the Marangona , which signals fires, work times, and the hours of the day, and the larger one, called Rengo, used to summon the population to arms or to convene the city's councils. It was used for this purpose during the revolt called Veronese Easter in 1797.” (Torre dei Lamberti, Wikipedia)

Schillerdenkmal

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Schillerdenkmal (Schiller Monument) by Selmar Werner, 1914
Hauptstraße
Dresden, September 2024

“Dresden 's Schiller Monument stands southwest of Albertplatz, between the beginning of Hauptstraße and Königstraße in the Innere Neustadt district. It is a work by Selmar Werner, with architecture by Oswin Hempel. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Friedrich Schiller's death, a committee was founded in 1905 to erect a Schiller monument in Dresden. While the city of Dresden agreed to provide the site — an open space south of Albertplatz — free of charge, collecting private donations for the estimated construction costs of 30,000 marks proved considerably more difficult. In 1908, the sum had not yet been raised, and an artistic competition was held, but the results could not be implemented. It wasn't until 1913, also as part of the sculptural and artistic reform efforts in Dresden, that Selmar Werner was recruited. Werner came from the school of Robert Diez , who in turn had already created numerous works of art in Dresden, such as the twin fountains ‘Stille Wasser’ and ‘Stürmische Wogen’ on Albertplatz, as well as the ‘Gänsethiebbrunnen’ (Goose Thief Fountain). Werner's concept—which was realized—envisioned Schiller with faithfully portrayed features as a purely spiritual, ideal poetic figure, dressed in Greek costume and surrounded by his most important works.” (Schillerdenkmal, Wikipedia)

Loggia Valmarana

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Loggia Valmarana
Giardini Salvi
Corso SS. Felice e Fortunato
Vicenza, May 2025

“The Loggia Valmarana located inside the Salvi gardens, also called Valmarana Salvi gardens, was probably built in 1591 by a student of Andrea Palladio by the will of Gian Luigi Valmarana himself, who wanted this place become a meeting point between intellectuals and academics. Since 1994 it is part of the City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto forming the World Heritage Site of the Unesco. The gardens were opened in 1592 by Leonardo Valmarana (date and name are displayed in the Loggia Valmarana) and covered the area bounded by the extension of the Corso Palladio and the course of the Seriola Canal, ditch that since the opening was equipped with a bridge of wood that would allow crossing. Open to the public at the behest of Leonardo, they were later closed for a couple of centuries.” (Loggia Valmarana, Wikipedia)