Aqua viva

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“Aqua viva” by Stanislav Hanzík, 1992
Františkánská zahrada (Franciscan Garden)
Vodičkova, Nové Město
Prague, September 2024

“The garden is located next to the former Franciscan monastery at the Church of Our Lady of the Snows, which can be entered from Vodičkova Street, Wenceslas Square and Jungmann Square. Originally there was a fish tank here and in the recent past a concrete fire tank. Currently, a metal sculpture of a boy has been newly placed here, with water flowing down from a conch shell that the boy is holding above him. The sculpture was created by Stanislav Hanzík (he called it ‘Aqua viva’) in 1992 and also serves as a drinking fountain.” (Drinking bottle with a sculpture of a boy, Pražské kašny a fontány)

Monument to Savonarola

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Monument to Savonarola by Enrico Pazzi, 1875
Piazza Savonarola
Florence, December 2024

“The Monument to Savonarola in Piazza Savonarola is an outdoor marble statue on a plinth in honor of the 15th-century Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola; it is located in a piazza of the same name a few blocks outside of the Viali di Circonvallazione, in Northeastern Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy. This monument has a colorful history of migrations. The statue was completed circa 1875 by Enrico Pazzi, a native of Ravenna, at a time, when anti-papal feelings ran high in Italy. However, Savonarola has always been a polarizing historic figure, maniacal in his faith, and the perpetrator of the original Bonfire of the Vanities. His theology was not compatible with contemporary liberal thought. The statue was conceived by Pazzi in 1861, who habitually created public monuments before they were requisitioned. A committee was formed in 1869 to commission a monument to Savonarola, which was to be placed in the convent of San Marco; however, they did not choose Pazzi's model, but instead chose one by Giovanni Duprè, a former mentor of Pazzi. This was to lead to fierce conflict between the two sculptors. In 1870, another committee, chaired by Prince Ferdinando Strozzi, selected to commission Pazzi's more grandiose and more anti-papal statue, and obtained the Commune's permission to site the sculpture in the first cloister of the Florentine convent. However, the drop in revenue caused by the transfer of the capital of Italy from Florence to Rome, cancelled this project. By 1873, Duprè completed his contribution: a simple plaque and relief bust placed in the cell of the friar in San Marco. Pazzi's work, completed only in 1875, did not find enough subscribers, and was donated ultimately to the Town Hall. It remained in studio till 1882, when it was installed, to much criticism, into the niche of the southern end of the Salone dei Cinquecento in the Palazzo Vecchio. One justification for this placement was that Savonarola had commissioned the creation of this large hall in 1497. There was still rumors that it would be moved in the future to the precinct of San Marco. The statue had displaced none other than a Michelangelo statue, placed here by Vasari.” (Monument to Savonarola in Piazza Savonarola, Wikipedia)

Bastei Köln

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Bastei Köln by Wilhelm Riphahn, 1924
Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer
Cologne, September 2024

“A striking example of expressionist architecture is located directly on the Rhine in the form of the Bastei, which opened in 1924. Built by architect Wilhelm Riphahn, the restaurant is built on the base of a former Prussian fortress tower and has taken on the name. The architecture, which was modern for its time, was initially controversial when it was built because there were concerns that it would spoil the panoramic view of the Rhine. However, these fears quickly gave way to enthusiasm for the modern building. For Wilhelm Riphahn, the bastion signalled his professional breakthrough. Later, after the building was destroyed in the Second World War, Riphahn rebuilt it in its original form. With its view over the Rhine, the Bastei was one of the best addresses for events for many years. Unfortunately, however, the listed building showed considerable substantial defects. It has therefore been closed. Whether and how maintenance can be guaranteed is currently being examined.” (Bastion, Cologne Tourist Board)

Ponte di Castelvecchio

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Ponte di Castelvecchio Castel Vecchio Bridge)
Corso Castelvecchio
Verona, May 2025

“The Castel Vecchio Bridge (Ponte di Castel Vecchio) or Scaliger Bridge (Ponte Scaligero) is a fortified bridge in Verona, northern Italy, over the Adige River. The segmental arch bridge featured the world's largest span at the time of its construction (48.70 m). It was built (most likely in 1354-1356) by Cangrande II della Scala, to grant him a safe way of escape from the annexed eponymous castle in the event of a rebellion of the population against his tyrannic rule. The solidity of the construction allowed it to resist untouched until, in the late 18th century, the French troops destroyed the tower on the left bank (although it probably dated from the occupation of Verona by the Visconti or the Republic of Venice). The bridge was however totally destroyed, along with the Ponte Pietra, by the retreating German troops on April 24, 1945. The bridge's reconstruction by architect Libero Cecchini began in 1949 and completed in 1951, with the exception of the left tower.” (Castelvecchio Bridge, Wikipedia)

Liegende

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“Liegende” (Reclining) by Willi Schmidt, 1977
Große Bockenheimer Landstraße
Frankfurt, September 2024

“The female figure in Freßgass was modeled after a much smaller one that the sculptor Willi Schmidt had exhibited in Frankfurt's former Technical City Hall. Frankfurt city officials liked it so much that Schmidt was commissioned to create a larger version for the city center. The material used, Naxos marble, takes its name from a Greek island where it has been mined since ancient times and continues to this day. Rudolf Kipp also created reclining figures for the Taunusanlage and Christian Peschke for Feuerbachstraße.” (Liegende, Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Frankfurt)

Santa Maria Annunciata

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Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunciata
Piazzetta del Duomo
Vicenza, May 2025

“Vicenza Cathedral (Italian: Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata, Duomo di Vicenza) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Vicenza, Veneto, northern Italy. It is the seat of the Bishop of Vicenza, and is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. Construction of the cathedral was begun in 1482, to plans by Lorenzo of Bologna, and completed in the 1560s. The cupola was planned by Andrea Palladio and probably the north doorway also. Only the original façade survived the bombing of World War II; the rest of the present building has been reconstructed.” (Vicenza Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Synagogendenkmal

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Synagogue Memorial by Sebastian Helm and Anna Dilengite, 2001
Gottschedstraße / Zentralstraße
Leipzig, September 2024

“On the site of the Moorish synagogue stands today the Holocaust memorial. This powerful installation is made of 140 empty bronze chairs, representing the 14.000 Jews who once prayed there and outlining the floor plan of the destroyed synagogue.” (Leipzig, The Cultural Guide to Jewish Europe) “The site of the former synagogue had served as a parking lot and the site of a transformer station for decades. After the city of Leipzig acquired the property only in 1997, it launched a Saxony-wide, anonymous competition in 1999 in collaboration with the Jewish Religious Community, inviting ten international artists. The design by Leipzig artists Sebastian Helm and Anna Dilengite, which had only made it onto the shortlist for implementation, was ultimately chosen. Following a majority vote by the Leipzig City Council in October 2000, the site was transformed into a large-scale memorial. Inaugurated on June 24, 2001, the memorial traces the floor plan of the destroyed building on an area of ​​12 × 12 meters. The interior is a field of 140 empty bronze chairs, intended to convey a tangible sense of the loss of the architectural shell. The western boundary of the site is formed by a wall of exposed concrete, with texts in English, German, and Hebrew on three bronze plaques each.” (Große Gemeindesynagoge, Wikipedia)

Loggia dei Carraresi

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Loggia dei Carraresi (Lodge Carrarese)
Via Accademia
Padua, May 2025

“The Loggia dei Carraresi is a historic building in Padua located in via Accademia. It is the last surviving part of the Reggia Carrarese, the large residence of the Da Carrara family, lords of Padua. Since 2021 it has been included by UNESCO among the world heritage sites in the site of the 14th-century fresco cycles of Padua.” (Loggia dei Carraresi, Wikipedia)

On a drunken donkey

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“Bacchus auf einem trunkenen Esel reitend” (Bacchus riding on a drunken donkey) by Georg Wrba, 1910
(The original statue of 1952 was cast iron)
Rathausplatz
Dresden, September 2024

“Georg Wrba (3 January 1872 – 9 January 1939) was a German sculptor and graphic artist. He created some 3,000–4,000 works, including as a collaborator of the Zwinger workshop. Wrba was born in Munich in 1872, the son of a smith. His younger brother Max Wrba became an architect in Dresden. Wrba began his training with Jakob Bradl the Elder and his son Jakob Bradl the Younger. From 1891 to 1896, he studied at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste München under Syrius Eberle. After some time spent in Italy (with Egon Rheinberger), a trip made possible by a travel award from Prince Regent Luitpold, he settled in Munich as an independent sculptor in 1897 and became director of the city's school of sculpture. In 1906 and 1907, he worked in Berlin, where he created sculptures for buildings for the architects Ludwig Hoffmann and Alfred Messel. Wrba then moved to Dresden, where from 1907 to 1930 he taught at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts. He brought the Dresden school of sculpture into contact with the reforming ideas of the Deutscher Werkbund and was a founding member of the Dresden Artists' Association, known as ‘Die Zunft’ (The Guild). The basic aim of the ‘Werkbund’, and also of ‘Die Zunft’, was to achieve a collaboration between and integration of various forms of art, rejecting ornamentation for its own sake: painting and sculpture were to form integral parts of architecture. In Dresden he made, among many other works, the Marie Gey Fountain near the Dresden Hauptbahnhof in the Südvorstadt, which was donated by a Dr. Heinze for his wife, a student at the Kunstakademie, who had died young. In 1910 Wrba agreed a contract for the restoration and completion of the missing parts of the Zwinger, for which he directed the work of 53 sculptors from 1911 to 1933, and himself created many groups of figures modelled from the life. Wrba died on 9 January 1939 in Dresden, where a street is named after him. He is buried in the Munich Waldfriedhof.” (Georg Wrba, Wikipedia)

Four hooded crows

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Four hooded crows
Piazza Savonarola
Florence, December 2024

“The hooded crow (Corvus corone cornix), also colloquially called just hoodie, is a Eurasian bird subspecies of the carrion crow (Corvus corone) in the genus Corvus. Widely distributed, it is found across Northern, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, as well as parts of the Middle East. It is an ashy-grey bird with black head, throat, wings, tail, and thigh feathers, as well as a black bill, eyes, and feet. Like other corvids, it is an omnivorous and opportunistic forager and feeder.” (Hooded crow, Wikipedia)

Goethe-Institut

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Goethe-Institut
Masarykovo nábřeží, Nové Město
Prague, September 2024

“The Goethe-Institut in Prague has been located in a building on Masaryk Embankment since 1991. This Art Nouveau building was built between 1903 and 1905, thanks to the renovation of previous houses. These were from the 15th century – the Šandovský house (At the Three Wild Men) and part of Nové Lázně No. 228. The current building was designed by Jiří Stibral, the sculptures on the facade were designed by sculptor Ladislav Šaloun. The investor was Fr. Schaffer. It was built for the First Czech Insurance Bank, which had its headquarters here. However, it was nationalized in 1945 and closed down in 1958. Between 1945-48, the building was used by the Bulgarian Embassy, and between 1949-1990, it was used by the Embassy of the German Democratic Republic. Since 1991, the building has been the seat of the Prague Goethe-Institut.” (Goethe-Institut Czech Republic, Wikipedia)

Arco dei Gavi

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Arco dei Gavi
Corso Cavour
Verona, May 2025

“The Arco dei Gavi is an ancient structure in Verona, northern Italy, situated at the beginning of the Via Postumia, just outside the Roman walls of the city. Built to celebrate the gens Gavia, a noble Roman family who had their hometown in Verona, the Arco dei Gavi is a very rare example of a privately funded monumental Roman arch. During the Renaissance the arch was one of the most admired monuments in Verona, being described by humanists and antiquarians, who studied in detail the proportional relationships and decoration of the structure. The arch served as inspiration for many architects and painters, such as Andrea Palladio, Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Sebastiano Serlio, Giovanni Maria Falconetto, Michele Sanmicheli, Giovanni Bellini and Andrea Mantegna. It had a particularly pronounced influence on the architecture of Verona itself, serving as a model for the construction of portals, altars and chapels in the churches of the city. The arch no longer stands in its original position, as it was demolished by French military engineers in 1805, however, the numerous surveys that had previously been produced made it possible to reassemble it by anastylosis, a process completed in 1932. Subsequently, it was relocated to the small square of Castelvecchio, where it is still located today.” (Arco dei Gavi, Wikipedia)

Hohenzollern Bridge

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Hohenzollern Bridge by Franz Heinrich Schwechten, 1911
Kennedy-Ufer
Cologne, September 2024

“The Hohenzollern Bridge (German: Hohenzollernbrücke) is a bridge crossing the river Rhine in the German city of Cologne (German: Köln). It crosses the Rhine at kilometre 688.5. Originally, the bridge was both a railway and road bridge. However, after its destruction in 1945 and subsequent reconstruction, the bridge has been only accessible to rail and pedestrian traffic. It is the most heavily-used railway bridge in Germany with more than 1,200 trains crossing daily, connecting the Köln Hauptbahnhof and Köln Messe/Deutz stations. The bridge was constructed between 1907 and 1911 after the demolition of old bridge, the Cathedral Bridge (Dombrücke). The Cathedral Bridge was unable to handle the increasing rail traffic imposed by the inauguration of the Köln Hauptbahnhof. The new bridge was named after the House of Hohenzollern, the rulers of Prussia and German Emperors. (At the time, Cologne formed part of the Prussian Rhine Province.)” (Hohenzollern Bridge, Wikipedia)

Andrea Palladio

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Monument to Andrea Palladio by Vincenzo Gajassi, 1859
Piazza dei Signori
Vicenza, May 2025

Schauspielhausbrunnen

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Märchenbrunnen (Fairy Tale Fountain) by Friedrich Christoph Hausmann, 1910
Untermainanlage
Frankfurt, September 2024

“The Fairytale Fountain or Schauspielhaus Fountain in Frankfurt am Main is located on the Untermainanlage next to the Frankfurt Municipal Theater. It is an Art Nouveau fountain that was completed in 1910. The construction of the fountain was initiated and financed by the art patron Leo Gans, who, as director of the Cassella works in Fechenheim, founded an art fund at the turn of the century and spent 150,000 marks (around 1.3 million euros in today's purchasing power) on the project. The sculptor Friedrich Christoph Hausmann was commissioned to create the fountain figure from white Tyrolean marble, a nymph (popularly known as the ‘Mainweibchen’). In the house of the city's well-known Jewish aristocratic family Carl and Arthur von Weinberg, where many social events took place, the choice fell on a young, pretty laundress from Niederrad who worked there: Margarete Endres, the later wife of the organist Eduard Gelbart. She was the daughter of a rubber mixer from Lower Franconia - not, as is often mistakenly believed, a baker. In 1906 (she was 19 years old at the time) she posed as a model for Städel professor Friedrich Hausmann.” (Märchenbrunnen, Wikipedia)

Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua

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Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua
Piazza del Santo
Padua, May 2025

“The Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua (Italian: Basilica Pontificia di Sant'Antonio di Padova) is a Catholic church and minor basilica in Padua, Veneto, Northern Italy, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. Although the basilica is visited as a place of pilgrimage by people from all over the world, it is not the cathedral of the city, a title belonging to the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Mary of Padua. The basilica is known locally as ‘il Santo’. It is one of the national shrines recognized by the Holy See. Two chapels within the Basilica of Saint Anthony — the Cappella di San Giacomo and the Cappella del beato Luca Belludi — are included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Padua's fourteenth-century fresco cycles, inscribed in 2021.” (Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua, Wikipedia)

Märchenbrunnen

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Märchenbrunnen (Fairy Tale Fountain) by Josef Mágr, 1906
(New bronze figures by Elfriede Ducke and Hanna Studnitzka, 1965)
Dittrichring
Leipzig, September 2024

“The Fairy Tale Fountain in the promenade on Dittrichring was created by Josef Mágr in 1906. In the grotto of the central section, life-size bronze figures of the fairy tale characters Hansel and Gretel are mounted on a pedestal. Above them is a stone relief of a witch and a raven. Above the benches on either side of the central section are two bronze reliefs depicting key scenes from the fairy tale (Getting Lost in the Forest, Discovering the Gingerbread House, Returning Home). The bronze parts of the fountain were removed in 1942 and used in the armaments industry. Since 1965, the fountain has been adorned with new figures designed by Leipzig artists Elfriede Ducke and Hanna Studnitzka.” (Fountain in Leipzig, Wikipedia)

Mercato delle Cure

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Mercato delle Cure (Le Cure market)
Piazza delle Cure
Florence, December 2024

Trümmerfrau

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Trümmerfrau (Rubble woman) by Walter Reinhold, 1968
(The original statue of 1952 was cast iron)
Rathausplatz
Dresden, September 2024

“Trümmerfrauen (lit. rubble women) were women who, in the aftermath of World War II, helped clear and reconstruct the bombed cities of Germany and Austria. Hundreds of cities had suffered significant bombing and firestorm damage through aerial attacks and ground war, and with many men dead or prisoners of war, this monumental task fell to a large degree on women. 3.6 million out of the sixteen million homes in 62 cities in Germany were destroyed during Allied bombings in World War II, with another four million damaged. Half of all school buildings, forty percent of the infrastructure, and many factories were either damaged or destroyed. According to estimates, there were about 500 million cubic metres of rubble (a volume of over 150 Great Pyramids of Giza) and 7.5 million people were made homeless.” (Trümmerfrau, Wikipedia)

Porta Borsari

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Porta Borsari
Corso Porta Borsari
Verona, May 2025

“Porta Borsari is an ancient Roman gate in Verona, northern Italy. The gate dates to the 1st century AD, though it was most likely built over a pre-existing gate from the 1st century BC. An inscription dating from emperor Gallienus' reign reports another reconstruction in 265 AD. The Via Postumia (which here became the decumanus maximus) passed through the gate, which was the city's main entrance and was therefore richly decorated. It also originally had an inner court, now disappeared. The gate's Roman name was Porta Iovia, as it was located near a small temple dedicated to Jupiter lustralis. In the Middle Ages it was called Porta di San Zeno, while the current name derives from the guard soldiers which were paid the dazio (Latin bursarii). The façade, in local white limestone, has two arches flanked by semi-columns with Corinthian capitals which supports entablature and pediment. In the upper part is a two-floor wall with twelve arched windows, some of which are included in small niches with triangular pediment.” (Porta Borsari, Wikipedia)

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)