Emilio Salgari

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Emilio Salgari by Sergio Pasetto, 2015
Piazzetta Capretto
Verona, May 2025

“Emilio Salgari (21 August 1862 – 25 April 1911) was an Italian writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction. In Italy, his extensive body of work was more widely read than that of Dante Alighieri. In the 21st century, he is still among the 40 most translated Italian authors. Many of his most popular novels have been adapted as comics, animated series and feature films. He is considered the father of Italian adventure fiction and Italian pop culture, and the ‘grandfather’ of the Spaghetti Western. Emilio Salgari was born in Verona to a family of modest merchants. From a young age, he had the desire to explore the seas and studied seamanship at a nautical technical institution in Venice, but his academic performance was too poor, and he never graduated. He began his writing career as a reporter for the daily La Nuova Arena, which published some of his work as serials. As his powers of narration grew, so did his reputation for having lived a life of adventure. He claimed to have explored the Sudan desert, met Buffalo Bill in Nebraska (he had actually met him during his ‘Wild West Show’ tour of Italy), and sailed the Seven Seas. His early biographies were filled with adventurous tales set in the Far East, events which he claimed were the basis for much of his work. Salgari had actually never ventured farther than the Adriatic Sea.” (Emilio Salgari, Wikipedia)

Puerta de San Vicente

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Puerta de San Vicente
Glorieta de San Vicente
Madrid, September 2025

“The Puerta de San Vicente is a monumental gate located in the Glorieta de San Vicente in Madrid (Spain). Since 1995, it has occupied the space where the original door, designed by architect Francesco Sabatini, was located between 1775 and 1892. Throughout Madrid's history there have been several doors that have received the same name. In 1726, the Marquis of Vadillo, the town's mayor, commissioned Pedro de Ribera to build a monumental gate in the city's fence to replace a previous gate, which was in a dilapidated state and was called ‘del Parque’. The gate, which consisted of three arches, was decorated with a statue of San Vicente, which is why it was given that name, although it would also be known later as the gate of La Florida. It was demolished in 1770, due to the remodelling of the Cuesta de San Vicente (1767–1777), as part of the reorganisation of the western accesses to the Royal Palace and its connection with the Camino de El Pardo. Shortly afterwards, King Carlos III commissioned Francesco Sabatini to build a new gate to replace the previous one as the entrance to the city from the new Paseo de La Florida. The work was completed in 1775 and Sabatini placed an ornamental fountain next to it, popularly known as the Fuente de los Mascarones. The new gate was in its current location, closer to the river than the previous one. It consisted of an arch and two shutters (or portholes) and was built of granite and limestone from Colmenar de Oreja. The arch was decorated with two Doric columns on the outside and two pilasters, also Doric, on the inside. It was crowned by a triangular frontispiece finished with a military trophy. The lateral shutters were also crowned by military trophies. In front of it there were two buildings that also disappeared: the aforementioned Mascarones fountain, between 1775 and 1871, and the Washerwomen's Asylum promoted by María Victoria dal Pozzo, from 1872 to 1938.” (Puerta de San Vicente, Wikipedia)

Palazzo del Capitaniato

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Palazzo del Capitaniato
Piazza dei Signori
Vicenza, May 2025

“The palazzo del Capitaniato, also known as loggia del Capitanio or loggia Bernarda, is a palazzo in Vicenza, northern Italy, designed by Andrea Palladio in 1565 and built in 1571 and '72. It is located on the central Piazza dei Signori, facing the Basilica Palladiana. The palazzo is currently used by the town council, inside the Sala Bernarda. It was decorated by Lorenzo Rubini and, in the interior, with frescoes by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo.” (Palazzo del Capitaniato, Wikipedia)

Torreón de Lozoya

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Torreón de Lozoya
Plaza San Martín
Segovia, September 2025

“The Torreón de Lozoya is one of the most emblematic buildings of Segovia's civil architecture. It is a palace complex with two towers, a courtyard, and a garden with a porticoed gallery. A towered fortified house, very common in Segovia between the 13th and 15th centuries. It has a large tower that gives it its name and entrance, as well as another smaller tower, aligned with the first at a certain distance, so that the initial complex had a careful defense that evidences the conflicts experienced in Segovia in the Late Middle Ages. The large tower, measuring 8 by 9 meters and 25 meters high, predates the entire complex and embodies the stately idiosyncrasy of its owners. From it, one can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the city and its surroundings, protected from the elements by its large windows. These can be removed for crystal-clear photographs and videos.” (Torreón de Lozoya, Wikipedia)

Santa Maria ‘ad Portas Contarenas’

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Church of Santa Maria ‘ad Portas Contarenas’
Via Matteotti
Padova, May 2025

“As attested by the inscription on the facade, the Church was built in 1723, by the Comini family who built the church for public use. Later, in 1839, together with Palazzo Cavalli, the Church became the seat of the Austrian Customs, and after the Unification of Italy it was used as a hydraulic warehouse. In 1893, when the mill was purchased and modernised by Ilario Ercego, the little church risked being demolished, but was finally restored in 1968, as the plaque on the façade recalls.” (Porte Contarine, Wikipedia)

Casa Lis

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Museo Art Nouveau y Art Déco - Casa Lis
Calle Gibraltar
Salamanca, September 2025

“The Casa Lis is a museum located in the ancient city wall of Salamanca, Spain. Also known as Museo Art Nouveau and Art Déco, it is a museum of decorative arts, with exhibits dating from the last decades of the 19th century to World War II. The Museum is an old mansion that was built for its first owner, Miguel de Lis, by Joaquin de Vargas y Aguirre, a provincial architect from Jerez de la Frontera. Don Miguel de Lis was the owner of a tannery which he had inherited from his father. The thriving business gave him a privileged economic position and he was well-travelled; he chose a modernist design. The mansion changed ownership in 1917, when D. Enrique Esperabé de Arteaga, rector of the University of Salamanca, moved there with his family. Subsequently, the Casa Lis was inhabited by various tenants until in the 1970s, closed and unused, and fell into decay. In 1981, the city of Salamanca was able to save it from ruin.” (Casa Lis, Wikipedia)

Automat revisited

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‘Automat’ by Edward Hopper revisited
Via de' Guicciardini
Florence, December 2024

Casa consistorial

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Casa consistorial (Town Hall)
Plaza del Mercado Chico
Ávila, September 2025

“The Ávila Town Hall is the headquarters of the Ávila City Council, located in the Plaza del Mercado Chico, in the Spanish city of Ávila. Its erection dates back to the last years of the reign of Isabel II. Designed by the municipal architect Ildefonso Vázquez de Zúñiga, the works would take place in a period between 1861 and 1868. It is located presiding over the central Plaza del Mercado Chico, inside the walls of the medieval city . It replaced another town hall located in the same square and built during the 16th century. The building, which would be restored in the early 1980s, has a clock on its facade.” (Casa consistorial de Ávila, Wikipedia)

Cathedral of Santa Maria Matricolare

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Cathedral of Santa Maria Matricolare
Piazza Duomo
Verona, May 2025

“Verona Cathedral (Cattedrale Santa Maria Matricolare; Duomo di Verona) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Verona, northern Italy, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the designation Santa Maria Matricolare. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Verona. It was erected after two Palaeo-Christian churches on the same site had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1117. Built in Romanesque style, the cathedral was consecrated on September 13, 1187. The structure was later modified by several renovation interventions, although the plan has remained unchanged.” (Verona Cathedral, Wikipedia)

“Soho” on a kiosk

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“Soho” on a kiosk
Calle Casas de Campos
Málaga, March 2025

“A central neighbourhood which is an icon of urban art and underground culture in the city of Málaga thanks to a project started by the public. Its most recognisable feature is probably the large-scale graffiti art covering some of its buildings. These murals include work by internationally recognised graffiti artists like Obey and D*face. The district is easy to explore on foot and is very close to Málaga’s main tourist area. Its streets feature independent local businesses with a strong sense of identity, and several art and cultural centres, including private galleries, artists’ studios, La Alameda theatre, and the Contemporary Art Centre; many restaurants offering local, organic or gourmet food; and modern, functional, well-designed public spaces. The ‘Made in Soho’ market is held on the first Saturday of every month, with stalls selling design, crafts, works of art and audiovisual art, antiques, and vintage items.” (Soho Málaga - the Art District, Spain.info)

Basilica Palladiana

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Torre Bissara and Basilica Palladiana
Piazza dei Signori
Vicenza, May 2025

“The Basilica Palladiana is a Renaissance building in the central Piazza dei Signori in Vicenza, north-eastern Italy. The most notable feature of the edifice is the loggia, which shows one of the first examples of what have come to be known as the Palladian window, designed by a young Andrea Palladio, whose work in architecture was to have a significant effect on the field during the Renaissance and later periods. The building was originally constructed in the 15th century and was known as the Palazzo della Ragione, having been designed by Domenico da Venezia to include two pre-existing public palazzi. The building, which was in the Gothic style, served as the seat of government and also housed a number of shops on the ground floor. The 82-metre (269 ft)-tall Torre Bissara precedes this structure, as it is known from as early as 1172; however, its height was increased on this occasion, and its pinnacle was finished in 1444.” (Basilica Palladiana, Wikipedia)

El Oso y el Madroño

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“El Oso y el Madroño” by Antonio Navarro Santafé, 1967
Puerta del Sol
Madrid, September 2025

“The Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree (Spanish: El Oso y el Madroño) is a sculpture from the second half of the 20th century, situated in the Spanish capital, Madrid. It represents the coat of arms of Madrid and is found on the east side of the Puerta del Sol, between Calle de Alcalá and Carrera de San Jerónimo, in the historical centre of the capital. The statue is a work of the sculptor Antonio Navarro Santafé (1906-1983) and it was inaugurated on 19 January 1967. It was promoted by the section of Culture of the City council of Madrid, which wanted to represent the main heraldic symbols of the city in a monument. The first appearance of a wild bear and a strawberry tree on the coat of arms of the city was in the 13th century. Previously, it only incorporated a bear in passant attitude, until it was replaced in the aforementioned century by the two current figures. With this change, they wanted to symbolise the resolution adopted by the municipality and the Chapter of Priests and Beneficiaries after a long litigation about the control of Madrilenian pastures and trees. Since this agreement, the former became property of the Chapter and the latter of the council. From here they modified the arms, including a strawberry tree and of a bear in a new posture: leaning on the tree with both paws. The sculpture has always been in the Puerta del Sol, but in two locations inside the square. Before 1986, it was situated in the east side of it, in the vicinity of the building between the Calle de Alcalá and the Carrera St. Jerónimo. That year, it was moved to the front of Carmen Street for the square's reform and remodeling, promoted by mayor Enrique Tierno Galván. In September 2009, with the integral renewal of the square promoted by Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, it has gone back to its original location.” (Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, Wikipedia)

Abbey of Santa Giustina

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Abbey of Santa Giustina
Via Ferrari
Padua, May 2025

“The Abbey of Santa Giustina is a 10th-century Benedictine abbey complex located in front of the Prato della Valle in central Padua, region of Veneto, Italy. Adjacent to the former monastery is the basilica church of Santa Giustina, initially built in the 6th century, but whose present form derives from a 17th-century reconstruction. A church dedicated to Saint Justina of Padua and other 4th-century Christian martyrs of Padua, was present at the site by the 520s, erected under the patronage of the Prefect Opilius and housing the relics of the saint. The church was already described as lavish in decoration in the 565 biography "Life of St Martin", written by Venantius Fortunatus. By the 10th century, monks ministered to pilgrims who came to the basilica to venerate the saints' relics. In 971, the Bishop of Padua placed the community under the Rule of St. Benedict.” (Abbey of Santa Giustina, Wikipedia)

Iglesia de San Millán

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Iglesia de San Millán
Avenida del Acueducto
Segovia, September 2025

“The church of San Millán is a Catholic church located next to the Avenida del Acueducto, in the San Millán neighborhood of the city of Segovia, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the neighborhood of the same name. The pre-Romanesque tower is the oldest remains of the temple, as it dates back to the 11th century and is in the Mudejar style, an aspect that gives the building a distinctive character within the important number of Romanesque churches in the city, which together with Zamora are the largest group in Spain. The rest of the building is the product of the reform carried out between 1111 and 1126 by Alfonso I the Battler during his government in Castile for his marriage to Doña Urraca, making it one of the oldest churches in the city.” (Iglesia de San Millán, Wikipedia)

The Modest Painter

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‘Il Pittore Pudico’ (The Modest Painter) by Maurizio Rapiti, 2019
Piazza della Passera
Florence, December 2024

“‘The Birth of Venus’ by Sandro Botticelli (1486) revisited by Maurizio Rapiti.”

Iglesia de San Sebastián

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Iglesia de San Sebastián
Plaza de Anaya
Salamanca, September 2025

“The church of San Sebastián is a temple located in Salamanca, in the Plaza de Anaya, adjacent to the Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé. On October 6, 2011, the Colegio de Anaya, the Hospedería and the church of San Sebastián were declared a Site of Cultural Interest with the category of Monument. The original temple was designed by the master builder Juan Álvarez de Toledo around 1410 for Don Diego de Anaya in imitation of that of San Clemente de Bolonia. Structural problems caused the building to weaken and finally had to be demolished, the Dominicans attempted to build another church. The church was developed between the years 1730 and 1739, under the direction of Alberto de Churriguera, who also directed the works of the cathedral at that time, imprinting its style both externally and internally.” (Iglesia de San Sebastián, Wikipedia)

Fountain of the Alps

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Fountain of the Alps, 1975
Piazza Bra
Verona, May 2025

“The Fountain of the Alps is the fountain located in the center of Piazza Bra and symbolizes the close union between the cities of Verona and Munich. Donated to the city in 1975 by the German city on the occasion of the twinning between the two cities, a copy of the Statue of Juliet, which currently resides inside the Town Hall, was sent in exchange. With its particular shape, it is jokingly called by the Veronese ‘strucca limoni’, because its shape reminds a citrus squeezer. Another sign of the twinning between the two cities is next to the fountain, where a memorial plaque is erected in memory of Italian deportees to German concentration camps.” (Fountain of the Alps, VisitVerona)

Basílica de San Vicente

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Basílica de San Vicente
Plaza de San Vicente
Ávila, September 2025

“The Basílica de los Santos Hermanos Mártires, Vicente, Sabina y Cristeta, best known as Basílica de San Vicente, is a church in Ávila, Spain. It is one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture in the country. According to legend, Christian martyrs Vicente, Sabina and Cristeta were martyred during the rule of the Roman Emperor Diocletian; their corpses were buried into the rock and later a basilica was built over their tombs. In 1062 their remains were moved to the monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza in Burgos, but later, in 1175, they were returned to Ávila and the construction of a new basilica was started at the location. Construction was repeatedly halted or slowed, and were finished in the fourteenth century thanks to the support of Alfonso X and Sancho IV.” (Basilica of San Vicente, Wikipedia)

Torrione di porta Castello

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Torrione di porta Castello
Corso Palladio
Vicenza, May 2025

“It was later enlarged by Ezzelino III da Romano and demolished after his death. In 1343 it was rebuilt larger during the Scaliger occupation and became part of the medieval city walls. Antonio and Mastino II della Scala restored the Ezzelinian fortress, transforming it into a real Castle that occupied a square area and surrounded by a deep moat. Subsequently, with the Visconti domination, the crenellated crowning and the upper lantern were added, taking on its current appearance. During the 17th century, the Castle, now deprived of its defensive role, was sold – except for the Tower because it was a public passage – by the Serenissima to the Valmarana family , who transformed the north wing into a palace overlooking their ancient garden. The dismantling of the remaining parts, at the end of the 18th century, left the Tower almost intact. However, between the 19th and 20th centuries, for traffic reasons, the entrance arch was doubled and flanked by two pedestrian passages. The last two restorations date back to 1999 and 2018. The internal perimeter of the ancient Castle – parade ground – is still identifiable in the large rectangular space that opens beyond the Torrione portal, overlooking the Corso. After five centuries, on April 3, 2018, the Torrione returned to being a public property. The collector Antonio Coppola , after having purchased it at auction, ceded the bare ownership of the imposing building to the Municipality of Vicenza. The Coppola Foundation will maintain the usufruct of the Torrione for 30 years, using it as a center of contemporary art, guaranteeing its management and maintenance.” (Torrione di porta Castello, VIVA)

Bodega El Pimpi

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Bodega El Pimpi
Calle Granada
Málaga, March 2025

“Founded in 1971, the Pimpi is one of the wine cellars with most solera in Málaga, where it is possible to enjoy local gastronomy and local wines, but mostly, the tradition and culture belonging to southern Spain. Its name makes reference to the figure of ‘Pimpi’, a popular character from Málaga who helped crew and passengers of boats that arrived at the Málaga port. Currently, the wine cellar is a famous meeting point for the famous, both Malagueños and visitors, who recommend us and value our cultural entity and gastronomy of top order in Málaga.” (Gastronomic and cultural history of Málaga, El Pimpi)

Porta Ognissanti

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Porta Ognissanti (Porta Portello)
Via del Portello
Padua, May 2025

“The Porta Ognissanti (Omnium Sanctorum in Latin, also called Portello Nuovo or Venezia, commonly Porta Portello) is one of the gates still existing within the sixteenth-century walls of Padua, built by the Serenissima Republic. It rises in the area of the city called Portello (that is ‘small port’, because this area hosted a sort of arrival - restored - for the boats that connected along the Riviera del Brenta Padua with Venice, but the recent hypothesis in deriving it from the fact that, previously to the current gate, there was a ‘Portello’ (a simple pedestrian gate or almost). The gate dates back to 1519, the year in which it took the place of the Portello Vecchio gate, located in today's Via San Massimo.” (Porta Ognissanti, Wikipedia)