Arena di Verona

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Arena di Verona (Verona Arena)
Piazza Bra
Verona, May 2025

“The Verona Arena is a Roman amphitheatre located in the historic center of Verona, an iconic symbol of the Venetian city alongside the figures of Romeo and Juliet. It stands as one of the grand structures that defined Roman architecture and is among the best-preserved ancient amphitheatres to have survived into the modern era. This remarkable state of preservation is largely due to systematic restoration efforts that began in the 16th century; as a result, despite numerous transformations over time, the Arena allows visitors to easily grasp the design of such buildings. These structures were meticulously engineered for their intended purpose yet possessed an essential, understated beauty. During the summer months, the Arena hosts the renowned Arena di Verona Festival, with opera seasons that have run uninterrupted since 1913, while throughout the rest of the year, it serves as a venue for numerous international singers and musicians.” (Verona Arena, Wikipedia)

Torre de Cristal

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Torre de Cristal (Glass Tower) by Cesar Pelli, 2008
Paseo de la Castellana
Madrid, September 2025

“The Torre de Cristal (Glass Tower) is a skyscraper in the Cuatro Torres Business Area (CTBA) in Madrid, Spain, completed in 2008. With a final height of 249 m (817 ft), it surpassed Torre Emperador as the tallest building in Spain, and is the fifth-tallest in the European Union. It was designed by Cesar Pelli and built by Dragados.” (Torre de Cristal, Wikipedia)

Palazzo Trissino

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Palazzo Trissino
Corso Palladio
Vicenza, May 2025

“Palazzo Trissino al Corso (also known as Trissino Baston) is a building located along Corso Palladio, corner of Contrà Cavour, in Vicenza, designed by the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi. Since 1901 it has been the main seat of the Municipality of Vicenza. The building is characterised by the presence of classical elements in the facade on the Corso and is arranged around the square of the central courtyard. The palace stands a few blocks from other buildings linked to the Trissino family, such as Palazzo Trissino al Duomo in contrà Cesare Battisti, Palazzo Trissino Sperotti in contrà Porti, Palazzo Trissino Lanza in contrà Riale.” (Palazzo Trissino, Wikipedia)

Iglesia de San Clemente

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Iglesia de San Clemente
Avenida del Acueducto
Segovia, September 2025

“The church of San Clemente is a Romanesque-style Catholic church in the Spanish city of Segovia. The church stands between the streets of Marqués de Mondéjar, Gobernador Fernández Jiménez, and Doctor Sancho. Its construction took place in the 17th century and during the 18th century the atrium, the tower and the apse chapel or Chapel of Peace were built. During the War of Independence the tower was destroyed except for the first body, this was rebuilt in 1812, but was destroyed again during the first Carlist war in 1837. The 4 bells that are currently in the tower arrived at the temple between the 17th and 18th centuries. At the beginning of the 20th century, the parish was attached to the parish of San Millán, as it remains today, with the San Millán brotherhood keeping its banners in the apse chapel.” (Iglesia de San Clemente, Wikipedia)

Prato della Valle

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The canal bordered by two rings of statues
Prato della Valle
Padua, May 2025

“Prato della Valle (Prà de ła Vałe in Venetian) is a 90,000-square-meter elliptical square in Padua, Italy. It is the second largest square in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. Today, the square is a large space with a green island at the center, l'Isola Memmia, surrounded by a small canal bordered by two rings of statues. Prior to 1635, the area that would come to be known as the ‘Prato della valle’ was largely a featureless expanse of partially swampy terrain just south of the old city walls of Padova. In 1636, a group of Venetian and Veneto notables financed the construction of a temporary but lavishly appointed theater as a venue for mock battles on horseback. The musical entertainment that served as the prologue to the jousting is considered to be the immediate predecessor of the first public opera performances in Venice, which began the following year.” (Prato della Valle, Wikipedia)

Catedral de la Asunción de la Virgen

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Catedral de la Asunción de la Virgen
Plaza de Anaya
Salamanca, September 2025

“The Catedral de la Asunción de la Virgen (Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary), popularly known as New Cathedral (Catedral Nueva) is, together with the Old Cathedral, one of the two cathedrals of Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. It is the seat of the diocese of Salamanca. It was constructed between 1533 and 1733 mixing late Gothic, Plateresque and Baroque styles. It was commissioned by Ferdinand V of Castile. It is one of the largest cathedrals in Spain in size and its bell tower, at 92 meters high, is also one of the tallest.” (New Cathedral of Salamanca, Wikipedia)

Monumento alla pace

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Monumento alla pace (Peace Monument) by Sauro Cavallini, 1979
Giardino di Valfonda
Via Valfonda
Florence, January 2025

“This is the garden of Villa Vittoria, a building designed in 1520 probably by Baccio d'Agnolo. According to historical sources, this green space stretched over a large area extending from Via Valfonda to Fortezza da Basso and Via della Scala, later downsized to make room for the Santa Maria Novella train station.” (Giardino di Valfonda, Florence by Tram)

Monasterio de la Encarnación

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Monasterio de la Encarnación
Paseo la Encarnación
Ávila, September 2025

“The Monastery of the Incarnation was founded in 1478 within the walled city. It was at the beginning of the 16th century when the Carmelite convent was moved to the outskirts of the city, building the monastery on land acquired from the Chapter and which had previously been the Jewish cemetery. On April 4, 1515, the day the saint was baptized, the monastery was inaugurated, although still unfinished. It consists of four naves enclosing a central courtyard, with a two-story cloister. At the end of the 16th century, the cell occupied by Teresa of Jesus was used as an oratory, and a chapel was planned for construction, which was not inaugurated until 1717. The current configuration of the Chapel of the Transverberation is based on four transverse arches and a half-orange dome. In the 18th century, the interior of the original church was transformed in a Baroque style. The floor plan is in the shape of a Latin cross, with a single nave covered by a barrel vault and a dome with pendentives and a lantern. The altars and reredos are also Baroque. The large bell gable, built in 1715, stands out on the southern façade of the monastery. This monastery is one of the key places in the life of Teresa of Ávila, where she remained almost uninterruptedly from 1535 to 1574. When Teresa de Cepeda, without her father's permission, entered the Carmelite Order, the monastery was one of the most populated in the city. It had a very large number of properties, and as in many others, convent life was not rigorous, with very marked social differences among the nuns. At La Encarnación, she received advice from Francisco de Borja, Juan de la Cruz, and Pedro de Alcántara, and it was from here that she prepared the Carmelite Reform.” (Monasterio de La Encarnación, ÁvilaTurismo)

Scala della Ragione

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Scala della Ragione, 1447
Palazzo della Ragione
Cortile del Mercato Vecchio
Verona, May 2025

“The Scala della Ragione is a fifteenth-century work that is part of the monumental complex of the Palazzo della Ragione in Verona. The structure connects the courtyard of the Mercato Vecchio with the large portal that gives access to the main floor of the palace. In 1446 the City Council decided to create a vertical connection in the large space of the courtyard of the Palazzo della Ragione to allow easy access to the main floor, which at the same time could communicate, through its architecture, the institutional prestige that the complex had in the Verona of the time. The following year, the Scala della Ragione was built in the corner of the courtyard near the Lamberti tower, completely in red Verona marble.” (Scala della Ragione, Wikipedia)

Teteria Palacio Nazari

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Teteria Palacio Nazari
Calle Méndez Núñez
Málaga, March 2025

“Within the shadows of the Nasrid Alcazaba, you will find this oriental tea room. From the street it may appear to be just a tea room, or even an ornate kebab take-away, which it is, but its so much more. Its a pandora's box, a great bundle of gorgeous surprises. Its occupies all three floors of the building, and every room is decorated in the Nasrid style you see in the Alhambra palace of Granada. It gives you an idea of what it might have been like to live in the palace above whose decor is not so well preserved as in Granada or Seville.” (Teteria Palacio Nazari, My Guide Málaga)

Ponte San Paolo

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Ponte San Paolo
Contrà Ponte San Paolo
Vicenza, May 2025

“The Ponte San Paolo (or Ponte di San Paolo) is a bridge of Roman origin that crosses the Retrone river in Vicenza. The San Paolo bridge has had various names throughout its history: in the Middle Ages it was called Ponte Bericano, in the second half of the 14th century Ponte delle Beccarie and in modern times it was called Ponte di San Paolo. It was described for the first time by Andrea Palladio who illustrated it with some drawings: it was a three-arched bridge, demolished in 1875 and replaced with a modern bridge with a single arch that maintains the alignment with the ancient one.” (Ponte San Paolo, Wikipedia)

Caleido

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Caleido by Fenwick Iribarren Architects, 2021
Paseo de la Castellana
Madrid, September 2025

“Caleido is a 173-metre-tall (568 ft), 36-story skyscraper located in Madrid. It is popularly known as the Quinta Torre (Fifth Tower), as it stands near the other four skyscrapers of the Cuatro Torres Business Area (CTBA) complex along the Paseo de la Castellana. As of 2021, IE University is the main tenant. Construction began in April 2017 and the tower was formally completed on 19 October 2021. The original completion date was September 2020, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The building occupies the former site of the Centro Internacional de Convenciones de la Ciudad de Madrid. It is the fifth tallest building in Madrid and the seventh tallest in Spain. Caleido was designed by the architectural firms Fenwick Iribarren and Serrano-Suñer Arquitectura. The main contractor was OHL Desarrollos.” (Caleido, Wikipedia)

Caffè Pedrocchi

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Caffè Pedrocchi (Pedrocchi Café)
Via VIII Febbraio
Padua, May 2025

“The Pedrocchi Café (Caffè Pedrocchi in Italian) is a café founded in the 18th century in central Padua, Italy. It has architectural prominence because its rooms were decorated in diverse styles, arranged in an eclectic ensemble by the architect Giuseppe Jappelli. The café has historical prominence because of its role in the 1848 riots against the Habsburg monarchy, as well as for being an attraction for artists over the last century from the French novelist Stendhal to Lord Byron to the Italian writer Dario Fo. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, coffee consumption by the expanding bourgeoisie of Europe at public establishments expanded. In 1772 the Francesco Pedrocchi of Bergamo founded a successful ‘coffee shop’ here, near the University, town hall, markets, post office and the square of the Noli (now Piazza Garibaldi), from where coaches left to nearby cities. The new café was to be ‘the most beautiful one on the Earth’, it opened in 1831 and then joined, in 1836, from Pedrocchino, elegant neo-Gothic building reserved for the pastry.” (Pedrocchi Café, Wikipedia)

Iglesia de San Esteban

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Iglesia de San Esteban
Plaza San Esteban
Segovia, September 2025

“The Church of St Stephen (Spanish: Iglesia de San Esteban) is one of a number of medieval churches in Segovia, Spain. It dates from the 12th century and is noted for its Romanesque bell tower. The tower is designated a Bien de Interés Cultural and has been protected since 1896, when it was declared a National Monument (published in the Madrid Gazette on 13 December 1896). Since 1985 the church has been part of a World Heritage Site: the Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct. In giving this designation to Segovia, UNESCO noted that the outstanding monuments of the city included ‘several Romanesque churches’.” (Church of San Esteban, Wikipedia)

Church of San Giuliano

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Church of San Giuliano
Via Faenza
Florence, January 2025

“The church of San Giuliano is a Catholic place of worship located in Via Faenza in the historic center of Florence. The church belonged to the female monastery of San Giuliano, founded in the 14th century by Bartolo Benvenuti, and was also known as the ‘Monache di Montaione’ monastery. At the beginning of the 16th century the monastery was inhabited by Dominican nuns dependent on Santa Maria Novella who in 1514 left with the permission of Pope Leo X to place themselves under the dependence of the Archbishop of Florence. In those years the monastery, in particular its church, was embellished with notable works of art: on the high altar there was an altarpiece by Mariotto Albertinelli with the Madonna and Child with Saints Giuliano, Domenico, Nicola and Girolamo and on the one on the right another by the same Albertinelli with the Trinity, both dating back to around 1510 and today in the Galleria dell'Accademia.” (Chiesa di San Giuliano, Wikipedia)

La Clerecía

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La Clerecía
Calle de la Compañía
Salamanca, September 2025

“La Clerecía is the name given to the building of the former ‘Real Colegio del Espíritu Santo’ (or Santo Espíritu) of the Society of Jesus, built in Salamanca between the 17th and 18th centuries. It is of baroque style. It differs the college, with an interesting cloister, and the church, with an impressive facade of three bodies. The name of Clerecía is due to an abbreviated denomination of its belonging to the Real Clerecía de San Marcos after the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain. Construction began in 1617 under the protection of Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III, apparently as an act of reparation to the order for the imprisonment suffered by its founder, Ignatius of Loyola, by the Inquisition in the Mocha tower of the old cathedral of Salamanca. It was completed in 1754. The general floor plan of the building is the work of Juan Gómez de Mora. After the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain, decreed by Charles III by means of the Pragmatic Sanction of 1767, the building was given to the Royal Clergy of San Marcos, with headquarters in the Church of San Marcos. The latter subsequently ceded the building (except for the church) to the Diocese of Salamanca, which installed the Seminary of San Carlos in it. In 1940, the Pontifical University of Salamanca was created and instituted by Pope Pius XII, and the Diocese gave it the building as its headquarters. Although this delivery did not include the temple of the Holy Spirit, the Pontifical University suppressed its worship since September 2012 to be exploited for tourism. Only weddings of alumni and people linked to the Pontifical University are allowed.” (La Clerecía, Wikipedia)

Santa Anastasia

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Basilica of Santa Anastasia
Piazza Santa Anastasia
Verona, May 2025

“The church of San Pietro da Verona in Santa Anastasia, better known as the basilica of Santa Anastasia, is an important Catholic place of worship that stands in the heart of the historic center of Verona; it is located at the end of the decumanus maximus of the city in Roman times, near the point where the wide meander of the Adige river is crossed by the Ponte Pietra, where the two main traffic routes of the city, road and river, gravitate. It is the largest, most solemn and representative church in Verona, a reflection of a lively moment in the city's life, when the expansion and consolidation of political and economic institutions allowed the community, in synergy with the Scaliger rule, the Dominican clergy and the Castelbarco family, to make a considerable financial effort to build this important temple, a symbol of their power.” (Santa Anastasia, Wikipedia)

Ermita del Humilladero

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Ermita del Humilladero
Calle Humilladero
Ávila, September 2025

“The Ermita del Humilladero (Humilladero hermitage) is a Catholic temple in the Spanish city of Ávila , whose construction dates back to the 16th century. Located in the city of Ávila, it is also called the ‘humilladero de la Vera Cruz’. It is a hermitage made of Berroqueña ashlar stone whose construction was halted between 1552 and 1594, according to Juan Martín Carramolino. After leveling the road that led from the city to Madrid, the main façade (the south one) was buried up to half of the door. It is located a few meters from the Basilica of San Vicente.” (Ermita del Humilladero, Wikipedia)

Ponte San Michele

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Ponte San Michele
Via Ponte San Michele
Vicenza, May 2025

“The bridge, exclusively for pedestrians, crosses the Retrone River in the south-eastern part of the city. In this ‘alla veneziana’ form with a single arch, it was built in 1621-23, the third reconstruction of a structure originally made of wood (1265) and then of stone (1422). It owes its name to its proximity to the Augustinian church of San Michele, built in the 13th century by the Augustinians, but destroyed in the Napoleonic era; today only part of the convent remains.” (Ponte San Michele, Arte.it)

El Cenachero

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“El Cenachero” by Jaime Fernández Pimentel, 1968
Plaza de la Marina
Málaga, March 2025

“This bronze sculpture created by Málaga artist Jaime Fernández Pimentel in 1968 represents a typical and traditional figure of Málaga, the ‘Cenachero’ or Fish Vendor. El Cenachero sold fish on the streets of the city while maintaining the balance of the two esparto baskets he carried. These basket are called ‘cenachos’ in Spanish, hence his name. The cenachos were handmade of esparto and filled at the beaches where the central fishing net was landed. Generally, Cenacheros sold anchovies, but also traded in mackerel, sardines or whitebait. The sculpture shows how a traditional cenachero dressed: with a sash, the hanging cenachos and a hat to protect him from the heat. In honour of the twinning of the cities of Málaga and Mobile, Alabama, Málaga City Council donated a replica of this sculpture to Mobile, which has been erected in a square of this American city.” (El Cenachero, Ayuntamiento de Málaga)

Palazzo del Bo

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Palazzo del Bo (Bo Palace)
Via VIII Febbraio
Padua, May 2025

“The Bo Palace (Palazzo del Bo) is the historical seat of University of Padua since 1493. It is still home to the Rectorate and the School of Law. It is also home to the oldest anatomical theatre in the world. The University of Padua was founded by an exodus of professors and students from the University of Bologna in 1222. When the University settled in the current location of the Bo, a long time had passed since its foundation and, by then, all its structures had profoundly changed from the initial ones. It was now made illustrious by the value of its students and teachers, furthermore it could materially be considered one of the major European universities, and the most attended by foreign students among the universities of the Italian peninsula. Like many other complexes that have had a long historical life, that of the Bo also presents itself with a rather complex genesis and with events that, over the centuries, have contributed to modifying its physiognomy. Therefore, a historical analysis of the various components of the Palace, starting from the defined sixteenth-century nucleus, and then arriving at the imposing additions that occurred during the twenty years of fascism, implies an understanding of the events that have marked the life of the city and the university over the centuries.” (Palazzo del Bo, Wikipedia)

Simeón Sentado

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Simeón Sentado by Francisco Leiro, 2007
Paseo de la Castellana
Madrid, September 2025

“Simeon wanted to be alone to meditate, but he was so rigorous in his methods that he was expelled from the monastery. To escape the world, he went to the desert and there looked for a dry cistern, but curiosity was aroused, and his fame drew hundreds of people to visit him. He also visited the cave where he later took refuge. Fed up with everything, he had a three-meter-high column built, but it wasn't enough. He asked for another seven-meter one, but that wasn't enough either. Finally, he got one seventeen meters high, which he climbed. According to legend, he spent thirty-seven years there, until he died in 459. He was known as Simon the Stylite, and his memory is commemorated on January 5th. Luis Buñuel made a film about him, Simon of the Desert (1965), a cinema classic. Buñuel didn't let him die on the column, but that's another story. This is ‘Simeón sentado’ (Simon Seated), a bronze sculpture on a granite column by Francisco Leiro, installed in 2007 at the Cuatro Torres in Madrid. Leiro, who has other sculptures in which the biblical and the classical interact with modernity, wanted to see here a distracted attitude in Simeon, evoking the Hellenistic Thorn-Bearer, but also Rodin's thinker. I said distracted, but I could say relaxed: is good old Simeon meditating, or has he been distracted by the flight of a butterfly? No matter how high you climb, the world will always call you back. There, next to it, is the Torre Emperador Castellana, formerly Torre Espacio, with its two hundred and thirty meters of height (the fourth tallest building in Spain) and many people perched on it. Are they meditating? The tower is also famous for the fire that broke out there while it was still under construction, in September 2006. Will Simeon think of this when he sees people staring curiously at him from above?” (Simeón sentado, La Acequia)

Loggia del Consiglio

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Loggia del Consiglio, 1493
Piazza dei Signori
Verona, May 2025

“The Loggia del Consiglio, also known as the Loggia of Fra Giocondo after the humanist friar Giovanni Giocondo, who was long believed to be the designer of the building, is a significant episode in Veronese architecture from the second half of the fifteenth century. The loggia, located in Piazza dei Signori, in the heart of Verona, was a representative building commissioned by the leaders of the Municipality for the sessions of the patriotic Council, and is currently the seat of the offices of the Province of Verona. Starting from 1451 the Municipality of Verona began the search for a suitable place to host its Council until in 1476, finally, it decided to build in Piazza dei Signori a loggia characterized by marble columns, which would replace a crenellated palace. The latter was in poor condition of conservation and, moreover, had a facade advanced towards the square and not aligned with the building that was located to the side; to reconcile the new canons of Renaissance architecture, it was decided to move back the facade of the new loggia, so as to remodel the square in front and give it a regular shape.” (Loggia del Consiglio, Wikipedia)

Nuestra Señora de la Asunción

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Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción y de San Frutos
Calle Marqués del Arco
Segovia, September 2025

“The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and of Saint Fructus is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the Spanish city of Segovia. The church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and to Saint Fructus and is the seat of the Diocese of Segovia. It was built in the Flamboyant style, and was dedicated in 1768, constituting one of the latest Gothic cathedrals in Europe. The original cathedral stood adjacent to the Alcazar and was destroyed during the Revolt of the Comuneros. During the Revolt, the city of Segovia murdered their legislator after he voted against their interests during the Cortes of Corunna celebrated on April 22, 1520. Rodrigo Ronquillo was sent to investigate the murder, but the city refused him entry, leading to the blockade of Segovia. The supporters of Charles V barricaded themselves inside the Alcazar, while the Comuneros intended to take the cathedral and use it as a strategic position to siege the Alcazar. After 6 months of constant siege, the Comuneros were defeated in Villalar and the original cathedral laid in ruins. Charles V then ordered a new cathedral to be built, but demanded it to be built in a completely different place to prevent a similar outcome in the case of another siege to the Alcazar. The new cathedral was to be built on top of the Convent of Saint Clare of the Cross and part of the jewish quarter (its actual location). The chosen architect was Juan Gil de Hontañón and the first stone was laid on June 8, 1525. To reduce costs, some of the remains of the previous cathedral were used in its construction, suchs as the cloister.” (Segovia Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Neri Pozza

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Monument to Neri Pozza by Nereo Quagliato, 2012
Contrà Pescaria
Vicenza, May 2025

“Neri Pozza (Vicenza, 5 August 1912 – Vicenza, 6 November 1988) was an Italian partisan, writer and publisher. He was also an artist, engraver and collector of contemporary art. He was born and lived in Vicenza, a city to which he dedicated all his activity. He attended the Pigafetta classical high school in Vicenza, but did not complete his studies; his father was a sculptor and Neri approached sculpture, which he soon abandoned for poetry. Active in the Vicenza Resistance, he wrote the book ‘La prigione’ from this experience in the 1960s. In 1941 he founded the publishing house Il Pellicano, under the banner of a vivifying cultural renewal; an intent made evident in the logo, which features a pelican feeding its dying children with its own blood. After the war period he committed himself to what would be the project of his life: Neri Pozza Editore, for which the first title was published in 1946: ‘Paludi’ by André Gide. In 1950 he published the anthology ‘In quel preciso momento’ by Dino Buzzati. In 1951 he published the first novel by Goffredo Parise (also from Vicenza), ‘Il ragazzo morto e le comete’. The growth path of the publishing house continued with collaborations with Vincenzo Cardarelli, Eugenio Montale, Carlo Emilio Gadda and Mario Luzi.” (Neri Pozza, Wikipedia)

Iglesia de Santiago del Arrabal

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Iglesia de Santiago del Arrabal
Plaza de Santiago
Salamanca, September 2025

“The church of Santiago del Arrabal is a Catholic church located on the banks of the River Tormes in the city of Salamanca. Its construction dates back to the 12th century, making it one of the oldest in Salamanca. It is located near the Roman bridge of Salamanca and the stone verraco (the so-called verraco del puente). It is one of the churches near the Ruta de la Plata before entering the city on the Jacobean pilgrimage. The interior was completely baroque in the 18th century due to the transformations and renovations that were made. The church was important in the celebrations of the festival of Santiago in which the representatives of the city council came on horseback preceded by a herald with a flag. It was founded in 1145 as a Mozarabic church. It was located in the suburb (outside the walls) and had a notable relevance, since every year until it was closed in the 19th century it was visited by members of the City Council on the day and the eve of Santiago. In addition, until 1772 it maintained, exclusively with the cathedral, the right of asylum.” (Iglesia de Santiago del Arrabal, Wikipedia)

Church of the Eremitani

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Church of the Eremitani
Piazza Eremitani
Padua, May 2025

“The Church of the Eremitani (Chiesa degli Eremitani), or Church of the Hermits, is a former-Augustinian, 13th-century Gothic-style church in Padua, region of the Veneto, Italy. It is also now notable for being adjacent to the Cappella Scrovegni with Giotto frescoes and the municipal archeology and art gallery: the Musei Civici agli Eremitani, which is housed in the former Augustinian monastery located to the left of the entrance. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Padua's 14th-century fresco cycles (since 2021). The Augustinian hermit friars, precursors of the present Order of Saint Augustine had arrived in Padua in 1237. Through the patronage of both the wife of the local nobleman Zaccaria dell'Arena and the city, the church was erected between 1260 and 1276 and dedicated to the saints Philip and James. The friars would remain in the administration of the monastery and church until 1806, when the Napoleonic régime suppressed the order and closed the monastery. The church was re-opened to services in 1808, and in 1817 redesignated a parish church. The façade is tall with a rose window. A 15th-century side portal has bas-reliefs depicting the months, completed by Nicolò Baroncelli. The interior has a single nave.” (Church of the Eremitani, Wikipedia)

Nuestra Señora de las Nieves

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Ermita de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves
Calle Reyes Católicos
Ávila, September 2025

“The hermitage of Our Lady of the Snows is a Catholic temple in the Spanish city of Ávila. Located within the city of Ávila, within the walls, this chapel was founded by María Dávila. It is located in a central and busy spot in the city: Calle Reyes Católicos (previously known as ‘de Andrín’ or ‘del Comercio’). Solidly constructed, it is built of Berroqueña stone, laid on ashlars. According to Juan Martín Carramolino, it is thought to be a disproportionate building, as its height does not correspond to its other tiny dimensions. Next to the chapel were the houses that served as the residence of the Franciscan nuns from the time they abandoned their original convent of Villa Dei on the Gordillas mountain until they settled in a convent built in the city. In 1600, Antonio Gutiérrez de Vayas and his wife María de la Concepción obtained the right to patronage this chapel.” (Ermita de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, Wikipedia)

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott

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“Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God)
Lutheran Evangelical church by Riccardo Mazzanti, 1901
Lungarno Torrigiani
Florence, December 2024

“‘A Mighty Fortress Is Our God’ (originally written in German with the title ‘Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott’) is one of the best known hymns by the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther, a prolific hymnwriter. Luther wrote the words and composed the hymn tune between 1527 and 1529. It has been translated into English at least seventy times and also into many other languages. The words are mostly original, although the first line paraphrases that of Psalm 46.” (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, Wikipedia)

“Escape” by ROA

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“Escape” by ROA, 2013
Calle Casas de Campos
Málaga, March 2025

“ROA (born c. 1976) is a graffiti and street artist from Ghent, Belgium. He has created works on the streets of cities across Europe, the United States, Australia, Asia, New Zealand and Africa. ROA generally paints wild or urban animals and birds that are native to the area being painted. ROA usually uses a minimal color palette, such as black and white, but also creates works using vibrant colours depicting the flesh or internal systems within the animals and birds.” (ROA, Wikipedia)

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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‘Smartworking alla tavola calda’ (Smartworking at the Diner) by Maurizio Rapiti
Via de' Guicciardini
Florence, December 2024

“‘Automat’ by Edward Hopper (1927) revisited by Maurizio Rapiti.”

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)