Blue Banana

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Blue Banana by Giuseppe Veneziano
Piazza Duomo
Pietrasanta, September 2021

Casa de los Gatos

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Casa de los Gatos (House of Cats) by Alfonso Yuste Navarro, 2003
Carrer del Museu
Valencia, September 2022

“Cats are no strangers to urban agglomeration, especially in a warm climate, and the felines of Valencia are no exception. Feral cats roam the streets, looking for a place to rest their bones before being shooed away. The cat house offers them respite. At the foot of a blue wall on Carrer del Museu, the facade of a tiny house attracts the attention of passersby. The house is only a foot or two tall but it is designed in a classically Valencian style. It has a Spanish tiled roof, a little fountain, and a ‘garden’ to the side (actually just one potted plant). The house’s entrance is dark and does not appear to lead to the other side of the wall, but perhaps that’s just a ruse for human intruders. Legend has it that the old woman who previously owned the house behind the gate left it for the feral cats of Valencia to inhabit. Whether or not this is true and whether or not there are any cats behind the wall will have to remain a mystery—to the humans of Valencia at least.” (Cat House, Atlas Obscura)

Santo Sepolcro

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Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro (Church of the Holy Sepulchre)
Piazza Santo Sepolcro
Pisa, April 2022

“The Church of the Santo Sepolcro (Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro) is a religious edifice in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. Built in the early 12th century (it is known at least from 1113), it was designed by Diotisalvi, who also designed the Baptistery of Pisa Cathedral forty years later. It has an octagonal plan and, until the 16th century, it was surrounded by a portico. The central tambour, supported by eight ogival arches, is super-elevated and is surmounted by a conic cusp. The attribution to the Holy Sepulchre is a reference to the latter's relics which were carried in Pisa by archbishop Dagobert after his participation to the First Crusade. The structure resembles indeed the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, conquered by the crusaders in 1099. The portals have decorations with animals and lions' heads in marble. The interior, restored in 1720 in Baroque style, was destroyed in the 19th century. What remains include a bust-reliquary of St. Ubaldesca (15th century) with a pail which, according to the tradition, belonged to the saint; the tombstone of Marie Mancini, Mazarin's niece; and a 15th-century panel of the Madonna with Child. The unfinished small bell tower is in Pisane-Romanesque style, with rectangular plan.” (Santo Sepolcro, Wikipedia)

Puerta del Sol

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Puerta del Sol
Callejón San José
Toledo, September 2022

“Puerta del Sol is a city gate of Toledo, Spain, built in the late 14th century by the Knights Hospitaller. The medallion above the arch of the gate depicts the ordination of the Visigothic Ildephonsus, Toledo's patron saint. The name of the gate comes from the sun and the moon that were once painted on either side of this medallion. This gate was named because of its orientation to the east, where the sun always rises. The gate is no longer there, but the entrance is.” (Puerta del Sol, Wikipedia)

Dolce & Gabbana

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Dolce & Gabbana by Giuseppe Veneziano
Via Garibaldi
Pietrasanta, September 2021

Estación de Madrid Atocha

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Estación de Madrid Atocha (Madrid Atocha railway station)
Plaza del Emperador Carlos V
Madrid, September 2022

“Madrid Atocha (Estación de Madrid Atocha), also named Madrid Puerta de Atocha, is the first major railway station in Madrid. It is the largest station serving commuter trains (Cercanías), regional trains from the south and southeast, intercity trains from Navarre, Cádiz and Huelva (Andalusia) and La Rioja, and the AVE high speed trains from Girona, Tarragona and Barcelona (Catalonia), Huesca and Zaragoza (Aragon), Sevilla, Córdoba, Málaga and Granada (Andalusia), Valencia, Castellón and Alicante (Levante Region). These train services are run by Spain's national rail company, Renfe. As of 2019, this station has daily services to Marseille, France.” (Madrid Atocha railway station, Wikipedia)

Palazzo Blu

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Palazzo Blu
Lungarno Gambacorti
Pisa, April 2022

“Palazzo Blu is a center for temporary exhibitions and cultural activities located in 9 Lungarno Gambacorti, in the heart of the historic center of Pisa, Italy. This museum is managed by the Fondazione Palazzo Blu (a foundation funded by Fondazione Pisa), and is located in the Palazzo Giuli Rosselmini Gualandi (and Palazzo Casarosa), ancient palace restored by the Fondazione Pisa. Its name comes from the blue color uncovered during an architectural recent restoration, and attributable to the taste of Russian owners who acquired the Palazzo in the eighteenth century.” (Palazzo Blu, Wikipedia)