- Vallouise
One of the 'maisons plus riches'. Influenced by Piedmont architecture, the rich had stone staircases and arcades. - Palazzo del Popolo
The palace was built in 1280-1316. - Giotto's Campanile
These hexagonal panels depict (from left): Gionitus (Astronomy), the Art of Building, Medicine, and Hunting. By Andrea Pisano and his workshop, and Nino Pisano. - Hall of Destiny
The ceiling in the Hall of Destiny: Lusitania, surrounded by the Portugal kings. Afonso Henriques, who has the Book of Destinies of Portugal, is surrounded by Hugues Capet, King of France, and Henry of Burgundy, father of Afonso Henriques. - House of Blackheads
The name of the house derives from the guilders' patron St. Maurice, who was often depicted as a Moor. - Riga centre
- Local graffiti
- St. Peter's Church
St. Peter's Church (Rīgas Sv. Pētera baznīca). Founded in 1209 and rebuilt in the 15th century. - Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ
The Orthodox Cathedral was built in 1876-1884. - La Tête Carrée
A library (2002). If you design modern architecture, make a statement. Well done. - Schwammerlturm
The town gates as seen from the river side. The river is Mur, by the way. - Schwammerlturm
The tower was originally built in 1268 and rebuilt in 1615. - Hacklhaus
Daytime view of the Hacklhaus. The house was built in the 16th century and decorated in 1680. - Altes Rathaus
The town hall was built in 1485 with the tower added in 1568. They added the coats of arms in 1728. - Montanuniversität Leoben
Well... I don't quite understand what's saying, but the google translate surely is wrong: "every time you surrendered to the six months old muse" :-) - Etrurian Temple of Belvedere
Remains of an old Etrurian Temple. A wonderful windy location at the top of the cliff. - Pozzo di San Patrizio
This well was commissioned in 1527 by Pope Clement VII and designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. - Pozzo di San Patrizio
There are 70 windows in the well. - Pozzo di San Patrizio
The well has is 62 m deep and has double-helical stairs around it. - Palazzo del Popolo
Is this a dog with a helmet? And a cow sitting on top of it? - Piazza del Popolo
Well, now ... There must be another way of renovating windows, right? - 12-sided bell tower
Coat of arms on the 12-sided bell tower, next to Chiesa di Sant'Andrea. - Piazza Pianciani
- Palazzo dei Priori
Palazza dei Priori (1293-1443) - Etruscan Arch
One of the two remaining Etruscan gates: constructed in the 3rd century BC and restored by Augustus in 40. - Etruscan Arch
The loggia was added in the 16th century. - View of Perugia
- Torre del Diavolo
San Gimignano is known for its medieval towers. This one is called Devil's because ... apparently ... the owner got home one day finding the tower taller than it was before. Riiiight. All the balconies and terraces are now missing. - Palazzo Comunale
The palace was built in between 1289 and 1298. The tower (Torre Grossa) from 1300 is the tallest in town (54 m). - Torre Rognosa and Torre Chigi
The tall one (52 m) is Rognosa (1200) and the small one is Chigi (1280). - Piazza del Duomo
Piazza del Duomo with the dome and one of the two twin towers (Torri dei Salvucci). - Palazzo Tolomei
Palazzo was built in 1270-1275. It used to be a bank... and it still is. - Loggia della mercanzia
This loggia for merchants was constructed in 1417-1444. - Loggia della mercanzia
Frescoes by Pastorino dei Pastorini (1549-1552). - Palazzo Pubblico
Palazzo Publico (town hall) in the Piazza del Campo. The palace is from 1297 and the tower (Torre del Mangia) from 1338-1348. - Piazza del Campo
- Torre del Mangia
The tower was built in 1338-1348. Its height is exactly the same ad the height of the cathedral, indicating equal powers of the church and the state. - Siena Cathedral
Piccolomini coat of arms: a blue cross with five crescent. - Loggia della mercanzia
Frescoes by Lorenzo Rustici (1553-1563). - Palazzo Pubblico
- Palazzo Comunale
In 1405 Pope Pius II renamed his home town Corsignano to Pienza and rebuilt it in 1459 as an ideal Renaissance town. Once a town, it needed a town hall. - Palazzo Comunale
The entrance to the Palazzo Comunale. - Palazzo Avignonesi
Built between 1542 and 1572 by Jacopo Barozzi, known as the Vignola. Now a hotel. - Palazzo Bucelli
The bottom part of this palace is decorated with plenty of Etruscan and Roman remains. Some are quite interesting. - Palazzo Bucelli
I wonder what's the story behind these donkey's ears... Disclaimer: they of course may not be donkey's ears at all. - Palazzo Bucelli
A fish biting a pegasussnake? - Torre di Pulcinella
This 17th century Pulcinella from Naples strikes the time. The funny thing is that no-one knows how and when it got here ;-) - Torre di Pulcinella
Look at the top! - Palazzo Cervini
- Some tall buildings
These are some tall buildings! - Italian charm
This is a charming and inviting entrance. - Palazzo Comunale
Built in 1440 by Michelozzo, inspired by the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. - Palazzo Comunale
Now this was the highlight of my trip: climbing possibly the tiniest stairs I've ever seen. And I have climbed some dodgy towers in my life. - Palazzo Comunale
And the higher you go, the smaller they become. - Palazzo Nobili-Tarugi
Piazza Grande in rain. And Palazzo Nobili-Tarugi (left) built in the 16th century by either Antonio da Sangallo the Elder or possibly by Jacopo Barozzi from Vignola. - Palazzo Comunale
I had to agree to so many terms and conditions before I was allowed to climb ;-) - Giotto's Campanile
Giotto stared building this tower in 1334. He combined white marble from Carrara, green marble from Prato, and red marble from Siena. The tower was completed in 1359. - DSC 9615
- Palazzo Vecchio
Officially, such decorations are called grotesque. - Palazzo Vecchio
Grotesque or not, I like them a lot. - Medusa
Medusa's head from the statue Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini (1545-1554) located in the Loggia dei Lanzi. - Ponte Vecchio
THE brige across Arno. Built/destroyed several times. This one is from 1345 and still holds. Butchers used to have their shops here, but were replaced with goldsmiths because of the smell. - Porta San Niccolò
Stone gate in fortification walls from 1324. The walls are gone now, but the entrance tower remains. - View from Piazzale Michelangelo
- Palazzo Vecchio
This court is full of Austrian towns, painted in 1565 by Giorgio Vasari for the wedding celebration of Francesco I de' Medici to Archduchess Johanna of Austria. This is obviously Vienna, with Stephansdom. - Palazzo Vecchio
Another one of the many Austrian towns: Graz. - Rio nell'Elba
Public wash house in Rio. And a secret tip: behind the building is probably the best water spring on the whole island. - Rio nell'Elba
Almost perfect reflections in the wash house. - Padrão dos Descobrimentos
Statue built in 1940/1960 to mark the 500-year anniversary of Henry the Navigator's death. - Room of discoveries
Ceiling in the Room of Discoveries by Bernardo António de Oliveira Góis (c. 1770-c. 1820) and Cyrillo Volkmar Machado (1748-1823). - Marble Hallway
- Cloister
What a lovely cloister this is. - Monserrate
In 1846, Francis Cook, the 1st Viscount of Monserrate, built this Gothic-Indian-Moorish-shiny-pretty palace. - Monserrate Main Hall
I do have a soft spot for this kind of architecture. - Gallery in Monserrate
- Gallery in Monserrate
- Music room
The ceiling in the Music room. Apparently there is wonderful acoustic in this room. Not if it is crowded with tourists... - Monserrate Main Hall
The ceiling in the Main hall. - The Initiation Well
- The Initiation Well
- The unfinished initiation well
- Quinta da Rigaleira
Carvalho Monteiro bought the place in 1892 and built this with the Italian architect Luigi Manini. The construction began in 1904 and was completed by 1910. - Quinta da Rigaleira
Heh, this lovely creature is quite literally biting its ass ;-) - Chalet of the Countess of Edla
Ferdinand II built this for the opera singer Elise Friederike Hensler, later Countess of Edla. The chalet is alpine like - but dressed in cork. - Chalet of the Countess of Edla
The ceiling in the Grand Hallway. The whole chalet is very very colourful. - Chalet of the Countess of Edla
All the rooms are insanely beautiful, but this Dining room, with cork and wood, is probably my favourite. - House of Blackheads and Christmas tree
This wonderful building was bombed in WWII, completely demolished seven years later and rebuilt in 1999. - National Library
The new building was opened in 2014. The architect was Gunnar Birkerts (1925-2017), inspired by Castle of Light and Glass Mountain. - St. Peter's Church
St. Peter's Church (Rīgas Sv. Pētera baznīca). Founded in 1209 and rebuilt in the 15th century. The three entrances were added in the 17th century. The current steeple, which is 123 m tall, was built in 1973. - House of Blackheads
Originally built in 1334 for the city's guilds. The facade was was added in 1500s and the four statues of Neptune, Mercury, Unity and Peace were added in 1896. - Mentzendorff house
Built in 1695. - House of Blackheads
Originally built in 1334 for the city's guilds. This wonderful building was bombed in WWII, and completely rebuilt in 1999. - Rīgas Doms - Riga Cathedral
The cloister of the Dome. The courtyard was closed, however, due to snow. - Rīgas Doms - Riga Cathedral
This Lutheran church was founded in 1211, but (re)built several times, so it's got Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque elements. And there was this guy tuning the piano, so I had my own private concert! Pure magic. - Romatic cafe
A romatic cafe behind St. Jacob's Catholic Cathedral (Rīgas Svētā Jēkaba Katedrāle) - Three brothers (Trīs Brāļi)
The Three Brothers are these three houses: the right one is gothic (15th century), the middle one is from the 17th, and the left one from the 18th century. - A closed bar
A closed bar, opposite the Powder Tower. - The Cat's House
Well, here I regretted not carrying my proper camera. Because I couldn't zoom in to the statue of the cat on top of the roof. - Riga centre
Another wonderful Jugenstil/Art Nouveau house. - Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ
The Orthodox Cathedral was built in 1876-1884.