- Madonna with Child by Vincenzo Pagani
Madonna with Child and Saints Martin, Michael and George (1529) by Vincenzo Pagani. Palazzo Ducale, Urbino. - Madonna with Child by Vincenzo Pagani
Madonna with Child and Saints Martin, Michael and George (1529) by Vincenzo Pagani. Palazzo Ducale, Urbino. - Annunciation by Vicenzo Pagani
Annunciation (1532) by Vicenzo Pagani. Palazzo Ducale, Urbino. - Saint Mary Magdalene
Saint Mary Magdalene (1508) by Timoteo Viti. Palazzo Ducale, Urbino. - Saint Mary Magdalene
Saint Mary Magdalene (1508) by Timoteo Viti. Palazzo Ducale, Urbino. - Portrait of a Lady by Raphael
Portrait of a Lady, La Mutta (1505-1509) by Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino). Palazzo Ducale, Urbino. - Madonna with Child
Church of Saint Dominic, Urbino. - Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi, Urbino
- Napoleon's villa
Napoleon used this house in 1814-15. - Napoleon's villa
Bathroom - Portoferraio
You must enter another dimension behind these doors, otherwise I cannot imagine how these are separate apartments/houses. - Ancient graffiti
in Linguella, Portoferraio, Elba - Santo Stefano alle Trane
Ceiling of the church - Palace of Holyroodhouse
The official Scottish residence of British monarchs since the 16th century, including Mary, Queen of Scots and James VI and I. - The Monument to Philopappos
The Monument to Philopappos, Athens (1805-1807) by Giovanni Battista Lusieri. This is the painter's only known oil painting, everything else are watercolours. - Crucifix
Church of San Giacomo e San Quirico. Now that is a strange statue: the shoulders seem to be broken and the hair seems to be ... real. - Church of San Giacomo e San Quirico
Some Guarnerius Sculpsit in 1679. - Public wash-house
Lavatoio pubblico - public wash-house in Rio nell'Elba. In 1873 the population of Rio increased significantly, and they rebuilt the old wash-house. - Rio nell'Elba
I still don't understand how TWO apartments can fit into such a small house. - Church of the Holy Souls
Church of the Holy Souls now shows The Nativity of Rio Castello. All year long. Even in summer. The nativity scene is not old, it was built in 2010. - La citadelle Saint-Elme in Villefranche
Roof of the remparts at the citadel. - Église Notre-Dame-d'Espérance
The church of Our Lady of Hope in Cannes dates from the 16th century. - Old houses in Valbonne
Through the whole old town of Valbonne, portraits of previous inhabitants are displayed. A wonderful idea as these houses surely have a lot to tell. - Decoration on the Château de Nice
One of the mosaics on the way up the Castle hill in Nice. Inspired by ancient Greece. - Place de l'Église in Biot
- A letter box in Biot
Letter boxes in Place de l'Église in Biot. Is one hole for letters and the other for pigeons? - Église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Biot
A very interesting church as you have to walk down to enter it. But there is a limited amount of asymmetry I can handle - and a main entrance that is off is just too off for me :-) - The Four Tetrachrs
The Four Tetrachrs are the four rulers that simultaneously governed the Roman Empire. The statue is from the 4th century, made in Porphyry and was originally in Constantinople. - St. Alipius Gate
West facade of the Basilica with the symbols of the four evangelists. - Pozzo di San Patrizio
The well has is 62 m deep and has double-helical stairs around it. - Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Frescoes (1477) - Via San Giovanni
A street lamp just behind the 13th century Porta San Giovanni. - 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). - Palazzo Vecchio del Podestà
Interesting coat of arms on the town hall walls. - Torre Rognosa and Torre Chigi
The tall one (52 m) is Rognosa (1200) and the small one is Chigi (1280). - Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
The last judgement by Taddeo di Bartolo (1393). The lower part is Saint Sebastian by Benozzo Gozzoli (1465). - San Gimignano
View from the park of Rocca di Montestaffoli, a 14th century fortress. - San Gimignano
View over the towers of San Gimignano. There are 14 of them in total. - Piazza del Duomo
Piazza del Duomo with the dome and one of the two twin towers (Torri dei Salvucci). - Piazza della Cisterna
This 13th century square was at a crossroad: Via Francigena and the road connecting Pisa-Siena. The cistern is from 1287. - Piazza della Cisterna
- Palazzo Comunale
The courtyard of Palazzo Comunale was built in 1323. The cistern was arranged in 1361. - San Gimignano
- Siena Cathedral
View of the Cathedral from Via Bruno Bonci. - Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico
The church dates from 1226-1265, but was enlarged in the 14th century. - Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico
It does look strangely empty. - Palazzo Tolomei
Palazzo was built in 1270-1275. It used to be a bank... and it still is. - 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
- Piazza del Campo
This is the central water drain in the square, called gavinone. - 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
She-wolf of Siena, surrounded with emblems of confederate cities, dating from 1373. - Siena Cathedral
One of the scenes on pulpit: Massacre of the Innocents - Siena Cathedral
The Hellespontine Sibyl (detail) by Neroccio di Bartolomeo. She was known for her prediction of Crucifixion. The wolf and the lion represent Siena and Florence. - Siena Cathedral
The frescoes tell the story of cardinal Enea Silvio Piccolomini (Pope Pius II). These two are: Pius II canonizes Saint Catherine of Siena in 1461 and Pius II arrives in Ancona to launch the crusade. - Siena Cathedral
Piccolomini coat of arms: a blue cross with five crescent. - Loggia della mercanzia
Frescoes by Lorenzo Rustici (1553-1563). - Palazzo Pubblico
- Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
The monastery was founded by Charlemagne in 781, but I think this church was built between 1118 and 1260. - Ospitalità
- Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
The church with the visible apse of the original Carolingian Chapel on the left. - 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. - Santa Maria Assunta
A wonderful ceiling! - Santa Maria Assunta
- Santa Maria Assunta
- Santa Maria Assunta
When repairing the support for the collapsing church, they built a whole maze underneath it. A highlight to visit! - Model of Pienza
- Diocesan Museum of Pienza - Palazzo Borgia
Un giovane Bacco by Antonio Amorosi (figure) and Giovanni Paolo Spadino (grapes). Around 1725. - Diocesan Museum of Pienza - Palazzo Borgia
Crucifix from the end of the 12th century. - Diocesan Museum of Pienza - Palazzo Borgia
San Regolo by Domenico di Niccolo "Dei Cori" (1435). - Porta al Prato
The medieval entrance to the old town. - Palazzo Avignonesi
Built between 1542 and 1572 by Jacopo Barozzi, known as the Vignola. Now a hotel. - 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. - Cathedral Saint Mary Of The Assumption
The cathedral was 'finished' in 1680. Although it was never actually finished. I would assume that in 1680 they just gave up and proclaimed it finished. - 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. - Cathedral Saint Mary Of The Assumption
View of the cathedral. - San Biagio
But the view is fantastic! This is San Biagio, built in 1518-1540 by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder. - 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 ;-) - Basilica di San Lorenzo
Here used to be a super-old church (from 393), then another 11th century romanesque one, and in 1470 this one was completed. - View from Piazzale Michelangelo
- View from Piazzale Michelangelo
- Virgin Mary and child
I really like the visible hairstyle of Saint Mary. Unusual to see her hair so long and so curly. - Doors in one of the cloister
I don't quite get these doors, to be honest. - Convento dos Capuchos
This wonderful convent was founded in 1560 and inhabited until 1834. - Convento dos Capuchos
The magical monastery is even more mysterious in fog. This is the central cloister with a fountain. - Alhambra palace
View of Alhambra from Mirador de San Nicolás. At sunset, as it should be. - Roman Theatre
Dating from the 1st and used until the 3rd century, the theatre was discovered in 1951! Parts of the theatre were used to build Alcazaba. - Derrière une porte
I once had to write a story "Derrière une porte" being given an image similar to this one. I probably could write another one for this door as well.