- Detail
Detail of a lovely window grill. - Volta pinta
The artist was inspired by Nero's Domus Aurea in Rome. - Volta pinta
This loggia in Piazza del Comune was painted in 1556, probably by Raffaello Coda da Rimini. - Local art
- Chiesa di Sant'Andrea
Frescoes on one of the columns. - San Salvatore
OK, now, this may be my favourite church in Spoleto. Built in the 4th and 5th century, and renovated by the Lombards in the 8th century. - Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
The mosaic portraying Christ giving a Benediction, signed by Solsternus (1207). Let that sink in. 1207. - Piazza Pianciani
- Siena Cathedral
View of the Cathedral from Via Bruno Bonci. - Siena Cathedral
- Piazza Salimbeni
The statue of Sallustio Bandini (1677-1760) by Tito Sarrocchi (1880). Bandini was an archdeacon, economist, and politician. - Loggia della mercanzia
Frescoes by Pastorino dei Pastorini (1549-1552). - Siena Cathedral
She-wolf of Siena, surrounded with emblems of confederate cities, dating from 1373. - Siena Cathedral
Detail of Pinturicchio's Mount of Wisdom (1505): Fortuna, holding a horn of plenty and a wind-swollen sail. She, standing on a sphere and a boat with a broken mast, brought the wise men to the island. - Siena Cathedral
The dome is topped with Bernini's gilded lantern. - Siena Cathedral
- Siena Cathedral
Pulpit by Nicola Pisano (1268). The panels narrate the Life of Christ and the central column shows Seven Liberal Arts: Grammar, Dialectica, Rhetoric, Philosophy, Arithmetic, Music, and Astronomy. - Siena Cathedral
Detail of Liberation of Bethulia, made in 1473 possibly by Urbano da Cortona. This is the story about Judith and Holofernes. - Siena Cathedral
One of the scenes on pulpit: Massacre of the Innocents - Siena Cathedral
A wonderful ceiling, but these heads are a bit creepy. - 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
A detail of something. I cannot possibly remember where I took this picture. - Siena Cathedral
Detail of Pinturicchio's Mount of Wisdom (1505): Crates of Thebes who is throwing jewels into the sea. - Siena Cathedral
The divine interior of the Cathedral. - 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
Floors in the Piccolomini Library. - Siena Cathedral
More interesting details on the ceiling of the Piccolomini Library. - Siena Cathedral
Piccolomini coat of arms: a blue cross with five crescent. - Siena Cathedral
Ceiling of the Piccolomini Library, painted by Pinturicchio (1503). - Siena Cathedral
Some details on the ceiling of Piccolomini Library. - Siena Cathedral
A lion on the exterior of the cathedral. I am a bit intrigued by his eyes... - Loggia della mercanzia
Frescoes by Lorenzo Rustici (1553-1563). - Loggia della mercanzia
- Fonte Gaia
The first fountain was built in 1342, this one was made in 1419 by Jacopo della Quercia. - Fonte Gaia
The original statues are kept in a museum, these are some (old) copies. - Santa Maria Assunta
A wonderful ceiling! - Palazzo Comunale
The entrance to the Palazzo Comunale. - Diocesan Museum of Pienza - Palazzo Borgia
Crucifix from the end of the 12th century. - Basilica of Santa Maria Novella
One of the many sails on the facade, which was added to the church in 1456–1470. - Giovanni delle Bande Nere
Giovanni delle Bande Nere (1498–1526) was the father of Cosimo I de Medici. The statue is by Baccio Bandinelli (1560). - :-)
Two doggos watching the Florence Cathedral. - Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
The cathedral was built between 1296 and 1436, but the facade was added 1887. I feel like I have been lied to. - Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
- 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. - Giotto's Campanile
Daedalus by Andrea Pisano. Here I can actually understand why the marble is called 'green'. - DSC 9615
- Fountain of Neptune
Designed by Baccio Bandinelli and created by Bartolomeo Ammannati between 1560 and 1574. - Palazzo Vecchio
A lion in the Palazzo Vecchio. No, this time we didn't enter it, just walked around the palace a bit. - Palazzo Vecchio
Officially, such decorations are called grotesque. - Palazzo Vecchio
Grotesque or not, I like them a lot. - David, of course
A copy of Michelangelo's David. The original (1504) was moved to Galleria dell'Accademia in 1873. - Hercules and Cacus
Hercules and Cacus by Baccio Bandinelli (1525-1534). - Medusa
Medusa's head from the statue Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini (1545-1554) located in the Loggia dei Lanzi. - Rape/kidnapping of the Sabine Women
English wikipedia: Rape, also known as kidnapping. Slovenian wikipedia: Kidnapping, also known as rape. Oh well. By Giambologna (1583). - Detail
Street lamps in Florence have very interesting bases ;-) Oh, and they are of course three-legged. - 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. - Fountain of Neptune
Designed by Baccio Bandinelli and created by Bartolomeo Ammannati between 1560 and 1574. - History of Lisbon
A complete Lisbon history in one passage. Mural by Nuno Saraiva. Every city should have a mural like this one. - Tiles in Alfama
Finding little treasures while getting lost in Alfama. - Levico Terme
Some artificial flowers in the town centre. - Jugendstil quarter
One of many wonderful buildings in the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) Quarter. Designed by Mikhail Eisenstein. - Jugendstil quarter
One of many wonderful buildings in the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) Quarter. - Bird skyscraper
Now this is a brilliant way of reusing an old tree.