Tōdai-ji temple
The giant Buddha (Daibutsu) statue from the 8th century is 15 m tall.

Karl's bridge
... and the crowds on Charles's bridge. But a wonderful view of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, the Old town bridge tower and the statue of Francis Borgia at sunset.

Vézelay - St anthony's vision
Probably Saint Anthony's vision. With St Anthony on the left, there is a figure tortured by three feathered demons.

Château de Chambord
A bronze bust of Maréchal Turenne, a 19th century copy of a 1695 Jérôme Derbais statue. What a man.

Bayeux Cathedral
Thee Madonnas in the cathedral.

Bayeux Cathedral
Statue of Saint James the Minor in the cathedral.

Bayeux Cathedral
Statue of Saint Bartholomew in the cathedral.

Bayeux Cathedral
I am confused. Are these dogs with their tails biting their asses? Or - more plausible - are they chimeras?

Guimiliau
What an interesting wooden ceiling it is!

Museo Arcivescovile
A falling Erote, from the 1st century.

Museo Arcivescovile
Two Erotes around a basket full of fruits.

Museo Arcivescovile
This is ... something old. And pretty.

San Francesco
This church is one of the few buildings from the times of Corsignano.

Room of the Kings
Room of the kings is full of statues of kings. The tiles depict the monastery history.

Mafra furniture
What a lovely detail in one of the plate cabinets.

House of Blackheads
The name of the house derives from the guilders' patron St. Maurice, who was often depicted as a Moor.

Termessos, necropolis.
A grave with lions.

Basilisk
The basilisk, Schönlaterngasse 7. According to a myth, on 26 June 1212, the servant of a baker discovered a basilisk at the bottom of the well in the courtyard. He destroyed it by holding a mirror to it (looking into its eyes was known to be fatal). The basilisk exploded. Now I know where JK got her ideas from.

Basilisk
Basilisk in the Schönlaterngasse 7.

Jesuitenkirche
Interior of the Jesuit church, by Andrea Pozzo, 1703.

Piaza del Popolo, Cesena
Piaza del Popolo and Fontana Masini (1581-1590) by Laureti, Masini and Montevecchio.

Saint Mary in Sansepolcro Cathedral

Holy Face (12th century)
Holy Face (12th century), originally from Eastern Europe. Notice that Jesus is fully dressed. Sansepolcro cathedral.

Sansepolcro Cathedral

Luca Pacioli, Sansepolcro.
Fra Luca Bartolomeo de Pacioli. The Father of Accounting and Bookkeeping was born in Sansepolcro.

Bas-relief - The Last Judgement
Installed around 1331. Orvieto cathedral.

Bas-relief - New Testament
Below it is Abraham sleeping. Orvieto cathedral.

Detail on the facade
Orvieto cathedral.

Todi Cathedral crypt
Statue of Madonna and Child (12th century) as Seat of Wisdom (Sedes sapientiae).

Todi Cathedral crypt

A creepy corbel
I'm still figuring out whether those are ears or cheeks bound together... Spoleto Cathedral

Assisi Cathedral, San Rufino
A hungry lion.

Tympanum, Assisi Cathedral, San Rufino

Tympanum, Assisi Cathedral, San Rufino

Assisi Cathedral, San Rufino
Another hungry lion.

Assisi Cathedral, San Rufino

Dragon underneath San Crescentino in front of the cathedral, Urbino
San Cresentino is the patron saint of Urbino.

Madonna with Child
Madonna with Child (1440s) by Michele di Giovanni da Fiesole. Palazzo Ducale, Urbino.

Madonna of Mercy
Madonna of Mercy (XV century) by a Camerino sculptor. Palazzo Ducale, Urbino.

Madonna of Mercy
Madonna of Mercy (XV century) by a Camerino sculptor. The coral necklace and bracelets are a symbol of good omen and protection from evil. Palazzo Ducale, Urbino.

Remains of a Roman sarcophagus
Palazzo Ducale, Urbino.

Madonna with Child
Church of Saint Dominic, Urbino.

Santo Stefano alle Trane

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.

A mascaron
Santa Maria Formosa. A mascaron above the main door to the campanile.

Pozzo di San Patrizio
The well has is 62 m deep and has double-helical stairs around it.

Piazza Salimbeni
The statue of Sallustio Bandini (1677-1760) by Tito Sarrocchi (1880). Bandini was an archdeacon, economist, and politician.

Palazzo Pubblico
A statue in the courtyard of Palazzo Publico.

Diocesan Museum of Pienza - Palazzo Borgia
San Regolo by Domenico di Niccolo "Dei Cori" (1435).

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

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).

Giotto's Campanile
Daedalus by Andrea Pisano. Here I can actually understand why the marble is called 'green'.

Fountain of Neptune
Designed by Baccio Bandinelli and created by Bartolomeo Ammannati between 1560 and 1574.

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).

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).

Fountain of Neptune
Designed by Baccio Bandinelli and created by Bartolomeo Ammannati between 1560 and 1574.

Virgin Mary and child
I really like the visible hairstyle of Saint Mary. Unusual to see her hair so long and so curly.

Gargoyle in the cloister
A rather interesting gargoyle.

Chapter House
Statue of S. Gregorivs Magn in the Chapter House.

Court of the Lions
The Lion Fountain that gives the name to the Court. On the rim of the fountain, there's a poem by Ibn Zamrak, describing the beauty of the fountain.

Virgin and Child
15th century statue of the Virgin and Child, detail. The baby Jesus looks like he is holding his own head :-)

Château de Chambord
All the details of the castle become visible from the terraces.

Mont Saint-Michel
Virgin and the child, 13th century.

Côte de granit rose
Oratoire de Saint-Guirec dating from 11th-12th century. Apparently sticking needles into the saint's nose (and the needle remaining there during the high tide) would guarantee you getting married within a year. No wonder it's so eroded :-)

Calvary at Guimiliau
This Calvary was completed in 1588. It depicts 37 scenes from the life and death of Jesus Christ.

Calvary at Guimiliau
The south face of the Calvary. Top row: St. Veronica holding her veil with Jesus' image; Jesus' baptism; Jesus carrying the Cross. Bottom row: Luke the Evangelist; St. Elizabeth and a servant greeting Virgin Mary; Jesus washing a disciple's feet; the Annunciation; Matthew the Evangelist.

Calvary at Guimiliau
The statue of Luke the Evangelist with his ox.

Calvary at Guimiliau
The west face of the Calvary. This part shows the entry into Jerusalem.

Calvary at Guimiliau
The east face of the Calvary. This part shows the Flight into Egypt with Mary holding baby Jesus. Joseph with a pilgrim stick leads.

Calvary at Guimiliau
Matthew the Evangelist with a small boy.

Guimiliau
The entry to the South porch (1617): We can see Cain killing Abel (bottom left), and plenty of Noah: picking grapes (top left), being drunk (top right), Noah's Ark (bottom right). I don't know what the rest it.

Guimiliau
Adam and Eve and the temptation.

Guimiliau
The South porch: Eve being born (i.e. pulled by God) from Adam's rib.

Guimiliau
I don't know who these guys are. Fauns? Did they have fauns in early 17th-century Brittany?

Guimiliau
Someone on a donkey...

Guimiliau
Carved wooden ceiling in the church.

Guimiliau
Every little corner is richly decorated with funny creatures. Again, I have no idea who these two guys are.

Calvary at Guimiliau
The west face of the Calvary. Most notably: the doors on the left, so the priest could climb on the calvary and deliver a sermon. A niche with Paul Aurelian; Top row: Crown of thorns; Pietà; the Resurrection with drunk guards sleeping; Mouth of Hell with devil's lover. Bottom row: John the Evangelist; Entry into Jerusalem; The Last Supper; Luke the Evangelist.

Calvary at Pleyben
The Resurrection of Jesus. Three soldiers sleeping and one is blinded by what he sees. I find it so amusing by how they are dressed. So 16th century :-)

Calvary at Pleyben
Calvary from 1555. Funnily, the cleaned Calvary no longer looks so old :-) Bottom row: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Flight to Egypt, Jesus meeting the lawyers. Top row: the Harrowing of Hell; Jesus leading Adam and Eve; a Jew holding a scroll with the charges against Jesus; a soldier dressing Christ in his royal robe.

Pomposa Abbey
What a lovely peacock. A peacock is apparently considered incorruptible, representing the yearning for heavenly beatitude.

Tōdai-ji temple gates
One of the two guards (Ni-ō) in the Nandai-mon gates (1203). The statue, built by the sculptors Unkei and Kaikei, is over 8 m tall. During the restaurations in 1988 they found documents and sutras within the sculptures.

Tōdai-ji temple
The seated giant Buddha representin Vairocana and one of the two Bodhisattvas. One cannot imagine how big the great Buddha really is.

Tōdai-ji temple
Kōmokuten, one of the heavenly kings, guardian. He is King of the west and one who sees all. Another gigantic statue.

Kiyomizu-dera
Buddhist temple and Shoun Seiryu, a dragon protecting the temple.

TNM
The Wisdom King Fudo, 11th century. The most important Wisdom King, he emits flames that burn away ignorance, holds a sword that cuts though delusions and a rope that pulls people toward salvation.

TNM
First: Tokyo National Museum. Heavenly King, 10-11th century. Coming from the Buddha Hall in Kyoto, he is a guardian god, repelling evil spirits.

TNM
The Wisdom King Aizen, 13th century. He is Buddhist god of love and lust, carrying a bow and an arrow (like Cupid!). He would curse one's enemies or transform lust into desire...

Nezu museum
Standing Nyorai (Buddha), 6th century China.

Nezu museum
Many artifacts are displayed in the garden as well.

Nezu museum
I'm sure there's a good explanation for this. But I don't have it.

Convento dos Capuchos
This is my third time visiting the convent and every time there is something new.

Convento dos Capuchos
Like this statue: the last time I was here, he was headless. Now he's got a head.

Palácio Nacional da Pena
The enormous Pena palace park. One can easily spend hours there. And climb some boulders :-)

Prague
If you look closely, really closely... you can spot the 'climbing babies' on the TV tower in the background.

Astronomical Clock
Ah, the crowds in the city centre...

Astronomical Clock
A still working - and still great looking - astronomical clock from the 15th century.