Notes: My eye followed the Rio de l’ Arsenal to one of the two towers of the Venetian Arsenal. I envisioned the scene as if it were part of an old three-dimensional map.
Photo: Palazzo Orengo – Capo Mortola, Italy
January 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Notes: The 11th century palazzo was purchased by Thomas Hanbury in 1867, and became the center piece of the 45 acre Hanbury Botanical Gardens. It sits some 300 feet above the Ligurian Sea and somewhat less than that above an ancient Roman road. The rambling maze of paths and stairways leading to the villa takes you to another time.
Photo: Medieval Bridge – Dolceacqua, Italy
January 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Notes: I had no choice but to photograph the 15th century castle towering over an ancient bridge in a town whose name translates as sweet water. The bridge was enough to compel Monet to paint it in 1884. I went for more a medieval look than impressionistic for fear of being confused with Monet.
Photo: San Giorgio Maggiore – Venice
January 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Notes: Work began on the church of San Giorgio Maggiore on the Venetian island of the same name in 1566. In a sense, however, the church “existed” centuries before in the form of a 10th century monastery on the same spot. I decided to leave in the sailboats on the left side notwithstanding their relatively recent design. In a way they connect us to the site, literally and figuratively, as did their ancestral sailing vessels over a thousand years ago.
Photo: Byzantine Dome – Basilica di San Marco – Venice
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Notes: Shot from the north side of the Basilica, St. Mark’s reveals its shabbier side. The magnificent Byzantine Dome (one of five) perched atop this crumbling facade is somehow a perfect metaphor for Venice. The overlay just makes it a bit more byzantine.
Photo: Redentore – Venice
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Notes: Looking across the Grand Canal to Giudecca, I saw the Church of the Redeemer (Redentore) glowing in the first light of day a hundred years ago.
Photo: San Zanipolo – Venice
January 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Notes: After days of opulent Venetian interiors, my eyes came to rest in the carved wood beams and warm tones of the Basilica di San Giovanni e Paolo, locally known as San Zanipolo. Perhaps the relative modesty of the church is owing to the fact it is dedicated to John and Paul, not the Biblical Apostles of the same names, but two obscure martyrs of the Early Christian church in Rome.
Photo: The Butcher of Dubrovnik – Croatia
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Notes: Myriad creepy details drew me to this scene: the unclear pedigree (sorry) of the scant selection of hanging meat, the butcher bent over hacking something apart, the the computer, printer and mouse resident in this medieval setting, and of course the blood dripping down the inside of the open drawer.
Photo: Uffizi Basement – Florence
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Notes: The endless rooms of the Medicis’ “Offices” seem to lead the viewer back in time so far one might expect to see Lorenzo or Cosimo waiting at the end.
Photo: Campo San Barnaba – Venice
January 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Notes: The golden hour is meant for a quiet canal leading to one of Venice’s many leaning towers through a lovely Campo. I wanted this image to feel as if I took it in the past.
