Rome Domes

Posted by Imagery Photography on January 9, 2020

Rome has the most Obelisks of any city in the world. That includes 13 ancient Roman and Egyptian obelisks. That said, it has even more domes. There are literally hundreds of domes with in the city. It was a favorite building technique during the growth of the ancient city. Some are spectacular and some not so much so or in need of repair. Many are parts of churches usually in the bell towers.

These are just a few that we saw during our recent trip.

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Rome Domes

Window Reflections on The Spanish Steps

Posted by Imagery Photography on January 8, 2020

We stopped at the top of the Spanish Steps in Rome to have lunch in a Cafe. The view was lovely but I was struck by the perfect reflections in window across from the cafe. The pizza was also memorable.

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Roman Reflections

Italian Doorways Part 2

Posted by Imagery Photography on January 7, 2020

On each visit to Europe I seem to wind up taking images of doorways. Doors fascinate me because of their plurality. They are both an entry and exit. Some doorways in Europe are literally thousands of years old. Here are some I captured in October of 2019 in Rome, Florence and Elba.

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Italian Doorways

Italian Doorways Part 1

Posted by Imagery Photography on January 6, 2020

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Italian Doorways

Porto Azzurro Elba

Posted by Imagery Photography on December 29, 2019

On our cruise we were excited to visit Elba. It is of course the famous place of exile for Napoleon and we were excited to see Napoleon’s residence. To be honest I was glad we took the tour but Napoleon’s house was the least inspiring part of our trip to Elba.

Our cruise ship docked in Portoferraio which is one of the most beautiful natural harbors I have ever seen. The mountainous island has an interesting history dating back to the Etruscans. The town of Portoferraio is beautiful but as we traveled across the island we saw many other gems. For me the tiny little commune of Porto Azzurro was one of the highlights.

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Porto Azzurro Elba

The Trevi Fountain

Posted by Imagery Photography on December 20, 2019

We were there at the totally wrong time of day for photography. It was extremely crowded and impossible to get a wide shot of the entire fountain. It was actually difficult to walk because everybody is pushing to get a shot of a person or a selfie in front of the fountain. It was also the wrong time of day for October. The best time would be early in the morning.

That said it is an amazing structure to see any time of day including nighttime. It is 86 ft high and 161.3 ft wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. It was built in 1762 by Nicola Salvi.

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The Trevi Fountain of Rome

The Pantheon

Posted by Imagery Photography on December 19, 2019

The Pantheon is a former Roman temple which is now a Catholic church, in Rome, Italy. It was originally commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus. It was completed by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated about 126 AD. The oculus in the ceiling is open to the sky so sometimes it rains inside like it did the day we visited. It was built as a sundial to illuminate the emperor as he entered on important occasions.

It is also a basilica since Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, known as Raphael is buried there, He died April 6th, 1520, and had asked to be buried in the Pantheon. His request was granted, making him the first artist to be accorded such an honor.

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The Pantheon

Pantheon Interior

The Tomb of Raffaello Sanzio da Urbin

The Pantheon

The Ancient Synagogue of Barcelona

Posted by Imagery Photography on December 17, 2019

The Ancient Synagogue of Barcelona was built in the sixth century and is the oldest saving synagogue in Spain and one of five medieval synagogues in the world. It was built underground because because no house of worship was allowed to be taller than the smallest Catholic church. Of course then came The Spanish Inquisition 1391 and the Jewish quarter was sacked and over 300 were killed. Jews were forced to turnover all their possessions to the King and permitted to leave the country. The alternative was death of conversion to Catholicism. The Nazi’s didn’t invent this stuff they were just more efficient at it.

Today the synagogue is a museum. Barcelona has two working synagogues and a pollution of around 15,000 jewish people with about 45,000 in Spain. Of course like jewish people all over the world they face anti semitism but in Spain like the United States they are now free to practice their faith.

The Ancient Synagogue of Barcelona

Holocaust Stumbling Stones (Stolpersteine ) in Rome

Posted by Imagery Photography on December 12, 2019

In each city they are called something different. In Munich and Prague they are called Stolperstein. In Rome they are called stumbling stones. You see them in what was the old Jewish ghetto outside the houses in which they lived. Each plaque is detailed with the victim’s first and last name, date of birth, date and place of deportation, and date of death in a Nazi Death Camp. We make sure we visit these sites as we travel.

We visit the synagogue, walk in the streets of the old ghetto and have lunch. The ghettos are quite nice now and in some, Prague and Rome they have Museums and working synagogues and a growing Jewish population. We make sure we visit these sites NOT only because we were raised as Jews but because we live as human beings and must assure that the world does not forget the long history of violence against the Jewish people. We honor the gentle people that were led to slaughter and pray it never happens again.

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Holocaust Stolpersteine

The Sagrada Família

Posted by Imagery Photography on December 10, 2019

La Sagradia Famila is regarded as Gaudi’s Masterpiece. Yet he did not start the project and it still remains unfinished, In 19 March 1882, construction of the Sagrada Família began under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned,Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural style. The church combines Gothic and Art Nouveau styles.

The Catholic Church does not support or fund this Cathedral and many consider it to be almost obscene. Unfortunately we did not get reservations and could not gain access to the structure. Still the exterior itself is magnificent and these photos give some idea of the detail that is persistent within the structure. It is massive and impossible to photograph in its entirety. The Church will have three grand façades: the Nativity façade to the East, the Passion façade to the West, and the Glory façade to the South which is still under construction.

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