The first enclosed shopping mall in the world is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan Italy. It was designed and constructed by Giuseppe Mengoni and construction was finished in 1877. It is named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy.It is adjacent to the Cathedral Santa Maria Nascente or as it is commonly called Duomo di Milano and many visitors may miss the Galleria while scurrying to the Cathedral. The galleria is a work of art and in its center there is a mosaic tile of a bull. The tradition is that if you spin on the balls of the bull, it will bring you luck. People line up to spin on the bull’s balls which no longer exist and have been replaced by a permanent hole in the mosaic. They try to fix it periodically, but the poor bull cannot survive this testicular abuse. You can purchase a print of this image and see others at my European gallery by clicking here.
Tag Archives: Italy
Let’s Have a Big Hand for Lake Como!
If you drive to Lake Como or take a Bus or Boat you might miss this great scene. This is the side of a sculpture you see as descending the stairs from the Lake Como Train Station. It is called the Monumento ai Caduti per Servicio and dedicated to disabled service people. It was created by Francesco Somaini and is actually a sculpture of two hands but from this angle it looks like the City is waving hello. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
The Pigeons of Duomo di Milano
In the center of Milan is Il Duomo di Milano which is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. It seems to me that most of the Cathedrals that I have visited are hosts to crowds of people and flocks of pigeons. Milan is no different, beggars will sell you food to feed the pigeons and although I personally don’t feed the birds, there is no shortage of people who seem to find this practice exciting and entertaining. You can buy this and other prints from my European collection by clicking here.
Firenze Italia
Italy has a lot of beautiful cities but Firenze (Florence) is certainly one of the best jewels on the necklace. What makes it so special is it’s location in the mountains along the Arno river and its history of being the centre of Italian culture for so long. When your city can boast bridges built by Michelangelo, you know it is special. This is a view of the city from a park just outside taken during a brief rain shower. You can buy a print of this image on my commercial site by clicking here.
Prelude to a Kiss
There is that moment, before two people kiss when you commit to the fact that it is inevitable. Henri Cartier-Bresson created the concept of the the decisive moment. To capture such a moment is the essence of Photojournalism. I like to think that he would have appreciated this image. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.




