Brighton

We are here in Brighton to go to a gig at the Brighton Centre, conveniently located facing the sea. We are looking forward to enjoying Michael Kiwanuka and his band. The gig was first on our radar two years ago, but COVID and lock down created a long delay. Before the main business however we thought we would have a brisk tour around the city to remember sights we saw in our previous visit in 2010 and to enjoy some new ones.

We started at the Town Hall (above). The current building was commissioned to replace a previous town hall built on the western side of Market Street in 1727. The new building, which was designed by Thomas Cooper in the Greek Revival style and built at a cost of £60,000, was officially opened in 1832. Later the local police force, formed in 1838, established a police station in the building and police cells in the basement. The police cells were removed in 1965, but a police museum took their place.

We found our way into Ship Street and the imposing Seven Stars.

We wondered through the Lanes and emerged into North Street where we admired this redbrick building on the left.

Continuing in the same direction we found ourselves in the gardens of the wonderful Royal Pavilion.

This statue of George IV stands near the North Gate of the Royal Pavilion. It was put up in 1828 and paid for by public subscription. During his time as Prince Regent (1811-1820) he was responsible for the huge growth of Brighton and the building of the Royal Pavilion

As time was short we retraced our steps up North Street to reach the Clock Tower, one of the very many erected all over the country in honour of Queen Victoria's Jubilee. Our most recent sighting was in Ripon.

Now we hurried back to our hotel, passing several interesting buildings (OK, bars) ...

Then to the Brighton Centre where Michael Kiwanuka and his band put on a great, and long overdue, show. Below is is my best effort at an iPhone photo.

Windsor Castle

 

                                                     Aerial view of Windsor Castle

We have a friend from the US visiting us and our suggestion of a trip to Windsor Castle was very well received. It is hard to grasp the full layout of the Castle from ground level, but this wonderful aerial photo gives a much clear view of its shape and size. Visitors approach the Castle at the bottom left of the photo with the gateway nearby. 

Most visitors - us included - think this is the entrance, but it is not so. Police are on hand to direct visitors to follow the line of the walls and enter through a purpose built security zone. So we followed the same route.

Once we emerged from screening we entered the Castle through thus gateway, with numerous other buildings to the right.  

 

A guerilla photo through the railings provided this shot of the State Apartments in the Upper Ward: the Queen's Audience and Presence Chambers, the Official Entrance, St George's Hall, the Guest's Entrance. Would would later see them from the inside as part of our tour. 

 

Soon we were beneath the splendid Round Tower alone on its mound. It was built by Henry II between 1165 and 1179 and re-modelled in the 19th century

 

We headed round the back to enter  the State Apartments and then headed down to the Lower Ward, dominated by St George's Chapel. The Chapel is a quite magnificent fan-vaulted space.

We left the Chapel to observe the Guard being changed and had glance at the building opposite the Chapel, which appears to be accommodation for elderly courtiers and staff.

A wonderful and successful visit. We may be back since UK visitors are given a voucher for a free visit in the following year.

Mantua: Palazzo del Te

Visited at the end of a wonderful day on Mantua, the extraordinary Palazzo del Te deserves a post to itself. It was built between 1525 and 1535 as a suburban residence, to the south of his main base, the Palzzzo Ducale, for Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua.

The Palazzo is basically a hollow square. The main entrance was clearly in the middle of the range on the left, but nowadays visitors enter via a small doorway in the middle of the right hand range. The view through that doorway is lovely: you can see an archway on the opposite side (in fact part of a portico, and something else beyond it.

The facade is classical and just below the roof line you can even see the triglyphs (three vertical lines) and metopes (relief sculpture) of the kind you see on Greek temples.

The internal organisation is surprisingly simple: rooms the width of the building lead in to each other. First we see the Chamber of Ovid (or of the Metamorphoses), with a magnificent coffered ceiling.

Next there is the Chamber of the Sun and the Moon, with an entertaining panel in the centre of another elaborate ceiling (look closely at the charioteer on the right).

Next is the Loggia of the Muses, here seen from outside.

This is followed by a vast room, the Hall of the Horses, which was created in 1526-28.

Next up is the Chamber of Cupid and Psyche, said to be the most sumptuous in the whole palace.

At this point we are half way round the square, opposite where we came in. From this loggia the area behind the main building becomes fully visible. It is large space, laid mainly to grass, with at the end a lovely curving colonnade.

This is the view looking back to the Palace. 

 Over in one corner is a secret garden with a grotto.

Back inside the building the next room is the Chamber of the Stuccoes has a strongly Roman theme.

The next room is the last - the remaining ones were being refurbished for an exhibition - it was the Chamber of the Giants. It was the one room that we just hated: the giants on the ceiling were just about OK, but all the walls were painted with inflated versions of similar images. It called to mind Disney and felt totally out of place in this classical oasis. I couldn't bear to take a picture.

 Rating: five stars.

Mantua

Mantua from across the Lago Inferiore

Today we are on an outing from Padua to see the beautiful city of Mantua. Our first sight of the city is from the other side of the Lago Inferiore (Lower Lake). The old part of Mantua is surrounded by water on three sides, the result of a medieval project to create lakes where there was once only a stream. The other lakes are, reasonably enough, Lago di Mezzo (Middle Lake) and Lago Superiore (Upper Lake). Road causeways separate the three lakes.

Our first close up view of the city was of the rear of the group of buildings known collectively as the Ducale Palace. On the right is the medieval Castle of St George, built between 1395 and 1406. It is similar to the great castle of Ferrara, which we saw in 2013.

We walked around to the large square called the Piazza Sordello, where the entrance to the Palace can be found.

Only a limited amount of the massive castle is available to be viewed, but our first port of call was the Apartment of Isabella d'Este. The sixteen-year-old Isabella arrived in Mantua from Ferrara on 12 February 1490 to marry Frederic II Gonzaga. Only the frescoe on the ceiling remain.

We then had to leave this section of the palace and reenter to reach the Castle of St George via the lovely Piazza Castello.

The main thing to see in the Castle is the Camera degli Sposi, the Bridal Chamber. According to Wikipedia, This room would have been used for several different private and semi-private functions such as a bed chamber for Ludovico, a gathering area for family and close courtiers, and a reception room for particularly important guests. It has wonderful frescoes commissioned by Ludovico III Gonzaga from the celebrated painter Andrea Mantegna. The walls and ceiling were painted between 1465 and 1474.

The ceiling is particularly memorable, as it is the first example of accurate perspective seen from below.

In one of the painted columns Mantegna has taken the trouble to include a small and inconspicuous self-portrait.

Returning to the Piazza Sordello, we passed the Cathedral with a Baroque facade, but rather entertaining sides featuring red bricks and triangular gables. The current church from 1756–61.

On the right is the Piazzo Castiglioni. You can also see the Torre della Gabbia, which allegedly has a cage still hanging from it where criminals were left to die (perhaps it be seen from another angle). On the extreme left is the dome of the massive Basilica di Sant'Andrea (see below).

We headed into the centre to find the wonderful astronomical clock on its splendid tower. It was constructed in 1472-3m and was one of the first mechanical clocks in Europe

Immediately to its right was the Rotonda di San Lorenzo, an exquisite round church. It was built in 1082, but in 1579 Duke Guglielmo I Gonzaga ordered it to be closed. The roof fell in and it was later surrounded by other structures. These were demolished in 1908, but its restoration, involving substantial rebuilding took place much later, I think after 2007.

Although de-consecrated, it is now a beautiful and atmospheric example of the round church.

Nearby is an unusual and very lovely Gothic merchant's house (the Casa del Mercanto of 1455) ...

... and not far away a lone, but very welcome, example of art nouveau.

In the same street, via Battista Spagnoli, is the handsome 19th century Grain Market

Our final sight was the Basilica di Sant'Andrea. It was begin in 1462 to designs by Leon Battista Alberti, but not finished until the 18th century - by then in a Baroque rather than Renaissance style. A bit over the top for my taste.

Conditions: largely grey.

Rating: five stars. A wonderful city.

Padua: city centre

The Palazzo della Ragione

We are staying a really nice hotel, in a slightly rough area, by the railway station. Our explorations of Padua begin by walking south towards the city centre and past the magnificent Scrovegni Chapel. The next notable building is the Cassa di Risparmio (Savings Bank) which we pass on our left. There is a hint of our beloved art nouveau.

We head into the main square, in fact two squares either side of the wonderful Palazzo della Ragione. At the head of this post is the view from the Piazza della Frutta - below is the view from the Piazza delle Erbe - both sides and the ground floor of the building house a daily market.

From the Piazza delle Erbe side you can climb the steps which lead to a beautiful terrace with a frescoed roof.

This gives entry to the Palazzo and the Salone (Great Hall). The building dates from 1218-19. You can make out a large black horse at the far end. It is tempting to think it some modern art installation, but in fact it dates from 1466 and was given the city in 1837 by the Capodolista family.

The walls are frescoed with an astrological cycle of events in month or zodiac sign.

When we had finished feasting our eyes on the frescoes and marveling at the sheer size of the hall, we returned to the Piazza delle Erbe and headed from there towards the Duomo (cathedral). It is the third such structure on this site and was started in 1551. It was notionally completed in 1754, but with the façade being left unfinished. This is not unique - there is a similar example in Bologna, for example.

The Baptistery to the right has fine frescoes, but they were unfortunately for us under restoration. At right angles to the lovely Palazzo del Monte. A rather fine gate stands beside it.

Turning left from the Palazzo, we spotted this fantastic piece of street art on a corner to our right. 

Soon we were in Palazzo dei Signori, a fine square lined with bars and restaurants. At one end is the Palazzo del Capitano, with its magnificent Torre dell'Orologio, an astronomical clock.

If you stand with your back to the Torre, you have on your right the Loggia della Guardia, which so far as I can ascertain dates from 1523. It is a very beautiful Renaissance building.

Conditions: rather grey unfortunately.

Rating: Four and a half stars stars.