Name: Raphael Rooms
Place: Rome
Whilst the Sistine Chapel is the centrepiece of the vast Vatican Museums (and for good reason), Raphael’s Rooms are, I believe, the unsung hero. Consisting of four rooms, each lined with marvellous frescos, the most notable of which being ‘The School of Athens’, located in the Stanza della Segnatura. Not an inch of the rooms is left plain as there is a complete explosion of creativity that fills every corner of each room.
Name: La Fontana della Contrada Onda
Place: Siena
Siena, a small city of rich cultural heritage in Tuscany, holds great importance in the artistic history of Italy. While many paintings have more world notability, this particular fountain has been chosen for principally personal reasons. Siena is divided up into 17 districts, or contrade, each with its own flag, fountain, museum and baptism pool. The contrade bianually compete in a horse race around the Piazza del Campo for bragging rights and pride in the city. I have picked the fountain of the cotrada onda not for its artistic value, but because of what the symbols of the contrade represent. The members of each contrada are so dedicated to their beloved district and the sense of community that each contrada has is truly something to behold.
Photo by Alberico Bartoccini on
The Vatican City