Elegance, Power and Archictecture inspired by Byzantium

First photo is of the fascade facing into the private courtyard of the Doge. Taken at the Doges Palace, the grand stairs leads down to San Marco.



Picture above is one of my very favorites. It captured nicely the exquisite bas relief on the banister into the Doges Palace. I love the pink and white geometric marbled fascade.

The horsemen so strong and regal was paid to help protect Venice. He was a mercenary in his day, valiantly grasping the charge, the responsibilty of protecting Venice for a large sum of money. However keep in mind that he would protect another city just as easily for the right price. Could he have been conflicted? Or did he perform his duty as charged without any deference? The beautiful and powerful equestrian statue of Condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni 1400 - 1475 who was a native of Bergamo, where the Capella Colleoni, "the jewel of Lombard Renaissance architecture" - is to be found. He fought for Venice against Milan, and vice-versa, several times, ending up with Venice and a lot of money, which are two reasons why this statue by Andrea del Verrocchio (1435 - 1488) is there. Colleoni left in his will the monies to sponsor the statue, on the condition that it was erected in front of San Marco.

Why then is it in the Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo? Well, that's where the Scuola Grande di San Marco is ...... probably not the "San Marco" the man had thought he was paying for! The statue was advanced for these times, as the horse is balanced on three legs and the advancement of the mercenary is not in question, but the bare head of Gattamelata is said to be a more skilled piece of human sculpturing. Could this have been work of another artist? Does Donatello come to mind? Check out the bronze works of Donatello in Padua. Let me know what you think.