Kiev, Ukraine

St. Sophia Cathedral

Church of Saint Caterina a Formiello

Just off Piazza Garibaldi, behind Porto Capuana, is the unheralded 16th century Church of Caterina a Formiello. In the 19th century, it was turned over to the Italian Army and converted into a wool factory. It has since been re-consecrated.

The Saint Caterina of this church is Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The picture of her on the left is by Raffael; on the right, Caravaggio.

Formiello is a word that comes from Latin. It refers to the situation of the church and its formerly attached Celestine convent next to aqueducts, which have since been removed.

There is its cupola behind Porto Capuana.

Lucca, Italy

See also The Food of Lucca

A beautiful shot of a bell tower on a pristine day.

A typical street inside the walled city.

A man washing his dog in a fountain.

The Church of San Michele in Foro. (For more details see Italy Guides.)

The facade deserves a closer look. Each column is unique.

Duomo di San Martino. (Seethis site for information.)

A view of Lucca from a bell tower, the Apuan Alps in the background. Notice the overhanging branches from trees growing on top of the tower.

Lucchese modern art at its finest.

A cute little old Lucchese woman.

The Basilica di San Frediano, built in the 13th century. (SeeWikipedia for more information.)

This mosaic, designed by Berlinghiero Berlinghieri depicting the ascension of Christ, is worth a closer look.

Closer still.

And just a little closer. Even with all these iterations, it's difficult to get the sense of how painstakingly grand and beautiful this mosaic is. It's big and it's breathtaking. I guess you'll just have to come see it for yourself!

See also The Food of Lucca