So Practical

 So a change of location today; here we are in Florence although you could only really tell that from the first image. It really is a beautiful city. Historically, so I am told, to become an architect it was necessary to go to Florence to study the architecture there. I guess I can claim to have added to the education of both of my sons who have gone on to pursue careers in architecture because I took each of them to Florence as part of our road trips in 2015 and 2018.

These pictures were captured on the second visit in 2018.

I really liked to ornamental scroll work of the bars on the windows. Not only are they very practical in that they provide security for the home, but they are very decorative  and also functional because the way they are shaped allows the windows to be opened and for blinds to be drawn out during the hottest part of the day to provide shade. 

In the first image there is a view along a small street with a glimpse of the famous Duomo in the heart of the old city.

The next three images are of the same corner bar, they each offer a different composition and I shared all three because I simply couldn't decide on just one. 

Fero da prora

This is such an iconic image from Venice.

The fero da prora is the ornament on the prow of the gondolas and as well as looking nice it is truly functional and the shape itself is symbolic.

The Fero is there to act as a counter balance to the gondolier who stands at the back of the gondola. That surprised me because it doesn't look that weighty but as it curves around the whole front of the boat it is more substantial than it appears at first glance.

A little research revealed that the S shape represents the Grand Canal that flows through the heart of the city, the six prongs facing forward represent the six districts of Venice while the prong pointing backwards apparently symbolises the island of Giudecca and the curved top represents the Doge's cap, while the inner curve at the top is said to symbolise the famous Rialto Bridge

In between the six prongs there are three additional items which represent the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.

So what I thought was just a nice ornament actually is so much more, I am glad I took a few moments to find out and hopefully you will appreciate that effort.  More importantly I hope you like this picture as much as I do