I _need_ to go to Torcello…

Of course it reminds also of an Ascension, since Liebknecht seems to be standing on a cloud, and not on the balcony he really was; the celestial iconography clashes with the very down-to-earth ideology. But then every society resignifies iconography and postures like the “admonitio” for its purposes

The composition reminds me of the Naram-sim stele, a tripartite composition with the ruler on top, supporters below, and down below, trodden and defeated, the enemies. 2 out of 3 is not bad, partly because Liebknecht didn’t beat anyone. No one would say so, after this and his street right in front

By the end of the 1WW, two competing revolutions were proclaimed in Germany. First a social-democratic leader, and second Karl Liebknecht, a communist leader, a few hours later, from one of the balconies of the Berliner Schloß, right in front of this relief that represents that precise moment.

This tower contained the machinery to produce alcohol, and was designed by the great Joan Montserrat Vergès, who gave it some gables and the minaret-like red turret on top. BTW, that’s a magpie getting close to what’s probably its nest. We’ve seen parrots taking branches, probably also nesting.

So far sugar in Spain had been produced from sugarcane, but sugar beet was harvested in the Vega around the factory, with machinery and engineers brought from France and Germany. Architects, however, were local, and they mixed modern forged iron structure with local regionalist aesthetics

Today the university has organized a visit to the Azucarera San Isidro, a monument from 2015 which was acquired recently and has just started to be redeveloped as a science park, with emphasis on the park.
This was an industrial park from late 19th century, pioneer in milling sugar beet

Published last week, my article Analyzing Late Antiquity Shifts of Trade Regime in the Iberian Peninsula and Their Causes via Change Point Detection Methods www.mdpi.com/3042-6448/2/... is already past the 100 visit mark! AMA about it here if you want.
It's been more than 1 year in the making...

Interior of Dome, Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, Roman church at end of narrow courtyard, with landmark spiral lantern cupola 1642-1660, masterpiece by Francesco Borromini, great Baroque architect, (1599-1667).
Original site of Sapienza, Università di Roma, founded #OTD 1303.

#TalDíaComoHoy en 1902, Marie y Pierre Curie obtienen el 1° gramo de radio tras procesar 8 toneladas del mineral pechblenda. Un año después les dieron el Nobel, aunque inicialmente solo a Pierre. Si él no se hubiera plantado diciendo que o se lo daban a ambos o nada, la historia sería otra.

The paperback edition of The Devil in Dorsoduro is now up for preorder. Out May 7

The Devil in Dorsoduro: An atmospheric Venetian murder mystery amzn.eu/d/03Xf9jki

Israel’s accelerating de facto annexation of the West Bank has dangerous implications The expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank undermines prospects for long-term regional peace. The US, Europe and Arab states should act before it’s too late.

The expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank undermines prospects for long-term regional peace. The US, Europe and Arab states should act before it’s too late.

From the Vilhelm Hammershøi exhibition @museothyssen.org in Madrid, this is Interior, Young Woman Seen from Behind, c. 1904, Randers Kunstmuseum. Read about the show on our blog: art-exhibitions.blogspot.com/2026/04/let-...

6/

A banana republic in the shaping...

Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada Rising above the modern lower town, the Alhambra and the Albaycín, situated on two adjacent hills, form the medieval part of Granada. To the east of the Alhambra fortress and residence are the magnifi...

Check out about the World Heritage declaration here whc.unesco.org/en/list/314/, together with the Alhambra (which was the single thing initially included in the declaration) and Generalife (also included later since it was privately-owned originally)

A grand total of 0 seconds, however, was devoted to this. We got a lesson on how people happily lived in the 80s in blocks of apartments sharing a single latrine in the middle of the court, 8 to a 2-room apartment without bathroom, and now there’s a big block rented by units… Which is bad.

Some of these aljibes were used until the 1960s, so this one could very well be 700 years old or more. The horseshoe arc is characteristic of caliphal architecture, together with the columns, which are probably spolia. There’s a network of these deposits, most of them with a very similar structure.

The Albayzín, besides world heritage, is protected by a figure that highlights the value of its urban grid… and its water management strategies that go back to its foundation in the Muslim Middle Ages. And a big part of this strategy were water deposits that got it from official aqueducts..

We had a mandatory visit to the Albayzín for the class on heritage last Friday; I was pretty disappointed, because it was mainly a tirade about gentrification and “touristification”, a discourse of “us” vs “them” full of opinion, but lacking on actual lessons on heritage. Like this “aljibe”.

Ties to Russia are not so clear cut, but quite clear: the lawyer defending Assange, for instance, a disbarred judge in Spain, is a government shill and recently appointed to a government post. One of the most famous Spanish tankies, a former colonel, was briefly considered as Defense director…

Trump criticizes Spain amid Iran, NATO rift as PM Sanchez faces questions over political motives Spain's PM Pedro Sanchez is leveraging his stances on Trump, Iran, and Israel to coalesce the global left amid mounting political scandals involving his wife and brother.

This was all over the Spanish press, you can find many sources in English www.foxnews.com/world/trump-...
Also, the guns sent to Ukraine were a batch of locally produced assault rifles that were retired from service soon after deployment www.reddit.com/r/ForgottenW...

It's been so interesting to watch this unfold. Barnes & Noble and other big book chains shut indies down in the the 1990s (and on) and then Amazon came along and ate up all the book market share. Now people tired of big corporations are creating demand for more indies

3/3 Inquisition: Heretic, nowhere in the Bible does it say there were jesters at the Last Supper! Veronese: Look, I have retitled this painting Feast in the House of Levi, and feasts have jesters! Painters know these things.

In this banquet scene, Paolo Veronese (d. OTD 1588) creates a vast tableau of incredible opulence for the lucky Dominican friars of SS. Giovanni e Paolo. But is it Biblical? The Inquisition wants to know!

Pray for the Paintress A life shaped by constraint became one that quietly reshaped the possibilities of art.

Pray for the Paintress
"Plautilla Nelli didn’t begin as Suor Plautilla..."
Stories from the Art, gksihat.com/plautilla-ne...

5/5

To underscore this, the Admin fooled all of you who still think Trump is bad for Russia.

You really need to get your head up from the sand. We can no longer excuse you shielding Trump. You will be held complisit from now on.

4/

@jd-vance-1.bsky.social is stating it clearly:
US is a adversary to Ukraine.

Since Vance is VP, this is official American policy. This is Trump's policy. They hate Ukraine, they are morally bankrupt, and the conclusion is obvious:

The USA is the enemy of Europe and the enemy of democracy.

Italy marks Festa della Liberazione with holiday on 25 April Italy celebrates Festa della Liberazione on 25 April, marking the country’s liberation from German occupation and fascist rule at the end of world war two.

Italy celebrates the Festa della Liberazione with a national public holiday on 25 April.

Brazil's Lula and Sánchez of Spain headline meetings of progressive leaders in Barcelona The duo are considered standard-bearers of progressive or liberal politics on their respective continents, where reactionary parties and far-right populism have been on the rise for years.

That's not going to happen. I would place Spain in the same position as Belgium at best, but quickly moving into the other field after his visit to China and his kowtowing with known Russian allies Lula and Petro www.nbcnews.com/world/europe...
Liars like him check what he does, not what he says.

6/

Spain has challenges with pro-Russian disinformation, although the problem is less serious than in, for example, France.

@edmo-eu.bsky.social