STL DPB ON THE ROAD - WRETCHED EXCESS

 

I'm not up enough on my art history to define the difference between baroque and rococo but this stuff is pushing the limits of one or the other. It's a style of design that leaves me feeling queasy. This is inside of St. Vitus Cathedral on the sprawling grounds of Prague Castle. The building itself is austere gothic. Not so much the inside.            

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - BASILICA OF SAN PETRONIO

Like everywhere in Italy, there are a bunch of big, ornate and mostly rococo Catholic churches (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rococo), in Bologna. The most grand is Basilca of San Petronio, (whoever he was), the patron saint of the city, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Petronio,_Bologna . It is far bigger than the official metropolitan cathedral. In terms of interior volume, and it is the sixth largest church in Europe.      

We ended up in Bologna by chance because air fares from London were cheaper than flying into Florence. I'm glad we came. Definitely worth a visit and OMG you eat well here.    

INSIDE THE HALL

Inside Powell Symphony Hall from the front of the balcony. Nicholas McGeegan, a baroque specialist who has been a guest conductor here for many years, was about to lead a performance of three pieces by C. P. E. Bach, the best known of Johan Sebastian's several musical children. The chamber-sized ensemble would have been typical for the time of composition.