Six maps sculpted in relief at Church of Santa Maria del Giglio, Venice.

Wandering in Venice is always a rewarding activity, above all when you have nothing else to do. 

This is how I discovered the Church of Santa Maria del Giglio and its imposing baroque façade conceived by Antonio Barbaro as celebration and perpetuation of his glory and fame.

Antonio Barbaro was born in 1627 in a poor family that lived not far from this church in Sestriere San Marco, but he became a well known character in the political and military life of Venice. In his last will, he left money, detailed instructions and a drawing to transform the façade of the church in a celebration of himself and his family; not an unusual practice in Venice in the Seventeenth century.

"The only religious symbols" writes Ruskin in his Stones of Venice "...being statues of angels blowing brazen trumpets, intended to express the spreading of the fame of the Barbaro family in heaven." The statue of Barbaro, "in armor, with a fantastic head-dress", stands over the entrance, between the personifications of the Glory, the Cardinal Virtues and the statues of his four brothers "in niches, two on each side of it, strutting statues, in the common stage postures of the period." Ruskin lingers on their description while I was more interested in the bas-reliefs of naval battles and of six plans of different towns that decorate the façade.
Ships, sails, waves and clouds sculpted in relief evoke scenes familiar to Barbaro and the plans of the fortified bastions of Zara (Zadar), Candia (Crete), Padua, Rome, the Island of Corfù and Spalato (Split) recall places related to these battles and to his life.

I keep wandering...

ZARA

CANDIA

PADOA

ROME

CORFU'

 SPALATO

Photos:
TravelinaGarden, Venice 2018


John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice, Volume 3. 1853

http://www.gutenberg.org

On Hyacinths, the Flowers of which appear expanded in water

􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀 􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀
"Of late years, it has been common in the London seed shops, to observe hyacinth glasses with the plants inverted, the flower appearing expanded in the water, where the roots usually are, and the bulbs and roots being contained in a small pot of soil, turned up side down, and resting on the orefice of the glass. This is not shown with much effect in the water glasses of the ordinary size, but when the glasses are made twice or thrice 􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀􏰀the usual size, the effect is more striking. [...] Sometimes a glass appears with one inverted plant directly over it, growing erect, with its flowers fully expanded in the open air; the bulbs and roots of both plants being in the same pot, or in two pots, placed bottom to bottom. "

from: Art XVI. On Hyacinths, the Flowers of which appear expanded in water. London, February 1840. in The Gardener's Magazine, and Register of Rural and Domestic ..., Volume 16
John Claudius Loudon

"Hyacinths"

About the history:
Hyacinths - The Gardens Trust


Images:
Traite Sur la Jacinte.
Contenant la manière de la cultiver suivant l'expérience qui en a été faite par
George  Voorhelm, [1752] 1773


The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. "Hyacinths." New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 28, 2019. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dd-e8fb-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99