The lion of the fountain in Piazza Paolo Centinaro in Portovenere. Walking through the narrow streets of Portovenere, one of the pearls of the province of La Spezia, I found this beautiful little square with this beautiful fountain. The attention of my lens fell on this figure of a lion.
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Paolo Centinaro, a benefactor from Porto Venere, to whom the ancient square of the “Cisterna Pubblica” is dedicated, built by the Genoese in the 13th century to collect rainwater. In the center of the square is the Fountain of the Lions, built during the Fascist period by Ettore Andrea Mori, mayor and expert in the artistic and historical beauties of Porto Venere. Continue and learn more on Wikipedia
The lion of the fountain in Piazza Paolo Centinaro in Portovenere – Le lion de la fontaine de la Piazza Paolo Centinaro à Portovenere – El león de la fuente en Piazza Paolo Centinaro en Portovenere – O leão da fonte na Piazza Paolo Centinaro em Portovenere – Der Löwe des Brunnens auf der Piazza Paolo Centinaro in Portovenere – Con sư tử của đài phun nước ở Quảng trường Paolo Centinaro ở Portovenere
The lion statue in the Fountain of the Four Rivers. In the beating heart of Rome, Piazza Navona is one of the most iconic and fascinating places in the eternal city. At the center of this baroque square stands the magnificent Fountain of the Four Rivers, one of the most famous works by the master Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Among the many figures that adorn this fountain, the lion is an element that particularly captures the attention of visitors, symbolizing strength and majesty in an artistic context of extraordinary beauty. Built between 1648 and 1651 on commission by Pope Innocent X, the Fountain of the Four Rivers is a masterpiece of baroque art. The fountain represents the four great rivers of the four continents known at the time: the Nile for Africa, the Ganges for Asia, the Danube for Europe and the Rio de la Plata for the Americas. Each river is personified by a colossal statue that expresses the characteristics of its respective continent. The lion, located next to the representation of the Nile River, is a figure that embodies power and royalty. Depicted while drinking from the waters of the fountain, the lion symbolizes the life that springs from water, an essential element for human and animal existence. The choice of the lion is not accidental: in Christian symbolism and iconography of the time, the lion also represents resurrection and spiritual strength. Bernini's lion is sculpted with meticulous attention to detail, which enhances its majesty and vividness. The powerful paws, the flowing mane and the intense expression of the face make this sculpture a perfect example of Bernini's mastery in transforming marble into life. The posture of the lion, captured in the act of drinking, adds a sense of movement and realism that helps make the entire fountain a dynamic and fascinating work. The lion of the Fontana dei Fiumi has a significant cultural impact, representing not only a decorative element but also a powerful symbol that evokes the grandeur and richness of nature. Its presence in Piazza Navona, a meeting and celebration place for Romans and tourists, underlines the importance of art as a means of communicating universal values and enriching the collective experience of urban space.
The lion of the Fountain of the Rivers is an eloquent testimony to the artistic genius of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and his ability to breathe life into marble. This symbol of strength and majesty, placed in one of the most fascinating contexts of Rome, continues to fascinate and inspire visitors from all over the world. The Fountain of the Rivers, with its imposing lion, remains one of the undisputed masterpieces of Roman Baroque, a place where art and history merge in an eternal dance of beauty and meaning.
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a lion on the eastern side that emerges, like the horse, from the cavity in the rocks to drink at the foot of an African palm tree (made by Giobatta Palombo in 1650) that rises up to the base of the obelisk Continue and learn more on Wikipedia
The lion statue in the Fountain of the Four Rivers in the square called Navona in Rome – La statue du lion dans la Fontaine des Quatre Fleuves sur la place Navona à Rome – La estatua del león en la Fuente de los Cuatro Ríos en la plaza llamada Navona en Roma – A estátua do leão na Fonte dos Quatro Rios, na praça chamada Navona, em Roma – Die Löwenstatue im Vierströmebrunnen auf dem Platz namens Navona in Rom – Tượng sư tử tại Đài phun nước Bốn con sông ở quảng trường Navona ở Rome
The text of the post was written with the help of ChatGPT, a language model from OpenAI.
The Contarini fountain in Bergamo Alta. When you get up to visit Bergamo you go up to the central square of the village, Piazza Vecchia, in the center of which there is this beautiful marble fountain decorated with sphinxes and lions and a couple of zoomorphic figures.
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To see all the photos I took in Bergamo, click here:
Where is the fountain located:
The fountain owes its name to Alvise Contarini, podestà of the Republic of Venice, who donated it to the citizens in 1780, when he left his position in the Orobic city. The intention of the then city rector was both to beautify the central Piazza Vecchia, and to provide the inhabitants with a precious instrument that could be used for domestic purposes and against drought. Continue and learn more on Wikipedia
The famous Contarini Fountain in Bergamo Alta – La célèbre fontaine Contarini à Bergame Alta – La famosa Fuente Contarini en Bérgamo Alta – A famosa Fonte Contarini em Bergamo Alta – Der berühmte Contarini-Brunnen in Bergamo Alta – Đài phun nước Contarini nổi tiếng ở Bergamo Alta
The Piazza della Signoria lounge on the former Costa Firenze. Last year I was aboard the beautiful, in my opinion, Costa Firenze which unfortunately passed to Carnival in February 2024. This was the main atrium, the one with the information office, excursion office and bar, in the center of which was this column surmounted by a majestic golden lion.
Have you ever been on a Costa cruise? Add your own comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.
Costa Firenze is the fifth Vista-class cruise ship built at the Marghera shipyard. Originally designed for the Chinese market by Costa Asia, a subsidiary of the Italian shipping company Costa Crociere, following the COVID-19 pandemic it was subsequently deployed for the European market. Continue and learn more on Wikipedia
The Piazza della Signoria hall on the former Costa Firenze – La salle Piazza della Signoria sur l’ancienne Costa Firenze – La sala Piazza della Signoria en la antigua Costa Firenze – O salão Piazza della Signoria na antiga Costa Firenze – Der Saal der Piazza della Signoria an der ehemaligen Costa Firenze – Hội trường Piazza della Signoria trên Costa Firenze trước đây – 旧コスタ フィレンツェのシニョリーア広場ホール
The column-bearing lion of Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo. In the splendid square of the Cathedral of Bergamo Alta there is also this beautiful portal, called Porta dei Leoni, where two red marble lions support two columns. Since it is not the first column-bearing lion I have come across, I decided to make a specific post about it.
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Where is the basilica located:
The northern door, called the Red Lions, which opens into the left transept and leads to the Piazza del Duomo is surmounted by a porch by Giovanni da Campione, dated 1353 but with important renovations at the end of the fourteenth century, supported by columns held up by two lions in Veronese marble, depicted standing, and surrounded by figures of human beings and animals. Continue and learn more on Wikipedia
The column-bearing lion of Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo – Le lion stylophore de Santa Maria Maggiore à Bergame – El león estilóforo de Santa Maria Maggiore en Bérgamo – O leão estilóforo de Santa Maria Maggiore em Bérgamo – Der Griffellöwe von Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo – Sư tử Stylophore của Santa Maria Maggiore ở Bergamo
The stylophorus lion guarding the entrance to the Parma Cathedral. The Parma Cathedral has its main entrance guarded by these two lions (stylophores). I recently took several photos of this type of statue, almost always lions, at the entrance to historic (and less so) buildings.
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To see all the photos I took in the city click here:
The stylophoros is an architectural term derived from Greek and meaning “style bearer”, that is, column bearer. It is used to indicate those sculptures of animals or fantastic monsters placed at the base of the supporting columns of the porches or even pulpits usually in Romanesque churches. Unlike the caryatid, a sculpture that replaces the entire column by acting as a support for the trabeation, the stylophoros constitutes only the base of the column. Continue and learn more on Wikipedia
The column-bearing lion guarding the entrance to the Cathedral of Parma – Le lion à colonne qui garde l’entrée de la cathédrale de Parme – El león con columna que custodia la entrada a la Catedral de Parma – O leão com coluna guardando a entrada da Catedral de Parma – Der säulentragende Löwe bewacht den Eingang zur Kathedrale von Parma – Con sư tử gác cột canh giữ lối vào Nhà thờ lớn Parma – 守卫帕尔马大教堂入口的立柱狮子 – パルマ大聖堂の入り口を守る柱を持つライオン
I leoni di fronte a Villa Balbi a Sestri Levante. Mi sto appassionando a fotografare le statue dei leoni. Questi due sono proprio di fronte al cancello del giardino dei Villa Balbi, lo splendido hotel a Sestri Levante.
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The lions in front of the Villa Balbi hotel in Sestri Levante – Les lions devant l’hôtel Villa Balbi à Sestri Levante – Los leones frente al hotel Villa Balbi en Sestri Levante – Os leões em frente ao hotel Villa Balbi em Sestri Levante – Die Löwen vor dem Hotel Villa Balbi in Sestri Levante – Những con sư tử trước khách sạn Villa Balbi ở Sestri Levante – 塞斯特里莱万特巴尔比别墅酒店前的狮子 – SestriLevanteのVillaBalbiホテルの前にいるライオン
Il sagrato della Basilica di Santo Stefano a Lavagna. La grande piazza di fronte alla chiesa più importante di Lavagna. Il leone in primo piano, la scalinata ed il porticato. In primo piano uno dei leoni che regge lo stemma della città. Poi, più in basso, la scalinata in marmo (che originariamente era in ardesia). Sulla destra il porticato (o loggione) Brignardello che si deice fu fatto costruire dal ricco uomo per non dover passare di fronte alla chiesa per recarsi al cimitero.
Hai mai visitato questo luogo di lavagna? Aggiungi un tuo comment to this post or read here what other visitors have written.
The collegiate basilica of Santo Stefano is a Catholic place of worship in the municipality of Lavagna, in Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, in the metropolitan city of Genoa. The church is the seat of the parish of the same name of the vicariate of Chiavari-Lavagna of the diocese of Chiavari. Continue and learn more on Wikipedia
The magnificent churchyard of the Basilica of Santo Stefano in Lavagna in Liguria – Le magnifique cimetière de la Basilique de Santo Stefano in Lavagna en Ligurie – El magnífico cementerio de la Basílica de Santo Stefano en Lavagna en Liguria – O magnífico adro da Basílica de Santo Stefano em Lavagna na Ligúria – Der prächtige Kirchhof der Basilika Santo Stefano in Lavagna in Ligurien – Nhà thờ tráng lệ của Vương cung thánh đường Santo Stefano ở Lavagna, Liguria – 利古里亚拉瓦尼亚圣斯特凡诺大教堂宏伟的墓地 – リグリアのラヴァーニャにあるサントステファノ大聖堂の壮大な教会の庭
Un leone della Basilica di Lavagna. La Basilica di Santo Stefano a Lavagna è sorvegliata da due leoni di pietra che ho immortalato. Questa mattina mi sono deciso ad andare a scattare qualche foto nella cittadina famosa per i Fieschi e l’ardesia. La sua chiesa principale è questa, e ne ho scattato diverse foto. Questa in particolare mi piaceva molto, con il leone in primo piano (come quella che ho scattato davanti a San Lorenzo a Genova).
Hai mai visitato la Basilica di Santo Stefano? Aggiungi un comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.
The collegiate basilica of Santo Stefano is a Catholic place of worship in the municipality of Lavagna, in Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, in the metropolitan city of Genoa. The church is the seat of the parish of the same name of the vicariate of Chiavari-Lavagna of the diocese of Chiavari. Continue and learn more on Wikipedia
A lion of the Basilica of Lavagna – Un lion de la Basilique de Lavagna – Un león de la Basílica de Lavagna – Um leão da Basílica de Lavagna – Ein Löwe der Basilika von Lavagna – Một con sư tử của Vương cung thánh đường Lavagna – 拉瓦尼亚大教堂的狮子 – ラヴァーニャ大聖堂のライオン
Lion in San Lorenzo in Genoa. The most important church in Liguria is also the most majestic. This is one of the two lions that guard the front steps. A couple of days ago I had a free hour and I used it to take some photos of you. And this is one of the classic shots of this wonder that I slightly corrected in color.
I really like this photo, what about you? Add a comment comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.
Here all the photos I took on my last visit to the Cathedral:
If you are interested, this is the official website that updates you on Catholic initiatives and liturgies: chiesadigenova.it.
The Cathedral of San Lorenzo is the most important place of Catholic worship in the city of Genoa, the metropolitan cathedral of the archdiocese of the same name. It was consecrated to the saint in 1118 by Pope Gelasius II when it was not yet finished and the facade was missing. Continue and learn more on Wikipedia
The statue of the lion in San Lorenzo in Genoa – La statue du lion à San Lorenzo à Gênes – La estatua del león en San Lorenzo en Génova – A estátua do leão em San Lorenzo em Génova – Die Statue des Löwen in San Lorenzo in Genua – Tượng sư tử ở San Lorenzo ở Genoa – 熱那亞聖洛倫索的獅子雕像 – ジェノヴァのサンロレンツォにあるライオンの像
