Painting on public surfaces is nothing new – I don’t have a clue to when we can date back the earliest frescos, but they have been around for a long time. I was reminded of that during my exploration of churches these last weeks.  I had the chance to see some fragmentary early frescos, in addition to the later baroque splendor of the various naves I visited.

In Trieste the main spot is the Cattedrale di San Giusto Martire which has frescos, both painted and as mosaics.  The roman, then gothic structure was consecrated in 1385. It is the seat of the Bishop of Trieste. In 1899 Pope Leo XIII granted it the status of a basilica minor.

An added attraction for some months of the year is a sculpture of he martyr St. Justus submerged in sea water. the long story can be found here:

https://bestoftrieste.com/2016/10/29/survival-guide-san-giusto-the-patron-saint-of-trieste/

The short version: Romans drown Christian; gets miraculously washed ashore and buried. Trieste diving community centuries later places a statue with church and military pomp and circumstances into the sea; after annual retrieval and cleaning, it gets displayed at the cathedral until its St. day on November 3. There’s so much to do other than helping the poor……

Some modern sculpture melts successfully into the rest of the architectural riches.

A much smaller one was the Basilica of St. Silvestro, reformed evangelical church of the Swiss and Valdese that dates back to the 12.th century. The frescos here spoke to me in the quietude of the space.

In Ljubljana the only church I visited was the cathedral, Church of St. Nicholas. https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors/things-to-do/sightseeing/the-cathedral-church-of-st-nicholas/

The church was founded in 1262; various instantiations emerged throughout the centuries. The dome fresco was painted in 1844 (originally they had a fake painted dome until they erected the real thing.) Overall, Baroque splendor, what can I say, down to the lighting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again with some modern and actually gripping simplicity in the mix – here with stations of the cross.

These were sacred spaces, enjoyed by, admittedly, hordes of humanities, eager to cross off a must-see item on their European tour. So much so that churches have begun to charge for entry. Which irritated me to no end. It just seems wrong.

Both in Alkmaar, Holland,

 

and at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna you can set foot into the church, getting some glimpses of the over all structure.

 

 

You can light your votive candles.

But soon you encounter the barrier to the cashier if you want to go on to see details or special projects.

I guess a reflection of the church in our modern world of worldwide travel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the must see itms on the list when visiting old European cities is churches – don’t rely on my assessment, just look at the hordes of people