Sia la Luce - Let there be light. Lanterns are in vogue and
has been for a while. Interior designers
and decorators are hunting antiques and flea markets searching for the matching
solutions.
Authentic or replicas are in
demand for stately entrances, cathedral ceilings, stairwells and kitchens.
Lanterns never fail to bring
elegance and style to interiors decorated with antiques or modern pieces. Try
to brows the Pinterest for kitchen lighting and you’ll find either industrial
look or lanterns in the best examples. In fact they has been so much
popular lately that I decided to look back to origins.
And no surprise that the
most beautiful ones can be found in Italy.
Renaissance among plenty of
other things, inventions and arts brought light to the night streets of
medieval cities. Torches holders gave way to elaborate lanterns unique for the place. Some lanterns are real
masterpieces.
Exquisite street lights became jewels on the crown of Florence, Rome
or Siena. Recognizable at the very first glance they are viewed as a signage of
the cityscape. Most of them are purely decorative elements today but many still
add a sparkle to beautiful corners, arches, doors, gates and galleries.
Rome
Siena
The lanterns of Florence
A few days ago devastating earthquake struck Emilia Romagna part of Northern Italy.
My heart is aching for those who lost loved ones, who lost homes as thousands of frightened people are placed in make shift tent camps.
Many historical buildings and churches are irreversibly damaged, some like a clock Tower in Finale Emilia collapsed. Some stood tall for 500 years and fell victims to natural disaster. As news agencies report the significant part of the historical heritage was erased.
An unspeakable loss. A tragic reminder of how fragile is the balance.
So this post is a tiny tribute to Italy with heartfelt wishes of fast recovery and healing the wounds to its wonderful people.
*All images copyright by Natalie Rapoport