South by East: Notes of Travel in Southern Europe (page 1/3)

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Decorative initial letter “M” – Roman military standard

This decorative initial letter “M” was used sa a drop cap at the start of the chapter; it is in the shape of a Roman standard that might have been carried by a legion of soldiers, and contains [...] [more...] [$]

Initial Letter S

A decorative capital “S” used as a drop cap, or initial letter S, from the start of Chapter VI, showing a monk kneeling at prayer, with tonsure, robe and sandals. The desk at which [...] [more...] [$]

Entrance to the harbour of Messina.

The harbour of Messina, today a large and modern city, was in the 1870s protected by a fort (still present). Today there is a large stone column with a statue on top of it very prominently placed on the nearest building. In the picture there is a steamship (combining steam and sail) and other ships and boats, as well as people along the nearer shore, [...] [more...] [$]

Cathedral of S. Mark, Venice

“The centre of life in Venice is the Piazza of S. Mark, which is not altogether unlike the Palais Royal in Paris. It is surrounded on three sides by lofty houses, the lowest parts of which are shops or cafés, while on its east side stands the Cathedral of S. Mark, in front of which the three lofty masts which once bore the [...] [more...] [$]

The Catacombs at Palermo

At the end of a long dark corridor, lined with coffins, chests, skulls, and the standing dead, we see an archway, and, through the arch, an old man, a monk, standing in a pool of light. This is a very cinematic engraving, even though it predates [...] [more...] [$]