An Italian Beauty

Portrait of Catherine Cornaro, 
Queen of Cyprus

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Gilded Cupolas

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They are the most striking architectural features I have ever seen. Their ethereal beauty is enough to steal one’s weary soul away. Their towering magnificence in the backdrop of a cloudless blue sky is treasure in one’s eyes. They look even more enchanting in the first crack of dawn – when the first rays of the sun cast on the golden domes. Or during wintertime, when they are snow-covered - it creates a wonderful contrast of gold and silver. They evoke a feeling of strange calmness and otherworldliness that seems to lighten one’s senses. Perhaps it is because of their colouring or the way they were exceptionally designed or maybe because they are associated with the divine. But there is more. They are monuments - reminders of a bygone age that the people nowadays feel very nostalgic about. They are also the symbol of their faith and that of their forebearers. Their religion suffered so much throughout the ages, but it still remains true, unchanged and forever mystical. Through these ...
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