Five Hidden Art Destinations Across Europe
L'Œil magazine highlights five European cities with overlooked art and architecture. In Mainz, Germany, the Mainzer Dom (11th century) features Romanesque and Gothic architecture, the Gutenberg Museum houses the 42-line Bible, and the Church of St. Stephen holds Marc Chagall's blue stained glass. Plovdiv, Bulgaria, blends ancient Roman ruins (2nd century) with 19th-century Bulgarian Revival houses and contemporary street art in the Kapana district. Parma, Italy, offers Leonardo da Vinci's "La Scapiliata" (1492-1501) at the Galleria Nazionale, the Farnese Theatre, and Correggio's frescoes. Delft, Netherlands, celebrates Johannes Vermeer with the Vermeer Centre, the Oude Kerk, and the Royal Delft factory producing Delftware. Wrocław, Poland, features Gothic, Baroque, and modern architecture (Centennial Hall by Max Berg, 1913), bronze dwarf statues (Krasnale) from the Orange Alternative movement, and the Panorama Racławicka painting (1893-1894) by Jan Styka and Wojciech Kossak.
Key facts
- Mainz Cathedral (Mainzer Dom) built from 11th century, sandstone, Romanesque with Gothic additions.
- Gutenberg Museum in Mainz displays the 42-line Bible, first major book printed with movable type.
- Marc Chagall's stained glass windows installed in St. Stephen's Church, Mainz, in the late 1970s.
- Plovdiv, Bulgaria, has Roman ruins (2nd century) including a stadium, forum, odeon, and theatre.
- Bulgarian Revival houses in Plovdiv date from the 19th century, feature bright colors and wood projections.
- Leonardo da Vinci's 'La Scapiliata' (1492-1501) is held at the Galleria Nazionale di Parma.
- Farnese Theatre in Parma is a 17th-century wooden theatre reconstructed in the Palazzo della Pilotta.
- Correggio's frescoes in Parma include the dome of the cathedral (1524-1530) and the Camera di San Paolo.
- Delft has no original Vermeer paintings but the Vermeer Centre, his birthplace (25 Voldersgracht), and his grave in Oude Kerk.
- Royal Delft (De Porceleyne Fles) is the only remaining 17th-century Delftware factory still in operation.
- Wrocław's Centennial Hall by Max Berg (1913) is an early reinforced concrete exhibition hall.
- Wrocław's bronze dwarf statues (Krasnale) began in 2001, symbolizing the Orange Alternative anti-communist movement.
- Panorama Racławicka (1893-1894) is a 360° painting by Jan Styka and Wojciech Kossak depicting the 1794 Battle of Racławice.
Entities
Artists
- Marc Chagall
- Johannes Gutenberg
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Antonio Allegri (Correggio)
- Johannes Vermeer
- Lambert Van Meerten
- Paul Tetar van Elven
- Max Berg
- Jerzy Kalina
- Jan Styka
- Wojciech Kossak
- Tadeusz Kościuszko
- Willigis
- Charles de Bourbon
- Élisabeth Farnèse
- Philippe de Bourbon
Institutions
- L'ŒIL
- Mainzer Dom (Mainz Cathedral)
- Gutenberg Museum
- St. Stephen's Church (Mainz)
- Galleria Nazionale di Parma
- Palazzo della Pilotta
- Farnese Theatre
- Vermeer Centre
- Oude Kerk (Delft)
- Nieuwe Kerk (Delft)
- Royal Delft (De Porceleyne Fles)
- Museum Lambert van Meerten
- Museum Paul Tetar van Elven
- Centennial Hall (Wrocław)
- University of Wrocław
- Museum of Bourgeois Art (Wrocław)
- Panorama Racławicka
- Orange Alternative
Locations
- Mainz
- Germany
- Plovdiv
- Bulgaria
- Parma
- Italy
- Delft
- Netherlands
- Wrocław
- Poland
- Sofia
- Naples
- Metz
- Reims
- England
- Israel
- Switzerland
- United States
- Russia
- Emilia-Romagna
- Lower Silesia
- Oder River
- Kapana (Plovdiv)
- Rynek (Wrocław)
- Voldersgracht 25 (Delft)
- Oude Delft 199 (Delft)
- Koornmarkt (Delft)
- Świdnicka and Piłsudskiego streets (Wrocław)