A year ago, these houses on Laflin Avenue in JeffVanderLou were in acceptable shape, even though they had been abandoned for a long time. I was shocked to drive by in the last week of August to discover that someone… Continue Reading
The Basilica of Great Saint Lawrence is one of the most important churches in the world you’ve never heard of. It sits across what is now a plaza, but was once crowded with houses, from the Colonnade of St. Lawrence.… Continue Reading
Urban renewal happens in Europe, as well, and the Colonnade of St. Lawrence is a perfect example of that. As the ancient world transitioned into the Early Christian, an old temple or bath house was torn down, and this colonnade… Continue Reading
A concerned citizen reached out to me recently with new photos showing continued problems at Valhalla’s mausoleum, which I covered back in August of 2017. after another reader submitted photos of extensive water damage to me. Let’s get these problems… Continue Reading
Milan is a very crowded city, with very little space. So when it came time to build a new church, St. Mary Near (or as I translate presso, up against) St. Satirus, the architects needed to be creative. St. Satirus… Continue Reading
Located on the southwestern edge of the historic core of Milan, the Basilica of Saint Ambrose has foundations that go back to one of the Four Doctors of the Roman Catholic Church, St. Ambrose himself. That church is long gone,… Continue Reading
The old walls of Roman Milan came by here, and due to most likely being incorporated into San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, this tower and another square one have survived barbarian invasions and the destruction of the original church. They… Continue Reading
For the next week, I will be showing sites around the northern Italian city of Milan, which is famous for many things, but not so much for its ancient Roman and Paleo-Christian past. I often feel that cities, such as… Continue Reading
Walnut Park is one of those neighborhoods of the city where I am hesitant to post pictures where there is the chance of giving the wrong impression. The area struggles with crime, and has a tragically high murder rate. There… Continue Reading
I’m going to continue to document the spray-painted murals around the North Side that I’ve been encountering. I feel like they are an art form that is not respected or cataloged by the traditional art world in St. Louis.