Here is your Friday afternoon challenge! Will you be the first to identify what this is?

[CTyankee]

And where it is?

Extra credit: why was it built?

[we can do it]

1. Its the Pope Hut, Keeps Bird Shit Off His Ugly Head

[CTyankee]

2. Excellent, albeit wrong, answer.

Next!

[FBaggins]

3. The stone looks like it's an Italian Renaissance duomo

maybe Florence?

But I don't recognize the balcony and have no clue what's up with the "umbrella"

[CTyankee]

4. You are VERY close....

[Brickbat]

5. San Lorenzo of Genoa, but I don't know the specs of this little balcony.

[CTyankee]

6. Not San Lorenzo of Genoa. Here is a HUGE hint:

A piece of cloth is the reason for it. What was that piece of cloth?

[Brickbat]

7. Turin? Shroud?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

9. The first sham wow! no The Shroud of Turin....! OK I don't know. nt

[CTyankee]

10. And here is the duomo of Genoa for comparison

[BR_Parkway]

8. Duomo di Prato - Prato, Italy - it's the pulpit for public ceremonies

[CTyankee]

11. ding, ding, ding! A winner! What about the piece of cloth?

[FBaggins]

12. So you weren't kidding when you said "close"

We're talking about... what?... 20 km or so?


And the cloth would be the Sacra Scintola, yes?

[CTyankee]

14. It's the sacred cintola, girdle (or sash) of the Virgin that she threw to St. Thomas

at her Assumption to heaven which, according to legend, ended up via a returning crusader, in Prato. The balcony was for its display on the Feast Day of the Virgin on September 8.

[BR_Parkway]

13. Forget the name, but wasn't it something 'proving' Mary's virginhood?

Of course, I'm thinking it was a bloody mess when my kids were born, so how they could be sure is one of "God's Mysterious Ways" I guess

[CTyankee]

15. Not this one. Maybe another one...nt

[CTyankee]

17. Were you an art major or did you remember it from travelling there?

I didn't know about it until I started readingup on Renaissance art recently...this one fascinates me...I love that Donatello did the sculpted relief around the balcony and its architect was Michelozzi...

[BR_Parkway]

20. Architecture geek

[CTyankee]

25. So do you classify this as Gothic architecture. I mean, the stripes and all which are so

prevalent for the era...I am assuming that Gothic is 15th century here...but I am not sure.

[Ysabel]

16. that handkerchiefie thingie that wiped off veronica's (or what's-her-names) face and had an image..

of what's his name (oh yeah that guy supposedly called jesus) face which some king over there in er maybe turkey or wherever had for awhile way back when...

- am i close?

p.s this is fun / lol...

p.p.s. all of this is on the tip of my tongue i swear mind has just been in a muddle all day however...

[CTyankee]

18. I don't know about Veronica but I think you are referring to the shroud of Turin.

All these cloths...

It is fun. When I saw this picture I was so charmed by it...I had known about the duomo in Prato because they recently restored the frescoes by Fra Filippo Lippi in the duomo.

Here is an article about this restoration: http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/travel/02next.html

[Ysabel]

19. it is a beautiful building...

i was referring to another cloth tho not the shroud of turin (some kind of sacred piece of cloth used to wipe a woman's tears) anyway thanks for responding to my rather goofy post and thanks for the original challenge and for the new link as well...

[CTyankee]

26. I've got some other art challenges. Ya up for that maybe next week?

I've got a few doozies up my sleeve and am eager to try them out...we've got a really well rounded crew here at DU. I am amazed at all the knowledge, which is why it is my favorite website message board...

[Ysabel]

31. yes if i'm here and i see the thread...

[Ysabel]

22. the "green sash"...

is that the cloth? a sash of mary's which she is said to have handed to thomas before her assumption?

p.s. so now you know i read at least that far / lol (i plan on reading the rest)...re-edit - oh drat somebody already guessed that one...

[CTyankee]

28. Hey, I didn't know it was GREEN!

I am just amazed that someone knew this piece of obscurity (outside of art majors). I'm retired so I can read a LOT and this art and architecture is very interesting to me...so I read up!

[Ysabel]

32. i didn't know before posting that it was green...

lol...

- it said that in the article (i've never heard of this cloth before) i love to read too...

[CTyankee]

33. Well, I totally missed that reference! LOL.

I'm tentatively planning a trip to Florence in September but it won't be early enough for the Feast of the Virgin...too bad, I'd love to see it! Also, I understand Prato has a very different biscotti from others in Italy...there's a reason to go!

It's near Florence...a quick bus or train ride...no big deal but for some reason it isn't "touristy." Tour buses don't go there too often...or at least not American tourist buses...we don't know what we're missing, IMO.

[Ysabel]

35. a trip to florence sounds great...

i've not been out of the u.s. in nearly 40 years and then only to canada i'd love to go to europe or just about anywhere and oh yeah earlier the cloth which i first referred to is known as the "veil of veronica" (i had the story half way backwards tho) anyway here's a link about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_Veronica

no no i'm all mixed up i was thinking of the "image of edessa" (or maybe um yeah) i was getting them both mixed up yep that's it and here is a link to that cloth:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_of_Edessa

p.s. well no wonder i was mixed up they look like the exact same cloth (if one scrolls down to the bottom of the page) lol...

[CTyankee]

36. I'm trying to get members of my travelling party last year, the Six Broads Abroad, on board

for Florence, but it may only be 3 or 4 Broads. We had a blast in Portugal last fall. We were a group of women in our late 50s and 60s. I haven't had this much fun since college! However, I think we'll have to behave ourselves a little more sedately in Florence...looking forward to the food and wine as well as the art!

[Ysabel]

39. the six broads abroad i like that...

hahaha and on board too (that's a great sentence lol) anyway good morning and see ya later...

[AnArmyVeteran]

21. Either a Militia bunker or a Pope Stand...

FIRST CHOICE: It's a bunker in a militia compound where deranged right wingers can fire their automatic weapons at anyone approaching them. It is located in a remote area in west Texas.

SECOND CHOICE; It is a stage where a Pope can address his flock congregated below. It is located in the Vatican.

[alfredo]

23. He can stand there and sprinkle "holy water" on the masses.

[CTyankee]

34. Eerie, the reference to the tower in Texas.

Here's the one in Prato:

A little scary for this country, isn't it?

[AnArmyVeteran]

40. CTyankee, great insight...

Maybe the idea of that Texas shooting was somewhere in the back of my mind. I wonder if those on the right look at it as a strategic position for defense or assault, while we on the left look at it with horror? Is that the real difference between the right and left? Or is that too extreme?

[CTyankee]

41. Funny you should mention that. So many palazzi in Florence look like fortresses

due to the fact that there was a lot of violence among families in medieval Florence and they often had to barricade themselves against marauders from rival families.

When I see a campanile (bell tower) in Italy I think loveliness because I know that my chances of some lone nut up there with a gun is practically nil...but they knew how to build fortifications for the "family" when it was time to "go to the mattresses"!!!

[zonkers]

24. A really really nice ornate outdoor patio heater?

[CTyankee]

30. "I got this really nice Donatello patio heater on the back porch...wanna see it?" LOL!!!

nt

[Touchdown]

27. "Journey to Atlantis" flume ride at Sea World, Orlando.

... good ride, BTW!

[CTyankee]

29. Wow, I didn't know this thing was "reinvented as a ride at Sea World!"

That's interesting!

[Wizard777]

37. Uhhhhhhh, it's a windowbox with a giant 'shroom growing in it.

:shrug: :hippie:

[CTyankee]

38. It sure is purdy tho! Wish I had one on my house....nt