The wisteria is undergoing its second florescence of the season, and this remarkable specimen caught my eye when I walking down a narrow city street in the center. I am always charmed by the sight of buoyant nature living in connection with medieval architecture; it is such a contrast.

The engraved marble plaque below notes that Giuseppe Garibaldi stayed in this building on 22 October 1867. It doesn’t seem like the tourists who are crowded around the entrance to the building care a bit about that! They are looking at the menu posted for the restaurant called Osmo.

Down the street on which I live is this artisanal glass making enterprise. The ancient looking brown facade at the end of a long drive way is visible from the street.

I followed the driveway to the end and found this lovely building facade, that looks like a building that Ruskin would like.

To the right is the entrance to the shop.

I never cease to be entertained by the fact that I live within an enclave with streets named after some of Italy’s finest painters!

I was struck by the loveliness of this courtyard with magnolia trees and pretty paving stones. I like the way the iPhone camera handles the direct sunlight. Back in the days of film cameras, we did everything to avoid this kind of shot. But now I like it.

You see signs like this one all around the city. It says Vietato L’affissione, which mean, it’s forbidden to write graffiti or attach posters to the wall. This one is explicit: I’ve never seen a sign like this before that actually cites the precise penal code number.

Sitting on the bus, I noticed that this particular police station is blessed with an image its patron saint (not sure who, sorry). I come from America and I’m not used to religious figures associated with the police.

I see carabinieri vehicles often in the city, but this was a rare sighting of a van especially for the penitentiary. I shudder to think.

You find snack bars on every corner in Italy so you can get a coffee, but you also find vending machines for the same purpose, just in case you are in need of a quicker fix! This one was very interesting in its vast array of offerings. I saw it in Ferrara but added it here because it’s an wildcard among my pix.

I end with a pretty hibiscus blossom. In a city made of stone, it’s not often I happen upon such a pretty flower on its streets.