Are you ready to get back into the heart of the cultural life of Munich? I have given you a respite from art, art, art for the past few posts. I’m hankering to get back into it. Andiamo! Let’s go!

Perhaps the first major impression I had of Munich was this monumental church. And for good reason: With its yellow facade and ornate interior, the Theatinerkirche (Theatine Church) at Odeonsplatz is one of the most beautiful churches in Munich. I emerged from the subway station at Odeonplatz and was blinded by the sunshine and this bright yellow building.

In the mid-17th century, to commemorate the birth of Max Emanuel, the long-awaited heir, Elector Ferdinand Maria and his wife Henriette Adelaide commissioned architects from Italy to build the “most beautiful and precious church.”

Taking their inspiration from the church of Sant’Andrea della Valle in Rome, Agostino Barelli, Antonio Spinelli built the Theatinerkirche, the first religious building north of the Alps to be designed in the Late Baroque style from Italy.

Enrico Zuccalli was subsequently employed to add two 66 meters high towers, and then finished the 71-metre-high (233 ft) dome in 1690. The church is 72 metres (236 ft) long and 15.5 metres (51 ft) wide. The facade in Rococo style was completed only in 1768 by François de Cuvilliés. Its Mediterranean appearance and yellow coloring became a well known symbol for the city and had much influence on Southern German Baroque architecture. The sculptors Roman Anton Boos and Ignaz Günther built the figures and decorative elements on the facade.

The white interior is as striking in its lightness as the facade is for its saturated color.

The bleached interior is wonderfully cool and forms a striking contrast to the brighter ochre yellow of the facade.

The official name of the church is St. Kajetan: in addition to its function as court church, the church also served as a religious church for the Theatine monks.

Like the Theatinerkiche, the neighbouring Feldherrnhalle was built in the Italian style (emulating the Loggia di Lanzi of Florence). The southern part of the famed Odeonplatz is therefore often referred to as a “piece of Italy in Munich”.

More is more during the Baroque and this church has a degree of decoration that proves the theory.

The Electors’ burial chamber is the resting place of members of the House of Wittelsbach, including the two founders Henriette Adelaide and Ferdinand Maria and their son Max Emanuel.

Of course I lit some candles for souls that are departed yet dear to me. This is yet another building that is not to be missed on a trip to Munich.

If you like an elegant formal garden that’s not so big as to be un walkable (and really, who doesn’t?!) you’ll love the Hofgarten by the Royal Residence in Munich.

It’s been a subject for paintings by many eminent artists. For example, Max Stern painted it. Stern was a German painter and graphic artist of Jewish ancestry and this is his Hofgarten in early spring.

After days of cold and rain, yesterday was mild and somewhat sunny in Munich. It went from high summer to fall here overnight. The Hofgarten called to me for one last spin before I leave town later this week.

That’s the beautiful little Temple to Diana in the round.

Below is a view of the striking Theatinerkirche with its distinctive black colored domes as seen from inside the Diana Temple.

Bitte MÜNCHEN! I will miss you.

I’ve been in Chicago since October 9, working on, submitting, and waiting for the Visa. I’m very discouraged. This picture summarizes my state of mind.

I’m going to continue hanging on. I hope I can maintain a shred of sanity. Wish me luck!

A gorgeous day in Chicago on November 1 with friends! The recipe for a perfect time.

Two good friends from the days of high school! Last time we were together was in Florence just a few years ago. We like to meet in gorgeous places! Haha!

We’ve spent a lot of time reminiscing about people we enjoyed when we were teenagers and back in South Dakota where we grew up. In particular today I want to mention lovely Laura Karim, whom we both adored. You are missed, dear Laura; rest in peace.

Below, a lovely day for a photo shoot of a quinceañera! Age 15 and spectacular.

What I noticed first of all was the way the trees are cut. I have never seen this outside of Paris. And funnily enough, the last time I was in Paris in the Tuileries, near trees cut like this, I saw a photo shoot of another quinceañera! That young lady was dressed in pink to match the pink blossoms of the flowering fruit trees. It’s always a fun spectacle.

And one shot of Cindy and me inside the fiber exhibit at the garden. Cindy is herself a fiber artist and I really enjoyed viewing the exhibition through her eyes. We saw some fantastic works! Thanks Cindy and Ervin for a fabulous day! I’m so grateful to you for coming to Chicago to see me on this extended layover! Rabbit rabbit!

A beautiful tablenacle in the hills above Florence.

A tabernacle in the hills just outside Florence.

Local flavor! Love the first pic the most!

I physically left the city a while ago, but it still occupies my mind and my library of photos. I have a few strays left over that are just too good not to post.

Above, a great example of local architecture.

I love these kultur kiosks found around the city. In whatever city I am ever in, I enjoy studying the various posters advertising upcoming cultural events. You can tell a lot about a city from these sources.

According to Google Translate, the poster above advertises “a night of Munich singing, called Holy Night.” You can enjoy this event from Dec. 11 – 17 this year at All Saint’s Church. I’d love to attend. Want to go with me?

This next poster advertises something with which I was totally unfamiliar.

So of course I looked it up and Wikipedia tells me the following:

Carmina Burana is a cantata composed in 1935 and 1936 by Carl Orff, based on 24 poems from the medieval collection Carmina Burana. Its full Latin title is Carmina Burana: Cantiones profanae cantoribus et choris cantandae comitantibus instrumentis atque imaginibus magicis (Songs of Beuern: Secular songs for singers and choruses to be sung together with instruments and magical images). It was first performed by the Oper Frankfurt on 8 June 1937. It is part of Trionfi, a musical triptych that also includes Catulli Carmina and Trionfo di Afrodite. The first and last sections of the piece are called Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi (Fortune, Empress of the World) and start with O Fortuna.

The autograph manuscript of the work is preserved in the Bavarian State Library, and was issued as facsimile edition by Schott Music.

If you want to hear a sample, click on this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carl_Orff-Carmina_Burana-O_Fortuna.ogg. Don’t you just love living in 2024 with the Internet?

If you are lucky enough to be in Munich on November 24th, you can attend this event.

Throughout the city there are random reminders of Munich’s past, juxtaposed with its present. I love this medieval tower that has been preserved.

Below, another example of beautiful local traditional architecture.

I the famous Viktualmarkt I spotted these young trees which are being trained to provide a canopy of shade in the shape of an umbrella. This is a completely new concept to me; I’ve never seen anything like it before and I love it! I want to try it at home!

In the grocery stores I frequented in Munich I spotted these packages of eggs, displayed right next to the offerings of fresh eggs. I explored the containers and found out that the Germans sell colored eggs, much like we make at Easter, apparently all year round! The eggs are hard boiled and they were available every time I was in a store in August and September, far from Easter.

That wraps up my miscellaneous discoveries in Munich for now. I hope to return someday soon!

What a gorgeous illustration! During Fascism and before WWII. Crazy to think about.