European facades fascinate me. I am moved by them. So very different from where I grew up.
Red, ocher, peach; Changing color with the setting sun and shadows. Sturdy, historic, yet timeless.
Many display large ornate windows, some with arches, others framed in shutters. Nature erodes away layer after layer. Stucco chips and paint peel away from the facade.
Some balconies cling to the side, with bright flowers draped down and around. Pulpits hold Juliet as she beckons “Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo?”, to her lover; Or the old lady feeding the pigeons. Depending on the day, don’t we all feel like we have layers that are being peeled away from us?
Who did we start out as, and who have we become over time? Both in architecture and in people, you wonder what is behind the closed door. Both the architect and the person spend so much time and effort primping and paying attention to the details on the outside, when something so very different may be happening on the inside.
Whether peering through windows or into eyes, we are searching for what is on the inside. We want to see what’s in the home and in the soul. What are you hiding inside? Is it empty and bare? Is there way too much clutter? What do you want us to see? What are you trying to protect? What face are you wearing? Maybe it is time for a make-over…
Photos: Pictures of Italian Palazzo in Venice and Florence all ©Robin Locker Lacey
