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The Cloister of Sant’Andrea near Porta Soprana in Genoa.
In the heart of Genoa’s historic centre, just a short walk from Porta Soprana and the famous House of Christopher Columbus, stands the Cloister of Sant’Andrea. This atmospheric spot offers a welcome pause from the bustle of the city. It is part of one of the best-known areas for visitors to Genoa, where historic landmarks, narrow streets and centuries of local history come together within a relatively small space.
The cloister enjoys a particularly interesting location. On one side is the House of Christopher Columbus, traditionally associated with the family of the famous Genoese navigator, while nearby rise the imposing towers of Porta Soprana, one of the historic gateways to the medieval city. In just a few steps, visitors can move from busy city streets into the more intimate atmosphere of the cloister, where the architecture encourages a slower pace and closer attention to detail.
The site is connected with the former religious complex of Sant’Andrea, which once stood in this area before later urban changes transformed its surroundings. The cloister recalls the importance of religious life in Genoa’s past and the way the medieval city was shaped by the close proximity of churches, convents, homes and defensive structures. Today, this surviving space offers a glimpse of a different side of Genoa, when the daily rhythm of the city was also influenced by the activities of its religious communities.
One interesting detail is the cloister’s position beside Porta Soprana. The gate formed part of the medieval defensive walls built to protect Genoa and reflects the city’s historic importance as a maritime and commercial power. Together, the cloister, the gate and the area associated with Columbus create a compact historical route that is easy to explore during a walk through the old town.
When I took this photograph, I was surprised to find the cloister almost empty. Despite being in an area visited by large numbers of tourists, there were only a couple of people inside. Moments like this make photography especially rewarding: a familiar and often busy landmark suddenly becomes peaceful, allowing the architecture and atmosphere of the place to take centre stage.
I enjoy discovering these unexpected moments while exploring a city with my camera. Even at the most famous attractions, a brief lull in the flow of visitors can completely change the way a place feels. Genoa is full of such corners, where history is not simply preserved behind museum walls but remains part of the everyday urban landscape.

Have you visited the Cloister of Sant’Andrea while exploring Genoa? Were you lucky enough to find it quiet, or have you always seen it surrounded by tourists? Add a comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.

Photo taken with a Canon EOS M100 camera and Canon EF-M 11-22 lens.

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The Clock Tower in Grande Square, Modena.
Looking upwards in the heart of Modena’s historic centre, it is difficult not to notice the tower rising above Grande Square, with its large clock face providing one of the city’s most recognisable architectural details. That vertical presence is what caught my attention and led me to photograph the tower from below.
The Clock Tower is integrated into the Town Hall building, so it should not really be seen as an isolated structure. Its position makes much more sense when viewed together with the square and the surrounding historic buildings. Above the arcades and façades of the city centre, the tower naturally becomes a visual point towards which the eye is drawn.
I wanted to take this photograph because the view from below gives the tower a different character from a wider picture of the square. The large clock face becomes the main subject, while the arches, loggias and decorative details underneath create depth and help place the tower within its architectural surroundings.
The Clock Tower stands in Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, in the historic centre and directly overlooking Grande Square. If you are wondering what to see in Modena while walking through the city centre, this is one of those architectural details that you are very likely to encounter naturally, especially when moving between the square and the Town Hall.
The clock face is probably the easiest detail to recognise in the photograph. Its Roman numerals and traditional layout recall the important role public clocks once played in urban life. Before personal watches and modern timekeeping became so widespread, a civic clock provided a practical reference for people working, trading and moving around the city.
One small historical detail I find interesting is that the tower we see today is the result of changes made over a long period. Structures with medieval origins were modified and expanded as the Town Hall complex developed, so the present appearance cannot really be attributed to a single architectural period. Different stages of Modena’s history can still be read in the building.
Below the clock face, the photograph also shows the niche containing a female figure, together with the institutional flags. Further down, the loggia with its arches and stone columns leads towards the entrance of the Town Hall. These details can easily become secondary when looking at the square from ground level, but they become much more noticeable when the camera is directed upwards.
What I like about this photograph is the way it isolates one particular element without completely losing its context. The tower remains the clear subject, yet its architecture inevitably tells part of the story of the square around it. This is something I often enjoy when taking photographs while walking: one building or detail can become an excuse to look more carefully at everything surrounding it.
Grande Square, together with the historic buildings around it and the nearby Modena Cathedral, forms one of the city’s most important monumental areas. The historic complex is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which makes it interesting not only to photograph the best-known monuments but also to pay attention to the smaller architectural elements that contribute to the character of the whole setting.
From below, as in my photograph, the vertical structure of the Clock Tower contrasts with the horizontal rhythm of the square and its arcades. That difference creates a strong composition and makes this particular part of Modena immediately recognisable.
For me, this is also why photographs of well-known places still have a place on my blog. I do not always need to discover an unknown subject. Sometimes I prefer to stop in front of something familiar and photograph it from the perspective from which I actually encountered it.
The Clock Tower is part of Modena’s historic heritage, but it is also part of the everyday landscape of the city. It continues to mark the square visually, just as public clocks once played a much more practical role in urban life.
That is what I wanted to preserve in this photograph: not simply an old tower, but a familiar architectural landmark still standing at the centre of everyday life in Modena.

Would you stop to photograph Modena’s Clock Tower from below during a walk through the city? Add a comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.