Opus – Page 20 – Encyclopædia of the sublime

Miramare Castle

Miramare Castle is a 19th-century castle direct on the Gulf of Trieste between Barcola and Grignano in Trieste, northeastern Italy. It was built from 1856 to 1860 for Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium, later Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico and Empress Carlota of Mexico, based on a design by Carl Junker. The castle's grounds include an extensive cliff and seashore park of 22 hectares (54 acres) designed by the archduke. The grounds were completely re-landscaped to feature numerous tropical species of trees and plants.

Princess Charlotte of Belgium

Princess Charlotte of Belgium was the only daughter of Leopold I and Louise-Marie d’Orléans. Charlotte was born on 7 June 1840 at the Castle of Laeken. She was just ten years old when her mother died of tuberculosis, a sudden death which left a deep mark on the young princess. As a young adult, her beauty and status attracted many suitors. In 1857, she married one of them, the Archduke of Austria Ferdinand Maximilian (1832-1867), a husband who proved to be a disappointment in many respects. The couple moved to Italy where the Archduke's brother was Viceroy of Lombardy and Venice. Maximilian was stripped of his functions because his brother did not like the way in which he governed the Italian territories. Therefore, the couple moved to its second home, Miramare Castle, on the shores of the Adriatic Sea near Trieste. It was an enchanting place which quickly became a golden prison where Charlotte grew bored. The couple found themselves caught up in the political strategies of Napoleon III. Under pressure from the latter, Maximilian accepted the Imperial crown of Mexico in 1864. However, the Mexicans refused to recognise him as their Emperor, instead seeing him as a puppet of Napoleon who was occupying the country by force. Finally, the French Emperor decided to withdraw his troops in order to focus more on Europe. Maximilian was overthrown and was executed in 1867. Charlotte, who had returned to Europe a few months earlier to seek help, found herself up against closed doors. Hearing of the death of her husband and the fall of the Mexican empire, she succumbed to hysteria and paranoia. Her brother Leopold II, who had become King of the Belgians, welcomed her at the Royal Palace. The deposed Empress, prey to persistent bouts of insanity, retired to her home country and died at Bouchout Castle in 1927.

Giacomo Serpotta

Giacomo Serpotta was an Italian sculptor, active in a Rococo style and mainly working in stucco. Serpotta was born and died in Palermo; and may have never left Sicily. His skill and facility with stucco sculpture appears to have arisen without mentorship or direct exposures to the mainstream of Italian Baroque. Rudolf Wittkower describes him as an aberrancy in an otherwise provincial scene, a "meteor in the Sicilian sky".

Sulfur magazine

Sulfur: A Literary Tri-Annual of the Whole Art was an influential, small literary magazine founded by American poet Clayton Eshleman in 1981. The name Sulfur references sulphur, a butterfly with orange and yellow wings, bordered in black, as well as the element sulfur in particular in its role in alchemical processes of combustion and transformation. By referencing a butterfly in the title, Eshleman linked the magazine with Caterpillar a previous magazine he founded and edited from 1967 to 1973. By linking the magazine with alchemy, Eshleman was also associating it with Jungian interpretations of alchemical symbols.

Caspar Wolf

Caspar Wolf was a Swiss painter best known for his dramatic landscapes of the Alps, which combined meticulous observation with Romantic grandeur. Active during the late 18th century, Wolf was among the first artists to focus extensively on alpine scenery, capturing its rugged beauty and geological features.

Baiae

Baiae was an ancient Roman town located on the northwest shore of the Gulf of Naples, near modern-day Bacoli, Italy. Renowned in antiquity as a luxurious resort for Rome’s elite, Baiae was famous for its natural hot springs, which were believed to have therapeutic properties, and for its elaborate villas and bath complexes. The town became synonymous with opulence and leisure, attracting figures such as Julius Caesar, Nero, and Hadrian, who built grand residences overlooking the sea. Baiae was also known for its innovative engineering, including domed structures and heating systems used in its baths.

Villa Barbarigo

It is girded by a remarkable Baroque garden and water works, with statuary (including a statue of aged and winged time carrying a cuboctahedron) and even a Boxwood labyrinth. Originally commissioned in 1669 by Zuane Francesco Barbarigo, the construction continued under Zuane's son, Gregorio Barbarigo, a Cardinal and future Saint, with designs by Luigi Bernini, brother of the famous Roman sculptor and architect. The Villa was at one time accessible by boat from Venice, and the exuberant entry portal has the poles used in the city to tie up gondolas. The portal is pseudo palace facade with a broken pediment sporting a statue of Diana the hunter in the center, flanked by her dogs. Once through the gate, paths lead through a series of fountains and garden features, including water games.

Fyodor Konyukhov

Fyodor Konyukhov is a Russian adventurer, artist, and author renowned for his extraordinary feats of exploration. A modern-day polymath, Konyukhov has completed over 50 expeditions, including solo crossings of oceans, polar treks, and a record-breaking solo balloon flight around the globe. Eccentric and deeply spiritual, Konyukhov blends adventure with artistic and religious expression. An ordained priest, he often incorporates religious rituals into his journeys, viewing exploration as a form of pilgrimage. His meticulous journals and vivid paintings, many created during his expeditions, reflect his philosophical musings and reverence for nature.

Martin Hürlimann

Martin Hürlimann was a Swiss publisher, photographer, and writer celebrated for his photographic documentation of European and Asian landscapes. Known for his meticulous approach, he spent hours perfecting shots to capture the interplay of light and architecture, focusing on historical sites and urban vistas. As the founder of Atlantis Verlag, Hürlimann oversaw every detail of his publications, producing high-quality art and travel books. His work, while sometimes critiqued as overly romanticized, remains a lasting record of cultural heritage and a testament to his singular vision.

Marco Pantani

Marco Pantani was an Italian professional cyclist celebrated for his climbing prowess and dramatic flair on the road. Known as Il Pirata, Pantani captivated fans with his distinctive bandana, gold earring, and rebellious demeanor, which became synonymous with his meteoric rise in the cycling world.