A flying cape of bronze

As Spain has a history of many kings, it is obvious that there are still many equestrian statues of these kings. 

On the Plaza de Oriente, on the (east) side of the Royal Palace in Madrid, you find  one of the finest: The statue of  king Philip IV of Spain (1605 - 1665). 

He had many children but his son Charles II would be the last in line of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty (from Charles V to Carlos II).

The statue was made by the Italian sculptor Pietro Tacca based on drawings by Velasquez, who painted many portraits of Philip. Pietro Tacca made the king look rather handsome (compare some portraits by Velasquez).

More important is the way this Pietro Tacca handled the bronze. He makes one think it is easy and gives it a lightness like a piece of soft cloth flying in the wind.

Because the horse is lifting it's front legs very high it is told that the statue has to be balanced by putting more weight on the "bottom parts". Also for these kind of statues the tail is conveniently "touching" the ground. When you look at more equestrian statues, they mostly have 3 legs on the ground. Other options are people that hold the reigns or some (fantasy) construction in the middle.  

 Over his harness Philip IV wears a cape that flies behind him suggesting movement as if it is made from a very light material. This is a masterpiece. The lace seams are looking delicate.

The horse is looking extremely alert: Ready for Battle!

It's manes are long and finely worked.

There is a lot to read about Philip IV of Spain . And off course this is just a small part of the very interesting history of Spain in general. 

A Church and a chapel

In the Serra do Mar, between Ubatuba and Taubaté lies the town of Redenção da Serra.

Going to Redenção coming from Taubaté the first thing you see is a derelict church with a wall around it and some houses on the edge of a muddy end of a lake. This is the old church. Redenção used to be a nice little place in a valley.

It was the first town in the state of São Paulo to free its slaves; on the 10^th of February 1888, even before the “Lei Aurea” came into power on May 13 1888. Also because of this fact in the first half of the last century the name of the town was changed from Santa Cruz de Paiolinho to Redenção da Serra. Driving into town right across the bridge there is a large statue to commemorate the abolition. The statue was made by José Demetrio, a well known local sculptor in the Paraiba valley.

In the 70-ties the demand for electrical energy was growing. The solution to the problem was to build a dam in the Paraibuna river. Then the dam came…. And the old town of Redenção was flooded. The church on the high ground still stands but is slowly falling apart. Now it is protected by a wall against the water. When we were there the water level was low. But the water can rise until almost the top of the wall.

For the inhabitants there was no option to stay. They either could go away and start a life in another city or they could move to a new town on the hill a kilometer to the east.

The new town is build on a steep hill. In the middle is a square with a bandstand. Every Saturday morning you can listen there to typical music from the countryside. 

But there are also other cultural happenings. When we were there The “Prismáticos”, a street circus group from Argentina, were performing for the children of Redenção.

A bit to the side of the town lies a chapel with great views to the lake. The chapel is not used, but it has beautiful bright colored murals painted in the eighties by Mestre Justino (born in Redenção). 

It is a pity that the chapel lies derelict. The paintings have been restored and deserve to have more admirers. The perfect place to enjoy the view on the end of the day…..