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Glastonbury Tor, Somerset, UK

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Side ornaments of a galley, 17th Century. Restored 1999. Museo Storico Navale di Venezia

I was a little bit obsessed with the detailing and movement of these gilt wooden carvings. Kneeling along the hull of the ship as if they were kneeling on the waves themselves, these allegorical figures carry the important instruments of naval and military power; books, maps, and globes, compasses, fasces, and halberds, live chickens and... milk, maybe? Resources and plenty, these ships could reach the edges of the earth and bring back riches and glory... in theory, at least. Sadly cropped out to the far left, at the front of the parade near the prow of the ship, is a chubby cherub's face blowing a fortuitous wind.

The remains of this galley take up almost an entire room in Venice's Naval History Musuem - and it's completely justified. Interpretation panel suggests it could have been the flagship of Lazzaro Mocenigo, a Captain General in the Venetian navy during the Venetian-Ottoman Wars. He was killed, and his half his ship sunk, during a battle in the Dardanelles in July 1657. The surviving half was towed to Tenedo Island by the galley of Guglielmo Avogadro.

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Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire, UK

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Italianate Gardens at Hever Castle, Kent, UK.

Built between 1904-1908 but perfectly replicating the vibes of an 18th Century Aesthetic, drawing from Renaissance and Neoclassical inspirations. Built to display William Waldorf Astor's collection of ancient sculpture brought during his own Grand Tour of Italy in 1905, honey sandstone melts perfectly with pitted marbles, while planting schemes include grape vines, climbing roses, and topiary.

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St. Mark's Basilica, Venice

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Glastonbury Tor, Somerset, UK