Portals of TUR Part II
If you have never heard of TUR scroll down and read Part I first.
We had a story previously about the Portals of St. Elmo. We may have a thing about portals. This set of portals are in TUR. Never heard of Tur? It’s Tuscany, Umbria and Rome. We wondered in Part I what lies behind these portals into the heart of central Italy. You may not have noticed but Part I was windows. Part II is doors. So many doors of so many different kinds, colors and conditions.
Some are nicely decorated.
Some are very simple and plain. Often these simple portals have clearly seen many changes of the season.
Some portals lead to the inner sanctums of holy places. These tend toward the intricate. Stories and metaphors abound with iconography of great detail. We wonder how an alien with no previous knowledge of the stories behind the depicted scenes would interpret them.
But more simple portals also have interesting stories in their more limited adornments. Why use this figure for outsiders to announce their presence? Why choose colored locks? Is there a magical sequence known only to the initiated? Are there prizes for the most attachments?
And many of these portals have signage either on the portal or adjacent to assist the passerby. Sometimes there is an ornate coat of arms over the portal. Sometimes there is faded and cryptic lettering on the portal itself. And of course there are more formal signs placed adjacent to some portals.
There are so many stories in the land of TUR. And so much mystery.
