Galleria Sciarra
Tucked just off Via del Corso in central Rome, Galleria Sciarra is a narrow glass-roofed courtyard wrapped in some of the most elaborate Art Nouveau frescoes in Italy, painted by Giuseppe Cellini in the late 1880s. The iron and glass ceiling floods the space with soft, diffused light, making overcast days ideal since direct sun creates harsh contrast between the bright roof and the painted walls below. Shoot looking straight up to capture the geometric ironwork against the sky, or work the vertical lines of the frescoed tiers rising around you. A wide angle lens in the 16 to 24mm range lets you pull in the full height of the courtyard from ground level. The entrance from Via Marco Minghetti is easy to miss, so look for the archway; the space sees relatively little foot traffic and is free to enter. (Rome, Lazio, Italy)
