A spacious, all-white kitchen is warmed up by green marble flooring, sunlight streaming in through a wall of windows that overlook a bay, and soft lights cleverly recessed into a tray ceiling.

…under the vaulted porticoes decorated with frescoes of this 19th-century palace, the day continues under a sun more summer than spring,…among elegant architecture and views that tell the story of Padua. The building overlooks three squares in the historic center: Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza della Frutta, and Piazza dei Signori…originally a prison, this building now hosts luxury shops and apartments…

The extraordinary 'optical illusion' of the marble mosaic tiles of the 17th-century Florence Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore in Italy.

The mosaic optical illusion of the Cathedral, seen from above, this intricate geometry creates the illusion of a giant abyss into which people could stumble.

The red, white, black and green marble floor was a colossal job that took 160 years to complete.

It was built by the grand Florentine craftsmen, led by the Renaissance sculptor Baccio d'Agnolo (1462–1543), and completed in 1660 AD.

The primary goal of the builders was to surpass the splendor of the Roman imperial floors, especially those of the Pantheon.

The result forms a gigantic unit of fascinating geometric carpets, lined within the arches of the cathedral.