The Athenaeum, Manchester...

This building is one of Manchester's lesser known architectural gems. It was originally called The Athenaeum and was a place where Victorian gentlemen could gather and appreciate art. It was designed to look like a palace from Florence. There was a great vogue in Victorian Manchester for building Italian Renaissance buildings in the city and, if you keep you eyes peeled you will find little glimpses of Venice and Rome as well as Florence. It is now part of the Manchester Art Gallery which you can just see beyond it on Moseley Street. It looks wonderful in the bright, February sunshine and the crowds are out in force to watch the dragons dance to celebrate Chinese New Year....