Before going to a concert Sunday night by guitarist Tommy Emmanuel and his special guest Troy Cassar-Daley at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg, PA, I had some time to explore this capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Harrisburg sits on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna River and is the 9th largest city in the state. Harrisburg was named the state capital in 1812 taking the place of Philadelphia and Lancaster as the seat of government for the Commonwealth.
One outstanding building in Harrisburg is the State Capitol itself, considered to be the most beautiful capitol building in the world. It is often referred to as a "palace of art" because of its many sculptures, murals, and stained-glass windows, most of which use Pennsylvania themes or were made by Pennsylvanians. The building was registered on the National Register Of Historic Places in 1977 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
Each 17-foot bronze door at the Capitol's main entrance weighs a full ton, but can swing open at the touch of a hand. Modeled after a pair of gilded bronze doors by Italian Renaissance sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti, the Capitol's entrance features portrait heads of individuals responsible for the Capitol's construction.
Renowned Pennsylvania artist George Grey Barnard created the sculptures that flank the main doors of the Capitol Twenty-seven figures are represented in the two grouping. To the left of the entrance is "Labor and Love/The Unbroken Law" representing humanity advancing through work and brotherhood. To the right is "The Burden of Life/The Broken Law" which portrays lives of degradation and spiritual burdens.
The Capitol's centerpiece is a spectacular 272-foot, 52 million-pound dome inspired by Michelangelo's design for St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The Capitol building also features 400 Moravian tiles, 24 circular stained-glass windows designed by Philadelphia native William B. Van Ingen, a one-time Louis C. Tiffany student, and a 38 square foot painting of American historic figures.
