Why is Michelangelo’s David naked?
A question that my guests often ask me is, “Why is Michelangelo’s David naked?” Even if nudity in art should not surprise us, many find it shocking or improper. I am sure you’ve heard of the shocking case of an American school principal who showed the image of Michelangelo’s David in class during an art […]
Best time to visit Florence Italy
Best time to visit Florence Italy: a season on season guide This is one of the questions I get most often: when to visit Florence, which is the best season, and how to face the crowds? There is no simple answer to this question. As you can imagine, the period with the best climate also […]
Eleonora di Toledo: life of a Duchess
To this day, the way we learn European history is still male-centred. It is not surprising then, that the history of the Medici family focuses mostly on the male members of the family: Cosimo the Elder, Lorenzo the Magnificent, Cosimo I and his two sons Francesco and Ferdinand. Yet, the story of the female members […]
Oblong Florence
New contemporary art gallery in Florence In early October this year Florentine cultural panorama gained a new important spot: a new contemporary art gallery has been inaugurated in Piazza del Carmine. In Florence opened the Oblong Gallery, already active in Forte dei Marmi and Dubai. A Gallery different than others, open and welcoming, Oblong Florence […]
The Archaeological Museum of Florence – 5 masterpieces from the collection
Any archaeology lovers out there? Yes, I know, you mostly come to Florence to see Michelangelo’s David and Leonardo’s paintings, but the Florentine art collections offer much more than that! Did you know that the little-known Archaeological Museum of Florence guards one of the most important collections of Etruscan bronze statuary in Italy? If you […]
Florence for contemporary art lovers
How to organize your visit in Florence if you are a contemporary art lover? Florence is a cradle of the Renaissance, but don’t think that if you are a contemporary art lover, you will be bored here! If during your stay in the city you want to learn more about the 20th-century artistic production, these […]
First visit to Florence?
Five things to see and do you cannot miss! Are you planning your first visit to Florence and you don’t know what to do? These are the five things you cannot miss! A city walk A city walk is the best introduction to the history of the city and it is definitely worth booking a […]
Donatello: the Renaissance
temporary exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi On 19 March Palazzo Strozzi has inaugurated a temporary exhibition curated by Francesco Caglioti and fully dedicated to the figure of one of the greatest masters of the Florentine Renaissance, Donatello, or better Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi. A unique possibility for us to focus on the production of […]
What to see in Pistoia?
a deep dive into the Middle Ages. A day trip from Florence You are planning your Tuscan holidays and you don’t know where to go and what to see? Don’t worry, it is impossible to be bored in this wonderful region! There are always new places to discover! After Siena and Lucca, it’s time for […]
Marino Marini Museum in Florence
an afterlife of San Pancrazio church Is Florence a city for contemporary art lovers? It may seem that after the achievements of Brunelleschi, Donatello and Michelangelo artists will never produce similar masterpieces again. And yet, during your stay in the town you can take a break from the Renaissance and enjoy some 20th-century art too! […]
Donatello’s pulpits for San Lorenzo
The freedom of an elderly master Renaissance art rarely talks about the artistic freedom. Medieval and Renaissance artists were everything but free. While working on commission from ecclesiastic institutions, confraternities and wealthy patrons, the artists had very little influence on the subject matter of their works or on the quality and costs of the materials […]
Bottega d’arte Maselli
the house of gilded frames We moved to San Lorenzo neighbourhood eight years ago. In this corner of Florence we found a very vibrant community centred around the market and the Basilica. In all these years we became friends with our baker, with the pharmacist, with the music store Dischi Fenice, with the sellers from […]