Taormina Amphitheater and Mt. Etna Many years ago, the day arrived when I could finally visit Sicily. Black and white Italian films of the late 40s and 50s returned to my memory; criminal conspiracies, dangerous streets and pickpockets by the hundreds formed a stereotypically violent society where lawlessness was rampant and tourists were [...]
A terrible moment — August 14, 2018 — has led to a period of rediscovery for the city of Genoa. On that day, a huge autostrada bridge above the city center collapsed. New San Giorgio Bridge The government of Italy immediately took on the task of constructing a new bridge, and on August [...]
Family Roots Landscape of Solomeo On the rise of a low hill, not far from Lago Trasimeno—a heart shaped lake in the heart of the province of Umbria—rests the home village of Federica Cucinelli, wife of Brunello Cucinelli. For those unfamiliar with Signor Cucinelli, his family founded what became a world-wide clothing empire. [...]
Votive offerings are given in times of gratitude, most often for miracles granted. The Cappella del Voto (Chapel of the Madonna of the Vow) rests in the right transept of the Duomo of Siena. The chapel is also referred to as the Chigi chapel because the space was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini on a [...]
From politics to art, education to science, men dominated the world of Renaissance Italy. Yet, at least in the Arts, more and more women began to rise above the misogynistic domination of that world to become famous by their own talents. This article focuses on only three female painters of the time. Yet, the list [...]
Frans Hals Self Portrait When Franz Hals created canvases, he painted what today we would call the “real people” of the city in pubs and on the streets: musicians, barmaids, and governmental and community leaders. A self-driven tenacity created Hals’ reputation as nearly unapproachable. That attitude was exacerbated by his insistence that [...]
Binnenhof Palace, Dutch parliament in Den Haag Portrait of Rachel Ruysch by Godfried Schalcken On an early November day, I traveled to Den Haag, the Hague. The train route from Amsterdam’s Centraal station includes a brief stop in the strikingly beautiful station in Leiden. I was tempted to disembark the train [...]
Duomo at Sunrise Master of early Renaissance painting Leonardo da Vinci lived in Milan from 1482 – 1490. During his time in the city, he inspired the work of one Andrea Solario, brother of Cristoforo Solari. Both Andrea and Cristoforo worked in the Duomo of Milan and at the Certosa di Pavia, located [...]
The news came quietly, leaving the art world stunned to learn that a fresco in the church of Santa Maria in Marcialla, not far from Florence, had been attributed to none other than Michelangelo. Fresco: The Deposition of Christ Residents of Marcialla, a tiny village south of Florence, have claimed for generations that [...]
The Amalfi Coast of Italy curves along the Mediterranean coast, south of Naples. As you rise above the village of Sorrento, you follow the signs to the small village of Sant’Agata sui due Golfi, one of the highest points on the Sorrentine Peninsula. From that village on, hold your breath; this is the most spectacular [...]