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 [...]
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 [...]
Campo San Giovanni e Paolo When in Venice, either with one of our small group tours or on my own, I always stay at a lovely small hotel that faces the Campo Santa Maria Formosa, the Palazzo Vitturi Hotel. The rooms with views facing the campo look directly out on the Church of [...]
I remember my first encounter with Bergamo. After several days in Stresa, on Lago Maggiore north of Milan, I headed east on the autostrada on a late Spring afternoon. The periphery of the old city called the Città Alta, Upper City, is a very industrial area. The main east to west autostrada and numerous major [...]
Poggio a Caiano A mere eleven miles from the city center of Florence lies one of the most beautiful of the many Medici villas which dot the Tuscan countryside. Lorenzo de Medici, known as “The Magnificent” oversaw the construction one such location: the villa Poggio a Caiano. The approach to the villa offers [...]
The Medici Villa of Petraia and gardens As I prepare to board a flight out of Florence’s Peretola Airport, I always make a point to look to the northeast and seek out an incredibly special villa. In the near distance stands one of the Medici Family’s most beautiful country residences, La Petraia. The [...]
Piazza San Marco Florence continues to surprise those of us fortunate enough to have spent years exploring the private and hidden corners in one of the world’s most sought after travel destinations. Such is the case of San Marco Monastery, located an easy ten minute walk north of the city’s Duomo and Baptistery. [...]
Self Portrait Bern lies in the heart of one of the most beautiful cantons of Switzerland, a gorgeous walled city center now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the beginning of the 16th century when one Niklaus Manuel Deutsch was born, the city had survived numerous plagues and long periods [...]