How do you influence, control or even manage a Grand Duke of Tuscany? Very carefully. Pierfrancesco Riccio (or da Riccio) was selected as the private secretary to Grand Duke Cosimo I of Tuscany. In the course of his tenure, one of the most important roles was the recommendation of, and support for, works of art [...]
His father was a tailor and, as was custom in many cases during the Renaissance, he took his father's labor as his name: Andrea del Sarto - Andrea of the tailor. Enormous talent built a phenomenal career for a man who died at the young age of 43, a victim of the plague. He was [...]
Join Francesco Lombardo, noted artist from Western North Carolina, on an incredible eight-day drawing workshop in the heart of Florence.
Harry Cochrane DECEMBER 4, 2019 NOTE: I wish to thank Harry Cochrane, staff writer for The Florentine English Newspaper in Florence, for the access to his article. Late October saw the official opening of the new Mercato delle Pulci, or flea market, in largo Annigoni. Nearly four years have passed since the stalls were moved [...]
This exceptional tour will begin in Florence, Italy: the “Birthplace of the Renaissance”. For six days and nights, we will explore in and around Florence, including excursions to Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, as well as a full-day excursion visiting Renaissance masterpieces in the Tuscan countryside, all with expert local guides.
A fascinating new documentary about the Ospedale degli Innocenti in Florence, an orphanage established in the 15th Century, will be premiered in Florence on May 17, 2019. Basilica della Santissima Annunziata (white facade) and the Ospedale degli Innocenti Read an article about the orphans of the Renaissance, and this unique institution, on our [...]
The possibilities seem endless in a city like Florence; from true Sicilian recipes that delight the palate and bring the sea to land to deep red Bistecca Fiorentina, Florence offers any lover of Italian food as many options as you can imagine. We have traveled across Italy for over forty years. Some of our old [...]
On April 27, 2018, the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte will initiate a year of events to celebrate the 1000 year anniversary of its founding. On April 27, 2018 the Archbishop of Florence, Betori, will celebrate with the opening of basilica's Holy Door and then will celebrate Mass. Facade of San Miniato [...]
View of Marcialla's village square and the Church of Santa Maria The news came quietly. The art world was 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. Residents of Marcialla, a tiny village south of [...]