Off the Beaten Path As I leave the E80 autostrada, north of the well-known town of Carrara, I trace the shores of the Magra River. My destination is a little-known place one must seek out. The tiny community of Fivizzano — a village far from the usual tourist destinations of La Spezia and Carrara — [...]
A Celestial Discovery Imagine a bitter Tuscan night in the winter of 1610. A certain man directs his rudimentary telescope to the heavens. As he focuses his attention to Jupiter, he sees something astounding which brings him much joy. Moons circle the great Giant. A tale of incredible scientific discovery follows. Likewise, this discovery also [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
He was born in the small Tuscan village of Borgo San Sepolcro, Town of the Tomb. Tomb? Upon their return from the Holy Land, two monks, Arcanus and Giles, placed a stone they pilfered from the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, giving rise to both a monastery and the town’s name. Piero’s early training focused on [...]
In 1993, a car bomb exploded in Via dei Georgofili and damaged parts of the palace, killing five people. The most severe damage was to the Niobe room, (this room was relevant because it had many works of art that displayed those that are handicapped) and classical sculptures and neoclassical interior of which have been [...]
Tourists hurry through the corridors of the Pitti Palace museums every day. Often, in their rush to see the Palatine Galleries, the Museum of Costume and others, they miss one of the true treasures of Florence - the Silver Museum. The assumption, incorrectly made, is that the museum houses only silver. Such is not the [...]