I keep expecting to tire of reading about Renaissance Florence, but thus far, that hasn’t happened. After writing my recent post on Renaissance reads, I was inspired to start the biography Leonardo: The Artist and the Man by Serge Bramly. Just a couple of chapters in, Bramly sets the stage of Florence at the time when…
Category: Travel
Sunshine, Shadows, Lemon Trees, Medici
The peaceful garden of the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, in the golden light of a perfect fall day in Florence. Five quick facts about the palazzo: 1. The palazzo was commissioned by Cosimo the Elder — founder of the Medici bank and the patriarch of the political dynasty — in 1444. 2. An early design by…
5 Romantic Italian Phrases
One of the beauties of Italian is that it is a very specific language. I would say I love that, but that would be very un-Italian indeed. For example, there are different words to indicate playing a sport (giocare) versus playing an instrument (suonare). Or for painting a wall (tinteggiare) versus creating something with paint — like…
Florence’s Other Dome: The Basilica of San Lorenzo’s Medici Chapels
If this shot above were wider, then just a bit to the right you would see Florence’s iconic Duomo, capping the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Pictured here, however, a very similar-in-“miniature” dome graces the Cappella dei Principi (Chapel of the Princes), one of two structures comprising the Medici Chapels in the complex of the…
Cin Cin, Amici!
Cheers to you all, friends. I hope 2017 is off to a beautiful start! Cin cin a tutti, amici! Spero che 2017 (due mila diciasette) comincia bellissimo!
Favorite Snapshots Across the Years: The Florence Edition
Florence makes my heart beat fast. For reasons which I’ve never fully understood, I feel actual love for this city, cradle of the Renaissance. I can’t get enough of it when I’m there; I ache for it when I’m gone. When in Florence, I rise with the sun and wander the streets just for the…
Snapshots from Italy: Favorites Across the Years, Part 2
This is the second post in a three-part series. For Part One, please click here. Between the years of 1820-2004, sources show that approximately 5.5 million Italians immigrated to the United States, but the biggest wave of immigration was concentrated during the years of 1880-1914, when more than four million Italians came to the United…
Snapshots from Italy: Favorites Across the Years, Part 1
A very rough (and probably low) estimate of pictures of Italy I have in my personal files is around 2500. So, in what seems like a perfect way to avoid post-Christmas clean up and neglected laundry from the holidays, I thought it would be fun to showcase some of my top favorites this month. Enjoy…
Snapshots from Italy: A Wish List
“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher While I have been fortunate to see the moon shine from several places in the world (including Italy), Italy is still an itch that needs scratching. Here are some places still on my Italian wish…
Libri love.
I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I stepped into this abundant bookstore in Milan. So beautiful, so orderly, so many libri italiani (Italian books). My heart started beating fast and I didn’t know which section to tackle first. However, I took this picture because there was a great irony occurring at that exact…
Prayers & Piazzas 