On the outskirts of Florence sits Villa di Castello, country home of Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519-1574), Grand Duke of Tuscany. Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus and Primavera once adorned the walls of the villa, and Castello’s elaborate garden — renowned throughout Europe — influenced other famous gardens including Florence’s Boboli Gardens. Villa di Castello has seen…
Tag: A Snapshot From
Backyard Italy
“New York, San Diego and Cleveland are just three of the top ten cities that have the most beautiful Little Italys in the world, attracting people who love and share our passion for the Italian culture and traditions.” — Francesco Salvatore Cagnazzo, La Gazetta Italiana I am thrilled to have a top-ranked Little Italy close to…
Street Art Then and Now
Modern street art in Florence Street (really floors) as art from ancient Rome in the Forum. More Snapshots from Italy found here.
Charming Certaldo
About one hour by car or train lies the picturesque little hamlet of Certaldo, home of Renaissance’s literary giant, Giovanni Boccaccio. The big cities in Italy were filled with visitors on this hot summer day, but in Certaldo it was fairly quiet and pleasantly breezy. We leisured through the cobbled streets, keeping ourselves busy capturing…
Leaving Love Notes in Florence
In the narrow cobbled streets just off via del Corso winding through Dante’s Florence, there is an unassuming stone church tucked neatly into the facade of ancient buildings. It is the Chiesa di Santa Margherita dei Cerchi, dating back to 1032 and named for the 12th century Cerchi Family. Although the plaque below identifies it as…
Say Your Prayers
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” -St. Francis of Assisi Pulling this one from the archives to send blessings to all who need comfort and peace, both near and far. — This post first appeared on Prayers and Piazzas.
Simple, Stone, Sacred
“I never tire of going into Italian churches. The vaulted arches and triptychs, yes. But each one also has its characteristic blue dust smell, the smell of time. The codified Annunciations, Nativities, and Crucifixions dominate all churches. At the core, these all struggle with the mystery of the two elementals — birth and death.” “As…
A Church with a View
Outside, the day was steamy and still, a typical late afternoon July day in Florence. But inside, ahhhh, inside the walls of San Miniato al Monte, which have stood watch over the Florentines since 1018 from one of the city’s highest points, inside was cool and subdued. We happened to wander in at 17:30, which,…
Seaside
What a luxury to take a break from steamy sightseeing to enjoy one of the many beach clubs dotting the Italian shoreline. This one is in Puglia, where many Italians head for ferie in agosto (holidays in August). The soft, clear waters of the Adriatic Sea kiss the craggy shoreline, and at this beach club, many of…
Can’t Resist a Libreria
In the Piazza del Duomo of Florence the main attraction is Santa Maria del Fiore, the city’s iconic red-domed cathedral. (If you look closely at the photo below, you can see the green and white marble of the church reflected in the shop window.) If you are a lover of books and the Italian language,…
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