Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic Last Supper, inside the refectory of Milan’s Santa Maria delle Grazie Even though seeing this capolavoro (masterpiece) has long been on my wish list, I didn’t expect to be so moved by it when I finally saw it in person. I. Was. Wrong. The Last Supper pulled me in, enveloped me, took up…
Tag: A Snapshot From
Finding your Way
Hard to get lost in Arezzo. — I invite you to sign my guestbook, and to join me on Facebook. This post first appeared on Prayers and Piazzas.
Art History Appreciation
Art is much more powerful when it jumps from the pages of a book and you can enjoy it face to face. We found Masaccio’s masterpiece, The Holy Trinity, sitting quietly inside Florence’s Santa Maria Novella church, a peaceful and cool oasis from a crowded summer day in the city. This work is considered “one…
Morning in Firenze
One thing I love best to do when visiting a busy city is to wake up with the sun and take to the streets while they are free of travelers and traffic. Here’s a few snapshots from Florence this morning, while the others slept and the sun’s rays were still gentle. Taken from the Ponte…
Beautiful, Breathtaking Bellagio
Sopra: un vicolo bello a Bellagio. Sotto: i luci a crepuscolo. Above: a beautiful alley in Bellagio. Below: the lights at twilight. Bellagio, Italy, spilling down onto the shores of Lake Como. Grateful to be posting from Italy this month! Keep up with me here or on Facebook.
Say Your Prayers
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” -St. Francis of Assisi — I invite you to sign my guestbook, and to join me on Facebook. This post first appeared on Prayers and Piazzas.
Palazzo Life
This Italian proverb translates literally to “in his house, each is king”, and is similar to the English saying “king of the castle.” I stumbled upon this little gatto at Florence’s Boboli Gardens a few years back, and immediately thought that he might be the luckiest cat in the world, living under the Florentine sunshine in the…
If Doors Could Talk
Florence, Italy, on shadowed, smelly and eerily silent Via Squazza: Not a spot frequented by tourists, and, in fact, my tiny tour group makes up the only people on this narrow street. But if this door could talk, it would tell you that it was the first home to Lisa Gherardini, born June 15, 1479….
Bottling the Renaissance
“You cannot miss the Farmacia!” urged my friend Rachel a couple of years ago in Florence. We finished our caffès and then she expertly guided me through Florence’s cobbled streets to Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. The “pharmacy”, which today is really more of a fragrance museum, still sells formulations which were popular among…
Through the Medieval Wall
Monteriggioni, Provence of Siena in Tuscany. I invite you to sign my guestbook, and to join me on Facebook, where I share often about Italy! This post first appeared on Prayers and Piazzas.
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