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The Florentine
Once the cradle of the rebirth of art, Florence is again host to an exciting new way forward for art. ‘The Shape of the Mind’, an exhibition of psychedelic art by American artist Isaac Abrams, consists of all new works by the artist, both large-scale oil paintings
The unstoppable success in the last two years of The da Vinci Code by Dan Brown has certainly renewed interest in Leonardo Da Vinci, already one of the most popular Italian Renaissance masters. In order to meet the public’s desire for more knowledge regarding Leonardo and his
A lot goes on under the Tuscan sun, especially when the hillside becomes a classroom and the landscape a springboard for young contemporary artists to experiment with regional colour. It has been a few years since Professor Adriano Bimbi first decided to replace his classroom with a more stimulating setting,
They say ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,’ but what about ‘One man’s trash is another man’s art?’ You probably don’t think about it often: the fact that rubbish can be turned into art. Indeed,
The agony and the ecstasy of Holy Week and Easter have given rise to some of the most inspired musical masterpieces of our heritage. At this resonant time in the Church year, the extremes of human existence – suffering and consolation, darkness and light, death and rebirth - are laid bare
All over the city from banners, to billboards, to the back of your bus ticket you see the bas-relief sculpture of a graceful Gabriel who delivers his urgent message to the Virgin Mary and simultaneously announces a remarkable exhibition of Florence’s nearly-forgotten Renaissance master: Arnolfo di
Florence has more than its fair share of palazzi. These once opulent residences of the wealthy and noble have been transformed to accommodate the evolving needs of a crowded destination city and now serve as museums, offices, rental apartments, hotels and retail spaces. Expensive to maintain and renovate
Athletes at this year’s Winter Olympics may have been surprised to find that the coveted medals they had come to the Apennines to compete for were missing their golden centers. The Olympic officials who had commissioned the new medal design said that the hole was no mistake - it
Think of the viali, the belt of roads cinching in Florence north of the Arno. Now shut your eyes, mentally replace them with the old city walls, wipe away the modern architecture in the surrounding area, and you’re seeing Florence as it appeared from the 14th to the
Florence is a relatively safe place, but as in every big city, petty crime such as pick pocketing and bag snatching is quite common, even though statistics show that reported incidents of pick pocketing in Italy have decreased by 11.4% over the last 8 years and bag snatching has
Whether it be shopping at the Tuesday morning market, taking a run along the river, swimming at the public pool or frequenting the discotecas, you may have spent time in Florence’s largest public park, il Parco delle Cascine. This massive park, more than 290 acres, is about
In spite of an abundance of twinkling white lights, a fair showing of tasteful decorations and a token Mercato di Natale in Piazza Santa Croce, Florence is not most people’s fantasy Christmas destination. Buy the presents here and move on. If you are after a good dose
It’s that time of year again, which I am sure more than a few of us have a love-hate relationship with: Christmas. Receiving presents is of course the best bit, but having to get other people’s presents can be stressful and time consuming, especially when
Just a short walk from the hustle and bustle of the Duomo, past the Galleria dell’ Accademia where Michelangelo’s David watches triumphantly, and very nakedly, over throngs of tourists, there quietly waits another Brunelleschi masterpiece, the ‘Spedale degli Innocenti in Piazza Santissima Annunziata. With its classical
Remember Giambologna’s turkey in the Bargello? Did you ever wonder if that sixteenth-century Florentine bronze sculpture had anything to do with the roasted and stuffed bird that you gobble up at Thanksgiving and Christmas? With the bird that Benjamin Franklin had wanted to put on the American
A few metres from the Bargello – to be precise, at Via del Proconsolo 16r – stands a fine building, once the home of the Guild of Judges and Notaries, and now the property of an art-loving enthusiast who is also a gastronomic entrepreneur. The result is that
Unlike most people, I am usually filled with a sense of dread by the thought of a few days in Italy. Not because I have anything against its people or their magnificent country, but because in my profession a three-day trip to Italy usually equates to a huge amount
I like Edison as much as the next person. Indeed, when I first arrived in Florence, I jokingly referred to it as my second home. It was where I checked my e-mail, had my morning cappuccino, went to the loo, did my Italian homework, and wrote in
Catering to those tourists, students, and expatriates craving an American fix, a ‘culinary’ comfort from home, purveyors of distinctly American food have found a niche in Florence. Although New York style Chinese takeout has yet to hit the scene, imported peanut butter, fresh blueberry muffins, Campbell’s
