Within Florence

The magnificent medieval beauty of Arezzo

14 enero, 2018 / By: Paco Neumann

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Set in the rural heart of Eastern Tuscany, and despite not having the historical heritage of its sisters Lucca and Florence, Arezzo preserves a beautiful medieval town and a pleasant lifestyle, hiding also charming corners that still remind of its splendid past. This town, which was home to geniuses like Petrarca, Masaccio, Piero della Francesca and Vasari, becomes today key to discover the more rugged face of the so-called region with the soft hills. It also became a lucumonia, that is to say, one of the twelve capitals that shaped the Etruscan League. Due to the quality of its clays, Arezzo was famous for its ceramics. Additionally, many scenes from the film Life is Beautiful by Roberto Benigni were filmed there, too.…

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Art & Culture

«Radical Utopias»: exhibition at Strozzina-Palazzo Strozzi

13 enero, 2018 / By: Paco Neumann

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An experimental approach totally unrelated to the legacy of earlier modernist trends, but closely related to the renewal taking place in other areas of art, began to spread to architecture in Europe in the early 1960s. For the very first time the exhibition «Radical Utopias» celebrates the outstanding creative season enjoyed by the radical movement in Florence in the 60s and 70s. The exhibition brings together in a single venue the visionary work of such groups and figures as 9999, Archizoon, Remo Buti, Gianni Pettena, Superstudio, UFO and Zziggurat. A kaleidoscopic dialogue between objects of design, videos, installations, performances and narratives illustrating another possible world: a critical utopia that had the merit of smashing the status quo of the period, turning Florence into the focal point of a revolution in thinking that had a deep impact on the development of art at the global level.
Until January 21, 2018, at Strozzina-Palazzo Strozzi
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Art & Culture

Il Cinquecento in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi

13 enero, 2018 / By: Paco Neumann

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Till January 21, 2018, Palazzo Strozzi is celebrating the art of the 16^th century in Florence, an era of outstanding cultural and intellectual talent that was to spawn a heated debate between the «modern manner» and the Counter-Reformation, between the art patronage of the Medici and the Church. Curated by Carlo Falciano and Antonio Natali, the exhibition showcases over seventy works of painting and sculpture, seventeen of which have been restored for the occasion, and hosts pieces by Andrea del Sarto, Michelangelo, Pontormo, Rosso Fiorentino, Bronzino, Vasari, Jacopo Zucchi and Giambologna, to name but a few of those involved in the commissions for the Studio of Francesco I de’ Medici in Palazzo Vecchio and the Tribune of the Uffizi.
More info
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Medici Traces

Forte di Belvedere: refuge of the Medici and viewpoint of Florence

10 enero, 2018 / By: Paco Neumann

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Built at the end of the 16th century by order of Fernando I de’ Medici, Forte Belvedere is the common name of the fortress of Santa Maria in San Giorgio del Belvedere, one of the two fortresses of Florence. This building is also a popular panoramic viewpoint and a valuable architectural site of the city. The final move of the grand ducal court from the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti undoubtedly influenced the decision to build the new fortress, near the wall surrounding the Boboli gardens adjacent to the Pitti Palace. In case of any danger, the prince and the court could quickly reach a fortified refuge from which they could still rule the city.
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Within Tuscany

Alternatives to the “Stendhal syndrome:” Museum House Vasari or the artist who gave name to the Renaissance

2 enero, 2018 / By: Paco Neumann

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Vasari bought this garden house in Arezzo in 1541. In the last century some Tuscan artists turned the place into a small museum dedicated to Mannerism. This site is today an illustrious example of an artist’s house in which Giorgio Vasari, the first art historian of our era, celebrated his thoughts and his art. Its rooms are profusely decorated with frescoes and embellished with Mannerist paintings, revealing the supreme expression of 16th century Italian art. After completing his architectural works, Vasari dedicated himself to the pictorial decoration between 1542 and 1568, thus these rooms praise the artist’s role through biblical, mythological themes and numerous allegories to the astonishment of any visitor. The main rooms are substantially unchanged. The original furniture does not remain.
Casa Vasari – Via XX Settembre 55 – 52100 Arezzo
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Fashion & Shops & Markets

Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio, the other popular market of Florence

20 diciembre, 2017 / By: Paco Neumann

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In comparison to the bigger central market of San Lorenzo, its twin in the city, the smaller Sant’ Ambrogio, is even better. It caters in a local, neighbourhood style, resulting as more authentic. It has an area partly open, where clothes, fruits, vegetables and groceries are sold outside; inside, there´re grocery, meat, fish, fruits, vegetables and mini restaurants. Opposite the market was the old monastery of Santa Verdiana, once used as a female prison, and now stands the Faculty of Architecture. Located in piazza Ghiberti and projected in 1873 by Giuseppe Mengoni, the original urban plans included — after the destruction of the old market — the creation of three modern outlets in the historical centre: the central market of San Lorenzo, the market of Sant ‘Ambrogio and a market which was never built, the San Frediano market. Open from Monday to Saturday from 7 a. m. to 2 p. m.
Practical info…

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Art & Culture

Museo degli Innocenti: one of the earliest examples of Renaissance architecture

12 diciembre, 2017 / By: Paco Neumann

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The Ospedale degli Innocenti was a children’s orphanage designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1419. Following a long period of renewal, the new Museum degli Innocenti has finally opened to the public in June 2016. It verses on the theme of welcoming and caring for children, telling the visitor about the essence of the institution during six centuries, through historic documents as well as its artistic heritage. The lower level narrates the history and evolution of the Institute of the Innocents through the biographies and personal memories of the «Nocentini» (the children hosted here); the ground floor focuses on the architectural approach, describing also the evolution of the old hospital. Finally, but most importantly, the second floor houses a gallery with Renaissance treasures by Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Bartolomeo di Giovanni, Piero di Cosimo, Neri di Bicci, Luca della Robbia and Andrea and Giovanni del Biondo. The terrace-café of the Quattrocento open to the public crowns the building.
Practical info…

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Within Tuscany

Small pleasures and subtle surprises in Lucca

2 diciembre, 2017 / By: Paco Neumann

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Embracing the heart of Lucca stand two miles and a half of a Renaissance wall in excellent condition, converted today into a stroll. No wonder such length, as its legacy deserves it: more than a hundred churches, many medieval palaces and lively streets, full of colour, are the major attractions of this city once home to Giacomo Puccini, Luigi Boccherini and Alfredo Catalani. In 1799 Napoleon occupied Lucca and created here a principality for her sister, Elisa Bonaparte, who naturally tried to transform Lucca into a new Versailles. Then came the Bourbons, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and finally the Unification. Although Florence and Pisa enjoy greater fame as well as number of visitors, Lucca treasures an amazing patrimony. Its streets, alleys, squares and towers were, back in the late Middle Ages, witness to a prosperous silk trade, too.
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Within Tuscany

A getaway to Siena?

13 noviembre, 2017 / By: Paco Neumann

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Every trip to Tuscany includes a visit to Siena. Once the rival of Florence as capital of the region, this medieval city in between hills still retains the grandeur of its best period. From Fortezza Medicea, also a spot for joggers and cruising, the sun rises and vanishes among astonishing views of the Tuscan city and countryside. My first in-depth encounter with the region took place in summer 2010, as I was in Siena just days before the Il Palio festivities. Not to miss: enjoying some beers at the tiny terrace of La cittadella caffè (first floor), next to piazza del Campo, in the afternoon leading to the early evening.…

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Outdoors

Hot Air Balloon Festival, a perfect plan for families and kids

29 octubre, 2017 / By: Paco Neumann

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The first edition of the Festival delle Mongolfiere Firenze, highlighting hot air balloons and all things flight-related, will color the Florentine sky for two weekends of full-blown fun at Ipodromo del Visarno, within Le Cascine park. A perfect plan for families and kids! There will be children’s activities, including a LEGO area, plus a kite-making workshop. Not to miss the illuminated hot air-balloon shows, set to music and scheduled for every night during the festival around 7 p. m. Completing the program, a risotto marketplace will run concurrently with the balloon festival, with various dishes. Tickets: 6 euro (5 euro if pre-purchased online) or 3 euro for children. October 28-29, November 4-5.
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