‘Arts’
Art in Tuscany: your guide to Tuscan art, Italy
Pisa Leaning Tower re-opens doors after a long makeover
La Toscana: Art, History and Culture, Arts, English, Newsletter archive, PisaFor a few days now, people visiting Piazza del Duomo in Pisa have stared at the amazing sight before their eyes: more gleaming than usual, now more than ever it deserves the expression Piazza dei Miracoli(literally Squares of Miracles) that the well-known Italian writer Gabriele D’Annunzio created for describing the wonderful contrast of the white monuments against the bright green grass. And [...]
Chiavi: piazza miracoli pisa, pisa leaning tower
Continua la lettura | Commenti (1)Mona Lisa
La Toscana: Arts, Florence, Tuscan charactersHer smile is the most famous and profound smile in the world. So mysterious that she has been the cause of literally rivers of spilled ink, in a quest to prove the more risky theories which have tried to identify this famous model. Obviously, we are talking about the acclaimed portrait of the Monna Lisa, [...]
Chiavi: Mona Lisa
Continua la lettura | Commenti (1)The Synagogue of Florence
La Toscana: Arts, Churches and monasteries, FlorenceFlorence has a Jewish community whose origins date back to the Roman era when there were several Jews living in houses near the Ponte Vecchio. We know that in 1396, there was a bank opened in the centre which made loans; an activity which has only been officially authorized by the government since about 1430. [...]
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The Garzoni Villa: A Fairytale in Green
La Toscana: Arts, Villas and gardensCollodi, situated near to Pescia, is known worldwide for its park which, dedicated to the treasured story of Pinocchio, is fairytale land for children everywhere. However, more often than not, the parents of the many children which flock to these gardens throughout year are dragged here against their will by their children, crazed fans of [...]
Continua la lettura | Commenti (2)Gioconda’s Landscape
La Toscana: ArtsDid you ever seen Monnalisa (or Gioconda), the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, exposed in the Louvre Museum in Paris? If you don’t remember it take a look at the Louvre website, at her picture. Mona Lisa, the woman in the portrait, was born in Greve in Chianti, in the palace of Vignamaggio, and [...]
Chiavi: Arts, Mona Lisa, Tuscan countryside
Continua la lettura | Commenti (0)Ilaria del Carretto in Lucca
La Toscana: Arts, Churches and monasteries, English, Lucca, Tuscan charactersThe San Martino Church in Lucca is a true Romanesque masterpiece, with its beautifully carved grey and marble front facade, which is actually a great porch and its ample bell tower which leans ever so gently against the church. This stunning facade, made up of a series of columns, is perforated like lace and projects [...]
Continua la lettura | Commenti (1)Filippo Lippi
La Toscana: Arts, Florence, Tuscan charactersA painter. A brilliant artist. A story of Filippo Lippi (1406 – 1469). It’s too much to be one of the first to understand the revolutionary capacity of Masaccio, who died young and single at just 27 years old. The little survivors make faith in the convent of Carmine in Florence, and the so-called Madonna [...]
Continua la lettura | Commenti (0)Virgin Mary Sculpted by Lightening
La Toscana: Arts, Churches and monasteries, Legends and misteriesAccording to an old legend, there once lived a shepherd who used to graze his sheep on the woodland hills of the Amiata. To pass the many hours he spent alone up in the hills, he spent much of his time carving a large branch that he had found nearby. His inspiration perhaps coming from [...]
Continua la lettura | Commenti (4)Pisa City of Medieval Art
La Toscana: Art, History and Culture, Arts, PisaFor art lovers, from the medieval period in particular, a visit to Pisa on a trip to Tuscany is almost obligatory. Pisa underwent tremendous economic development during the Medieval times, and there are still many buildings, in the city and the neighbouring areas, that bear witness to the beauty and success Pisa has seen [...]
Continua la lettura | Commenti (0)Prato: city of commerce and textiles and civic pride
La Toscana: ArtsPrato is a busy town near Florence that could be described as having two faces. It is a densely populated industrial centre, capital of the province of Prato, and imbued with the spirit of modernity and hard work. But it also conserves its ancient orgins which are evidenced in its architecture and strutture. Gothic churches, [...]
Continua la lettura | Commenti (0)Siena
La Toscana: Arts, English, SienaSiena is a special city and is unique in the sense that its historical centre is located away from the newer part of the city. Enclosed and isolated by its red walls, it is not accessible by car, a factor which has helped it to maintain its charm throughout the centuries. Siena is divided into [...]
Continua la lettura | Commenti (0)Villa Demidoff of Pratolino
La Toscana: Arts, Florence, Villas and gardensTake one melancholy prince, Francesco I de’ Medici, interested in natural sciences and art, and eager to create splendid surroundings for his beloved Bianca Cappello, for whom, it was rumoured, he once killed a man. Add the exhuberant and multi-faceted genius, Bernardo Buontalenti, architect, engineer, inventor of machines, fireworks, set design, fountains and many other [...]
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