22 Incredible Masterpieces Hiding in Naples
Naples rarely shows up on lists of great art cities. That’s a mistake. Look past the pizza and the street chaos and the picture changes quickly. The city holds masterpieces
Category: Italy
35+ Incredible House Museums In Europe Where History’s Most Interesting People Lived
Most museums display objects behind glass. House museums are different. They let you step into the rooms where remarkable people actually lived and worked. Some were the homes of artists
The Medici Portrait Machine in Florence: Power, Propaganda & Painted Identity
It’s hard to imagine Florence, the Cradle of the Renaissance, without its avaricious, venial, and culture-conscious first family, the Medici. Crowned or uncrowned, they largely ruled the city-state, or schemed
The Uffizi Beyond Botticelli
If you’ve been to the Uffizi before, you know the drill. You make your way through the early rooms, gather momentum, and eventually land in front of Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo,
Top Places to Visit in Sicily: 15 Reasons I’m Obsessed
Sicily is steeped in myth and history. This is where Hades carried off Persephone and where Odysseus met the one eyed Cyclops. Over the centuries, a dizzying succession of rulers
Michelangelo’s Secret Drawings: The Hidden Room Beneath Florence’s Medici Chapels
In 1975, workers pried open a locked storage room beneath Michelangelo’s New Sacristy at the Medici Chapels in Florence. Under layers of dirt, the walls revealed dozens of fragile charcoal
Del Castagno’s Last Supper In Florence: A Closer Look
Castagno’s The Last Supper is an almost unknown masterpiece. This huge beauty covers one wall in the refectory of Florence’s 15th century Sant’Apollonia convent, near San Marco Monastery. It’s one of Florence’s
Emperor Hadrian: Power, Obsession, and a Villa Fit for an Empire
Born in Italica in Roman Spain to a wealthy family enriched by olive oil production, Publius Aelius Hadrianus was not born to rule. He was adopted by his cousin, the
Lorenzetti and the Fragility of Good Government In Siena
Few medieval artworks feel as blunt, ambitious, or unsettling as Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Allegory of Good and Bad Government. Painted not for a church but for a seat of power, the fresco
Centrale Montemartini: Ancient Sculpture in a Former Power Plant
Not enough visitors make it out to the southern and eastern edges of Rome. This is where the tourist trail ends and everyday Rome begins. In Garbatella, you’ll find one