Obsessed with the sublime Leonardo da Vinci? Welcome to the club. So is much of society, judging from the lines to view the tourist-industry-gold Mona Lisa at the Louvre. In this Leonardo guide, I give you an overview of Leonardo’s life. And I take you on a tour of his entire body of paintings — … Read more
Considering a trek to see the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa? And wondering why the Leaning Tower leans? This monument is one of Italy’s most photographed landmarks due to its perilous slant. It’s almost akin to visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The off kilter Leaning Tower became popular purely because of bumbling mistakes. The … Read more
Are you an art lover traveling to Tuscany? This region of Italy has some of the world’s best cathedrals, art galleries, museums. Tuscany is celebrated for its Medieval (Gothic) and Renaissance art. Tuscany is even regarded as the birthplace of one of mankind’s greatest adventures, the Italian Renaissance Beginning in the middle ages, there were … Read more
Planning on visiting the Uffizi Gallery in Florence Italy? You’ll need some tips for visiting! Here’s my guide to everything you can do to prepare for a visit to the Uffizi including tips for how to get advance tickets to the uber popular museum. The art-rich Uffizi Gallery is one of the most famous museums … Read more
Here’s my guide to visiting the Palazzo Pubblico, the political and cultural center of Siena Italy. The magnificent palace sits proudly in one of Europe’s most beautiful medieval squares, the Piazza del Campo. The Palazzo Pubblico was built in 1297-1308 for the Council of Nine, the governing body of Siena. Beside the Gothic palace soars … Read more
Here’s my guide to visiting the National Museum of the Bargello in Florence. The august museum houses a world class collection of Renaissance sculptures. Despite that, and because Florence is so packed with treasures, the Bargello is a hidden gem in Florence. In this guide, I identify and describe the masterpieces of the Bargello and … Read more
“Without having seen the Sistine Chapel, one can form no appreciable idea of what one man is capable of achieving. ” — Goethe On my last trip to Rome, I learned that Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel fresco, The Last Judgment, got a makeover after his death. It was censored. Underpants were added to the nudity-filled fresco. … Read more