The Allegory of the Good and Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti is irreplicable snapshot of everyday life in Siena during the Middle Ages.
The countryside around Siena is rich in art, history, and natural beauty. One could easily spend a week or more in this area, visiting the many small towns and eating the excellent local products. While the Chianti area of the province of Siena is perhaps the best known, neighbouring Val d’Elsa gets little attention. Here...
Normally if you come to Tuscany to learn about art, you expect to be enlightened about the influence of Italian art on Western art history. And you expect to see lots of Italian art. You don’t necessarily come to Florence to see an exhibit of modern Russian art, and yet it’s not a bad idea....
When you’re holidaying in Tuscany or Italy you find yourself spending a lot of money for museum tickets. The state-run museums (those run by the MIBAC) are free on various occasions throughout the year. We always write about this on Tuscany Arts, but here’s a complete list for reference! State museums in Tuscany include most...
Remember last October when I first figured out that those great altered street signs around town were by the local street artist Clet Abraham? And how last month we saw Clet’s installation on Ponte alla Grazie? The “Common Man” statue on the bridge in January was the start of a “new art year”, and it...
The Medici family were rulers of Florence for hundreds of years. In the city of Florence they lived first at the Medici-Riccardi Palace on via Larga (now via Cavour), then in the seat of government, Palazzo Vecchio, and then moved to the other side of the Arno to the Pitti Palace. But, like most rich...
If you go to a state museum in Tuscany (or anywhere in Italy) on the weekend before Valentine’s Day, entry tickets are two-for-one. That’s right – the ministry of culture promotes visiting museums with your loved one. While V-day is on Monday February 14th, this special offer is valid Feb. 12 and 13 2011. (That’s...
We are constantly reminded that travel to new places is important and that virtual tours don’t measure up to the “real thing”. But with Google’s Art Project, we’re getting a virtual step closer to 17 of the world’s largest museums. Now you can walk through and see the Uffizi Gallery on Google Art Project. Art...
In Arezzo until March 27 2011, you can get a close look at what restorers are doing to an altarpiece by Vasari. The large painting depicting the Assumption of the Virgin of 1539 and signed by the artist was made for the church of Sant’Agostino in Monte San Savino. The restoration is being carried out...
The Ponte Vecchio is one of Florence’s landmarks and probably the most photographed bridge in the city. But did you know that Florence has many more bridges over the Arno River and that each has its own history? Here’s a bit of information about each of the bridges that crosses the Arno in the historic...
Last October we met the artist CLET who’s been making headlines with his humorous and slightly illegal street sign art. Now he’s upped the stakes with a full-sized figure installed (under the cover of night) on Ponte alle Grazie, one bridge over from Ponte Vecchio!
In the word “Tuscan” you can hear echoes of the word “Etruscan“, the ancient civilization that once lived here. Until September 2011 an inter-regional project called Terre degli Etruschi sees the collaboration of Tuscany with neighbouring Lazio and Umbria to highlight itineraries and museums that will help you discover the Etruscan heritage of this part...
Visit Leonardo’s home in Vinci
Mar 28, 2012
American dreamers at Strozzina
Feb 25, 2012
Americans in Florence: Sargent and the Impressionists of the New World
Jan 30, 2012
‘Chagall’s Sprirtual Universe’ in Lucca
Dec 15, 2011
Small museums in Florence: a single card
Oct 24, 2011
Top 15 hidden churches in Tuscany
Sep 13, 2011