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DARK MODE
Whenever we visit a major art gallery it is usually to have our prejudices confirmed. We rediscover our favourite works and artists and congratulate ourselves on our impeccable good taste. This is why a visit to the Uffizi’s free exhibition of works drawn from its reserve collection is
I remember once being rather disappointed by the gallery of ‘modern’ art in Pitti Palace. After wandering around its corridors for an hour or two and finding mostly charming, if second-rate, 19th-century pastorals, I asked one of the attendants where all the modern art was. ‘
In a series of articles, James Douglas, lecturer in Italian Cinema Studies for the University of Bristol History of Art Department’s Study Abroad Programme at the British Institute of Florence and regular contributor to The Florentine on matters cinematic, takes a look at some of the high-lights
Still considered somewhat of ‘an outsider’ when compared to other more publicized art forms, the art of etching has always been surrounded by an air of mystery. Throughout its veiled history, it has often been seen as a ‘misplaced’ technique, searching for its role among the
Trattoria Armando 140/r Via Borgognissanti055-216-219Closed Sunday and Monday for lunchA few steps away from the Teatro Comunale, Armando has served genuine dishes since 1957, using only the freshest seasonal ingredients and traditional Tuscan recipes. Guests are warmly welcomed by Alessandra and Daniele, who often offer a glass
L’Officina Farmaceutica di Santa Maria NovellaVia della Scala, 16Open: Mon-Sat: 9:30am to 7:30pmOne of the oldest pharmacies in the world, l’Officina Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella was founded in 1221, when Dominican friars first started using natural methods to cultivate plants and herbs
The Boboli’s garden complex has played a significant role in forging an image of the ‘Italian Garden’ into the collective imagination. Here one can find monumental fountains, many types of grottas, a multitude of marble and stone sculptures, and many decorative elements arranged along its paths.
If you stand in Piazza della Signoria, somewhere just in front of the Neptune fountain, and look down at your feet you ought to see a piece of round stone dedicated to the memory of Girolamo Savonarola. It is a kind of monument, which is odd, given that the Florentines
ZIBIBBOVia di Terzollina 3/rTel: 055 433 383 (reservations are necessary) Monday-Friday: 8am-11pmSaturday: 8am-12pm Sunday:10am-3pmTen minutes from the center of Florence, this fabulous trattoria is unmistakably Mediterranean in flavor. Its kitchen is personally overseen by one of Florence’s most talented chefs, owner Benedetta
During my research for an upcoming guide book, I have come across a total of 45 women artists represented in Florentine museums. As an art-lover, rather than art historian, I was initially surprised to find so many works by both Italian and non-Italian women present in city museums,
Via Ghibellina, 709:30 - 2:00, except Tuesday Entry fee: 6.50 euroTel: 055 241 752Visiting the Casa Buonarroti museum arouses, first and foremost, a sense of admiration for several early works by Michelangelo contained within its walls, such as the Madonna of the Stairs and the Battle of the
Angela CaputiVia S. Spirito 58/r055-212-972www.angelalcaputi.com Angela Caputi founded her signature ‘Giuggiu’ collection in Florence, in 1975. Known throughout Italy and abroad, she designs very high fashion costume jewelry. Her workshop, located at Via S. Spirito, 58, is staffed only by women–it
InfinityBorgo S.S. Aspostoli 18/r055-239-8405www.infinityfirenze.com Since 1973, Eugenio Provaroni and his American wife, Jane Dengler, have designed and hand made exquisite, often one of a kind, contemporary leather and metal belts in the old Florentine tradition. Their small workshop is located in an 11th-century
The Egyptian Museum of Florence (Museo Egizio), second in Italy only to its famous counterpart in Turin, is located inside the city’s Archaeological Museum. Its first group of Egyptian relics has been present in Florence since the 18th century as part of the Medici collections. During the 19th
‘All I could think about were those who lived below street level.’ This was the first thought that struck Sherry Peregrin, a student and one of many Americans who lived ...
Owner Enzo Ragazzini and his son, Luca, have been advising us on their food and wine for many years (with impromptu Italian lessons thrown in). Years ago we had a large family gathering at La Maremma. My partner, Bob, however, was not with us because he was ill. As we
The Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore was established by the Florentine Republic to supervise the construction of the Cathedral, the first stone of which was laid on Sept. 8, 1296. In 1331, the institution came under the patronage of the Arte della Lana (the wool guild), whose symbol, the
She came from a wealthy family with a street in Florence named after them. She hobnobbed with the famous painters of her day. She painted prodigiously, but only three paintings have been authenticated. Today, she remains virtually unknown. Who was she? She was a woman at a time when
