The theme for this month’s ArtSmart Roundtable is frescoes & wall paintings. Naturally, my mind goes to Florence… When in Italy, especially Florence, you will see lots and lots and lots of frescoes. During the Medieval and Early Renaissance, most painting was either an altarpiece for a church or a fresco. Painting for private residences [...]
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ArtSmart Roundtable: The Dome of Florence
This month’s ArtSmart Roundtable theme is ceilings and domes. One of the most famous domes in the world is the dome of the Duomo (the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore) that dominates Florence, Italy. This brick red and white dome is the shining achievement of Early Renaissance architecture. It’s not an ordinary dome that [...]
ArtSmart Roundtable: Outdoor Sculpture in Florence
This month’s ArtSmart Blogging Roundtable theme is outdoor sculpture, or public art. Though there are many, many fantastic sculptures to be found outdoors around the world, I couldn’t help but highlight the place I first felt the powerful presence of sculpture. Florence, Italy has been called an outdoor museum for good reason. Its streets are [...]
The Brancacci Chapel: The Early Renaissance in Florence, Italy
I believe that the average traveler would be more likely to appreciate the often heavy, mostly religious art in Florence, Italy with a bit of context and background information. I hope that through this little art history lesson, travelers to Florence may have some tools to understand the rest of this city’s Renaissance treasures. Florence [...]
Explore Pisa with Me
The Piazza del Duomo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which also includes the basilica, cemetery, and famous Leaning Tower. It’s also known as the Piazza dei Miracoli (Miracles). It is one of the most touristy places in Italy. There are not only lots of visitors but also lines of vendors selling junky souvenirs. Despite that, [...]
Florence: 5 not-quite-as-touristy things
Along with Prague, Florence is my favorite city. It has so much to offer, but it can be loaded with tourists, which can leave you feeling like just one of the pack, plodding along from one main sight to another. However, with a little planning and a willingness to spend more than just a [...]
A Travel Photo Treat: Assisi, Italy
A beautiful day and a beautiful place! I spent the day in Assisi as part of the study abroad course I did in Italy in 1995. Fifteen years later, I still remember it clearly and can feel the happiness I experienced that day. We took a bus through the hills of Tuscany and Umbria, and as we approached, [...]
Great Art Series: Santa Maria Novella
This is the first post in my Great Art Series– posts about art (of all types!) that has made an impression on me, or other art news from around the world. It’s fitting that the first post is from Florence, which is possibly my favorite place in the world. It was the first place I fell [...]
I'm Jenna. I am a thirty-something who, after traveling all through her twenties, is now balancing a love of travel with raising 2 kids and teaching ESL.
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