Articles by arttrav
Confessions of a Tuscan blogger
Ok folks, I’m coming out of the closet. It’s no secret that I work for the social media team of Tuscany, and I’ve been meaning to write about my job here on arttrav ever since I signed on last November, but frankly, I’ve been too busy. Hence also the slowing down of posts… now that …
Bridge of Sighs plastered with advertising by Bulgari
One of Venice’s most important landmarks, the Bridge of Sighs, has been hijacked by advertising that completely covers the east side of the Palazzo Ducale and its adjacent building, presumably in order to protect and pay for restoration work. The ad in question is an image of a blue sky punctuated by totally irrelevant images …
Rare books at Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice
The Giorgio Cini Foundation, on the Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, wishes to highlight its significant heritage by putting on an exhibit of the best of its collection of 15th- and 16th-century rare, illustrated books (open April 7 to July 4 2010). These are displayed in one of the rooms of the newly …
Contemporary art and music free day trips near Pistoia
Arte con te: Five free Sunday day trips in the Pistoiese (Monsummano Terme, Montale, Pescia, Pistoia, and Quarrata) mix contemporary art, villas, gardens, music, and lunches in a pleasant, organized journey by bus. Lunches cost 15 euros if you want it (but you can also bring your own picnic) but the everything else (transportation, museum …
Terra del Sole book presentation (28/04/2010)
I received this invitation to a book presentation that will take place at the Biblioteca delle Oblate in Florence on Wednesday April 28 at 9pm. The book Emozioni a Terra del Sole is co-written by the mother of a friend of my husband’s. I’d never heard of Terra del Sole; it’s something of an ideal …
It’s slow art WEEK. Are you looking at art… slowly?
There’s a new trend in looking at art, and I approve fully. It’s SLOW ART – like slow food, slow travel… The idea is that if you look at a single work of art for a while (say, 10 minutes), you’re going to see things you didn’t notice had you just looked for one minute. …
Urban Fruits: a celebration in Piazza SS.ma Annunziata (April 10/2010)
On Saturday April 10, 2010, from 15:30-19:00 in piazza santissima Annunziata, participate in a piazza party called “Urban Fruits”! It’s got a catchy graphic and it’s sure to be interesting cuz it’s organized by the architects who edit/write the magazine FFF (Florence Fast Forward), in collaboration with the city and with the Ospedale degli Innocenti …
FFF Florence Fast Forward magazine
ISSUE #2 OF FFF -FIRENZE FAST FORWARD- IS WELL DONE… Following the success of the first issue, released last summer, FFF keeps feeding new cultural visions and alternative scenarios for Florence. Just like the juicy steak that stands out on its cover, FFF is well done, and may be found in bookstores and in newstands …
Villa Caruso garden show and deGustiBooks (April 3-5 2010)
Here’s something pleasant to do over Easter weekend: this year the flower show at Villa Caruso combines all things “plant” with art, food, and books (all my favourite things). I Giardini di Caruso 2010 (April 3-5 2010, in Lastra a Signa (FI)) has partenered with deGustiBooks, a group that (at the risk of simplification) promotes …
Venice trip planning resources
I am going to Venice for a conference in the week after Easter. It’s the annual Renaissance Society of America conference that, every three years, is held in a European city. They just had to pick Venice so that the collective weight of all those scholars might help it sink. The conference is always very …
In Sansepolcro: photographers respond to Piero della Francesca
The exhibit “Nei luoghi di Piero della Francesca” puts photographs by Gianni Berengo Gardin and Elliott Erwitt, two contemporary masters, in direct rapport with the area that inspired their visual creativity. The two photographers met up in the area south of Arezzo last October and shot for three days in Arezzo, Sansepolcro, Anghiari, Verna… all …
How to take the bus in Florence and not get a fine
In case you think this article about “how to take the bus in Florence and not get a fine” is going to involve ways of getting out of paying for a ticket, you’re wrong. Lately there have been a lot of spot ticket controls on ATAF busses as they are cracking down on people who …
ArtTrav is a blog about expat life, art, and travel in Italy and Europe. I am Alexandra Korey, a Florence-based art historian turned blogger.
My goal is to help travelers and residents like you experience countries through culture and local living. If it takes geeky, long articles to do that, so be it! 
