Vintage Selection

Too bad there is no information online about “Apart Collective” who might have used this occasion to promote themselves and not only the fashion event. Florentines will recognize the location as Piazza della Liberta which has a series of complex and relatively long lights. Clever idea and nice execution that brings excellent awareness of the event at just a few days before its launch.

For a full list of the events that will be taking place during Vintage Selection, and coupon for the entry fee, see the official website.

The girl meets Italian boy and marries him story is so boring I joke about it – non-expats swoon, while jaded expat divorcées gag. Nonetheless, it’s the first storyline that came to mind when I tested the “cosacerchioggi” tool, and I like the result (search result!).

It’s a true story. We did spend a romantic weekend in Maremma (more than one, actually – from our first date to buying a home there this year) – conveniently these search terms pull up my weekend in Maremma itinerary on Tuscany Arts followed by my review of Mary Jane Cryan’s book on Etruria here on arttrav! And I did search art deco style engagement rings while trying to convince my Italian husband-to-be that this was not a demodé tradition in my part of the world. (NB: any Italian man will try to get away with telling you it’s not done here. Ask his mother. I bet she has one.) I did look up and hire a long distance mover, only to find that customs charges would be so high that it was better to sell everything and move to italy with 8 boxes of books and 2 suitcases of clothes. And as for “cerco lavoro in Toscana”, well, I’ve found a job. A few jobs. But if you want to offer me more, ben venga(no).

So? what’s your story?

It’s actually a viral video campaign made for Sicilia Fashion Village. I’m not sure how much of the video is “authentic” and how much they’ve dressed up actors, but it’s pretty effective anyway. If their marketing people are at all clever their analysts will be making quick note of this blog post. Maybe they’ll invite me over for a shopping spree. Yeah. Right.

Say what you will about outlet stores, but an outlet smack dab in the middle of the island of Sicily isn’t a bad thing – at least the inhabitants will have access to nice things at lower prices. It opens November 26 2010 and they’re not telling us what brands will be available yet.

Do you live in Sicily? Are you afraid that this is going to close down your local stores? Do you think this is going to increase tourism or just wreck the neighbourhood?

The video is amusing yet accurate, and it’s fun for me to see how this student has perfectly translated the history of the Palazzo Vecchio’s construction as Prof. Hatfield teaches it. The content of that lecture, with my own spin on it, ended up in one of the first posts on arttrav (around November 2005) and a podcast too. Read, or listen to, the history of late medieval Florence and the Palazzo Vecchio here!

The belt of green camel hair material is displayed inside a gold and glass reliquary container from the pulpit on the exterior of the Cathedral during a special mass, the rest of which takes place inside the Duomo. The bishop holds it up for public view in three directions, three times. This belt is believed to be that passed from the Virgin Mary to San Tommaso during her Ascention to heaven. It was brought to Prato by a citizen of Prato from Jerusalem in the 12th century, and has both civic and religious importance. For this reason, the ceremony requires the participation of two authorities and their numerous representatives- one civic (the mayor) and one religious (the Bishop). While the religious authorities perform a mass inside the Duomo, there is a civic procession with drummers and trumpets that make their way through the city to the Duomo, where they are welcomed at the door. The reliquary box that holds the belt is unlocked through the use of two keys, one for each authority.

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Lavinia Fontana, Self Portrait in Studiolo, Vasari Corridor, Uffizi, Florence

This video and article are part of the Female Artist biographical film project described here.

Summary: Lavinia Fontana was born into an artistic and middle class family in Bologna in 1552. Her talent and promise as an artist was recognized early in her childhood, for while Lavinia had numerous brothers, her father Prospero, himself a successful artist in Bolognese society, understood that among his children, it was Lavinia who had inherited his skills as an artist. She is the first female artist to paint nude figures; and she may be one of the first female artists to train apprentices. Lavinia Fontana died in Rome in 1614. Through her unique education, talent, and artistic development, Lavinia Fontana was able to redefine perceptions of female artists, and the potential of a woman’s success and greatness in Renaissance culture.

Authors: Alexandra Goodman, Amy Smoler, Andrew Webster, Blair Hartman, Brenna Crothers

Select Bibliography:
“Fontana, Lavinia.” Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Accessed: 21 March 2009 [http://0-www.oxfordartonline.com.luna.wellesley.edu/subscriber/article/grove/art/].

Fortunati, Vera. Lavinia Fontana of Bologna 1552-1614 (Milan: Electra, 1998), 13-32.

Fortunati, Vera. Italian Women Artists From Renaissance to Baroque (New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 2007).

McIver, Katherine A. “Lavinia Fontana’s “Self Portrait Making Music,” Women’s Art Journal 19 (1998): 3-8.

Murphy, P. Caroline. “Lavinia Fontana,” chapter x in Italian Women Artists From Renaissance to Baroque, ed. Claudio Strinati (New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 2007), 165.

Murphy, P. Caroline. “Lavinia Fontana and Female Life Cycle Experience in Late 16th Century Bologna.” Picturing Women in Renaissance and Baroque Italy, eds. Geraldine A. Johnson and Sara F. Matthews Grieco (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997).

Murphy, Caroline P. “Fontana, Lavini,.” Dictionary of Female Artists, ed. Delia Gaze (London and Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1997), 534-537.

Murphy, Caroline P. “Lavinia Fontana and Le Dame della Citta: understanding female artistic patronage in late sixteeth-century Bologna.” Renaissance Studies 10 (1996): 190-208.

Ross, Sarah Gwyneth. “Fontana, Lavinia (1552-1614),” Encyclopedia of Women in the Arts, (Oxford: ABC Clio, 2007), 147-150.

If you liked this film you may also like the students’ take on Elisabetta Sirani.

Me: You met Marco when you came to study abroad in Cortona, Italy. What part of this experience was most important to you?

Arturo: Meeting Marco has been a wonderful experience. I wrote a song about him! The thing about Marco is that he’s a modern man living in a modern world, but at the same time he and his modern world are both rooted in an ancient past. That’s why I’m glad I could take a course in Italian Renaissance Art while I was over here. It allowed me to be come more intimate with that past that has so much to do with where Italy is today. [editor's note: he wrote that, i did not make it up! Not only is AJ a journalism student, but he's a diplomat.]

Me: You were concerned that your portrayal of your Italian professor, Marco, was perhaps too superficial. After all, the guy does have two PhD’s! What did Marco say to this?

Arturo: I haven’t had an in depth discussion with Marco about these lyrics, but I think that’s because we are friends. He can hear in the song and read in the text that I have a deep respect for him. All I have received is smiles and friendly nudges since I first brought the song to Marco. He helped me edit the text because my Italian is broken and grammatically unsound.

Me: Tell us about making the video, once you convinced Marco to do it. Anything funny happen behind the scenes?

Arturo: There definitely would have been a bloopers reel had this been a feature-length film. When we first arrived at the bedroom we were shooting in there was some confusion about how scantily Marco should be clad. I was afraid that when I asked him what he normally wore to bed, he might reply “in the nude.” But then I guess I and the crew would have gotten a real life look at what Renaissance sculpture models looked like, or at least what Michelangelo wished they looked like.

Me: Your video and song test the limits of self-production. For the tech geeks out there, tell us what equipment you used.

Arturo: We’ll just have to leave that up to the expertise of our music and cinema peers to find out. But for everyone else just know that we had enough to make the dream a reality. (Spenser said we shouldn’t tell because the equipment is bottom of the line.)

Me: Does Marco have an email address to receive letters from an onslaught of admirers? And how will you deal with the screaming fans?

Arturo: I would give out Marco’s email address if I thought it was necessary, but given that the uomo already knows half of Italy I’m sure that he’ll have to change it in due time anyway. I will deal with the screaming fans by embracing them all. Love to the people!

Me: Can we have the lyrics?

Arturo: Of course! They’re at the bottom of this page, and translated too.

Songs and contact info: www.myspace.com/arturoinletto

Arttrav encourages friends to forward “Ciao Marco” to all the Marco’s out there, and to everyone else. Let’s help AJ make it to the top. Please give him a 5 star vote on YouTube!

Original Lyrics

Marco é un uomo
Che é molto forte
e meraviglioso
Ha occhi d’argento
A tutte le feste
Balla incantevolemente
Insegna agli studenti
Nella clase di italiano

Pensa molto
Sta cercando qualcosa
Aspetta solo
Un giorno lui trova qualcuno

Le ragazze dicono ciao marco ciao marco
Le ragazze dicono ciao marco ciao marco!

Marco é un uomo
Che é intelligente
Anche é arguto
Sempre parla bene
Lui é di Roma
Una bella città
Va in una macchina
Che é bellissima

Pensa molto
Sta cercando qualcosa
Aspetta solo
Un giorno lui trova qualcuno

Le ragazze dicono ciao marco ciao marco
Le ragazze dicono ciao marco ciao marco!

English translation of lyrics:

Marco is a guy
Who is very strong
He’s great
He has silver eyes
At all the parties
He dances wonderfully
He teaches students
In italian class

He thinks a lot
He’s looking for something
He’s waiting alone
One day he’ll find someone

All the ladies say “Ciao Marco!”, “Ciao Marco!”
All the ladies say “Ciao Marco!”, “Ciao Marco!”

Marco is a guy
Who is very smart
He is also clever
And always talks well
He is from Rome
A lovely city
Goes around in a car
That is really nice

He thinks a lot
He’s looking for something
He’s waiting alone
One day he’ll find someone

All the ladies say “Ciao Marco!”, “Ciao Marco!”
All the ladies say “Ciao Marco!”, “Ciao Marco!”

More Photos!

 

 

 

Elisabetta Sirani, Portia wounding her Thigh, Houston, Miles Foundation

The Funerary Procession of Elisabetta Sirani

Summary: Elisabetta Sirani was a 16th century female painter from Bologna. She exceeded the expectations for her sex by painting scenes atypical for a female artist. Unfortunately, not much is known about her; what is known is that after her tragic death at age 27 Bologna held a lavish funeral in her honor. The procession was attended by many of her contemporaries who are portrayed in this film to express the little information available on the life of Elisabetta Sirani.

Authors: Jessica Snow, Sean Brice, Margaret Rancourt, Michaele Maddox

Select Bibliography:

Bohn, Babette. “The Antique Heroines of Elisabetta Sirani,” Renaissance Studies Vol.16 Issue 1 (March 2002):

“Elisabetta Sirani.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. Thomas Gale. 2004. Accessed 29 Mar. 2009 [http://www.encyclopedia.com]

“Elisabetta Sirani; Italian, 1638-1665.” National Museum of Women in the Arts. Accessed 20 Mar. 2009. [http://www.nmwa.org/collection/profile.asp?LinkID=417]

Sofonisba Anguissola, Bernardino Campi painting her, Siena: Pinacoteca Nazionale

Sofonisba Anguissola: More than a Woman

Summary: Sofonisba Anguissola (1532-1625) surpassed the expectations of women during the Italian Renaissance. She was well educated and trained under the tutelage of Bernardino Campi from 1545 to 1549 and thereafter with Bernardino Barri. With the help of her father, her works were well marketed and dispersed within the influential social circles of Florence. A letter between Sofonisba’s father and a Roman general described the presentation of two drawings, one by Sofonisba and the other by Michelangelo Buonarroti, to Cosimo Medici around 1562. Within this letter, a story is told of Michelangelo asking Sofonisba to draw a more difficult expression of sadness; her reply was the image, “Boy Bitten by a Crayfish.” Her ability to create highly animated portraits allowed her to have a long flourishing career as an artist and created a lasting legacy that made her “more than a woman”.

Authors: Carol Telesky, Kendra Hunt, Rebecca Rastegar, Alexandria Covert. Actor: Jim Woglom.

Links: There is an excellent biography of Sofonisba and list of works here! You may also read about her at the National Museum of Women in the arts website.

Select Bibliography:

Fulmer, Betsy, “Sofonisba Anguissola: Marvel of Nature,” Academic Forum 23 (2005-06) : 20-34.

Garrard, Mary D, “Here’s Looking at Me: Sofonisba Anguissola and the Problem of the Woman Artist,” Renaissance Quarterly XLVII, 3 (1994) : 556-622.

Jacobs, Fredrika H. “Woman’s Capacity to Create: The Unusual Case of Sofonisba Anguissola,” Renaissance Quarterly 47, 1 (Spring 1994), 74-101.

Ross, Sarah Gwyneth. “Anguissola, Sofonisba,” entry in Encyclopedia of Women in the Arts: Italy, France, and England, eds. Diana Robin, Anne R. Larsen, Carole Levin (ABC Clio, 2007), 14-18.

At 4:30pm the town and a few tourists gathered on the steps of the comune to see the show. The band marched in, followed by the 8 talented young people with the honorable passion of flag throwing. Their incredible performance to the beat of the drums kept everyone on the edge of their seats, especially with some high tosses that made you hold your breath and hope they pulled it off. The drummers (and trumpeteers) were less flashy but equally well-rehearsed. (A personal aside: I hear them practise every night from my apartment. You really get an appreciation for the range of sound that can come out of a drum.) Here are some photos and a video taken from my position on the steps.

Watch AJ Weiss and Tuscan Productions’ video:

Cortona In Love from A.J. Weiss on Vimeo.

…and see the photos below.

Here’s the video.

Lucca Kebab Controversy: So Good They’re Illegal? from Diana Salvatore on Vimeo.

For further information on Lucca and its art please see my earlier post: Lucca’s 100 churches (I only saw three of them today).

Fra Angelico annunciation at the top of stairs

The Dominican Observant convent of San Marco was built starting 1436 and frescoed almost in its entirety by Fra Angelico from 1440-50 (approx.). It is a marvel of the effective use of painting in functional, religious spaces.

Arttrav offers a podcast of san marco to lead you through these spaces.

Opening hours: Monday-Friday: 8.15-13.50; Saturday: 8.15-18.50; every second Sunday: 8.15-19.00. Admission 4 euros. Located in Piazza san Marco.

(the Media player’s not working right now so here is the mp3 file to download piazza duomo podcast)

Piazza Duomo in Florence

Here is the text of the podcast or you can Download the pdf text here.

This podcast takes place in Piazza del Duomo in Florence. You’ll learn things I bet you didn’t know about this piazza, as we take a look at it from a contemporary viewpoint and add a civic twist to what is an essential religious space.

Florence of the late middle ages and the Renaissance was a profoundly religious city. It was also in an economic boom – especially in the late 13th century when most of these buildings were begun. Religion and business are BOTH what made this city move, and they are not at all mutually exclusive.

This aspect of the city is visible in piazza del Duomo – more rightly called piazza di santa maria del fiore – the city’s religious heart. Besides the main religious structures of the cathedral and baptistry, as well as the belltower that helps complete this “cathedral complex”, are the bigallo and the misericordia, buildings with a civic context, as well as rather more lay imagery and participation than the modern viewer normally expects in a space like this. We’ll work through this space together in order to point out the civic aspects in this religious space. This means we won’t have time to discuss the decoration of the duomo and baptistry in detail.

This podcast can be listened to from any point in piazza duomo, though you may want to wander closer to each space as I discuss it, and stop the file if you want to look at something more closely. Use the diagram of the piazza above to orient yourself.

First off we need to remember that although Florence is famed for its Renaissance art, most of the important buildings went up starting in the 1290’s, a time still considered the Middle Ages. The predominant style at that time was Gothic. Italian Gothic architecture, of which the cathedral is in some ways an example, tends to have pointed arches, multi coloured marble (often white, pink and green) and rather fussy detail. Renaissance architecture on the other hand is known for its roundedarches and seemingly simple arrangement of forms, which (and this is essential) derive from Antique Roman examples.

Florence Baptistery

The oldest building in this piazza is the Baptistery. Its function is to baptize Christians, which is something that could just as well be done in a baptismal font inside the main church. Here it has been separated out from the cathedral to emphasize its importance. One reason for this is because Saint John the Baptist, whose church this is, is also the city’s patron saint. Baptism indicated acceptance into Christian society, but also into Florentine society – through this ritual, the Florentines kept track of the city’s birth rate. Already you’re starting to see how the civic and the religious get mixed together in this space. To add to this, I want to note that the Church did not pay for the building and decoration of the baptistry, but rather it was funded by the silk guild, or association of silk workers.

As for the building itself, Legend has it that it was an ancient temple dedicated to Mars. While this is not true, in the Renaissance they believed it to be so. Why is this important? Because the baptistry was actually built in the 11th century, in a style that recalls some Roman buildings. This style, called Romanesque, is not real Roman. Renaissance artists like Brunelleschi, famous for the cathedral’s dome amongst other things, were profoundly influenced by the architectural style of this baptistry. Brunelleschi was consciously imitating Roman art, and since he thought the Baptistry was Roman, he copied parts of it too.

The Duomo (Cathedral)

The next big thing they built here was the Cathedral itself. In Italian cathedral is “Duomo”, and this means Domus Dei, or seat of God. This is where the Bishop presides, and there can only be ONE cathedral or Duomo in any given city. It is the most important church in the city; the Bishop also lived nearby, in the bishop’s palace, which is on the other side of the piazza, behind the Baptistry.

The Duomo was begun in the 1290’s. It is so huge – almost as wide as an American football field – that nobody really expected to see it finished in his or her lifetime. It took about 150 years to build from the first stone to the top of the dome. And the façade remained unfinished for centuries! Although it may look gothic, it is actually NEOgothic, and it was done in 1887. To start a project like this shows tremendous faith both in the city and in God. Although it is clearly a religious space, the cathedral also becomes the symbol of the city.

Giotto’s bell-tower

The belltower, called campanile in Italian, was designed by the artist Giotto, better known for his paintings, in 1334. Its bell calls people to prayer. The sculptural decoration on the sides of this structure had two parts: one of standing prophets, and then a series of relief sculptures in hexagons. Most of what you see outside now is copies, the originals are in the Museum of the Duomo works which is behind the cathedral. The hexagons are what interest us right now, because aside from a few genesis scenes, these show various crafts or disciplines represented by someone doing a task. These include the architecte and the builder, for example. The hexagons demonstrate how important crafts were to the city’s economy. The Florentines saw nothing odd about putting this imagery on a building in the religious center of the city.

Bigallo and Misericordia

Now on to a few buildings you may not have noticed, since we’re often distracted by the big, flashy ones. I want to note two confraternity structures in this piazza. Confraternities are voluntary associations of lay – that’s non-religious – men, whoget together to do good works. You’ll want to go to the corner across from the belltower. The loggia of the Bigallo is an open space with two bays attached to a building from the 1350’s. The Bigallo was a confraternity who administered a hospital outside of town. One of their roles was to take in orphans. The open space (or “loggia”) of this building was used to display the orphans in the hopes that they would be recognized and taken in by family members.

Just across the way, you probably see a number of ambulances parked there. No, they are not there to rescue you as you die from exposure listening to a podcast about piazza duomo. That’s the home of the Misericordia, the city’s ambulance company. The Misericordia is one of the oldest confraternities of the city, started in 1244. Members are the ambulance drivers, staff and doctors who volunteer their time in this act of charity. Sometimes they can be seen wearing a white robe with a hood. Usually they keep the hood hanging down their backs, but when up, they look a lot like KKK members, with pointed tops and cut out eyes. The purpose of these outfits, worn not only by the Misericordia but also by other confraternities, was to anonymize the members, whose good deeds, it was believed, should be known only to God.

As such, we have seen that this piazza is the religious heart of the city of Florence – where people come to pray and to be baptized. But we also have seen that within this area there are non-religious structures, like these confraternities, and that non-religious entities are represented both financially and through imagery. Hence the piazza becomes not only a religious symbol, but representative of the entire city.

*podcast player isn’t working: here’s the direct link to the file: http://www.arttrav.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/san_marco.mp3

This series of free podcasts about the Uffizi gallery in Florence was designed with young viewers in mind, but should be handy for adults too

This is the third part with a presentation of the next room you encounter in the museum after Giotto. This room contains important altarpieces from the International Gothic period (14-teens and 20s). We examine the bright colours and innovations of Gentile da Fabriano and Lorenzo Monaco. Their style seems very much in contrast with the Renaissance we’re about to see, and in some ways steps backwards from the Giotto we just met. But there are innovations in these works that are forerunners of the Renaissance – after all, they were made at just the same time that Masaccio was developing his groundbreaking representations of perspective and shadow!

You can read the text of this podcast by downloading the pdf file.

*due to media player problems you can click this link to hear the mp3 directly, or download it: uffizi kids podcast #3

Video lesson

International Gothic room at the Uffizi

This is the text of the podcast

Part 3: Gothic colours and animals

So we’re done with Giotto and we want to see what happened next in Florentine Art. Now you should be in a room called the “international gothic room”. There are two paintings here that dominate the room due to their size. One is very big and colourful and it’s on the same wall as the door that you just came through. The other is a slightly smaller altarpiece just to the right of the door, with a big gold frame. Are you in the right room?

These two paintings are examples of a style that was popular in florence in the first part of the 1400’s. This style is called “International Gothic”. It’s “international” because painters used this style in other countries too, not just in Italy. The other word, “Gothic”, is a word we use to describe a type of painting that tends to be very detailed and colourful. We’ll take a good look at these two large paintings together and you’ll see what I mean.

Lorenzo Monaco: Coronation of the Virgin

First let’s look at the HUGE painting that has a man putting a crown on a woman in the center, and three panels that stick up at the top.

This painting was done by a guy named Lorenzo Monaco. In English, that’s Lawrence the Monk. I don’t know about you, but I usually think of monks who wear dark robes and are kinda quiet. Well this painting is certainly not quiet!! If paintings could make noise through their colours, this painting would be a huge party! The most dominant colour here is probably gold. Now I want you to pause and try to make a list of all the colours you see.

Did you make a list? Check it twice? OK let’s see if you got the colours I did. I see white, four types of grey, blue, two pinks, bright green, yellow and brown. Maybe you see even more colours than I do. Why do you think the artist made this work so colourful? I want you to think about that for yourself.

Gentile da Fabriano: Adoration of the magi

Now let’s look at the other work, which also has a gold frame in three parts. It’s on the wall to the left of the one you were just looking at.

The artist who painted this one is called Gentile da Fabriano. His name is interesting because Gentile in italian means “nice”. I think he must have been a nice guy. His last name is not a real last name like you and I have, but the name of the city that he comes from – Fabriano. In the old days, most people did not have a first AND last name like John Smith, or if they did, they didn’t bother to use it. So often people would be their first name, and then either their city of birth (especially if they moved somewhere else), or their occupation. My name would be “Alexandra from Toronto”. What would your Renaissance name be?

Now what I like best about Gentile’s nice painting here are the fun details that he puts into it. You can tell that he is really observing nature and trying to put it into the painting. The picture represents the newborn Jesus held by his mother on the left side. There are three men, who are three kings, who come to visit. All the other people are the whole group of people who travel with these kings. Look how many people there are! They wind all the way to the back of the painting in a long curvy line! Can you see their faces? Each person is unique – just like you and I. Can you see emotion in their expressions? Are they surprised, or happy, or excited, or talking, or working? Look at all their colourful, patterned outfits, and the funny hats!

Amongst these details there are a lot of animals. Maybe you have already noticed some. You can’t miss the horses, which the kings probably rode to get there. There are two horses at the front right of the painting, and one has his bum to us. I think this was meant to be funny. What other animals do you see besides the horses? Is that a dog at the front? Doesn’t look much like a dog to me but I guess that is what it’s supposed to be. I challenge you to find at least 3 birds and one monkey, and 2 farm animals. If you find any more, tell your parent that you win a gelato.

Now we’ve seen that these two paintings from the “International Gothic” style have two main characteristics: bright colour, and lots of detail. I asked you to think about why this is. I’ll give you ONE interpretation, but maybe you came up with another answer that is just as true as mine. Like the work by giotto in the last room, these two paintings were also made for churches. 600 years ago, they did not have electric lights. In churches, people lit candles, often in front of these paintings. So one reason for all the bright colours is that people could see them better in a dark church. The gold background also helps reflect this candlelight. As for the detail, one explanation is that it brings pleasure. Just like we enjoy looking at all the animals and fun stuff in a painting, I bet that viewers enjoyed doing that back when these paintings were made.

Start with the Introduction to the Uffizi. This is the Second Part – the Giotto Room, which is a presentation of the first room you enter off the hallway. This room features a large enthroned Madonna by Giotto in the center, and similar shaped works by Duccio and Cimabue. The podcast compares these works which might at first look similar to you. What we have here is actually the Tuscan Proto-Renaissance, and the small distinctions between the works show a move towards a more naturalistic style.

*due to media player problems you can click this link to hear the mp3 directly, or download it: uffizi kids podcast #2

* due to podcast player problems click here to download or listen to the uffizi kids #1 podcast

The second part is about the Giotto painting in room #2: click here

The third part is about the International Gothic room right next door: click here

This piazza is the political heart of Florence, and also an important location for public sculpture. With this podcast you’ll learn what the piazza looked like around 1290 and how it evolved right through the sixteenth century and beyond.

* due to podcast player problems, please click here to download or listen to the piazza signoria florence podcast.