It seems cliché to speak of reawakening after a long Winter, but with the amount of rain we got this year, putting England to shame, even a slight glimpse of Spring is extremely welcome. Easter came early this year and for a few hours on Sunday morning here in Maremma, the skies cleared, the sun …
Read the full story »Getting a bra that fits… in Italy
There are some countries in which the bra fitting is a rite of passage and a moment to be repeated every decade or so, or after massive changes to one’s body. There are countries in which bras are more lacy, or more practical, or more flexible in sizing and types. Italy is not one of …
A wedding in Puglia in iPhoneography
It’s hard for me to go beautiful places, let alone to an important event, without a large camera. But we were invited to a wedding on a Saturday night in Puglia, so it was necessary to fly down for the weekend. And we were flying RyanAir, so I could choose between bringing my Nikon or …
Villa Gioli (Pisa) and the Macchiaioli movement
On a recent visit to the Galleria d’Arte Moderna at the Pitti Palace, I came across a group of paintings with bucolic images of the country, and the landscape struck me as being somehow familiar. What a lovely surprise to discover, upon reading the wall text, that they were the work of Francesco Gioli, one …
Siena Duomo Floor revealed (August 18 to October 24, 2012)
Giorgio Vasari called the floor of Siena’s Duomo “the most beautiful, big and magnificent that has ever been done.” Normally this floor is covered by carpets to protect it from the footsteps of many visitors, but occasionally it is uncovered, allowing us to get a view of the marble intarsia works of art that tell …
The Ferragamo Museum in Florence: one of 100 places every woman should go in Italy
ArtTrav is pleased to be listed as a resource in the second edition of Susan Van Allen’s book 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go, available in paperback or kindle editions. The author delights us with the following guest post on a museum in Florence that may appeal very much to women, but …
Art, Patronage, and Economics – reflections around Florens 2012
When we learn about Renaissance Florence, one of the first things any professor will introduce is banking and merchant culture, which permitted amassing wealth, which in turn permitted the commission of art and architecture, elaborate fashions, and imported luxury goods. The Medici family was not the first major patron, but it is the most famous, …
Virtues and Vices in Renaissance Art
When one of my colleagues at the Italy Roundtable suggested the topic ‘Virtues and Vices‘ for our monthly thematic article, I thought “Oh, that is easy, there are tons of examples of Virtues and Vices in Renaissance art. I wonder what the others will write about, since this is clearly just an art historical topic.” …
A short personal update
I have never been one of those bloggers who writes personal updates about what I am doing. Nor have I ever really needed to write a post to excuse myself for not writing much. Most people probably will not have noticed my slight absence. But truth be told, I am very busy.
Travel in Tuscia (Etruria) with kids
Our guest kids’ editor Laura is back with a trip she took to Tuscia – a bit of hidden Italy for you – when Francesco was just 9 months old.
When Francesco was about 9 months old, we made one of the first trips down to see my relatives in Puglia by car from Tuscany. The …
Dinosaurs in the garden! (in Florence)
The last time I gave dinosaurs any concerted thought, I was in grade two. It was the theme of the year for science and more, as it is for just about every elementary school kid in much of the world, I guess. Now, the oldest botanical garden in the world – the Orto Botanico of …
‘Bagliori dorati’ International Gothic at the Uffizi review
At the Uffizi from June 19 to November 4, 2012, is an exhibit called Bagliori Dorati, Il Gotico Internazionale a Firenze 1375-1440. Curators Antonio Natali, Enrica Neri Lusanna and Angelo Tartuferi wish to reconsider this period of art history which they contend is not a break with the heritage of Giotto but a continuation that …
Arte e Parte – Piero Bonacina’s sculpture garden in Montegiovi
In this guest post, Maremma resident and journalist Elisa takes us on a tour of one of the lesser known art parks in Maremma.
Piero Bonacina’s sculpture garden sits high on the hills of Montegiovi in the Tuscan Maremma. The garden, affectionately called Arte e Parte, is perched so precariously close to the edge that if …
Who is behind ArtTrav?
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! Learn more.art history »
Being a woman in Italy… in the Renaissance
Anytime any of my friends expresses a preference for having lived in the Middle Ages or the Renaissance, I like to remind them that had they done so, their chances of dying in childbirth would be much higher than their likelihood of receiving any education. A 10 percent chance of dying in childbirth awaited each …
Info and Events »
Katrin Grote-Baker – colours and signs in Florence
I’m happy to announce the exhibit of a friend of mine’s work opening in Florence at Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery at via Guelfa n. 22/ a r, Florence, from October 6 to November 1, 2012. I personally love Katrin’s work and invested in one of her paintings a few years ago, so I’m looking forward …
