It’s finally Spring in Tuscany!

San Lorenzo will get new facade

This news just in via press release from the Regione Toscana:
The city of Florence and council for the Church of San Lorenzo announced today the ambitious project to finish the facade of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, left incomplete by Brunelleschi in the 15th century. The project, due to start as soon as funds are …

Piazza Santissima Annuziata: architects, innocents, experience

This is a guest post about Piazza Santissima Annunziata and one traveler’s experience while visiting it.

I often find it difficult to visualize real places before I visit them. The names of famous cities resemble designers’ labels and the signature buildings are recognizable from postcards and films. As you continue to read about specific streets, parks …

Special opening: Laurentian Library (Sept. 6 2009 to Jan. 6 2010)

Michelangelo’s Laurentian Library, next to the Church of San Lorenzo, is open to the public during a special exhibit dedicated to the shape of the book from roll to codex (“La forma del Libro”).  This is a rare opportunity to visit this monumental space that is normally closed to the public.

The Church of San Martino a Mensola

San Martino a Mensola is a lovely parish church in the Renaissance style. Although modest in size, its architecture is grand and it contains a number of quattrocento altarpieces. As there is absolutely no information on the internet about this church, I am posting what I was able to learn through book research.

Ospedale degli Innocenti: a social history

Brunelleschi’s building in Piazza S.S. Annunziata is easily recognized by its majestic portico, a series of round arches punctuated by roundels of swaddled babes by the Della Robbia family. But many visitors to and even residents of the city do not know much about its function. This article covers the history of the Innocenti as …

The church of Santa Croce in Florence – art and history

History of the franciscan order and description of the major early renaissance acheivements in the Church of Santa Croce in Florence (begun in the 1290s).

Florence Duomo history and function: free podcast!

This podcast (9 minutes long) takes you on a tour of Piazza Duomo in Florence, Italy. We talk about the mix of religious and civic buildings in this space, looking at the Baptistery, Duomo, Misericordia, and Bigallo. The article below contains the text of the podcast.
(the Media player’s not working right now so here is …

The debate to finish the facade of San Lorenzo

The association of “Friends of the Elettrice Palatina” and the Comune of Florence have opened up a public debate by proposing that the facade of San Lorenzo be finished according to Michelangelo’s project.