There’s a garden on a hillside overlooking Florence where it feels like you’ve struck the pot of gold—and all the colours of the rainbow. This art park is the life’s work of Alice Esclapon de Villeneuve, who started to expand the family’s plot of land just off viale Michelangelo on the occasion of her daughter’s birth over 20 years ago. Finding the art park is something of a treasure hunt, however, hence the enlistment of bilingual guide Elena Fulceri for tours in Italian or English.
The Ponte Vecchio is one of the most iconic bridges in Florence, Italy. It is the oldest bridge in the city (Ponte Vecchio literally translates to “old bridge”), and one of the oldest segmental arch bridges in the world. Since the Middle Ages, the base of the Ponte Vecchio has consisted of three stone arches and two piers.
The stone structure was completed in 1345, and was built over the course of twelve years. It replaced an earlier wooden structure that collapsed in a flood in 1333. Originally, the buildings on the Ponte Vecchio housed apartments and workshops, as well as butcher shops. Later, the business premises were given to goldsmiths and silversmiths, who added several structural changes to the buildings, such as bay windows and balconies.
Donatello in Florence, the Biennale of Sydney and Eduardo Navarro’s seed installation.
This week, as the Palazzo Strozzi and Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence present a survey of Donatello, one of the greatest of all Italian Renaissance masters, we talk to Arturo Galansino, the Strozzi’s Director General, and Paola D’Agostino, Director of the Bargello museum, about the show. The Biennale of Sydney in Australia has just opened, with the theme of rīvus, meaning stream in Latin. José Roca, the Biennale’s artistic director, and Alessandro Pelizzon, co-founder of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature, discuss the Biennale’s concept, bringing rivers and other “aqueous beings”, as Roca and his curatorial colleagues call them, into dialogue with artists, architects, designers, scientists, and communities. What does it mean if you grant rivers and other natural forms rights? And this episode’s Work of the Week also explores nature, ecology and the relationship between humans and natural phenomena. We speak to curator Bárbara Rodriguez Muñoz about The Photosynthetics, an installation by Eduardo Navarro in Rooted Beings, the latest exhibition at London’s Wellcome Collection.
Donatello: The Renaissance, Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and the Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence, 19 March-31 July. Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, 2 September-8 January 2023. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London will stage its variation of the exhibition in 2023
The Biennale of Sydney: Rīvus continues until 13 June. And José and Alessandro will take part in a panel discussion on 10 May titled Reclaiming Rivers’ Rights. Find out more at biennaleofsydney.art
Rooted Beings, Wellcome Collection, London, 24 March-29 August
Italy, a European country with a long Mediterranean coastline, has left a powerful mark on Western culture and cuisine. Its capital, Rome, is home to the Vatican as well as landmark art and ancient ruins. Other major cities include Florence, with Renaissance masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s “David” and Brunelleschi’s Duomo; Venice, the city of canals; and Milan, Italy’s fashion capital.
0:00 – Intro 0:39 – Sardinia & Cala Goloritze 1:45 – Lake Como, Varenna, & Bellagio 2:43 – Italian Riviera & Cinque Terre 4:10 – Portofino & San Fruttuoso 4:54 – Venice 5:22 – Valdobbiadene 5:46 – Lake Garda & Monte Baldo 6:27 – Madonna Santuario 6:53 – Verona & Bologna 7:58 – Milan 8:40 – Lake Maggiore & Lake Lugano 9:31 – Aosta 9:45 – Cervinia 10:13 – Great St. Bernard Pass 10:42 – Stelvio Pass, Tirano, & Fellaria Glacier 11:44 – Piedmont Region 12:59 – Ponza & Chiaia di Luna 13:55 – Porto Flavia, Tavolara Island, & Cala Spinosa 14:57 – Dolomites & Seceda 15:32 – Alpe di Siusi & Sassolungo 16:14 – Gardena Pass & Val di Funes 16:50 – Lago di Braies & Passo Giau 17:30 – Cinque Torri & Lago Federa 18:05 – Vajolet Towers & Lago Sorapis 18:41 – Tre Cime di Lavaredo 19:20 – Rome & Vatican City 20:43 – Calcatta Vecchia 21:08 – Civita di Bagnoregio 21:35 – Naples & Pompeii 22:21 – Ischia & Procida 22:53 – Amalfi Coast & Fiordo di Furore 24:12 – Positano & Amalfi 25:20 – Atrani, Ravello, Praiano 27:18 – Capri 27:53 – Umbria & Perugia 28:32 – Spoleto & Assisi 29:18 – Spello & San Marino 30:21 – Vieste & Gargano National Park 30:46 – Tremiti Islands 31:26 – Puglia & Bari 31:45 – Polignano a Mare 32:15 – Alberobello & Matera 33:20 – Locorotondo & Martina Franca 33:50 – Taranto & Ostuni 34:40 – Calabria & Capo Vaticano 35:13 – Tropea & Scilla 35:58 – Gerace & Bova 36:44 – Sicily & Palermo 37:05 – Cefalu & Catania 37:40 – Taormina & Syracuse 38:36 – Valley of the Temples 39:14 – Aeolian Islands 39:30 – Lampedusa 39:54 – Tuscany & San Gimignano 41:09 – Siena & Monteriggioni 42:04 – Val d’Orcia & Pienza 42:45 – Montepulciano & Saturnia 43:58 – Pitilignano & Carrara 44:40 – Pisa 45:12 – Florence 46:26 – Outro
Travel to Northern Italy instantly and inhale the beauty and ancient culture of Florence with our latest Postcard video. Follow as we begin with the gothic architecture of Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, before taking in sky-high views from the Campanile di Giotto bell tower attached to the vast complex.
Move on to see the unique handmade craftwork being created at the Antico Setificio Fiorentino – one of the only remaining silk manufacturing workshops in the world – then stop off for a traditional aperitivo of bread, cured meats and crisp, cool white wine. We also venture to the iconic Boboli Gardens and Uffizi Galleries and many other insider places. Watch now and travel through the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region from afar.
Now read our ultimate guide to the best hotels in Florence, as voted for by you in our Readers’ Choice Awards 2021 ►►
The first episode of Dream of Italy starts in the heart of Tuscany – Chianti – with a visit to Castello di Ama to learn how true Chianti Classico wine is produced and see the modern art that makes up the estate. The area is also famous for olive oil and we visit Pornanino to take part in the olive harvest. Nearby, host Kathy McCabe meets the very special cashmere goats that Nora Kravis raises at Chianti Cashmere Farm. Then it is off to Panzano for a wild boar hunt with the La Squadra Chiantigiana and a visit with philosophical butcher Dario Cecchini. At Busatti in Anghiari, we watch 100-year-old looms craft fine fabrics. The episode ends on the captivating coast of Tuscany in Maremma with a stunning ride with the butteri (cowboys).
American contemporary artist Jeff Koons brings some of his most celebrated works of art to Palazzo Strozzi in Florence for a major exhibition entitled Jeff Koons.Shine. His work will be exhibited alongside loan objects from galleries and museums around the world, exploring the concept of “shine” in his work–an ambiguous idea that oscillates between the dualities of being and seeming, or truth and sensation… Continue reading on https://www.nowness.com/series/meet-t…
Discover Tuscany from afar with our latest Postcard video. Start with a walk through the beautiful town of Pitigliano, carved from volcanic stone, and wander on to the medieval village at Il Borro and Pienza town, stopping off at some of our favourite spots along the way. It also features a wine tour at the vineyard of Il Borro, a dip in the hot springs at Bagni San Filippo plus the mesmerising views of the rural Val d’Orcia in the province of Siena – watch now to be instantly transported.
Tuscany is easily one of Italy’s most fascinating regions. Enjoy this 4K Travel guide across Tuscany’s most beautiful places. From the thermal hot springs of Saturnia, to the Renaissance city of Florence, Tuscany is an incredible place that needs to be experienced.
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