Italian Art for Travelers
Your passport to culture, history, and art

Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo are culturally and linguistically dissimilar. Both are proud homes to Leonardo da Vinci and Titian. One painted a sex worker, the other his patron’s mistress. Both occasionally used their fingers to paint and were exacting in their precision.

Claude Monet painted over 500 pictures in the last twenty-eight years of his life. Thirty-seven of those were Venetian views inspired by his 1908 stay. Monet became smitten with the city and regretted not having visited and painted it earlier in his career. He called Venice “too beautiful to paint,” unsure initially if he could capture the city’s light and atmosphere.

Veronese was a celebrated sixteenth century Venetian artist and the only painter summoned by the Inquisition. We have the transcript of his interrogation before the tribunal of the Holy Inquisition, and his stunning response to their charges. The role of images and art became a focus for inquisitors as they searched to counter the Protestant and Lutheran reformation. Religious and government officials comprised the tribunal who sought to keep artists in line with Catholic tea

What is a doge? A canine meme, a crypto currency, or an attempt to create a department of government efficiency? None of the above. The firs

The Renaissance bedroom was the room where it happened, serving many purposes, including sleep, sex, childbirth, illness, recovery, death, a

Three consequential sixteenth century conclaves illustrate the power wrangling and coalitions in electing a pope: the conclaves for Julius I

Why are so many places and people named after Paul? Paul’s life story from persecutor to preacher inspired his namesake and art from convers

St. Catherine of Siena, was a gutsy fourteenth century history making woman. She was determined to make a difference, even with doubters and

Renaissance hair served dual functions. Hair beautified the individual and indicated well-being and character. The length and style of hair