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

Michelangelo and Titian, the two sixteenth century powerhouse competitive artists, decided to create their own memorial as the end of their

The Colosseum, public baths, togas, wall paintings are some of the iconic symbols of Rome, made possible through creativity and invention. A

The merchant and banking classes gained their fortunes largely from the textile trade and in turn became patrons of art. Artists paid homage

How did a piece of an Italian saint make it from Milan, Italy, to St. Paul, Minnesota, USA? I found answers to most of my questions, includi

Sandro Botticelli was a go-getter and lived in time when Florence had no lack of talent and innovators. Competition was intense for commissi

The story of the Ponte Vecchio is one of perseverance and love for Florence. Still standing after almost 700 years, it has withstood World W

They were ruthless mercenaries. They excelled at military sieges, geo-political maneuvering, and image management. Their artistic legacy

The relic of all relics is a linen sheet bearing faint blood stains of a Christ’s body. It has been venerated, debunked, and debated for cen

A painting with a peacock, a wheel, a blue garment, a dead tree, and a woman holding pincers – what does it mean? If we could time travel ba

Glass, the Rialto, gondolas, books, St. Mark, and wells are iconic parts of Venetian history, pieces of a historic puzzle of its faded, but

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper is one of his most admired and recognizable art works. It is iconic, has been reproduced endlessly, parodied

Was Michelangelo gay? It’s complicated. How does one say Michelangelo is gay when there isn’t even a word for it in the language of his time? The concept of gender identity, sexual orientation, or LBGTQ peoples in the ancient world or the Renaissance did not exist. A better question would be, who did he love? That we know.

Meet three couples, real and mythical, and their romantic stories: Federico and Battista’s arranged marriage, Apollo’s longing for Daphne, a

Even the humble calendar has an intriguing history. Meet the Caesar and the Pope who shaped the calendar to what it is today.

December means special foods, decorating, libations, and gift giving. Families and neighbors gather to celebrate time together. December...

Salty fermented fish sauces really made Roman meals special. A piping hot bowl of cinnamon spiced pasta satisfied the medieval appetite. Pe

The Bargello Museum gave me the creeps. Why ? It could be because banker Lorenzo Tornabuoni lost his head in the courtyard. Find out where h

With over 55 UNESCO World Heritage sites, is it any surprise Italy’s art has been looted and still is? A statue illicitly taken from Italy w

A krater, an amphora, and a marble sculpture tell the story of the illegal art trade in Italy. The Italian art squad nabbed the culprits an

Four mysteries: one is a painting with no clear meaning, an unexplained self-portrait, Botticelli's muse, and a da Vinci painting that might

A better title for this post is “How My Wife Ended up with a Fifth Century Mosaic Tattooed on Her Foot.” It’s an odd connection between...

Take some time to really look at art. Observation along with understanding some visual clues artists embed in their work can draw you into a

How did artists represent the Old Testament King David? As giant slayer? Lustful king? Composer of Psalms? Let’s look at some depictions

How would you like to be remembered? That selfie you took on vacation, a wedding photo, or image from a family gathering? We consciously...