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

Gerriann Brower
Nov 23, 202213 min read


Florence's Ponte Vecchio
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

Gerriann Brower
Oct 30, 202213 min read


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

Gerriann Brower
Aug 29, 202213 min read


The Shroud of Turin
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

Gerriann Brower
Jul 26, 202213 min read


Peacocks, Fetters, and other Signs and Symbols
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

Gerriann Brower
Jun 6, 20229 min read


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

Gerriann Brower
May 9, 202214 min read


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

Gerriann Brower
Apr 10, 202212 min read


Michelangelo: Artist, Poet, Lover
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.

Gerriann Brower
Mar 14, 202213 min read


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

Gerriann Brower
Feb 10, 202216 min read


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

Gerriann Brower
Jan 4, 20229 min read


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

Gerriann Brower
Dec 21, 202113 min read


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

Gerriann Brower
Nov 22, 202110 min read


How a Banker Lost His Head
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

Gerriann Brower
Nov 1, 202111 min read


Afterthoughts on the Illicit Art Trade
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

Gerriann Brower
Jun 7, 20218 min read


Finders Keepers: Looted Italian Art
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

Gerriann Brower
May 30, 202120 min read


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

Gerriann Brower
Mar 31, 202116 min read


The Meander Tattoo
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...

Gerriann Brower
Mar 3, 202112 min read


The Zen of Art
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

Gerriann Brower
Jan 28, 20217 min read


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

Gerriann Brower
Dec 17, 202018 min read


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

Gerriann Brower
Nov 19, 202018 min read


Mary's Miracles
A boy from Lombardy wanders into a river and falls in. His parents are desperate to locate him. Later he is found by his family standing...

Gerriann Brower
Sep 24, 202012 min read


Painting Italian Style
If you visit Italy you can’t miss the frescoes. Fresco paintings decorate castles, Roman villas, public buildings, and of course,...

Gerriann Brower
Aug 18, 202017 min read


The Old Man and the Dome
Michelangelo began working on St. Peter's at age 71. The last 17 years of his life were devoted to St. Peter's.

Gerriann Brower
Jun 26, 202016 min read


Plague and Pandemics
What does Covid-19 and plague in Italy have in common? A lot it turns out, including disagreements about what to do or not do, and what reme

Gerriann Brower
May 11, 202011 min read
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