Gerriann Brower
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
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Italian Art for Travelers
Your passport to culture, history, and art
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Gerriann Brower
- Jan 4, 2022
- 9 min
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
- Dec 21, 2021
- 13 min
Saturn, Solstice, and Christmas
December means special foods, decorating, libations, and gift giving. Families and neighbors gather to celebrate time together. December...
Gerriann Brower
- Nov 22, 2021
- 10 min
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 1, 2021
- 11 min
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
- Jun 7, 2021
- 8 min
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
- May 30, 2021
- 20 min
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
- Mar 31, 2021
- 16 min
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 3, 2021
- 12 min
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
- Jan 28, 2021
- 7 min
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
- Dec 17, 2020
- 18 min
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
- Nov 19, 2020
- 18 min
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
- Sep 24, 2020
- 12 min
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
- Aug 18, 2020
- 17 min
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
- Jun 26, 2020
- 14 min
The Old Man and the Dome
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti (1475-1564) is a mythic figure, the creator of the Sistine Chapel frescoes and sculptures such as the Da
Gerriann Brower
- May 11, 2020
- 11 min
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
- Apr 16, 2020
- 5 min
Honoring Raphael
April 6, 2020 marks the 500th anniversary of the death of Raphael (1483-1520), Renaissance artist extraordinaire. Italy planned grand...
Gerriann Brower
- Mar 26, 2020
- 10 min
Artemisia: Rule Breaker
The hidden history of women artists continues with Artemisia Gentileschi, the most studied and famous of the sixteenth and seventeenth...
Gerriann Brower
- Mar 24, 2020
- 9 min
Trailblazing Women Artists
Welcome to the hidden history of women artists. Were there really women artists in the 1600s and 1700s? Yes, there were. White male...
Gerriann Brower
- Jan 29, 2020
- 9 min
Picturing Venice III
Venice became a mecca for European and American artists from 1860-1915. Approximately 90 American artists worked in Venice producing over 3,
Gerriann Brower
- Jan 19, 2020
- 8 min
Picturing Venice II
Some artists came to Venice to make money, and some came because they were drawn to the beauty. Some were destitute like James McNeil Whistl
Gerriann Brower
- Jan 13, 2020
- 9 min
Picturing Venice I
How did Venice become such an iconic symbol and why do 30 million visitors swarm the city each year? Blame it on the Brits and the Grand Tou
Gerriann Brower
- Aug 6, 2019
- 8 min
2000 Years of Roman History, Part Five: Straw Angels
St. Peter’s is a showcase of seventeenth century Italian art and the two personalities who put a defining plan in place to finish it. What P
Gerriann Brower
- Jul 25, 2019
- 15 min
2000 Years of Roman History, Part Four: Two Popes
Approximately six million people visit the Sistine Ceiling and Vatican Museums each year. Who made these treasures possible? Two popes from
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