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

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

Clothes made the man, from his velvet doublet, brocaded codpiece to his armor.

Need a peaceful place to enjoy art at the Vatican Museums? Look no further than the Raphael room. I call it the secret Raphael room because

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

Michelangelo’s fame was well founded after completing two early masterpieces, the Pietà and the David. Both speak to his creative genius.

Four popes did much to shape the Rome we see today. The della Rovere, Farnese, Borghese, and the Barberini families each placed their own ma

Are selfies an evolution of the self-portrait, or do they lack the cleverness and creativity of early modern self-images? The Italian Nation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...