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

For the fourteenth time, the name Leo has been chosen by a pope. What made Leo a popular papal name? Some reasons point to lions, St. Mark, and St. Augustine. A look at three past Pope Leos reveals the adversities they faced and their political dilemmas. One stood up to Attila the Hun, another avoided being poisoned, and a third focused on worker’s rights.

Caravaggio’s Calling of St. Matthew was Pope Francis’ favorite painting. As a cardinal, he would often contemplate in situ, in the Contarelli Chapel of San Luigi dei Francesi, near Piazza Navona. What drew Francis to this painting? Was it mercy for the artist’s sins and bad boy reputation, well-earned with a murder conviction? Or perhaps Caravaggio’s incarceration resonated with the pope’s ministry for those in prison.

The Middle Ages hold the answer to the history and mystery of papal conclaves and their rituals. The origins of voting under lock and key in the Sistine Chapel, burning ballots, and cardinals clad in red date back over five hundred years. How did a two-thirds majority come to be the standard to elect a pope? How did the Sistine Chapel become the place to elect popes?

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

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

The view from the Palatine Hill conveys the storied history of ancient Rome, Christian Rome, and modern Rome.

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

Caravaggio was a violent man and a number of his paintings depict violent scenes. What was Caravaggio's Rome like?

Debauchery and megalomania seem to define most Roman emperors. Four come to mind: Augustus, Nero, Vespasian, and Hadrian.

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

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

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

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.

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

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