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A Special Harvest: Exploring Anatomical Theaters in Padua and Bologna
Much of what we know today about anatomy was first discovered and documented in Renaissance Italy.
Will Work For Wine: Luca Signorelli’s Orvieto Duomo Contract and His Intoxicating, Apocalyptic Fresco Cycle
In 1499, Tuscan artist Luca Signorelli signed a contract to paint two remaining sections of the Cappella Nuova (new chapel) of the Duomo in the Umbrian town of Orvieto. By 1502 (or 1504, depending on which documentation you read), he had completed his “End of the World” fresco cycle in what is now known as the…
How to Spend One Year in Italy
How do you spend one year in Italy? Here’s a month-by-month, personal account of my first year living and traveling in Italy.
In Rome, Communing Over Coffee
In the mornings after I’ve sent the kids off to school and tidied up the house I go down and have my morning cappuccino.
How to Avoid Tourists in Venice
It’s the conundrum that many travelers to Venice face: how to be a tourist but avoid other tourists.
Visions of Veronese Green: In Search of the Sublime Shade in Venice
Veronese Green is named after Verona-born painter Paolo Caliari, also known as Veronese. I used the color to guide me on my travels in Venice.
Everything is Authentic
Trying to decide if a travel experience is authentic or not is like trying to separate “travelers” from “tourists.” That debate separates those who travel along class and age lines, with travelers proclaiming their experiences better, richer, more true than those of the tourists. There’s even a famous quote by G.K. Chesterton that delineates these…
Lost in Translation: A Look at the Gruesome Stories Behind Rome’s Monuments and Art
We admire Italy’s art and monuments for color, style, and the skillfulness of their creators. But the gruesome stories that many of these famous works depict are a reminder of real human suffering.
