Once the capital of the Western Roman Empire, Italia! discovers one of the many reasons to visit Emilia-Romagna’s artistically rich city Ravenna, which boasts eight UNESCO world heritage sites. Of the many attractions that draw visitors to Emilia-Romagna’s Ravenna, the over-whelming Byzantine heritage is among the most alluring. Ravenna was the capital of the Western […]
The Italian Renaissance in the 15th century saw a flowering of new techniques in art. This week’s Top Five is a look at a few of the paintings that redrew the cultural map of Europe… 1. La gioconda Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo’s masterpiece is probably the most famous painting in the world, although it is […]
Florence is the perfect venue for a weekend away if you simply want to be a tourist: there’s so much to see, read about and photograph, and it’s one of those rare places where there’s really no point in trying to blend in with the natives – try to and you’ll be spotted a mile […]
It would take Titian the generation following Giovanni Bellini to really exploit the full potential of oil. He digested the expertise of Bellini and then took it to another level. Titian (Tiziano in Italian) was one of the greatest painters Venice ever produced – perhaps the greatest painter Venice ever produced. He was the […]
The use of gold in mosaic art was introduced in a big way during the early Christian period of the late Roman Empire. Mosaics dazzle in Christian buildings due to the luxurious splendour created by the gold tiles and the brilliance from the rich colour glass. The individual square shaped tiles are called tessarae (pl.) from […]
Botticelli’s Birth of Venus is the beautiful depiction of an idea – the image of Renaissance beauty, where the ancient world merged with the Christian immortal soul… Why is Botticelli’s Birth of Venus one of the most famous paintings from the Renaissance? It depicts the birth of the goddess of love and beauty as a fully […]
Born the daughter of a Lancashire blacksmith, she rose – thanks to her incomparable beauty, sharp wit and fine intelligence – to become one of the most celebrated ladies in all of Europe… Two hundred years ago this month the world lost Emma, Lady Hamilton, second wife of Lord William Hamilton, British Envoy Extraordinary to […]
The use of stone as a medium for Western art dates back at least as far as Imperial Rome, yet it has not always found favour. Joe Gartman discovers, however, that it is alive and well in Florence… You might be tempted to pass by. It’s just a bright little storefront in the grey façades […]
Once again Milan is the capital of design. Marina Spironetti reveals where to devour the latest trends and discover the hottest independent designers… If you are a design addict, chances are you will be flying to Italy at the beginning of April to attend the annual Milan Furniture Fair (Salone Internazionale del Mobile). This is […]
Donatello is often referred to as the first Renaissance sculptor. He is the artistic grandfather of Michelangelo, who probably learnt more by studying Donatello?s work from the century earlier than any contemporary masters of his time… Donatello was the first sculptor since antiquity to make paramount, in his artistic production, the aim of communicating the […]