Archive for the ‘Art’ Category

Image: Colosseum at Night, Rome, Italy, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from lightmatter’s photostream

Rome, the Eternal City. What is it that makes Rome one of the most visited cities in Europe? We’ve compiled a list of five reasons that Rome might be the top city to visit on your trip to Italy.

History

From the Colossuem to the Forum to the Pantheon to Vatican City, history is all around you in Rome. Dating back to the 8th Century BC and home to important structures and artifacts from the building of Western Civilization, you can’t throw a stone in the center of Rome without hitting something more than a couple centuries old.
Please note: We don’t recommend throwing stones at history.

Art

Some of the most famous works of art are housed in Rome, including the paintings on the Sistine Chapel, the rest of the Vatican collection, the works in the Galleria Borghese and the Capitoline Museums.

Romance

Before there was the phrase “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” there was the phrase “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” a phrase that dates back to the fourth century. Rome has long been a destination for travelers who want to immerse themselves in local culture and traditions and for travelers looking for a little Romance. It’s no wonder that Rome is the romance movie destination of choice for Hollywood.

Cusine

We’ve already covered the basics of Italian cuisine (and I’m sure your mouth was watering just reading that). Is it any surprise that visitors flock to Rome on all sorts of Food and Wine tours of Rome?

Shopping

Many of the top Italian designers call Rome home to the flagship stores including Valentino, Hermès, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci, Versace, Bulgari, Chanel, Armani, Dolce e Gabbana, Prada, Ferragamo and Campanile. All of those stores are on one street: the Via Condotti. Add to that other flagship stores, street vendors and the local merchants (with some of the most lovingly crafted leather goods in the world) and Rome is your power shopper’s paradise.

Image: Galleria degli Uffizi, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from gaspa’s photostream

Italy is home to some of the most famous art in history. Art is found all over in Italy: framed and on display, in the middle of a courtyard and sometimes art is the building you’re standing in. Instead of trying to cover all of Italy’s art in one entry, let’s break it down a couple places at a time. Today: The Uffizi Gallery and The Galleria dell’Accademia.

The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy is one of Italy’s most popular tourist attractions and is housed in a former palace that dates back to 1560. While serving as a state building, the Uffizi’s original occupants, the Medici family, filled it with art and sculptures. In 1765, the Museum was opened to the public as one of the first modern museums.

The Birth of Venus

Today, The Uffizi Gallery is home to some of the most recognizable paintings in the world. These include:

• Sandro Bottecelli’s The Birth of Venus (pictured, right)
• Caravaggio’s Bacchus and Medusa
• Titian’s Venus of Urbino
• Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo
• Leonardo da Vinci’s The Adoration of the Magi
• Raphel’s Madonna of the Goldfinch

The Uffizi Gallery can be very busy and wait times to get in during the summer season can top 5 hours. Booking a ticket in advance will reduce your wait time.

While you’re seeing Art in Florence, a trip to the Galleria dell’Accademia is a natural stop. The Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze, which houses the Galleria, is Europe’s first drawing academy and still a functioning art school today. While providing a much smaller collection than that of the Uffizi, the Galleria dell’Accademia is home to perhaps the most famous statue in art history, Michelangelo’s David. Originally placed in the nearby Piazza della Signoria, the Accademia has housed the statue since 1873. Many other Renaissance paintings including those by Michelangelo, Botticelli, Paolo Uccello, and Giambologna are included in the collection.

Driver In Italy can make your art trip to Florence even easier by providing transportation, tickets, and your own professional, English-speaking tour guide. Check out the Guided Visit to the Uffizi & Accademy Galleries package on our website for more details.