Duomo at Sunrise Master of early Renaissance painting Leonardo da Vinci lived in Milan from 1482 – 1490. During his time in the city, he inspired the work of one Andrea Solario, brother of Cristoforo Solari. Both Andrea and Cristoforo worked in the Duomo of Milan and at the Certosa di Pavia, located [...]
As I write this article, I am sitting in a small hotel in the village of Vocogno di Craveggia (VB) in the Valle Vigezzo of northern Italy. Located a mere two hours by train from the intensive noise and traffic of Milano, you will find peace, quite, tranquility and rest in this lovely area of [...]
Rondanini Pieta1564 The burdens of life and the support of a son for his suffering mother fuse in Michelangelo's final sculpture, the Rondanini Pieta. It is believed that Buonarotti began work on this final pieta in the mid-1550's, not long after he first brought chisel to stone on what is known as the [...]
Museo Nazionale del Bargello Florence - View from Uffizi Gallery On an early spring day in 1475, a young girl sat on a stool in the workshop of the Italian master, Andrea del Verrocchio. A fresh bouquet of wildflowers had been given to her just before she sat in the master's studio. Born [...]
Spring SunriseBergamo Medieval towers pierce mauve infused sunrise fog. Visions of another time are easy here, so close to Milan yet centuries away. This city of a thousand, so named for the citizens role in Italy's unification, is a unique surprise about an hour by train northeast of Milano. Though the city has [...]
Where Italy and Switzerland Meet Lugano, with its temperate climate, is a city with an incredible history and musical heritage. Sited on the northern shore of a crystal clear alpine lake, this is the largest Italian speaking city in Switzerland. Lago Lugano, the city that gave its name to the lake, clings to the shore [...]
MILAN - DO I GO? I've mixed feeling about visiting Milan. After ten visits to Da Vinci's Last Supper at Santa Maria della Grazie I'm not enthusiastic about all the insanity you have to go through to see, next to Michelangelo's David in Florence, the most visited work of Renaissance art in the world. Truth [...]
When I travel in the Lake Region, my preferred 'base' is the small Lago Maggiore village of Stresa. Strung along the western shore of the lake, it offers gorgeous views, reasonable prices and easy access to the entire lake region of Italy. For accommodation (and I have stayed at all of these hotels over the [...]
If you are looking for a relaxing and easy day in the lake region, then I heartily recommend the Lago Maggiore Express on Lake Maggiore. The trip takes the better part of a day and offers views of both the beauty of Lago Maggiore as well as the foothills of the Swiss and Italian Alps. [...]
Isola Superiore dei PescatoriLago Maggiore Now to the other two islands, one of the fishermen (Pescatori) and one of the earth (Madre). Isola Pescatori Isola Superiore dei Pescatori, called 'superiore' due to its position as the northern most of the three islands, is no longer owned by the Borromeo family. (For purposes of [...]