Most people cannot name a female composer of the Baroque era in Venice. For me, learning of Barbara Strozzi, the daughter of an intellectual and renowned father — and a member of the Incogniti — came as a welcome surprise. However, mystery shrouds much of her life, not unlike Venice itself. Beauty of Venice at [...]
Campo San Giovanni e Paolo When in Venice, either with one of our small group tours or on my own, I always stay at a lovely small hotel that faces the Campo Santa Maria Formosa, the Palazzo Vitturi Hotel. The rooms with views facing the campo look directly out on the Church of [...]
As the first born child of Jacopo Robusti, one of the late Renaissance’s most prolific and unpredictable artists, Marietta Robusti was destined to learn from her immensely talented father. Jacopo was called Il Furioso, and equally Tintoretto (his father was a fabric dyer, “tintore”); thus she became known as La Tintoretta, a diminutive of her [...]
When I led my first small group tour seventeen years ago, we offered only one itinerary: an exploration of Venice and Tuscany. Our group stayed in a lovely villa nestled in the hills near the Tuscan city of Impruneta, just south of Florence. The villa proved a wonderful location for that tour, enhanced by the [...]
The following is a guest post by Michael Talbot (University of Liverpool, Department of Music, Emeritus): Regular Dresden-watchers will be aware of the ambitious project “Die Notenbestände der Dresdner Hofkirche und der Königlichen Privat-Musikaliensammlung aus der Zeit der sächsisch-polnischen Union” supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), which was brought to a successful conclusion in 2016. [...]
Our small group tours of Veneto, Venice, and Tuscany provides guests with unforgettable encounters with the rich culture of these unique regions of Italy.
If you are planning on a trip to Italy, this is the season to read up on numerous great books about the culture, history and la vita Italiano. Florence: The reference I most strongly recommend is Christopher Hibbert's definitive The House of Medici-Its Rise and Fall. Hibbert deftly guides the reader through the intricacies of [...]
For many years, this island in the Venetian Lagoon, not far from the Lido, was a secret of the city. Slowly, the word is reaching the world about a living treasure of enormous intellectual and spiritual importance; San Lazzaro degli Armeni. Bookmarked by two Mocenigo family members who became Doges, Giovanni Il Cornaro was Doge [...]
May 2017 marks the start of FEST300, the Biennale International Exhibitions in Venice. For those who love contemporary culture, this is a must! The location of the main exhibit spaces are the Giardini and Arsenal areas of the city. Both are located close together for ease of access. Map of the primary locations for [...]
It is a sad fact that many of the small independent bookstores in Italy have closed: Panton's and the Melting Pot in Milan are closed or are closing as I post this blog. The English Book Vaults in Catania has closed, as well. Larger stores, carrying more options, e-books and the ever dwindling number of [...]