Note: This story was originally posted together with a summary of Florence’s museums. But the post became unwieldy: that’s how many significant churches and museums are recommended in Florence. Churches, … Read more
The Bayeux Tapestry was the medieval equivalent of a newspaper, or at least a speech by a politician. It tells the story in pictures and words of the rationale and the history behind the Norman Conquest of England. In fact, William the Conquerer, the Norman duke who defeated the English King Harold at the Battle of Hastings and assumed the throne of England, had the thing done only a couple of years later so he could explain to everyone his side of what happened and how a French guy ended up as King of England.
Our Eurail Pass traveling was winding down when we hit Florence. Instead of pressing on, we stayed for two weeks, including Christmas. It was a good chance to refresh our memories of Florence, to discover new neighborhoods, and revisit some favorite works of art. Oh, so many recommendations we have for you!
2014 was our biggest year of traveling yet. We visited 19 countries, including a long driving trip in the western United States. We saw, in order, the United States, Belgium, … Read more
I’ll flirt with heresy and say, To Florence, the Palazzo Vecchio (“Old Palace”) is every bit as iconic as the Duomo. Or more so. It has the advantage of sitting … Read more
When it comes to church art (and other interesting stuff) it’s hard to beat the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. For quality and quantity, it’s far more important than … Read more
We were in the Verona Cathedral at night. Consequently, the light inside was even dimmer than normal in an old church. So, I almost missed this amazing feature of the … Read more
If you said that St. Peter’s Basilica is the Pope’s “home church” in Rome, you’d be wrong. In fact, the Pope’s chair (cathedra in Latin, hence the English word cathedral) … Read more
There’s a lot of debate about the Vasari paintings that cover Florence. I think the safest thing to say about Giorgio Vasari was that he was a better businessman than … Read more
(Trieste December 1-4) We are drawn to Trieste because of its position on the border of Italy and Slovenia, and because of all the complicated history that goes with the … Read more