Archive for 'Important People'

In the previous post, we highlighted designer Emilio Pucci's extraordinary life up to the end of WWII but his exploits as a soldier and very good friend are only the beginning of the story! Just read on to learn more about this fascinating figure and then find a luxury villa in Florence to trace his footsteps across the city that birthed him.

Pucci first designed clothes for the Reed College skiing team when he was studying there as a young man and he then gained recognition for his ability during is exile in Switzerland in 1947. Pieces that he had designed for a friend were photographed by Toni Frissell, a photographer working for Harper's Bazaar, which lead to him being asked to design skiwear for a story on European Winter Fashion for the winter 1948 issue of the magazine. When his pieces took off, he set up a haute couture house at the resort of Canzone del Mare on the Isle of Capri.

It may be news to some, but Florence is actually where many different fashion brands were born including Ferragamo, Gucci and Pucci. In previous posts, we've looked at the history of the former two but, as of yet, had never discussed Pucci at length. As the brand is one of the most iconic in Italy and the man behind it is so fascinating, it is worth delving into it, as well. If you are a fashion lover, it is a must to find a luxury villa in Florence and make a pilgrimage to the pertinent spots from his life and career and the flagship store on Via dei Tornabuoni.

While our Pucci is the most famous of recent decades, the name has been an important one for centuries as it is one of Florence's oldest noble families. Born in 1914, Emilio Pucci was a larger than life character who was a keen sportsman who swam, skied, fenced, played tennis and raced cars; a decorated soldier; a rich party kid; and, of course, the creator of one of the world's biggest fashion brands.

The Uffizi Gallery, in Florence, is one of the most extraordinary museums in the world and we have published various posts on the gallery itself, tips on visiting it and lists of highlights of the collections. However, there are also singular highlights, specific works, from the collection that deserve more of a word count and more consideration. One such piece is Artemisia Gentileschi's “Judith Slaying Holofernes”. One of the rare female painters of her time, a gifted artist and a fascinating person, she is an intriguing (and often overlooked) figure and this work, in particular, is intertwined with her life story and, thus, especially interesting. Just find a vacation rental in Florence, visit the gallery and make a point of seeking out this wonderful work of art.

The Cappella Bacci is a chapel located in the apse of 14th-century Basilica di San Francesco, a single-nave building in Arezzo dedicated to St Francis and built reflecting the values typical of the mendicant orders of the day.

Work was begun in the second half of the thirteenth century and completed in the fourteenth, with a campanile added in the sixteenth century. Both exterior and interior are somewhat grave and austere, though the interior is a richer and less intensely pared back place.

The exterior is expressed with a roughly textured stone facade without any real ornamentation, while the interior is accented with niches containing fourteenth-century and Renaissance ornamentation and Gothic chapels.

One among these chapels is particularly famous: the Bacci Chapel, and the reason for its recognition and fame? It is home to a cycle of incredible frescoes by the famous Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca. Just find a luxury villa in Arezzo and drop by to see it for yourself.

Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most famous and well-known Italian saints. His story is perfectly formed to capture hearts and imaginations: the son of a rich mercantile family, he lived the life of a playboy and was a soldier but, after a being held in captivity as a prisoner of war for a year, he had a big change of heart and renounced his way of life entirely. He dedicated himself to a life of piety and charity and founded the Franciscan order, which is based on poverty and alms.