Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

  

Giambologna's Birds
As mentioned in the last two posts in this series, the Bargello is one of the best and most important art museums in Florence and is really a rather exceptional institution. A sculpture museum, it is home to a large variety of pieces, including early works by great masters of the Renaissance such as Donatello and Michelangelo, as well as lesser-known but equally important artists such as Giambologna.

For art lovers who have found a luxury villa in Florence and are planning on exploring the city, this museum should not be missed!

6. Giambologna's Birds

Speaking of Giambologna, there is another, really rather intriguing group of works by the artist located in the Bargello's collection.     Read More

  

Donatello, Atys
For art lovers who have found a luxury villa in Florence and are planning on exploring the city, there are plenty of things to see and do. However, the Bargello is one of the best and most important art museums in Florence and should not be missed! As mentioned in our previous post, this is an excellent sculpture museum that is home to a large variety of pieces, including early works by great masters of the Renaissance such as Donatello and Michelangelo.

3. Donatello's Attys

Speaking of Donatello, the Bargello houses his Attys, a bronze work from c.1440 that has been named but not definitively identified. The young male figure bears multiple iconographical details but none have allowed for certain identification. Guesses have included Priapus, Mercury, Perseus, Cupid, Harpocrates, Mithra, Ebrietas, and the guardian figure Genius. However, none fit perfectly.     Read More

  

David, Donatello
The Uffizi, the Accademia and the Duomo are probably the biggest artistic centers that most people head for right away upon finding a luxury villa in Florence. However, the Bargello is one of the best and most important art museums in Florence and should not be missed! Dating back to 1255, it was originally the headquarters of the Capitano del Popolo and later of the Podestà. In the sixteenth century, it became the residence of the Bargello (head of the police) and was used as prison during the whole 18th century. The building became a National Museum as of the mid-19th century and today it is an excellent sculpture museum, especially for early works by great masters of the Renaissance such as Donatello and Michelangelo.

1. Donatello's David

Donatello's name is one of the most enduringly famous of all Italian Renaissance artists.     Read More

  

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
The Abbey of Sant’Antimo, located 9km from Montalcino in Tuscany, is one of the most beautiful of all Romanesque churches in Italy. Local legend attributes its foundation to Charlemagne in the 8th century AD, a miracle that helped cure his army of a plague and a promise to build an abbey on the land where they were saved. Recorded history, however, has a different tale to tell and puts the foundation further back, to the Longobards and the Monastery of St. Savior. The site also is thought to have originally been the location of an ancient Roman villa. The existence of Sant'Antimo, itself, is recorded since at least the 9th century.     Read More

  

As we discussed in the last post, Follonica, or the “Miami” of Tuscany, is a beautiful, vibrant coastal city with plenty to offer visitors. However, one thing that it is particularly abundant in is wonderful beaches. With this in mind, we have rounded up a list of some of the best beaches in the city in a handy guide so that you can visit once you have found yourself the perfect villa with pool in Follonica.

3. Cala Violina

Cala Violina is a nearby beach that is considered one of the best beaches in the entire country and endlessly tops lists that back this claim up. A stunning soft white sand half-moon cove, it is located in the Golfo di Follonica right in the heart of the Riserva Naturale delle Bandite di Scarlino and the Le Costiere di Scarlino Area Naturale Protetta di Interesse Locale.     Read More