Archive for 'Museums & Galleries'

Tuscany's most famous scientist is probably Galileo Galilei, the beloved astronomer, physicist, and engineer who was from Pisa and famously sentenced to live the rest of his life under house arrest after angering the Catholic Church with his theory of Copernican heliocentrism (which states that the earth rotates daily and revolves around the sun). Later pardoned and eventually honoured by the Vatican, centuries after his death, Galileo has been credited as one of the forefathers and instigators of modern science and his work still informs research and education today. For those interested in science and Galileo who are browsing our luxury villas in Florence, it is worth keeping in mind that this fascinating and culturally vibrant city is home to the Museo Galileo. Not only is it a wonderful place to learn more about the Tuscan visionary, it boasts one of the world's major collections of scientific instruments, making it a must-see for those with STEM-related interests!

The Museo Galileo (previously the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza or Institute and Museum of the History of Science) is located in Piazza dei Giudici in Florence, just a stone's throw from the Uffizi Gallery, making it very easy to have a museum day during your vacation in Florence in which you visit both! Housed in the 11th century Palazzo Castellani, once known as the Castello d’Altafronte, the museum was renamed and re-opened to the public in 2010 after being closed for two years for renovations and restructuring of the museum. Established as the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in 1930 by the University of Florence, the basis of the collection comes from the estates of the Medici and the Lorraine dynasties but has since been added to and expanded.

It was not enough for the wealthy and educated noblemen and merchants of Europe to display their money, influence, and power, they also wished to show off their erudition and good taste. One of the ways that they began to do this was with the Cabinet of Curiosities, or Wunderkammer. Developed in the 16th century, though more rudimentary sorts of private collections had existed among such people earlier, these were rooms of collections of items that showcased an interest in art, learning, and the natural world. Objects that were part of such collections ranged from prints and drawings to books and manuscripts, from taxidermied animals and bones to shells and stones. The wealthier had larger and more elaborate collections in bigger rooms while less wealthy individuals had smaller amounts of objects in studies or even cases or cabinets. A form of entertainment, in addition to being an indicator of socioeconomic status, these collections were shown off to friends, guests, and business partners when visitors were over.

With the dawning of more official museums, many such collections were dissolved and sent to public institutions or sold. As such, this eccentric and eclectic form of display largely fell out of favour in order to make way for the more organised and standardised methods employed by professionals. However, if you have found a vacation rental in Arezzo and are interested in experiencing the sensory overload and highly personal curation of a cabinet of curiosities for yourself, there is one to be viewed in town; the Theatrum Mundi.

Art lovers of the world who want to holiday in Tuscany should definitely browse our luxury villas in Florence and get planning a trip to the birthplace of the Renaissance at least once in their lifetime. However, while there are lots of churches stuffed full of incredible works from the Middle Ages onwards, museums with works of art from all over the globe and all throughout history, rich collections of pieces by the city's great Renaissance Masters such as Da Vinci and Michelangelo, and much more besides, there is also still a lively contemporary art scene that lives on in Florence. If you are interested in also diving into what is going on in the world of art today, it is a wonderful destination with artists' and artisans' studios, little boutique galleries, temporary exhibitions, art fairs, art markets, and museums dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Among all of these resources, however, one of the most interesting contemporary art venues in the city has to be Murate Art District (MAD).

There are certain works of art that most of the world has grown up seeing all their lives. Many of these works come from the Renaissance and are still to be found in the so-called birthplace of the Renaissance itself, Florence. So, for anyone with even somewhat of an interest in European art, a luxury villa in Florence and a trip to the city at least once in their lifetime is an absolute must. In addition to enjoying the many other charms of Tuscany, a vacation in Florence ensures that you can see those so familiar works of art with your very own eyes and see how they stack up by comparison to what you imagined. One of the most iconic of all of these works in Florence and one of the definite must-sees has to be Michelangelo's idealised male form, his David.

When you plan a holiday, you can find that costs begin to add up quick and it is always good to have some excellent but inexpensive or free activities to add into your itinerary. If you are planning a vacation in Tuscany and you have found a villa with a pool in Siena, for example, then you should definitely consider planning a trip to the Natural History Museum of the Accademia dei Fisiocritici in Siena.