Published on Monday, August 13, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Italian Culture Minister Alberto Bonisoli announced in a press conference that Italy will end the Domenica al Museo (“Sunday at the Museum”) program, no longer offering free admission to state museums as of this fall. Currently, approximately 480 state museums are free to everyone on the first Sunday of the month. The change will affect popular sites such as P...

Published on Thursday, July 19, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Florence’s expanded T1 tram line, which runs from the central train station to the Careggi Hospital, is now open. Previously, the T1 line – which opened in 2010 – began at Villa Costanza and stopped at the central train station. Now renamed the T1 Leonardo line, it has a total of 26 stops along an 11.5-kilometer route, and trains run every four minutes. It is...

Published on Sunday, June 10, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Earlier this month, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence debuted its “Raphael and Michelangelo Room” as part of a larger rearrangement of the museum. Housed in Room 41 of the building, the Raphael and Michelangelo Room – as one might expect – contains paintings from the two Renaissance masters. Two paintings by Raphael dating to 1404-05 – portraits of a Floren...

Published on Tuesday, May 29, 2018 by Kathy McCabe They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and if two rare 16th-century Italian sketches could talk, their words would be “Thank goodness we’re home!” Florence’s Uffizi Galleries recently acquired the sketches, the work of Giovan Francesco Rustici and Giovanni Catesi, at an Uffizi Galleries auction at Christie’s in New York City. Both artists created t...

Published on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 by Kathy McCabe The ciborium in the abbey at San Miniato al Monte in Florence has been restored in time for the 1,000-year anniversary of the abbey’s founding. The ciborium – a covered altar with four columns and an intricate arched ceiling – was completed in 1448 at the request of Piero de’ Medici and designed by architect and sculptor Michelozzo di Bartolomeo. It was built ...

Published on Friday, March 9, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Giotto’s painting Madonna di San Giorgio alla Costa hasn’t been on public display in 25 years, until now, as it has moved to the Opera del Duomo Museum in the Duomo Cathedral complex in Florence. The tempera and gold painting depicts the Madonna as a queen, holding the Christ Child, with two angels and is considered one of the most representative paintings of the...

Published on Saturday, February 17, 2018 by Kathy McCabe The short film Destination Florence is now playing at the Cinema La Compagnia (Via Cavour 50/r) every day at 6 p.m. The 25-minute movie, set at nightfall in Florence, shows a different and intimate side of Florence with stunning imagery. Churches, towers, piazzas, streets, paintings and sculptures are featured – including lesser-known landmarks – inspiring view...

Published on Monday, January 29, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Gucci recently opened Gucci Garden, an experiential retail space in Florence dedicated to promoting the brand and its history. The concept is located in a 14th-century palazzo and comprises three floors. On the ground floor is a boutique with items exclusive to Gucci Garden – including clothes and their tags and packaging – alongside books, magazines, souvenirs...

Published on Thursday, December 7, 2017 by Kathy McCabe After 22 years, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Codex Leicester manuscript is  going on display in Italy. Considered one of Da Vinci’s most important scientific manuscripts, the 72-page notebook published in 1510 contains a collection of writings and drawings from the artist and scientist. His notes, written in columns from right to left, detail his theories on a range of s...

Published on Monday, September 25, 2017 by Kathy McCabe With  increasing restrictions across Italian cities aimed at curbing tourists’ unruly behavior, Venice and Florence have both launched campaigns to accomplish that goal, called #EnjoyRespectVenezia and #EnjoyRespectFirenze, respectively. The message, sent through fines and increased awareness, is common sense: Respect the city, its history, its art and its resident...