Happy Birthday, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni! Michelangelo, as he is more famously known, was born on the 6th of March, 1475 (died: February 18, 1564) and would have been 544 years old today! When we think of the great Renaissance artists, like Michelangelo, I […]

After the winter we had in Toronto, I swore I would not complain about the heat this summer. Italian summers can get pretty hot, especially if you’re walking around Rome or Florence. If you’ve ever been to Italy on a hot summer day, chances are […]

The Renaissance was a time of enlightenment and advances in art and culture. No city in the world is identified with this period more than Florence. Art, history, culture….Florence is a city that needs no introduction.  Florence, or Firenze as it is known in Italy, […]

The Vasari Corridor is a 1-kilometer long self-portrait gallery. Originally, when started by Cardinal Leopoldo de’ Medici, artists were commissioned to paint their self-portrait for the collection; but the Vasari collection got so famous that artists who arrived in Florence would show up at the gallery […]

The Vasari Corridor was completed in 5 months by Giorgio Vasari as a surprise for the guests attending the wedding of Johana of Austria to Giovanni, son of Grand Duke Cosimo I. It was used as a passage between the Uffizi (the family offices) and […]

Toronto has its PATH. The PATH is almost an underground city. It stretches over 30 kilometers (19 miles) and is officially described as “a network of pedestrian tunnels, elevated walkways and at-grade walkways that connect the downtown office towers with shops, restaurants, entertainment and services”. The […]

If you are a first-time visitor to Florence, extremely high (probably number one) on your to-see list is Michelangelo’s David. Michelangelo’s 18-foot high masterpiece is almost synonymous with Florence. You can’t turn a Florentine corner without seeing him on a fridge magnet or apron or […]