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Are we the ones really preserving art through conservation or is it a mutual relationship where art preserves us as well? The concept of displaying art in hospitals may seem to be a modern idea, but humanists truthfully believed that art and beauty possessed intrinsic healing powers for both the body and the soul. A great example is the oval depict...

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For centuries, porcelain was an exotic material imported from China, as its composition and manufacturing techniques remained unknown in Europe. From 1585 to 1610, Francesco I de' Medici financed the production of a pseudo-porcelain in Florence, intended for court use and for diplomatic gifts. The true formula, however, remained unknown until 1710,...

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 The director of Italy's Uffizi Galleries is predicting a boom in visitors after coronavirus restrictions end, judging by what happened after previous emergencies closed down one of the world’s most popular museums. Museum director Eike Schmidt recalled that after the Arno River flooded Florence in 1966 and shuttered the museum, the number of visit...

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To discover Florence through its buildings, its monuments, and its museums is certainly an effective way to experience the charm of the Medici city that has remained intact over the centuries. To visit its historic cafés, however, is tantamount to catching a glimpse of its soul and its history. Indeed, the fortune of some of the most famous streets...

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WHEN THE DOMINICAN FRIARS AT Florence’s Santa Maria Novella didn’t feel well and needed medicinal herbs, they stepped out to Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy (considered the oldest still-operating pharmacy in the world) along the monastery wall. But when it was time for these same monks to ingest a meal, they went to Santa Maria Novella’s refectory—a r...

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La prima public company europea nel campo della cultura oggi compie 100 anni. Ed è italiana: l'8 aprile del 1920 infatti si costituisce, dopo un ostinato lavoro che oggi definiremmo di moral suasion da parte di Vittorio Emanuele III, la Fratelli Alinari Istituto di Edizioni Artistiche (I.D.E.A) che è quella attualmente ancora operante. 'Vittorio Al...

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Michelangelo is one of the most famous artists and sculptors of the Renaissance, and had a major influence on the development of art in the Western world. His greatest known masterpiece is of course the colossal stone sculpture of David who stands victoriously in pride of place in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Michelangelo’s home city of Florence....

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As the coronavirus emergency is keeping us all at home, it is still possible to travel virtually to Italy and visit some of its outstanding museums, from the comfort and safety of your couch at home. Here are four that make their collections and rooms available online, with special initiatives in place specifically during these times of lockdown, w...

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Inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List since 1982, the historic center of Florence is defined as a “unique artistic realization, an absolute chef-d’œuvre, the fruit of continuous creation over more than six centuries.” In addition to its numerous museums, with the Uffizi Gallery renowned for being the oldest museum of modern Europe, Florence b...

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The beauty of Florence’s monuments is well known throughout the world. A stroll through Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, and Ponte Vecchio is amazing; like walking through an open-air museum. Possibly the best time to take advantage of the beauty and weather is to enjoy the month of March in Florence. Treat yourself to a weekend of spring v...

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