Shooting the last two days in Florence, where republican politics, relatively free markets and innovative business, relaxed religion, and humanistic philosophy laid the groundwork for the explosion of artistic creativity in the 1400s — Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Ghirlandaio, Leonardo, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, and the list goes on.
Awesome. Visual delights everywhere, a strong sense of living history, and food, food, food.
Tip for driving in Roma and Firenze: It’s a mindset thing — just out-crazy the Italian drivers, and you’ll be fine.
You are getting me excited about this documentary. And your European whirlwind trip is making me jealous.
It is estimated that half of the certifiable masterpieces of art are in Italy. But Italy is expensive with the Euro crisis, the Italians not being able to print lire as they once did. At least in restaurants of quality. I stayed in Varazze (near Genoa) and enjoyed the Riviera reasonably, though. When you get to Florence and Rome, it do cost. Should art connoiseurs veer northwards, try the Kunstliches Museum in Vienna (it has one room full of Breughels) and several Raphaels or the Alte Pinotek in Munich, in which one room boasts one Leonardo (who didn’t paint that many portables), three Raphaels, and several Botticelli, plus many Rembrandts, van Dykes, and Durers. One must not forget the Flemish discovered oil painting, from their surplus of flax, which makes linseed oil, into which pigments are mixed. Amsterdam is another rich location, and the friendliest city I encountered on my Grand Tour.