A small group of friends have decided to accompany me to Venice, Padua, and Ferrara in February 2022! I put together a custom, elegant, boutique experience for them based on the places I’ve discovered during the past 10 years of solo Italian travel to historical sites both on and off the beaten path. I’m not … More Italia con Gigi 2022
Known World Italian Symposium: Salons of the Italies II is happening across the Known World April 23-24, 2021. Visit our KWIS: Salons of the Italies II event website for a full list of class descriptions, the schedule, and the zoom links for April 23-24! https://sites.google.com/westking…/salonsoftheitalies/home The schedule for the event will be posted on the … More Salons of the Italies II 2021
From http://www.piccoligrandimusei.it/en/blog/portfolio_page/davanzati-museum/ A rare and magnificent example of a 14th-century residence in Florence, Palazzo Davanzati represents the transitional period between the medieval tower house and the Renaissance palace. The palace was built around the mid-14th century by the powerful Davizzi family of merchants and bankers, in Via Porta Rossa where resided such wealthy Florentine families as … More Palazzo Davanzati – An Ancient Florentine Home
On Saturday, March 8 at the Reggia di Venaria, the exhibition “Gli Este. Rinascimento e Barocco a Ferrara e Modena” (“The House of Este: Renaissance and Baroque Art from Ferrara and Modena”) opened!! Curated by Stephen Casciu, the exhibition brings together 90 masterpieces made for the rulers of Emilia-Romagna and includes the works of Dosso Dossi, … More Masterpieces of the Este
I recently visited our nation’s capitol and had chance to attend a lecture on the symbolism of art in the Italian Renaissance. I have long understood the symbols used in literature and art, but hadn’t put pen to paper for my fellow reenactors to describe how artists decorated household items with symbols appropriate to their purpose … More Cosi, The Things and Symbols of the Italian Renaissance
The kitchen (cucina) belonged to the network of service spaces – from pantries to wine cellars – that kept the house supplied with food and drink. Kitchens were rarely located on the same floor as the sala, because of the smells, noise and constant circulation of people. Instead, they were usually in the attics, to … More Cucina – The Renaissance Kitchen
Whether used for business or the display of collections, the study or scrittoio was not a room that was accessible to many visitors. It was a quintessentially male space, an office but also a repository of family memory, where household documents were often written and treasured. Most noblemen, wealthy professionals and merchants would have had a … More The Renaissance Scrittoio
Renaissance houses had many bedrooms, the most important being the camera grande (‘large bedroom’). The camera was smaller and more intimate than the sala and had a fireplace, making it warm in winter. The camera was a room at the heart of family life. Apart from sleeping, the daily routines of washing and dressing took place … More Camera – the Renaissance Bedroom
The Sala The sala was the biggest room in the Renaissance Home. Situated at the front and open to most visitors, its decoration was meant to convey the status of the family. It was a flexible space, used for entertainments such as singing, dancing and games, as well as for dining. Wedding celebrations and parties also … More The Sala of an Italian Renaissance Home
In the years between 1400 and 1600 Italians became the most extravagant builders in Europe. Wealthy citizens commissioned magnificent palaces, and displayed their gentility and education through splendid possessions. Many of these objects were novelties. Some, such as glass mirrors and printed books, are familiar to us today. Others, like birth trays, relate to beliefs … More The Renaissance Home in Italy
La Bella Donna 