Il Magnifico, Lorenzo de’ Medici, is dead, and his now-exiled son, Piero, has brought ruin upon Florence. War and famine have tarnished and dulled the glittering city. Yet, the glory that is Renaissance artistry grows more magnificent, as does the work of the women known as Da Vinci’s Disciples. Now, they face their most dangerous... Continue Reading →
As part of the launch for "Girolamo Savonarola: The Renaissance Preacher", I thought I'd do a few posts in and around the infamous Dominican friar who took Florence by storm. As well as the multitude of books surrounding Florence at the time, telling us his story amidst the political turmoil of the time and... Continue Reading →
Simonetta Vespucci is a name commonly associated with both the Medici family of Florence and the artist Sandro Botticelli. For years, people have believed that Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" is actually a painting of Florence's most beautiful woman - she was said to have stunned Botticelli with her beauty which is why the same face... Continue Reading →
On 15 April 1452, Leonardo da Vinci was born in the little town on Vinci, in Tuscany. He was born to the Florentine Notary Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci, and Caterina - a peasant girl. The little bastard boy would go on to become one of the most famous artists that the world had ever... Continue Reading →
The Burning of the Vanities is an event in Renaissance history that often has historians cringing - so many beautiful pieces of art and precious books were lost on a giant pyre that was constructed within the Piazza della Signoria and set alight on 7th February 1497, Shrove Tuesday. Following on from the expulsion of... Continue Reading →
