Archive for 'Museums & Galleries'

Toulouse-Lautrec is a French artist of the nineteenth century who worked in similar circles to the Impressionists such as Monet. Even if his name is new to you, it is unlikely that you are unfamiliar with his works as they have become hugely iconic. The so-called “soul of Montmartre”, he captured the streets, lights, music and atmosphere of the bohemian Montmartre district in the late nineteenth century. He was an illustrator and engraver and is best known for the posters that he designed for establishments such as the Moulin Rouge. This key figure of Parisian art history is being showcased in a fantastic exhibition not in Paris but in Pisa at the Palazzo Blu which has become more and more well-known for its world-class exhibitions. Any serious art-lovers who are thinking of holidaying in Tuscany will want to find a luxury villa in Pisa and drop by before the exhibition closes in February.

If you have found the perfect luxury villa in Florence and are spending time in that great city, you will never want for art to see or exhibitions to check out. As the centre of the Italian Renaissance, Florence is home to countless museums, galleries and even street art from the likes of Clet. However, there is a particularly interesting exhibition happening in the Palazzo Strozzi at the moment. Typically, religion is something that one rarely connects with modern art. Yet, the exhibition at the Palazzo Strozzi, entitled, “Divine Beauty from Van Gogh to Chagall and Fontana” highlights modern sacred art from the middle of the 19th to 20th centuries.

The production of textiles has been a historically important industry in the Tuscan city of Prato for over 800 years. This remains the case and it makes sense that there is a museum dedicated to the history of textiles in the city. The Prato Textile Museum, or Museo del Tessuto, is located in a former trimming factory called Campolmi within the medieval city walls of Prato and has been open for four decades. It is continuously listed as one of the best museums in Italy for fashion and textile history and is the only museum in Italy which is expressly dedicated to the art and technology of textile production, from pre-columbian textiles to the industrial manufacturing of the 20th century. If you have a passion for fashion or dress history, find a vacation rental in Prato and visit this very special museum for yourself.

In our last post, we discussed a very special exhibition of Italian Renaissance tapestries which is currently taking place at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.

However, there is actually a second unique exhibition that is being housed in that great Florentine institution at the moment which is really rather different. In fact, one could say that it is the opposite.

While the tapestries represent the pinnacle of craft and design of the past and the work of European Old Masters, this new exhibit is characterised by an example of fine art by a great American master of the present.

Placed next to the copy of David outside the entrance to the building, is Jeff Koons' Pluto and Proserpina. Be quick to find a villa with internet in Florence so you can see this contemporary masterpiece in the unexpected surroundings of the epitome of the Italian Renaissance!

In the town of San Gimignano, in Tuscany, there is a very unusual and special museum. Called San Gimignano 1300, this museum displays a beautiful, large and super detailed miniature reconstruction of the town during the Middle Ages, allowing us to see it as it would have looked like at the height of its splendour. This special miniature was created by a team of artists and architects. Located near the centre of the town and free of charge to visit, it's a lovely way to spend an afternoon, wandering around the exhibit and marvelling at the astounding reconstruction. It's also an especially engaging way to involve children in becoming interested in the history of the area. Just find a luxury villa in San Gimignano and stop by the museum to see how the town used to look.