The Keats-Shelley House is nestled right next to the world famous Spanish Steps in Rome. Thousands of visitors mill around the piazza in front of the steps, climb the steps, and take pictures of the steps.
Yes, the steps really are very attractive–lots of flowers and a striking two-tower church at the top.
But in the end, the steps are, well, steps. If you go to the Spanish Steps, take a quick pic and then veer right to visit the lovely little Keats-Shelley House. You’re in for a first-rate Artsy Traveler experience.
Literary Leanings
If you’ve been reading the Artsy Traveler blog for awhile, you probably know that I write mostly arts-inspired historical novels. My first three novels feature a painter (The Towers of Tuscany), a composer (A Woman of Note), and an actress (The Muse of Fire). So, as a novelist, I’m a lover of literature, and what could be more literary than two of the greatest Romantic poets?
Also, back in the day when I went to university in England, I took my degree in English Literature. As a result, I studied a lot of poetry, particularly by Shelley. So to enter rooms where Keats and Shelley hung out, really is a pilgrimage.
Touring the Keats-Shelley House
The Keats-Shelley House is extremely easy to find thanks to its location next to the Spanish Steps. You’ll also see the banner hanging outside. The Keats-Shelley House is open from 10 to 1 and 2 to 6, and includes a special rate for seniors.
The ticket person got on my good side by telling us we didn’t qualify for the senior’s rate because it’s only for people over 65. Awww. That was kind of her. But needless to say, I corrected her and got the reduced rate.
You enter the museum and climb to the first floor where you’ll find the tiny gift shop (more on that later) and the ticket taker. After paying the entrance fee, turn right to tour a series of beautiful rooms containing a great many treasures and curiosities associated with the lives and works of several of the Romantic poets and their associates.
You’ll see letters written by Keats, Shelley, Bryon, Mary Shelley, Wordsworth, and other luminaries from the time. The evenness of their penmanship puts most modern folks to shame! Also on display are drawings, snippets of poetry, paintings, and other memorabilia. The explanations are clear and informative.
Why The Poets Loved Italy
Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a decade or two off during the beginning of the 19th century for the Napoleonic Wars, Italy was a mecca for poets and writers from northern climes, including the Romantic poets from England, and Goethe from Germany. These writers loved Italy’s warm weather, easy-going life, and the inspiration to be found in so many centuries of history. What attracted them to Italy back then isn’t so very different from what attracts me to Italy today.
It’s a very special country with so much to offer. No wonder I keep coming back year after year!
Rooms in the Keats-Shelley House
The rooms in the Keats-Shelley House include a library of more than 8,000 volumes. It’s considered one of the finest libraries of Romantic literature in the world. Thoughtfully presented displays provide you with a lot to read as you prowl around the rooms. You could spend a great deal of time here!
The tour through the rooms ends at the tiny bedroom where John Keats died on February 23, 1821 at the age of just 25. It’s astonishing how he was able to compose so much sublime poetry in so few years. The museum includes plenty of information in English and Italian about Keats, his life, his tragic death, and of course his poetry.
Was it a vision, or a waking dream? Fled is that music:—Do I wake or sleep?
From Ode to a Nightingale
Here is the bed on which Keats died.
Byron’s Bicentenary
At first, I was mystified by the several banners related to Byron on display in the main library. After all, it’s the Keats-Shelley House. The very friendly and knowledgeable attendant told us that the House is celebrating the Bicentenary of Byron’s death in 1824.
His poetry is figured prominently on red banners. I haven’t read Byron for many years, so it was a real treat to reacquaint myself with some of his poetry.
We had a great chat with the attendant about the poets, Mary Shelley and her mum Mary Wollstonecraft, and the arts in general. I mentioned that I’d interviewed Samantha Silva, author of Love and Fury about Mary Wollstonecraft on The Art In Fiction Podcast. Since the attendant was obviously interested in the era, I figured she may want to read the novel (highly recommended, by the way). She was delighted to learn about it and promised to look up the podcast.
I also told her about my novels and gave her one of my bookmarks because, well, marketing.
The Terrace
A highlight of a visit to the Keats-Shelley House is walking out on to the sweet little terrace overlooking the Spanish Steps. Imagine Keats and the gang sitting out there on a warm May afternoon sipping tea and talking poetry! It’s pretty cool to think that the view Keats saw wasn’t all that dissimilar to the view we see today.
The house included drawings of the Piazza Spagna and the steps in the early 19th century, and indeed, not much has changed if you look above the ground floor shops.
The Gift Shop
After thoroughly enjoying touring the rooms, we exited via the gift shop. I couldn’t resist buying myself a cloth bag with a Grecian Urn on it, homage to Keats’s Ode to a Grecian Urn. I also studied the collection of fridge magnets. We’ve taken to buying them most places we visit. Back home, our fridge door is getting pretty full up, but there’s always room for one more, or in this case, three.
I couldn’t decide which magnet to buy–Keats, Shelley, or Bryon–and so I bought all three. Here they are–Keats on the left, Shelley in the middle, and Byron on the right. These guys were all in the twenties and early thirties when they were hanging out together, and all three died young. They’re a bit like the rock stars of their time–living with unbridled passion and energy that burned out quickly, but wow, what a legacy they each left in their wake!
Conclusion
Have you visited the Keats-Shelley House in Rome? What did you think Share your impressions in the comments below for other Artsy Travelers.
Artsy Tours in Rome
I couldn’t find any literary-themed tours in Rome on Get Your Guide, so here’s a selection of tours related to music and also a tour of locations mentioned in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code series. Note that I include tours listed on the Get Your Guide website because I’ve taken and enjoyed many of their tours. Also, full disclosure, if you click on any tour below to go to the Get Your Guide website and purchase a tour (any tour), I get a small commission. Thank you!
You’ve arrived in Rome! Maybe, you’ve been lucky enough to have your taxi whisk you past the Colosseum on your way to your accommodations.
There it is! It’s huge! OMG!
We’re in the Eternal City!
This is SO cool!
Yes, the Colosseum in Rome is impressive and iconic. It’s the symbol of Rome and one of the seven wonders of the world. Millions of visitors come from all over the globe to see it. They snap selfies in front of it, gaze out over its ruined amphitheater, and stand in line-ups for hours.
My question is–should you bother? My answer? It depends!
My Rome Colosseum History
Since my first visit to Rome in 1974, I’ve popped into the Colosseum four times. Three of those visits were great.
The most recent one was a nightmare.
The Colosseum itself hasn’t changed much apart from some restoration work over the decades. It’s still a massive ruin that, while impressive, bears little similarity to the magnificent original built over two thousand years ago.
Earthquakes, looting, and the general wear and tear of two millennia, not to mention the shuffling feet of millions and millions of visitors have taken their toll.
What has changed for visitors in recent years is just how incredibly crowded the Colosseum has become. The Colosseum ranks as the number one tourist attraction in Rome. Even St. Peter’s and the Vatican aren’t that crowded (although they are pretty much overrun).
Although I have no way of knowing for sure, I get the feeling during my most recent visit to the Colosseum that many people are ticking it off their must-see list, whether they are enjoying it or not. What a shame! Rome is so much more fabulous than the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is amazing, for sure. But is it worth your time to go inside when you can snap a photo like the one below with zero effort?
Should You Visit Rome and Not Go to the Colosseum?
Gasp! Should you do it? If you want to enjoy this marvelous city and you’re visiting between April to October, then I say yes, give the Colosseum a miss. Also forget the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. You might consider visiting St. Peter’s since in my experience, the line moves fairly briskly and at least you’re outdoors for most of the wait.
But back to the Colosseum. In this post, I’ll describe my latest visit. You can then decide for yourself if it’s worth several hours of your precious sightseeing time. Or, would you be better off skipping the crowds and heading for some of the city’s quieter and infinitely more lovely sights such as the cosy Keats-Shelley House near the Spanish Steps?
Signing Up for a Colosseum Tour: Smart Idea or ?
As a savvy traveler (or at least so I like to think!), I know that the early visitor beats the crowds. The two-hour guided tour of the Colosseum I sign up for starts at 8 am and guarantees first entry into the site.
I imagine wandering through deserted passageways, the morning sun slanting pleasingly across the ancient ruins. The only sounds are the murmurs of the guide, a few tweeting birds, and perhaps the whispers of long-gone gladiators wafting up from the cells beneath the arena.
I mean, who starts sightseeing so early in the morning? For sure, I’ll have the place to myself along with a handful of other intrepid travelers willing to sign up for an early morning tour.
Finding the Tour
Promptly at 7:50 am, I arrive at the meeting point across the street from one of the entrances to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. A small crowd of at least fifty people all proffering cell phones is my clue that I’m in the right place. I wait patiently for the beleaguered guide to check my phone, declare me valid, and press a small white sticker onto my chest. It’s now about 8:10 am, so obviously the tour doesn’t actually start at 8 am.
While waiting, I snap a photo of the Roman Forum across the street. It looks splendid in the early morning sun of one of the first really warm days I’ve experienced in Rome on my current trip in early May.
Waiting to Enter the Colosseum
Several minutes later, we are ushered across the road to the entrance gate and told that the ticket takers open at 8:30 and that we will be first! (said with enthusiasm, like it is a rare treat and not what we’ve signed up for).
Ticket takers? I’d neglected to read the fine print of the tour. The cost does not include the cost of entry into the archaeological site which includes the Forum and Palatine Hill in addition to the Colosseum.
A word of warning: Check what’s included in your tour and opt for a tour that includes the entry cost so the guide already has your tickets.
Lesson learned, I prepare to wait in line (at least I am close to the front) until the ticket booths open at 8:30–another fifteen minutes. After all, the guide has assured us that we’ll be first into the Colosseum. Isn’t that worth waiting a few extra minutes for?
Remember the tweeting birds, the silence of the ancient stones, the gladiator ghosts reminiscing about gladiator fights, the glorious isolation!
Buying a Ticket to the Colosseum
At precisely 8:40 am, the ticket takers open the two wickets and the first people in line eagerly step forward to buy their tickets. Yahoo! The line will surely go quickly and I’ll be inside the Colosseum communing with history and getting tons of inspiration for my next novel in no time flat.
8:50 am: The first people in line are still at the ticket booth.
9:00 am: The first people in line are still at the ticket booth. Oh wait! One of the groups has left and another couple has stepped forward. But at the other booth, the same four people are still talking with the attendant. What can they be talking about? What’s the holdup? Are they sharing recipes? Have they found a long-lost cousin? What gives?
The guide comes by and tells us to have our passports out and ready to show the ticket takers. What? I don’t have my passport with me although fortunately I do have my driver’s license. I ask the guide if that will do. Yes. Phew.
Another five minutes goes by and the first group of four finally leaves the booth. They are looking weary but relieved. I’d love to ask them what went down, but of course I don’t dare risk losing my place in line.
The next group steps forward. I take to counting to gauge how long they stay at the booth. Sixty seconds, another sixty, another sixty…five minutes and they’re done. Another ten minutes goes by during which time a few more groups get to the booth and then several minutes later step away, tickets in hand. Their per wait time is marginally decreasing.
Progress is being made.
My Turn Getting Tickets for the Colosseum
Finally, it’s my turn. I’m about to find out why it takes almost five minutes to process each person in a line that is now stretching back to the road and a considerable way along it. Did all these people book a group tour that required them to buy tickets?
I find out later that yes, they are all group tour people. The “regular” people who just want a ticket to the Colosseum without a tour buy their tickets at another booth. I’ll soon discover that many, many hundreds of them get inside the Colosseum long before we arrive.
So much for us being first!
Anyway, I’m at the booth.
“One for the Colosseum, per favore.”
“One?”
“Si.”
The attendant shakes her head as if to say what kind of a loser visits the Colosseum all by themselves first thing in the morning? I don’t share that my husband has elected to do the smart thing and spend a leisurely morning enjoying cappuccino and a walk about the chic ‘hood we’re staying in up near the Piazza del Popolo.
Instead, I push my driver’s license under the glass barrier and she places it in front of her keyboard. Then, with two stiff fingers, she laboriously starts to type. No wonder this whole process is taking forever! She has to physically enter the ID for every single person in line and she can’t touch type.
Oh dear.
After about two minutes (possibly a record), she hands me back my driver’s license, I pay with my credit card, and then I go stand with my fellow line waiters for the tour to begin.
It’s now 9:30 am.
Starting the Tour of the Colosseum–Almost
Promptly at 9:45 am, only 1 hour and 45 minutes past the tour start time, our guide leads those of us who have Colosseum tickets marked 9:15 am to another loooooong line. This is the line for all the Skip-the-Line group tours. As I said, it’s long.
Security Line at the Colosseum
We wait for another twenty minutes while the guide finally explains why progress that morning has been unusually slow. I’m at least heartened to find out that the current process is not normal. Apparently, there was a security incident (bomb scare?) a few days earlier, and since May 1 (it’s May 3rd), new procedures using a new security firm are being instituted.
Unfortunately, thorough testing is lacking so chaos reigns as the Colosseum ticket takers are obliged to enter everyone’s ID information into the computer and new security personnel are stationed at the entrances to the actual Colosseum to again check IDs and tickets.
Entering the Colosseum
We finally reach the front of the Skip-the-Line group tour line and enter the outer perimeter of the Colosseum.
It’s big. Really big—much bigger than it looks from the road with massive columns that soar way up into the blue Roman sky. Inside, the arches are truly impressive. Roman engineering is a marvel.
The guide starts her spiel while leading us to yet another line. She tells us that construction of the Colosseum began between 70 and 72 CE during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian. Before then, the area had been a lake on the grounds of Nero’s Domus Aurea (golden house).
Nero was not popular, to say the least, and so the decision to replace his private lake with a public amphitheater hosting thousands of locals was a great way to erase him from recent history.
The next line moves a little quicker. The security people check IDs and then we line up for the security screening. As usual, people walk through the scanner with their pockets bulging with Euros so back they must go while everyone waits. Sigh.
Not Everyone Loves Rome
The guide takes a break from her history lesson and cheerfully asks two people in the group where they are from. They reply that they are from Austria and that never again will they come to Rome because it is horrible and dirty. I am offended on behalf of both myself and the guide who smiles gamely but I can see is a trifle nonplussed. I mean, rude much? Apparently, the Austrians booked into a hotel that is less than stellar and that has colored their whole opinion of one of my favorite cities in the world.
I want to tell them that the place we’re staying in is absolutely wonderful—clean, spacious and in an excellent location. Here’s the link to our serviced apartment called Viam 6B. It truly is one of the best places we’ve stayed in Rome, ever.
Perhaps the Austrians decided to cheap out. Rome is a fabulous place to visit, but accommodations are not budget friendly. But then you can say that about just about every destination in Europe in recent years. The days of Europe on $5 a day (or even $100 or $200 a day) belong to the middle of the last century.
The guide decides not to ask the rest of the group about their experience. The mood is already a bit iffy considering we’ve all stood in lines for more than two hours for our first-into-the-Colosseum tour and haven’t actually started touring the Colosseum. We are in it, but only just.
The next line moves a little quicker. The security people check IDs and then we line up for the security screening. As usual, people walk through the scanner with their pockets bulging with coins so back they must go while everyone waits. Sigh.
Climbing to the Top of the Colosseum
And then, finally, we’re in and the tour officially begins. The guide talks to us for quite a while about the history of the Colosseum and then invites us to trudge up three flights of very steep steps to look out over the arena.
We emerge into a surging Sargasso Sea of visitors all packed cheek by jowl along the railing much like the spectators must have done during the Colosseum’s heyday. Everyone’s snapping selfies (something that wasn’t done during the days of the Roman empire) and I suppose communing with their inner gladiator.
We walk and walk and walk some more around the perimeter to a slightly less crowded stretch of railing, and get our one minute of time to snap pics of the ancient amphitheater.
Yes, it’s an impressive place for sure. In its day, up to 70,000 screaming Romans watched gladiatorial combat, executions, triumphal celebrations, and other spectacles. Today, approximately 16,000 people visit the Colosseum every single day. So although the place feels very crowded to me, it is positively empty compared to what it would have been back when the arena floor was covered in sand to better absorb the blood.
The guide talks about how wild beasts were starved for days before being let loose to gnaw on convicts, Christian martyrs, and anyone else the Emperor didn’t like. It’s the odd interesting fact such as this that you get from a guided tour.
Is A Guided Tour of the Rome Colosseum Worth the Wait?
So, should you opt for a guided tour of Rome’s most famous monument, check it out on your own, or forget about it and do something that doesn’t involve rubbing shoulders (literally) with thousands of strangers?
You may have guessed my opinion, which is Door #3. The entire tour/ordeal lasted about three hours, with the smallest number of minutes devoted to the tour and the largest to waiting for the tour.
Now, to be fair, the extra security measures ate up a goodly chunk of that three hours. I don’t know if these measures will become the norm going forward, in which case be prepared for waits, or if it’s temporary. You’ll have to check that out before you book.
I don’t blame the tour guide for all the waiting. She was doing her best in difficult circumstances and to her credit remained cheerful and upbeat throughout. I gave her a 5 Euro tip which appeared to surprise her, but hey, I figure she’d earned it.
Most people either didn’t tip or gave her 5 euros for their entire party which I thought was a bit cheap of them. Tips are not required, but I think it’s a good idea to give the guide a little extra considering they probably don’t get paid all that much, and it’s a challenging job at the best of times.
Touring the Colosseum On Your Own
What about the second option—see the Colosseum on your own? I think it may be marginally the better option because you don’t need to arrive at a location two hours ahead of when you get in. Instead, you can go straight to the ticket line and take your chances. The wait could be 10 minutes or two hours.
You could also buy your ticket online. You’ll still need to stand in line-ups, but not for quite so long. It’s difficult to say. We bought our “skip-the-line” tickets to Pompeii online and still had to wait in line about 20 minutes to exchange the online tickets for real tickets.
When To Visit the Colosseum
I think the moral of the story is that whatever way you slice it, sites like the Colosseum are really, really popular. You can try to beat the crowds, but I don’t think in any universe you’ll get around waiting in long lines.
My advice? Either visit the Colosseum during the off-season (November to March) when crowds are thinner, or forget about it and go see some of the city’s other awesome sites.
Tours of the Colosseum
If you do opt for a tour (and I’m just saying, buyer beware), then GetYourGuide has plenty of tours to choose from. I suggest choosing a tour that includes a ticket to the Colosseum and the Forum so you won’t need to line up to buy your ticket separately.
Also, you may be better off booking a tour in the late afternoon or opt for one of the evening tours instead of the morning. I felt like everyone fueled up on their hotel breakfast as early as possible and made a beeline for the Colosseum as their first stop of the day. Possibly later in the day may be less frantic.
Rome is chock-a-block full of amazing things to see and do. Here are some of my favorite sites in Rome. You’ll note that I don’t include big ticket items like the Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain, all of which are over-run with visitors.
Walking tour of the Jewish Ghetto
Capitoline Museum
Etruscan Museum
Keats/Shelley House at the Spanish Steps
Modern Art Museum
Borghese Gardens
Baths of Caracella
These are just a sampling. There are also a ton of fabulous churches, some with Roman foundations.
My Favorite Activity in Rome
For me, my favorite Rome activity is walking around the various neighborhoods and avoiding the bottleneck areas around the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, St. Peter’s Square, and especially the Trevi Fountain. If you want to experience any of those places crowd-free, either swing by late at night or go for a very early morning stroll.
Here’s a shot taken on our way home after a scrumptious dinner in a restaurant on an atmospheric side street just steps from where we stayed at Viam 6B, which was not far from the Spanish Steps.
Accommodation Options in Rome
In 2024, we stayed in two places in Rome because we broke up our 2-week stay with a 5-day trip south to Naples and Paestum (read about my visit to the incomparable Naples Archaeological Museum).
When we first arrived, we stayed at Sant’Angelo Apartments in the Jewish Ghetto area of Rome, very close to a lot of Roman ruins in addition to the Capitoline Museum and the Piazza Venezia, site of the Victor Emmanuel monument. The apartment was very atmospheric and in an excellent location for exploring ancient Rome.
When we returned to Rome, we stayed at Viam 6B located between the Spanish Steps and the Piazza Popolo–a very upscale and chi-chi part of Rome with lots of designer stores. I preferred the location of our first place because the area was much less touristy and very medieval-feeling. However, the accommodations at Viam 6B were very modern and comfortable and included a beautiful outdoor terrace. It was also staffed which is nice for getting directions and ordering taxis.
But both places were great and I’d cheerfully stay in either on our next trip to Rome.
More Tour Options for the Colosseum
Here are some tour options to consider sold through Tiqets.com:
Walking Tours of Rome
If you enjoy walking tours, I can recommend the tours offered by GuruWalks. Here are a few of the tours available in Rome.
Conclusion
Have you visited the Colosseum in Rome recently and not found it crowded? Do you have any tips for how to have an enjoyable visit? Please share in the comments below.
Posts About Rome
Here are some more posts about Rome, one of my very favorite cities in the world. I’ve visited eight times, and I’m not done yet!
Naples in southern Italy has long been on my list of places to visit, mostly because I wanted to tour the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli aka the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, and then visit Pompeii.
Both Gregg and I had visited Pompeii twice each–Gregg in 1958 when he was eleven, me in 1974 when I was 18 and then together with our daughter in 1994. In all those trips, we’d never managed to visit the Naples National Archaeological Museum. We came close in 1994 when we took a taxi from our hotel to the museum on our way to Pompeii only to find it closed. In those pre-Google days, I’d neglected to read the guide book.
So we were determined to finally see the museum because it houses the vast majority of the art excavated from ancient Pompeii and Herculaneum and is considered one of the best archeological museums in the world.
The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, with excavations starting at far back as the 16th century.
See the National Archaeological Museum of Naples First!
Now that I’ve toured the National Archaeological Museum, I can without hesitation recommend that you go there first and then tour the ruins of Pompeii. As you’ll discover, Pompeii is pretty much all ruins (quel surprise!) with the vast majority of the frescoes, mosaics, and statues long ago removed to the National Archaeological Museum.
Also, to be honest, wandering around Pompeii in the heat (we visited in late April and it was 30 degrees) with thousands of other visitors is not as comfortable an experience as strolling through room after room in the thoughtfully air conditioned museum.
Overview of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples
In this post, I’ll share some of my favorite parts of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples (MANN) with the proviso that the museum is chock-a-block with amazing objects from antiquity. I’ve rarely seen such a beautifully appointed museum where just about every item in it is worth a stop and a good long look.
You can easily visit the National Archaeological Museum in about two to three hours, depending on your energy level. You’ll also find a good cafe so you can take a break for refueling after touring a floor or two. We did, and it made all the difference to our enjoyment of the museum.
Exterior of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples
When we toured MANN in late April, the crowds were light (unlike the next day in Pompeii!) and we waited only a few minutes at the entrance to buy tickets. In busier times of the year, you may want to skip the ticket line by buying your tickets online from the museum’s website or through resellers such as Get Your Guide.
The museum is organized according to type of art, so you’ll find rooms full of artifacts from Pompeii, including sculptures, mosaics, everyday objects, frescoes, and coins. We saw most of what was on display in the sculpture, mosaic, everyday objects, and fresco areas. The quality of the work is awe-inspiring.
I suggest starting with the sculptures on the ground floor and then going to the top floor and working your way down. Doing so minimizes stair climbs (there’s an elevator to whisk you to the second floor) and conserves energy.
Sculptures
Start with sculptures because they are the first things you see when you enter the museum. Wowza! They are stunning. I didn’t expect to see so many really large sculptures that looked like they were chiseled yesterday when in fact they were almost 2000 years old.
Here’s a selection of my favorites.
Hercules at Rest
Even big guys like Hercules can use some time off now and again. This massive sculpture of old Herc shows him leaning on his club. The sculpture is a Roman copy from the end of the 2nd/beginning of the 3rd Century CE of a Greek statue from the second half of the 4th century BCE. The subject of Hercules at rest is a very popular one. It shows him exhausted and pensive after having undertaken yet another labor for his cousin Eurytheus.
While the top half of Hercules sags with fatigue, his legs and feet still look dynamic, as if he was ready to spring into action (yet again) at any moment. The sheer size of the statue took my breath away–and it’s just one of many dozens of sculptures in MANN.
Hercules is part of the Farnese Collection, which was one of the first collections of artistic items from Greco-Roman antiquity. It was started by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (he later became Pope Paul III) back in the 16th century when collecting antiquities started being all the rage. Many of the works in MANN are from his collection.
Dog Sculptures
Large sculptures dominate the rooms, but they are by no means the only sculptures worth admiring at MANN. Here are three incredibly charming sculptures of Roman pooches. They look like they could come to life at any minute and run toward you, tails wagging.
Athena
Athena is the Goddess of Wisdom, along with warfare and handicrafts. The next time you pick up a knitting project, call on Athena for some extra guidance! This sculpture (bigger than can possibly be portrayed in a photo) really shows off Athena’s robes in all their pleated glory.
Bust of a Woman
I don’t know who this is but I love her hair! At least I think the bust is of a woman’s head. She looks a bit careworn, perhaps from having to cope with all those corkscrew locks every day. I also loved the black stone used–an interesting break from the predominantly cream-colored marble used to create most of the other sculptures in MANN.
It’s hard to believe this sculpture dates back two millennia. Like most of the sculptures in MANN, the bust is in near perfect shape.
Petite Figure
This small statuette of a child is one of several equally adorable pieces. You can understand how the artists descended from the ones who sculpted these pieces came up with cupids! The pieces look incredibly lifelike.
Everyday Objects
For me, a highlight of the MANN collection is the vast array of household and everyday objects that were salvaged from Pompeii during excavations that began in the late 18th century. Many of the objects were remarkably preserved–pots, glassware, small statues of household gods, combs, jewelry, cooking utensils–you name it.
The ancient Roman versions of pretty much everything humans need to cook, clean, and live in houses is on display. It turns out that Romans aren’t all that different from us when it comes to the stuff they had in their houses. Take away our electronics and indoor plumbing, and we’re left with similar objects to those used by the average Pompeii resident: wine bottles, cooking pots, jewelry, cups, combs, chairs, and the like.
Here are some particularly fine examples of the household objects salvaged from the ruins of both Herculaneum and Pompeii.
Glass Cup
Can you believe this cup is 2000 years old? I was astonished to see it in the display, but yup, according to the description. the object is a “so-called millefiori ribbon small cup” from Pompeii in the 1st century CE. It looks like something I could buy today in Venice.
Terracotta Frog
Is this little guy not the sweetest thing? It’s a statuette of a frog made from lead-glazed terracotta. I’m not sure what he was used for, but he sure caught my eye. And he was just one of many, many such objects artfully displayed in room after well-lit room at MANN.
Deep Wine Cup
Look at the handiwork on this lead-glazed terracotta wine cup! It’s decorated with vegetable motifs and doves. Imagine drinking your wine out of that!
Cosmetic Jar
Ladies in Pompeii wore cosmetics just like women do today. But with plastic rather lacking, they stored their cosmetics in glass containers such as the one shown below. Again, it looks brand new! The jar is described as free-blown glass from the 1st century CE.
Blue Glass Pitcher
And last but not least, I have to include this perfect example of a free-blown glass pitcher. Look at the color! There were also many, many more examples of pitchers blown in darker tones as well as clear glass. I still can’t get over how they survived the blast, but I guess the ash buried things so thoroughly that they were preserved during the 1800 odd years they lay undisturbed. Remarkable!
Mosaics
The people of Pompeii and Herculaneum sure liked their mosaics. The floors of many houses, particularly those belonging to rich people (of which there were quite a few in Pompeii), were decorated with mosaics. The mosaics in MANN give just a taste of just how opulent the homes must have been. The intricacy of the mosaics really is breathtaking.
Zootopia Mosaic
Here is a series of three mosaics, displayed in horizontal format, but shown here in three parts to better check out the imagery. Each of these mosaics includes a bevy of wild animals–from hippos to snakes to ducks to crocodiles. What a tour de force!
Dog Mosaic
The Romans definitely liked dogs! Here’s another depiction of a dog–this time in mosaic form. This image is very popular; it’s on various products sold in the gift shop, including bags, fridge magnets, and mouse pads. We did buy a fridge magnet at the MANN gift shop, but of Sappho (see below) not the dog!
Sea Creatures
Can you imagine the imagination that concocted this delectable cornucopia of sea creatures? Wow! I particularly like the giant octopus in the middle. The mosaic also reminds me of the kinds of displays you’d see in 19th century natural history museums.
Frescoes
Paintings galore! You won’t believe how many paintings and frescoes you’ll find at MANN. This is because the Romans lavishly painted the inside walls of their villas and added painted embellishments just about anywhere there was a blank wall.
That so many of these paintings survived the eruption of Vesuvius is truly remarkable.
The Romans were unbelievably good painters. They’d mastered perspective and realism 1500 years before the Renaissance. So many of the paintings in MANN look like they could have been painted in the past few hundred years, particularly the gorgeous still lifes.
Here’s my best picks at MANN.
Isis & Snakes
Snakes are quite a recurring theme in the paintings in MANN. I’m not sure why that is; perhaps sea serpents were bigger and more threatening back in the day. For whatever reason, you’ll see snakes depicted in mosaics and frescoes, and included as details on pots, urns, and other objects.
This fresco, which had once graced the wall of a villa in Pompeii, shows Isis hauling the boat with the body of Osiris along the Nile accompanied by snakes lurking below the surface. Cheerful.
Still Lifes
I couldn’t believe the quality and quantity of still life paintings at MANN. The realism truly is incredible. I have a soft spot for still lifes (see my post about the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam where some of my fave still lifes are exhibited). I never knew that the ancient Romans were so adept at creating them.
Here are two still lifes–one of dead birds and mushrooms, and the other of a bunny with onions.
Erotica
Don’t miss the Secret Room if you’re inclined to view the museum’s extensive collection of erotic and sexually-themed objects and paintings salvaged from Pompeii and Herculaneum. The room was finally re-opened in 2000 with a display that organizes objects according to their function and material.
It’s a bit of an eye-opener, but definitely interesting and proving there is nothing new under the sun!
Portraits
MANN includes several portraits of Romans in its collection. One of the most famous is the portrait of the baker Therentius Neo and his wife. Don’t they look contemporary? Walking along the streets of Naples after visiting MANN brought us face to face with several of their descendants!
Here is another very famous portrait, this one of the poet Sappho, or at least that’s how it’s billed. The truth is that we don’t know if the portrait is actually of Sappho. It’s rather a “typological” representation of a young woman holding a stylus and a wax tablet–two things the real poet Sappho would likely have.
Anyway, it’s nice to think the portrait really is of Sappho which is probably why the image is everywhere in the gift shop, including on the fridge magnet I bought.
Could This be My Next Character?
And finally, I came across this lovely mosaic portrait of a young woman. According to the description, the mosaic dates to the Julian-Claudian era (27 BCE to 68 CE) in Pompeii. She’s likely pretty high born (check out the necklace). I love how she looks directly out at the viewer. If I do decide to write a novel set in ancient Rome (and I am toying with some ideas), then this mosaic could be the image of my main character!
Tour Options in the Naples Area
Here are some Get Your Guide and Tiqets.com tickets and tours you may wish to consider while in the Naples area. I frequently purchase tours and tickets from Get Your Guide and Tiqets.com and have yet to be disappointed. The tours they include on their website are, in my experience, reasonably priced and interesting.
If you enjoy walking tours, then you can’t go wrong with GuruWalks. Check out their tours in Naples.
Conclusion
In this post, I’ve just scratched the surface of the collection at the National Archaeological Museum. I recommend you make time in your itinerary to visit, preferably as I said earlier, before you visit Pompeii. In fact, if I had to choose between visiting Pompeii and visiting the museum, I’d choose the museum. Yes, I know that the ruins are way more famous–and they are pretty impressive. However, they truly are mobbed with visitors.
And they are BIG! If you can, visit very early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the heat. Alternatively, visit at a time of year when temperatures are less ferocious. There is virtually no shade anywhere.
Have you visited the National Archaeological Museum in Naples? What were some of your favorites? Share in the comments below.
I’m a huge fan of taking cooking classes when I travel around interesting locales that have unique cuisines. So far, I’ve taken a market class and a French sauces class (sweet and savory) in Paris, a tapas class in Madrid, and a pasta & tiramasu class in Rome (see my post about that awesome class here).
Choosing a Class in Rome
With two weeks to spend in Rome in 2024 (with a few days off to visit Naples and Paestum), I decided to take yet another cooking class. Most of classes available were variations on the pasta/tiramasu class I’d already taken, but after a bit of searching on Get Your Guide, I discovered a pizza and gelato-making class.
Perfect! I signed up on Tuesday for the class on Friday.
EnjoyCooking.com with Crown Tours
In 2022, I’d taken the pasta/tiramisu class with InRome Cooking, which I highly recommend. But this time, I decided to go with EnjoyCooking.com for the sake of variety and having a new company to write about on Artsy Traveler. EnjoyCooking.com partners with Crown Tours to offer cooking classes in a lovely, brick-arched space next door to their tour office and across the street from the Colosseum.
The day before the class, I got a WhatsApp call from the company. The family that had signed up to take the class at the same time as me had canceled, leaving me on my own. Did I want to postpone the class to the evening slot? I could not because in the evening, we had the opening of Gregg’s art exhibition at Il Leone Galleria in Rome. I was assured that they were happy to still offer the class at the 10 am time slot even if I was on my own. Lucky me!
Arrival at EnjoyCooking.com
I arrived on Friday morning and was ushered into the cooking space. There was room for eight people in a class so it was much more intimate than the class I took at InRome Cooking in 2022 which hosted I think twelve people. To my delight, there was one other woman in the class. Over the course of the next three hours, we bonded and had an awesome time.
Chef Marco!
But the biggest surprise was meeting the chef. In walked Marco–the same chef who had taught the pasta/tiramisu class at InRome Cooking. I couldn’t believe it! I told him I’d taken his class and showed him the blog post. He was so excited!
Back again with Chef Marco, this time at EnjoyCooking.com
So that was a great way to kick off the morning. Over the next three hours, Chef Marco led my new friend and me in a lively, hands on and informative class. I’m always amazed at how much I learn about cooking technique in these classes.
Gelato Making
We started with gelato. I discovered to my relief that the ice cream maker I’d purchased several years earlier could be dragged out, dusted off, and used to make gelato. Who knew?
We heated several pints of fresh milk in a pot over an electric hot plate. Marco informed us that the milk should be as fresh as possible–so fresh that it would spoil after three days. Of course, getting milk that fresh is pretty much impossible in North America unless you live on a farm, which I don’t. But the next best thing is high quality organic milk.
We heated the milk and whisked in sugar followed by ten egg yolks and grated lemon zest to make limone gelato. The lemons had come from the Amalfi coast and smelled divine.
After mixing the gelato, we poured it into the commercial gelato maker that would produce perfect gelato within thirty minutes. What an impressive looking machine!
Marco informed us that we would also make raspberry sorbetto to go along with the limone gelato. Sorbetto is even faster and easier to make than gelato. We mixed water with raspberries and once the gelato was made, we poured it into the gelato-maker (after the limone gelato was done, of course).
Here’s a video of the raspberry gelato being extruded from the gelato maker–an exceedingly beautiful and satisfying sight.
Suppli Making
I had never heard of suppli–a Roman street food that is widely available all over the city. Marco showed us how to take rice cooked in tomatoes and form it around fresh cubes of mozzarella cheese, then bread and deep fry it. The result was a log-shaped rectangle that when still hot and pulled apart stretched the warm mozzarella cheese. It was yummy but a bit rich for me at only 11 am!
But when in Rome!
Pizza Making
The main event of the cooking class was making pizza the proper way–aka like they make piazza in Napoli where Marco was from.
I learned that the pizza dough should be rested for two hours after mixing and then rested in the refrigerator for up to three days. That was something new to me. I’d always let my piazza dough rise for about an hour, if that, and then cooked it. Apparently, doing so results in dough that is still fermenting when it enters your tummy. Not good!
Mixing the Pizza Dough
We mixed the dough and kneaded it for about six minutes–a very satisfying process. The dough was light and very elastic. It was then put away to rest and presumably used for a class the next day. Marco then produced dough that had already been rested and risen for a day, and we proceeded to learn how to shape the dough into a pizza. Handling the soft, pliant dough was such a pleasure. We didn’t learn how to throw it in the air, but we did learn a few tricks I can apply back home.
Baking the Pizza
Another tip I learned was to slather on the tomato sauce first, bake the pizza for about six minutes in a home oven (much less in a high temperature commercial oven) and then add the toppings and cook for another three to four minutes. Who knew? I also learned that certain toppings such as prosciutto should not be cooked, but added after the pizza came out of the oven.
For best results, I was told that I should get myself a pizza stone so that’s going on my Christmas list for next year!
Topping the Pizza
After baking the pizza with the sauce, we were offered a wide array of toppings to dress our pizza. My companion chose mozzarella cheese and fresh sausage. I chose anchovies, mushrooms, olives, and of course mozzarella cheese. Here we are making our pizzas in front of the scrumptious assortment of toppings.
Finishing the Pizzas
The pizzas went back in the oven and voila! Within minutes they were being served to us. The first bites were wonderful–the crust slightly charred and very puffed up (the sign of a good pizza) and the toppings fresh. I managed to get through three pieces before having to give up. Marco thoughtfully put the remainder in a pizza box for me to carry home to Gregg.
After pizza, we were served the gelato we’d made earlier. OMG! The limone gelato, in particular, was truly to die for. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a fresher and more delightful-tasking gelato. It puts the run-of-the-mill gelatos found in gelato stores to shame. As Marco said, it’s all about using the freshest ingredients.
The class ended with me receiving my certificate and posing for a picture with Marco. I was thoroughly satisfied with my second Rome cooking experience in EnjoyCooking.com and Crown Tours.
A smile was on my face as I threaded my way through the crowds of tourists streaming past the Colosseum and Forum on my way back to our comfy little apartment in the Jewish Ghetto.
Thank you, EnjoyCooking.com and Marco for an excellent experience.
EnjoyCooking.com Class
Here’s a link to the cooking class I took through Crown Tours. As I’ve mentioned often on Artsy Traveler, I’m a very big fan of Get Your Guide. I booked my class with Crown Tours through Get Your Guide. If you click on the link below (or the links in the next section) and take any tour (not just the ones listed), I get a small commission. Thank you.
What is it about Siena that makes an artsy traveler swoon? Mention Siena to anyone who has traveled there and immediately they’ll clasp their hands to their hearts and look heavenward while intoning their undying love for this gem of a medieval city.
Every time I visit Siena (and I’ve been five times), I am inundated with a profound sense of living history. Of course, I could say that about many other places in Europe, but there’s something about Siena that makes it extra special.
Why is Siena so Special?
One reason why Siena is so special is that the modern world intrudes so discreetly that it’s easy to believe, especially at night, that you’ve been transported seven hundred years into the past. The stone and brick walls of ancient buildings soar into the deep blue sky either side of stone-paved streets. Everywhere you look are bricked archways, scarred and ancient wooden doors, iron rings for tethering horses, and shadowed alleyways. Everywhere the ancient past lives and breathes.
Walking Into the Campo
When I walk into the Campo—surely, the most beautiful public space in the world—I feel my throat constrict with emotion. I am in Siena! I am walking where my Sofia (from The Towers of Tuscany) walked, where my Lena grew rich and regretful (The Merchant of Siena – to be published) and where hundreds of years of Sienese people have lived and died, fought, prayed, loved, and hated.
On these bricks in the Campo, laid down even before the Black Death, people in heavy gowns walked and talked. They argued and haggled in business, they gazed at each other with love, they snubbed an enemy and clasped hands with a friend. This space—this Campo—has teemed with life for centuries, its shape and beauty unchanged through wars and famines and plagues and the chain stores of the 21st century.
Views Over the Campo
The view across the Campo to the Torre Mangia and Palazzo Pubblico from the cafés lining the high side of the Campo has not changed appreciably since the buildings were new.
Lorenzetti strode across these bricks on his way to paint the Allegory of Good and Bad Government in the Palazzo Pubblico. From one of the windows in a palazzo above where I sit sipping my Aperol Spritz, my Lena watched her lover Paolo enter the Campo with an army of mercenaries. My Sofia first entered the Campo with Francesco from the street to the left of the Torre Mangia and was instantly captivated.
Siena & Visitors
Siena is still a pulsing living city with more locals than tourists, although there are certainly plenty of tourists. But the crowds are manageable and easy to sidestep. One minute, I’m on a street streaming with people, occasionally standing aside to let a car go past. The next minute, I turn into a small side street and am alone with the ghosts and my imagination.
At night, Siena belongs to the locals, particularly young people. The Campo is filled with groups of teens–boys in one tight knot, girls in another. In the side streets, students spill out from the bars, glasses of wine in hand and voices at full volume. In the wee hours, a cadre of loud young men pass under our window, singing with drunken abandon. It’s more endearing than annoying.
Reliving my Novels in Siena
Everywhere I walk in Siena, I think about scenes in the two novels I’ve set there. Is this the street Lena ran down before being captured by mercenaries in The Merchant of Siena? In this piazza, did Sofia in The Towers of Tuscany watch a girl be whipped for dressing like a boy? I’ve spent so many months, years even, seeing these streets in my mind as I write that to walk in them now feels like I’m coming home.
Arriving in Siena
I booked a room at the I Merli di Ada which is inside the walls of Siena. Usually, we avoid places inside medieval towns because we know from experience that driving through narrow medieval streets mobbed with people is a recipe for disaster. But we wanted to be close to the action in Siena and so decided to take the risk.
The hotel sent instructions about parking. We were to enter Siena from the Porta Romana, drive to a little piazza near the hotel, drop off our luggage, then hand our keys to a valet parking attendant. The cost of valet parking is an exorbitant 30 euros per day, but I don’t care. The benefits of staying within Siena’s walls and having someone else park the car far outweigh the cost.
Driving Into Siena
With trepidation, we follow the GPS directions to drive through the Porta Romana past a phalanx of official-looking people in uniform who don’t stop us. I know we’re being electronically monitored. If we stay too long in Siena, we’ll be subject to a hefty fine. Tourists are allowed a small amount of time to drive to their accommodation and drop off their bags. They then must skedaddle, fast (or in our case, give the keys to a valet who does the skedaddling for us).
The GPS directs us along a street with pedestrians who stand aside to let us pass. Gregg drives very, very slowly. We turn left as directed up a side street and then sharp left again. The hotel’s directions tell us there will be a little piazza to our right where we can stop to unload our luggage. Lo and behold, there it is! We pull in and breathe a sigh of relief. I hop out and walk a few paces down the street to find our hotel.
Entrance to I Merli de Ada on a side street in Siena
Phew! That was one of the easier entries into a medieval town we’ve experienced. With great gratitude, Gregg hands the keys to the valet who appears moments later to smilingly move our car to God knows where and I don’t care! We’re informed that we’ll see the car again on Sunday. Spoiler alert – we do.
I Merli di Ada
The I Merli di Ada hotel is lovely. The entrance way is brick-arched and reeking with history. The tiny elevator that climbs very slowly from the lobby to the third floor is the only modern intrusion. We put our luggage into the elevator and climb the winding marble staircase. How many feet have climbed here? I don’t know how old the current building is, but I can say with certainty that its foundations are probably medieval, if not older.
Lobby of the I Merli di Ada in Siena
Our room on the third floor is high-ceilinged, the white-painted beams reminding us of former times. I can’t help wondering how many people have lived and breathed in this space over the centuries. The window looks out over the street and the building opposite—the same red brick as our building with arched windows, most shuttered.
First Walks into Siena
We walk out into Siena with an agenda—find a laundromat, eat a late lunch, buy Gregg some art materials, and, most importantly, drink in our first encounter in six years with my favorite city in Europe.
Thanks to Google, I find a laundromat just down the street, so we head there first. The directions are thoughtfully posted in both Italian and English. Within minutes, we’ve loaded our laundry into one of the machines, inserted eight euros, and pressed the start button. We leave to find lunch.
Lunch in the Campo
Minutes later, we are entering the Campo and my knees go weak. I want to run right out into the middle and twirl. I resist (although later I do a spot of twirling under the cover of darkness–see later in this post). We choose one of the ubertouristy cafés on the edge of the Campo and settle in.
Even Rick Steves, who usually eschews places in ‘high rent’ areas like the Campo, has written in his Siena guidebook that camping at one of the cafés on the Campo is a must-do. Hang the cost.
As it is, the cost is perfectly reasonable, the service efficient and good-humored, and the food really delicious. We split an order of bruschetta along with a large salad replete with anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, very fresh greens, and tomatoes.
The sun beats down pleasantly warm as we gaze out at the Palazzo Pubblico and the Campo. I am truly in heaven.
Errands in Siena
After our late lunch, we hightail it back to the laundromat, put the clothes in the dryer (another five euros), then go in search of art materials. We find them at a little shop on the other side of the Campo. Gregg buys a pad of paper and some paints and looks forward to many happy hours of art creating to come.
We pick up a few groceries so we don’t have to buy the hotel breakfast in the morning, then huff up the three flights of stairs to our room for a bit of quiet time before dinner.
Dinner in Siena
In the evening, we venture out to enjoy an excellent dinner at a well-reviewed osteria not far from the hotel. The service is excellent and the ambiance cozy and warm in a brick-vaulted room that’s probably been in use for centuries.
So far as I can hear, we’re the only English speakers. Most of the other diners are Europeans. We start with fried cheese accompanied by fresh pear sauce recommended by the server and then Gregg has a tasty pasta with bacon and I have thinly sliced Florentine steak. We share a green salad. The food is fresh, simply prepared, and absolutely delicious. With wine, the bill is about 60 euros—perhaps not a bargain, but certainly not over-priced considering the quality of the food, the service, and the ambiance.
Evening Stroll in Siena
After dinner, we stroll to the Campo where I do indeed twirl across the 14th-century pavement and snap endless shots of the floodlit Palazzo Pubblico in front of a deep azure sky. We end the evening with a walk along narrow medieval streets and a final stop at a gelateria for a small cup with two flavors—very dark chocolate with amaretto for me; stracciatella and fragola (strawberry) for Gregg.
A Perfect Full Day in Siena
The next day, I’m up early, excited to begin my only full day in Siena. I start with a caffè Americano at a lovely little café just down the street from our hotel. The place is deserted and I spend a productive hour working on The Merchant of Siena. Set in the second half of the 14th century—a time of great strife and hardship for Siena—the novel tells the story of a woman who is determined to control her own destiny in a world where all the odds are stacked against her.
April Weather
The weather has turned cloudy and chilly. By the time I emerge from the café, the rain has started in earnest, and I wish I’d brought some warmer clothes. I mistakenly thought that Italy in April would be warm. It can be, for sure, but it also can be chilly and wet. There’s a reason why the Tuscan countryside is so green.
I return to the hotel and together, Gregg and I set out to tour the Palazzo Pubblico. I’m anxious to see an exhibition of costumes from the Palio, and of course to revisit my favorite Lorenzetti frescoes.
Palazzo Pubblico
The Palazzo Pubblico is most certainly the most photographed building in all of Siena. I’ve taken dozens of photos myself in as many lights as possible—from brilliant sunshine to moonlit evening. The Palazzo Pubblico with its accompanying tower (the Torre Mangia) was built between 1297 and 1310 and is considered the world’s most perfect example of civic Gothic architecture. The Signoria and the Podestà resided in the Palazzo Publicco and still today, the building is a symbol of political power.
Alas, I discover while buying our tickets that the Lorenzetti frescoes are being renovated. Oh well. I’ve seen them a few times already, and there is still plenty to see between the public rooms and the current exhibition of Palio costumes.
Exhibition of Palio Costumes
We first head downstairs for the costume exhibition that features examples of the medieval-inspired costumes worn by participants in the Palio. I’m a sucker for a good costume exhibit and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint. The only thing lacking are women’s costumes since the focus is on how the riders in the Palio dressed and all of them are for men (or at least I presume so).
Public Rooms in the Palazzo Pubblico
Upstairs in the main part of the Palazzo Pubblico are the stunning reception rooms. With the room containing the Lorenzetti frescoes of Good and Bad Government off limits, the main highlight is the Sala del Mappamondo (the World Map Room), which was once the headquarters of the Council of the Republic.
Martini Fresco
I stand in the middle of the large room and stare at the Maesta by Simone Martini. In The Towers of Tuscany, Sofia stands exactly where I stand to look at the Maesta. Although obviously restored, the 2024 version probably doesn’t hold a candle to the brilliantly colored original that Sofia would have seen.
Fresco of the Maesta by Simone Martini in the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena
I spin around to see Martini’s other famous masterwork–the fresco of Guidoriccio da Fogliano. Mounted on his charger, the captain of the Sienese army rides across the territory he has just conquered (Montemassi, in 1328). Recently, art historians have disputed the attribution of this work to Martini, claiming that it was either a slightly later work or even a 16th-century fake. Part of what sparked the debate was the 1980 discovery of a slightly older scarred fresco lower on the wall. This earlier painting depicts two figures standing in front of a wooden-fenced castle. Some claim this is the fresco Martini painted, while those who support the authenticity of the Guidoriccio attribute this older fresco to Duccio, Pietro Lorenzetti, or Memmo di Filippuccio.
Fresco attributed to Lorenzetti in Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico
Who knows! It’s awesome whoever painted it.
Siena Cathedral
The sun bursts forth after our visit to the Palazzo Pubblico. Gregg heads back to the hotel and I set off to tour Siena Cathedral and the adjoining museums. Here’s where you’ll find the crowds in Siena! The cathedral is mobbed with tour groups, but it’s definitely worth a look-see.
Don’t miss the very cool 15th century paintings in the Piccolomini library. You have to line up to get in, but entrance is included in your ticket to the cathedral.
Interior of the Piccolomini Library in Siena Cathedral
If you visit Siena Cathedral, buy a ticket that includes all of the various components, even if you don’t visit them all. I made the mistake of only buying a ticket for Siena Cathedral and then discovering later that I couldn’t access the Museo Opera where the fabulous Maesta by Duccio is housed (it has a cameo appearance in The Towers of Tuscany). By the time I figured out that I didn’t have the right ticket, I couldn’t summon the energy to trudge all the way back to the side of the cathedral to line up to buy the correct ticket. Fortunately, I’ve seen the Duccio twice before!
I return “home” for an hour’s rest before setting off for the other side of Siena where we find a great place for dinner prior to attending a concert.
Italian Opera in Siena
When we’d arrived at I Merli di Ada, I’d picked up a brochure about opera concerts held three times a week in Siena. The price is reasonable and tickets are available. We decide to check it out. The Italian Opera in Siena concert turns out to be very entertaining. A soprano accompanied by a pianist sings many opera favorites by Puccini, Verdi, and Bizet.
Afterwards, we float out on an operatic high and stroll the thirty minutes back to our hotel through the moonlit streets. Siena at night goes beyond magical to mesmerizing. Most of the time, we are alone, the only sounds our footsteps on the cobblestones and the muted clanking of iron rings in the wind.
Out in the Campo for the last time, I shoot a 360-degree video of one of my favorite places in the world!
Siena will forever hold a special place in my artsy traveler heart!
Where to Stay in Siena
Here are more options in addition to the highly recommended I Merli di Ada:
Tour Options In and Around Siena
On one trip to Siena several years ago, I joined a small group tour of wineries in Montalcino and Montepulciano that also included an amazing lunch. If you’re in Siena for a few days and want to spend one of them touring the wine regions, then check out some of the many tours available. You could also choose a cooking class (I always enjoy a good cooking class!), or guided tours of some of Siena’s sites. As I’ve mentioned many times on Artsy Traveler, I’m a huge fan of Get Your Guide tours. Without exception, every tour I’ve taken has been excellent value. Full disclosure – if you click on any of the tours below and purchase a tour (any tour) from Get Your Guide, I receive a small commission. Thank you.
Have you visited Siena? Share your tips for an awesome experience with other artsy travelers in the comments below. And here are more posts about Italy:
The tiny resort town of Sirmione on Lake Garda in northern Italy is truly magical. Stay overnight and you’ll have the picturesque, stone-arched streets and cypress-dotted parks to yourself.
I spent 21 hours there and loved every minute of it.
In this post, I share what I did during those 21 hours, including taking a boat trip, visiting a interesting Roman archeological site, and taking peaceful walks around a peninsula that is mobbed during the day but extremely quiet and calm in the evenings and early mornngs.
Where is Sirmione?
Located at the south end of Lake Garda, cute-as-a-button Sirmione occupies the very tippy tip of a long peninsula jutting into the lake. Lake Garda is new to me, and it certainly lives up to its reputation as one of Italy’s premier lakes. It is also the biggest lake in a country that has a lot of lakes.
Consider a trip to Sirmione if you’re en route to Venice, Verona, Milan, and other towns in northern Italy.
Arriving in Sirmione
Gregg and I drive up the peninsula to reach Sirmione (#1) at the southern end of Lake Garda. We sensibly snag a parking place outside the old town and alongside the lake, which at three o’clock in the afternoon is an unearthly shade of turquoise blue. Even in the tropics, I’ve never seen a color like it. A strong wind is sweeping the lake into a riot of whitecaps that splash sparkling billows of water against the shore.
We walk to the harbor and cross the bridge under the shadow of Scaligero Castle, which is Sirmione’s iconic medieval castle (#2) that guards the entrance to the old town. With its square towers with crenelated tops, the castle resembles exactly the kind of castle a child would draw.
Sirmione Castle guards the entrance to the historic town of Sirmione
Visitors pack the streets. If it’s this crowded in April, I’d hate to see what it looks like in the summer. I have read that summer crowds can make Sirmione almost impossible to visit. Fortunately, while large, the crowds are not ridiculous. We easily navigate our way past souvenir shops and gelato places (note to self – return after dinner) to find the Villa Flaminia.
Orientation to Sirmione
The map below shows the places mentioned in this post. Click a number for more information.
The three-storey Villa Flaminia has old-world elegance and, although gorgeously situated lakeside, is not unreasonably priced at around 200 euros for the night. A highlight is the terrace that juts into the lake. In summer, you could jump right in for a swim. Although the sun is warm in April, no one is swimming so I presume the water is not yet toasty enough.
Relaxing with a drink on the terrace at the Villa Flaminia on the shores of Lake Garda
After checking into the Villa Flaminia, we returned to our car and moved it to a gated parking lot. From there, we and our luggage rode a golf cart back into the town. Very efficient!
View of Lake Garda from our parking place
Here’s a view of the Villa Flaminia from Lake Garda that I took the next day while on our Lake Garda boat tour.
Villa Flaminia seen from the boat tour on Lake Garda
Wandering Around Sirmione
After getting settled in our lovely, high-ceilinged room, we eat a sandwich at a cafe with very friendly staff to stave off hunger (having not had much lunch). Gregg then returns to the room to recover from the six-hour drive from the French Alps and I do my favorite thing when first arriving in a new place—wandering. I set off through the maze of narrow streets to see what is at the end of the peninsula.
My walk takes me past a number of interesting shops. The usual tourist dreck packs a few of them, but several sell really nice-looking items. I stop to covet a lemon-patterned salad bowl with matching salad tongs. If they can ship it to Canada, I just might buy it. Unfortunately, they inform me sadly that they don’t offer shipping to Canada, so I make do buying a ceramic lemon to put on my desk to remind me of Sirmione.
Maria Callas
The shops soon give way to ever larger villas, including the Termi di Catulla a complext of thermal baths, where I find a plaque honoring Maria Callas, the great opera singer. I’d recently finished reading Diva by British author Daisy Goodwin about Callas’s life and had interviewed Daisy for The Art In Fiction Podcast a few weeks later, so I knew that Callas had once lived in Sirmione. Inside the hotel is a small display of some of her costumes and jewelry.
Costume worn by Maria Callas
After admiring the Callas display, I carry on past Maria Callas Park to walk to the Grotto Cattalus. Along the way, I enjoy stunning views of stately cypresses, snow-dusted mountains, and wind-whipped waves. I am smitten.
Dinner in Sirmione
Dinner that evening is a charming and tasty affair. The wind is sending cutlery and napkins on the outdoor tables flying, so we opt to sit inside. Also, the evening air in April is not warm even though daytime temperatures are comfortable.
I order a shrimp tagliatelle that comes with a sauce I’d be happy to marry. Service is efficient and unsmiling. I get the impression that the staff are weary after a long day of serving tourists. Can’t say I blamed them!
I snap this photo of the setting sun as seen from the piazza just outside the restaurant.
Sunset Over Lake Garda
Evening Walk in Sirmione
After dinner, we scurry back to our hotel to replace my optimistic capris and sandals with long pants, socks, shoes, and a jacket, then venture out for an evening amble and to enjoy the glorious sunset over Lake Garda. Most of the tourists have disappeared, and we have the streets to ourselves. We walk as far as the Termi di Catullo to admire the Maria Callas plaque, then return to our warm hotel room for the night.
Maria Callas is one of Sirmione’s most famous former residents
Maria Callas is not the only famous person to maintain a villa in Sirmione. Former residents include writers Ezra Pound, James Joyce, Aldous Huxley, Tennyson and Goethe. Churchill also hung out for a while in Sirmione.
A Morning in Sirmione
The next morning, we decide to enjoy Sirmione right until the noon checkout when the golf cart is scheduled to arrive at the hotel to take us back to our parking place. The day dawns clear and warm—the complete opposite to the cloudy and chilly weather predicted on my phone.
After breakfast, we saunter out into the still empty streets and stroll all the way up the peninsula en route to visit the Grottoes of Catullus.
Villa of Maria Callus
On our way, we pass the beautiful yellow villa (#3) that Maria Callas lived in with her husband. What a place! Imagine being her neighbor back in the day and hearing her voice soaring out over the pines as she practiced her arias for a performance at La Scala in Milan, a few hours away. Talk about magical!
Villa in which Maria Callas lived
Grottoes of Catallus
The grottoes turn out to be the remains of Roman villa built between the end of the 1st century BCE and the beginning of the 1st century CE. Called grotte di catullo in Italian, the ruins were rediscovered in the 15th century and at first resembled caves, hence the name “grottoes.” Over the centuries, archaeologists slowly unearthed a remarkable complex that must have been a Roman billionaire’s dream palace.
The grottoes were named after the poet Catullus because his poems had just been rediscovered around the time the grottoes/villa was found. In his 31st poem, Catullusdescribed love of his beloved house in Sirmione.
He wrote: Sirmio, jewel of islands, jewel of peninsulas, with what joy, what pleasure I gaze at you“.
Despite his raving about the place, there is no evidence linking Catallus to this particular villa, mostly because he died before it was built.
Statue of the Roman poet Catullus
Anyway, the name stuck, and wow—the site is definitely worth a visit. The villa is situated on a promontory at the very top of the peninsula with stunning views of the lake and mountains On a warm and breezy April day with few other tourists around, enjoying the lake views during a leisurely ramble among olive groves atop the ruins are an artsy traveler’s dream come true.
Overlooking the Roman ruins and the view across Lake Garda
Video of the Panorama
Here’s a video that captures the sublime view above the Roman ruins.
We happily snap many photos, then descend to the museum. Unfortunately, several school groups have just arrived, and despite the many attempts of shushing by the teachers, fill the small space with their chatter. How wonderful it must be to grow up in a country where school outings take you to a Roman villa! One little girl looks up at us as we pass and cheerfully wishes us buon giorno.
We do a quick walk through the museum. It is small but filled with some good-looking frescoes and various finds from the archaeological dig.
Don’t Miss the Shuttle!
After our visit, we catch the little shuttle that ferries visitors from the site back to the Termi di Catullo for a mere €1.20 each.
Shuttle gave weary legs a break in Sirmione
Our next stop—a lake cruise!
Cruise on Lake Garda
I’m a big fan of the GetYourGuide website that in my experience always delivers excellent tours. I’ve booked through them several times and have yet to be disappointed. Our 25-minute boat tour around Sirmione is no exception.
We walk out to the tiny harbor at the foot of the castle and easily find the blue umbrella at the Lake Garda Tours kiosk. At the time of our visit, two tours are available—at 11 am and 5 pm. I booked the earlier tour the night before. We quickly check in and promptly at 11 am, about 15 of us are taken to a spacious open boat with comfortable seating that ensures spectacular views of the lake and Sirmione.
Enjoying the Cruise
The tour around the peninsula really is delightful. We motor up the west side of the peninsula past the Villa Flaminia and many other gorgeous villas. The guide points out Maria Callas’s distinctive yellow villa that we saw earlier that morning.
Here’s a video taken from the boat.
We round the top of the peninsula and enjoy the view of the impressive ruins at the Grottoes of Catallus (#4) that we just toured.
Grottoes of Catallus seen from the Lake Garda boat cruise
On our way down the east side of the peninsula, the skipper stops the boat and points out the bubbles in the water. Apparently, they are the result of hot springs far below, gurgling away at 70 degrees centigrade which is pretty darned hot. One of the reasons that Sirmione has been so popular over the millennia is the thermal hot springs. Imagine all those retired Roman generals coming here for spa days to soothe their battle-wearied bones.
At the end of the tour, we all bend very low to cruise beneath a small bridge connecting the old town and castle area to the rest of the peninsula. The whole experience is thoroughly enjoyable on a breezy and bright April day. I highly recommend a boat trip as one of the top things to do in Sirmione!
Approaching the castle and the end of the lake cruise
Farewell to Sirmione
After the cruise, we duck around the crowds to return to the Villa Flaminia where, precisely at noon as booked, the golf cart rounds the corner into the Piazza Flaminia. Moments later, we and our luggage are loaded aboard and off we go to where we parked the car.
Our visit to Sirmione has been short but definitely worthwhile. I’d like to return in the summer to explore Lake Garda and also to swim in the lake, which is allegedly fantastic, although the crowds are even denser.
However, even in summer, if you stay overnight you’ll likely have the streets to yourself in the evening and early morning, which more than makes up for having to dodge fellow tourists during the busy midday hours.
Choosing a Place to Stay in Sirmione
Sirmione has plenty of hotels to choose from. You can sleep in the old town like we did (recommended), choose a place along the lake shore that stretches either side of the peninsula, or select one of the many hotels located on the long road that bisects the peninsula to end at the bridge leading to the town.
Most of hotels in the old town are pretty pricey, with rates at some of the five-star villas stratospheric. Here are some options:
Parking Considerations
If you choose a hotel outside the town walls, you’ll either need to walk a long way or drive to the parking lots on the peninsula that I should imagine in summer fill up very fast. Even in April, we had to park quite a long way from the entrance to the town.
I’m so glad we chose a place in the old town. The Villa Flaminia offered parking for an extra 16 euros in a lot outside the walls and as mentioned, threw in transport via golf cart from the car park to the hotel. Before you book, check the parking situation. You definitely don’t want to book a hotel that requires you to drive into the old town. I felt sorry for the people inching their cars through the extremely narrow streets en route to their hotels.
Other Tours Around Sirmione
As mentioned, I’m a big fan of GetYourGuide tours. I’ve consistently found them to be good value for money, and have taken them in Rome, Venice, Paris, Madrid, and now Sirmione. Here are links to more Get Your Guide tours from Sirmione. Full disclosure: If you click on a GetYourGuide link and purchase a tour (any tour), I receive a small commission. Thank you.
Fascinating Padua in northern Italy is just a quick train ride from Venice, and can keep the Artsy Traveler well entertained for several days. I recently spent a week there and found lots to do — from staring awestruck at the Giotto frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel, to exploring the fascinating anatomical theater at one of Europe’s oldest universities, to hanging out in the stunning Pratto della Valle, where you may find a massive market in full swing.
In this post, I share how I spent my week in Padua that included day trips to Venice and Vicenza.
Overview
So why was I in Padua for a week, instead of Venice, its more famous neighbor? First, I’ve visited and stayed in Venice several times and felt it was time to explore more of the Veneto. Second, my husband Gregg (who is an artist) had an exhibition in Padua.
We’d heard Padua was worth visiting in its own right and so looked forward to exploring this new-to-us town. We visited in November–a chilly time in northern Italy (take a good, warm coat!).
On the upside, late November is also the time of the Chocolate Festival where dozens of booths groaning with all kinds of chocolate confections lined the piazzas in the center of Padua. Needless to say, we sampled our fair share.
Truffles from the Chocolate Fair in Padua
Give Padua At Least Two Days
In your travel planning, don’t make Padua and Venice an either/or option. Instead, build time in your itinerary to visit both. You can easily see Padua’s main sites and enjoy the laid-back ambiance in a relaxed three-night stay, or keep yourself busy for a week like we did.
If you only have an afternoon to spare for Padua, then squeeze in a flying visit to Padua’s main Artsy Traveler highlight–the Scrovegni Chapel. Just make sure you’ve booked well in advance of your visit (more on that in a minute).
But Padua is worth more than an afternoon. I suggest you slow down, book a place in the historic center of Padua, and stay awhile. Padua yields up its treasures with a measured delight.
Map of Padua
The map below includes all of the sites mentioned in this post in addition to the location of the wonderful apartment we rented, about a 15-minute walk from the center of town.
I’ll start with the heaviest hitter of them all, sightseeing-wise–the Giotto frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel. We visited on Day 7 of our stay in Padua, which made for a stunning finale to our week, and indeed to our nine-week 2023 sojourn in Europe. When we left the next day to fly home from Milan, visions of Giotto’s exquisitely rendered figures still danced in our heads.
Buy Tickets for the Scrovegni Chapel in Advance
As soon as you know the date you plan to be in Padua, buy your tickets for the Scrovegni Chapel, the earlier the better. Don’t wait until the last minute! The chapel was sold out weeks in advance of our November visit. Same-day tickets are not available.
Here’s the link to purchase tickets from the official site.
Once you’ve booked your tickets, just show up at your appointed time and prepare to be blown away.
Starting Your Scrovegni Chapel Visit
Your visit starts with a walk through beautifully landscaped gardens from the visitor center to the chapel. Since everyone who visits the chapel must book in advance, you pretty much have the place to yourself apart from the thirty or so people who will be in your viewing group.
Approaching the Scrovengi Chapel
You arrive outside the hermetically sealed doors that separate you from a specially built anteroom adjacent to the chapel. Make sure you arrive a good ten minutes early. The visits are timed very precisely with no provisions made for latecomers.
At your appointed time–not a second too soon or too late–the automatic doors swish open. You glimpse the party who visited the chapel before you leaving from another door as you file into the anteroom and take a seat. Here you will watch a fascinating video (English subtitles) about Giotto’s world-famous frescoes.
I am a bit of a Giotto fan girl and so I thoroughly enjoyed the description of the fresco cycle. The work is considered one of Giotto’s greatest masterpieces (which is saying something) and is a wonderful example of the artistic revolution that Giotto brought to Western art. Giotto completed the frescoes in just two years, between 1303 and 1305. They cover the entire interior of the Chapel and narrate the History of Salvation.
Entering the Chapel
After the film, you are invited to stand. Seconds later, another automatic door swishes open and finally, you file into the chapel itself. Gasps of wonder fill the air as each individual quietly takes in the awe-inspiring frescoes. Guides are prohibited so the only sounds are whispers and the muted blips of cell phones and cameras (no flashes allowed, of course) making futile attempts to capture the majesty of the space. It’s impossible. Pictures don’t do it justice, but here are a few of mine, to give you an idea of what you’ll see.
This panel shows the first kiss depicted in Western art — Judas kissing Jesus before betraying himMary at the tomb of Jesus – the expressions on the faces are so humanThis panel shows the Scrovegni Chapel
Why Giotto?
The big deal about Giotto is the naturalism of his figures–a major departure from the stiff, 2D figures common at the time. Giotto’s figures look like real people wearing clothes that drape naturally over real bodies.
You get precisely 15 minutes to enjoy the chapel before the automatic doors again swish open and you file out. On your way, you see the next group preparing to enter, and envy them their first glimpse of the chapel interior. All you have now are your pictures and your memories.
Musei Civici Eremitani
After visiting the Chapel, you can visit the Musei Civici Eremitani, which contains the Archaeological Museum of Padua and the Museum of Medieval and Modern Art. Both are worth checking out.
Archaeological Museum of Padua
Padua is one of the oldest cities in Italy, which becomes abundantly clear when you visit the Archaeological Museum. Here, you’ll find a fascinating collection from the pre-Roman era (8th-3rd century BC), decorated vases from the third Atestine period (6th-5th century BC), Paleo-Venetian steles, votive objects, Etruscan, Italic and Paleo-Venetian bronzes, Egyptian art, and an extensive Roman section. If you like ancient artifacts, this museum is definitely worth a visit.
Museum of Medieval and Modern Art
The museum contains around 3000 paintings from the 14th to the 19th centuries, including works by such luminaries as Giorgione, Tiziano Vecellio, Giotto, Tintoretto, Veronese, Canova, Tiepolo, and Bellini, among many others.
Anatomical Theater in the Palazzo Bo at the University of Padua
My cousin, who is a physician, advised me to visit the anatomical theater at the University of Padua, and I’m very glad I did. It’s accessible only via an entertaining guided tour given in English by a Padua University student. In addition to visiting the famous anatomical theater, you’ll view some of the ornately decorated public rooms in the Palazzo Bo, which is part of one of Europe’s oldest universities.
Tour of the Palazzo Po
Attractive colonnades at the Palazzo Bo
I very much enjoyed the tour of the Palazzo Bo that included these striking murals of some of the university’s most illustrious students over the centuries.
Anatomical Theater
Inaugurated in 1595, the anatomical theater at the University of Padua is the world’s first permanent anatomical theater. According to Fabio Zampieri, an associate professor at the University of Padua, “To build a permanent theater for anatomy was in some sense revolutionary because it meant to place anatomy as the foundation of medical studies.” At the time, the Church wasn’t keen on dissecting bodies, so having a purpose-built anatomical theater was kind of a big deal in the evolution of medical knowledge.
The theater is surprisingly tiny and cramped. Back in the day, up to 250 students and professors would crowd into the tiered space to look down at the dissection of a human cadaver far below. Most were either executed criminals or deceased hospital patients. With its six elliptical rings circling skyward, the theater seems to mimic the shape of an eye or telescope. Under the main entrance to the theater, a 16th-century Latin inscription reads, “This is a place where the dead are pleased to help the living.” Cheerful stuff.
View from the bottom of the anatomical theater
As part of the tour, we ducked under a low door to enter the bottom of the theater where the cadaver would be laid out for the professor to dissect. It was exceedingly creepy to stand in the narrow space and look up at the six tiers where the spectators would stand. According to the guide, the railing encircling each tier was just high enough to prevent an observer from toppling forward when they fainted. Apparently, people frequently fainted in the confined–and likely very smelly–space. I shuddered and was happy to move on to the rest of the tour.
Scale model of the anatomical theater showing the six tiers around which up to 250 spectators would gather and look down
First Woman to Earn a Degree
A highlight at the end of the tour was the statue of Elena Lucrezia Cornora, the first woman in the world to receive a university degree. The daughter of a wealthy Venetian family, she originally wanted to receive a degree in Theology. The bishop of Padua wouldn’t allow that, but did allow her to get a degree in Philosophy in 1678.
Pratto delle Valle
The Pratto delle Valle has to be one of Europe’s most attractive public spaces. It’s an oval-shaped island encircled by a canal in the center of a grand piazza. On a brilliantly sunny day in November, it was a delightful place to wander around. Here are two views of the Pratto dell Valle, mercifully uncrowded in mid-morning.
Pratto delle Valle in Padua
We visited twice–once when it was empty and the second time when it was packed with one of the largest outdoor markets I’ve seen in Europe. You could buy just about anything you wanted–from clothing to gloves to food to flowers to Christmas decorations. We picked up gloves to ward off the November chill and I treated myself to yet another new purse. Italy is such a great place to buy purses!
Botanical Gardens
Created in 1545, the botanical garden (Orto Botanico) in Padua is the world’s first botanical garden and is a surprising highlight, even in November. The garden still preserves its original layout – a circular central plot, symbolizing the world, surrounded by a ring of water. Most of the plants were dormant, but a few trees were still decked out in their autumnal glory.
We particularly enjoyed the new exhibition center (inaugurated in February 2023) that is part of the gardens. A series of well laid out displays–many of them interactive (English and Italian)–showcase the history of the botanical garden, its plants, and the people who collected them.
Exhibition space at the Botanical Gardens
Day Trip to Vicenza
Many years ago when I was student studying for a master’s degree in Drama at the University of Toronto, I had a professor who waxed lyrical about the Teatro Olimpico. She described how she arrived at the building housing the 16th-century theater just before closing and was denied entry. Apparently, she burst into tears, so intent was she to see this masterpiece of Palladian and theatrical architecture. Fortunately, the guard took pity on her and let her in.
Ever since then, I’ve longed to visit the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza. This pretty town is a short train ride from Padua, and so we set off on a blue sky day to check it out.
Visit to the Teatro Olimpico
Located in the Piazza Matteotti, a brief taxi ride from the train station, the Teatro Olimpico is the world’s first indoor theater constructed with interiors made of wood, stucco and plaster. The great architect Andrea Palladio built the theater between 1580 and 1585. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The design of the theater is inspired by ancient Roman theaters and features an elliptical terraced auditorium, framed by a colonnade, and a frieze topped by statues.
The elliptical auditorium where we sat facing the stage
The rectangular stage is bound by a massive proscenium with two orders of architecture and consisting of three arcades that are divided by half-columns. As you sit in the steeply tiered auditorium, you peer into the arcades to see shadowy streets curving into darkness.
Sound and Light Show at the Teatro Olimpico
At regular intervals, visitors to the Teatro Olimpico are treated to a rousing sound and light show where a myriad of colored spotlights plays across the proscenium to the accompaniment of stirring music. It’s pretty over-the-top and yet a fitting tribute to the breathtaking beauty of Palladio’s structure.
Here are some glimpses through the archways into a masterpiece of perspective.
Even if theater history isn’t your thing, a visit to the Teatre Olimpico is a must.
After visiting the theater, we spent a few hours wandering around Vicenza, which we found to be a charming northern Italian town that’s worth an afternoon of your time.
Day Trip to Venice
Venice is only about 30 minutes by train from Padua and so it seemed foolish to not spend a day there. As mentioned, I’ve visited Venice several times (and will visit again in 2024), but Venice never disappoints. The minute we stepped off the train and walked to the edge of the Grand Canal, Venice again worked its magic on us.
Views such as this of quiet side canals never get old in beautiful Venice
We spent the day–a gloriously sunny one–walking and walking and walking. We decided not to take a trip on the vaporetto, opting instead to stroll through the Carneggio district to Piazza San Marco, then crossing the Grand Canal on the Accademia Bridge and walking back through the labyrinthine and over peaceful side canals streets to the train station.
Carol and Gregg in St. Mark’s Square on a sunny day in November
Visit to Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice
Even in November, Venice was crowded, but a lot less crowded than I’ve seen it at warmer times of the year. For the first time ever, the line-up to get into Saint Mark’s Basilica was short enough to be worth the wait, so finally we got to see inside.
Wow! The interior of Saint Mark’s Basilica is one giant glitterfest with sparkling golden mosaics covering every available surface. You’ll get a sore neck looking up, but it’s worth it. We took it all in with awestruck wonder before returning to the Piazzo San Marco to spend an hour or so sitting in the sun and watching the world go by.
Mosaics cover every available surface in Venice’s
An Exhibition, a Cathedral, and a Quiet Canal
During our week in Padua, we also attended the opening of Gregg’s exhibition at the Queen Art Gallery, had a quick look inside the impressive cathedral, and enjoyed many walks alongside peaceful canals slumbering in the autumn sunshine.
While Padua has several worthy tourist sites, it’s not a particularly touristy town. The vast majority of people out on the streets are locals, and many are students from the university which gives the town a youthful, vibrant feel. It’s an easy town to walk around with plenty to look at along the way.
Gregg Simpson at the opening of his exhibition in PaduaThe Cathedral in Padua
Home Away From Home in Padua
We stayed in a two-bedroom apartment not far from the train station in Padua. While the neighborhood was, admittedly, a bit nondescript, we were close to plenty of food shops, fast-food joints, and restaurants, and within walking distance of the center of Padua. Here’s a shot of a typical canal side scene that we’d pass on our way from the apartment into Padua’s old town.
We chose the apartment for its location near the edge of Padua because we were driving and did not want to try navigating the medieval streets of old Padua. The apartment came with a parking place, which turned out to be accessible via a car elevator. Here’s a shot of us retrieving our car at the end of our eight-night stay.
Here’s the link to the apartment. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for comfortable accommodations that won’t break your budget.
The map below shows many other options for hotels and apartments in Padua.
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is an Artsy Traveler must-see, particularly for artsy travelers who love Renaissance art. I’ve visited Florence six times over the past thirty years, and on most visits, I take the time to visit the Uffizi Gallery.
Few artsy traveler pursuits equal the joy of wandering blissfully through rooms full of many of western Europe’s most iconic masterpieces.
In this post, I highlight ten of my favorite pieces in the Uffizi Gallery.
When to Visit
The very best time to visit the Uffizi Gallery is first thing in the morning, particularly if you are visiting in high season (April to October). You’ll have the vast complex to yourself, at least for a little while, so you can trip wide-eyed from room to room in peace. You may even snag a place in front of one of the two most famous Botticellis without sharing air with dozens of other people.
If you’re visiting Florence between November and March, you’ll find fewer crowds and a more relaxed pace. As a result, you’ll likely be comfortable visiting at any time of day. On my recent visit in November, I chose an afternoon visit. Although the Uffizi was less crowded than I’ve found it at other times of the year, it was hardly empty. I still saw a long line-up of people who hadn’t gotten the memo about buying their tickets in advance, and large groups of art lovers jockeying for position in front of the Botticellis.
Getting Tickets
No matter what time of year you visit, purchase your tickets to the Uffizi Gallery in advance. In high season, purchase them at least a week or more before your visit. You’ll get the entry time that suits your schedule and you won’t need to queue up.
We arrived at the Uffizi about 45 minutes before our 13:15 entry time. The weary ticket collector let us in anyway, probably because it was November. The only delay was getting through security.
Location of the Uffizi Gallery
The map below shows the location of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Also shown is the location of the Accademia (#2), the Duomo (aka Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) at #3, the Bargelo (#4), the Museo di Palazzo Davanzati–an awesome small museum showing what life was like for a wealthy person in medieval Florence (#5), and the gorgeous apartment we stayed in on the banks of the Arno during our three-day stay in Florence in November 2023 (#6: see below for more information about the Palazzo Serristori Residence — high recommended).
The Uffizi Gallery is large and brimming with amazing art. Pace yourself. I suggest you focus on enjoying ten to twenty pieces rather than stopping to admire every piece. Doing so will quickly exhaust you.
Even in November, visitors throng the long corridors in the Uffizi
The Uffizi’s collection is spread across two floors, with the most famous pieces by artists such as Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Giotto located on the second floor. I suggest taking the elevator, or climbing the long flights of stairs to Level 2 and then starting with the room of medieval art that contains gorgeous works by Giotti, Lorenzetti, and Martini.
Here are my ten favorite pieces in the Uffizi, presented by artist and in the order in which I encountered them.
Giotto
I’ve become a big Giotto fan over the years. Although he died in 1337, Giotto is considered the first artist of the Renaissance because of his use of realism to depict his subjects. His most famous works are the frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua and Assisi.
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels and Saints shown below is one of Giotto’s most iconic pieces. It’s truly breathtaking, particularly when you realize that Giotto painted it in 1306 at a time when other artists were still depicting everything on one plane. Check out the Madonna’s knee under the blue drapery of her gown. It’s three-dimensional. This use of perspective set Giotto apart from his contemporaries and heralded the realism that become the hallmark of the Renaissance painters such as Da Vinci and Raphael over 150 years later. This painting was a source of inspiration for Florentine artists for generations.
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels and Saints, 1306-10, Giotto
Martini
I have a huge soft spot for Simone Martini, who was active in the mid-14th century. I even include a reference to his Maesta fresco in Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico in my novel The Towers of Tuscany. In The Annunciation with St. Ansansu and St. Maxima, below, I love Martini’s over-the-top use of gold, as well as how he shows the Archangel Gabriel in relationship to Mary.
Martini depicts a fluttering cloak and unfurled wings to suggest that the angel’s appearance is sudden. No wonder Mary looks distressed, turning away and wrapping her cloak around her. The fact that Gabriel is telling her she’s to be the mother of Jesus would have likely added to her confusion and distress. In her hand, Mary holds a book. Martini is likening her to a wealthy Sienese woman–the only women who would be able to afford a book, much less read it. Memmo Lippi is also given credit for the work, although apparently Lorenzetti is considered by art critics to be responsible for the conception and execution of the painting.
Annunciation with St. Maxima and St. Ansanus, 1333, Simone Martini and Lippo Memmi
Lorenzetti
Every time I walk into a room of medieval paintings in an art museum, I make a beeline for anything painted by Ambrolgio Lorenzetti. He’s a Siena hometown boy who was a major figure in his day, before succumbing to the plague (so far as we know) in 1348. He painted The Allegory of Good and Bad Government frescoes in Siena’s Palazzo Publicco, one of the palazzo’s many breathtaking highlights.
Lorenzetti painted the four panels from the life of St. Nicholas shown below. I get such a kick out of Lorenzetti’s depictions both of people and life in medieval Siena and the architecture–the graceful archways, exterior staircases, and crenelated rooftops. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years looking at Lorenzetti’s work to help me visualize what Siena looked like in the mid-14th century so that I can accurately write about the period.
St. Nicolas Gives to the Poor
In the top left painting, St. Nicholas is throwing pieces of gold to a poor man to enable him to gather the dowry required to marry off his daughters. The point is that St. Nicholas is carrying out the charitable deed secretly and humbly, without seeking acknowledgment (what a swell guy!).
St. Nicholas Gets Ordained
In the bottom left painting, St. Nicholas is being ordained as a bishop of the city of Myra in Asia Minor. The legend is that the prelates who had gathered to elect the new bishop of Myra heard a voice ordering them to choose the first man named Nicholas who entered the church. And guess who just happened to walk in?
St. Nicholas Raises the Dead
The top right painting depicts a miracle performed by St. Nicholas after his death. He returns to bring a child back to life after the child was killed by the devil disguised as a pilgrim (the figure in black mounting the stairs). There’s a lot to look at in this panel. I particularly like the way the figures are portrayed in the upper and lower rooms.
St. Nicholas Talks to Sailors
In bottom right panel, Nicholas asks sailors to give some of the grain their ships are carrying to the starving people of Myra. When the sailors comply, the ships are miraculously replenished with grain.
Uccello
This large painting by Paolo Uccello dominated the wall on which it was installed in the Uffizi. Check out all the horses–so much vigor and action. The painting is called The Battle of San Romano and is part of a cycle of three paintings that celebrated the victory of the Florentine forces over the Sienese troops in 1432.
Poor Siena. It had a tough time after being devastated by plague in 1348 and then suffering numerous mercenary raids, famines, and hostile takeovers culminating in its defeat at the hands of the bellicose Florentines in 1432. While I’m firmly on the side of Team Siena since I’m currently writing a novel set there, I have to admire how Uccello depicted the battle in his painting.
The Battle of Romano, 1435-40, Paolo Uccello
Botticelli
Almost everyone who visits the Uffizi is captivated by two of Botticelli’s most famous paintings–Primavera and The Birth of Venus. They are both huge and both fantastic–that is, if you can get close enough to get a good, long look.
The large room in which the paintings are hung is mobbed with visitors, all brandishing cell phones and elbowing for position to get a good shot. I know. I was one of them.
Standing in quiet contemplation is out of the question. But it’s still worth seeing the paintings in the flesh, so to speak, just to confirm that yes, indeed, they deserve their vaunted place in western art history. The figures are ethereal and also realistic, the movement joyous, the themes full of promise and celebration. I don’t think it’s possible to look at Botticelli’s masterpieces and not smile.
Primavera
Here’s what you see while approaching Primavera.
And here’s the shot I managed to get when it was my turn to step in front of the painting. It truly is a wonderful work. Botticelli had chops, all right. Look at how he depicts the gossamer draperies encasing the three dancing muses and the figure to the right. The central figure in the painting is Venus, goddess of love and beauty. She’s a stunner for sure.
Primavera, 1480, Sandro Botticelli
TheBirth of Venus
TheBirth of Venus is just as mobbed as Primavera, which comes as no surprise considering versions of this work appears on everything from aprons to mugs to mouse pads in Florence’s gift shops. There is so much movement; you can practically feel the wind in your hair as you contemplate this painting, which depicts Venus, goddess of love and beauty, surfing to land on a clamshell, gently spritzed with sea spray and blown by the winds Zephyr and Aura.
I wasn’t able to get a decent shot of the painting, so the image below is from the Uffizi’s marvelous website.
The Birth of Venus, 1486, Sandro Botticelli
Michelangelo
Florence’s Number One Son is well represented at the Uffizi Gallery and elsewhere in Florence. Thanks to a long and prolific career, Michelangelo’s work is pretty much synonymous with the Italian Renaissance. The Uffizi Gallery has the magnificent, circular Doni Tondo, the only finished panel painting done by Michelangelo that has survived the centuries. It glows.
Doni Tondo, 1505-1506, Michelangelo
Piero della Francesca
This double portrait by Piero della Francesca positively defines aristocratic haughtiness. Imagine the amount of time the duchess must have had to sit still to have that hairdo done. I’m hoping it wasn’t a daily thing. Look at the background–how it continues through from one side to the next. Showing the two figures in profile is a typical device in 15th century portraits that was a throwback to ancient coins. The artist’s attention to detail is a result of his training in both Florentine and Flemish traditions.
The Duke and Duchess of Urbino Frederico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza, 1473-75, Piero della Francesca
Leonardo da Vinci
Another big draw to the Uffizi Gallery is the presence of a handful of paintings by Leonardo da Vinci. My favorite is his Annunciation because I love the contrast in styles between da Vinci’s version done in the late 15th century and Martini’s version done in the mid-14th century (see above).
In da Vinci’s Annunication, the figures are rendered extremely realistically and are also quite static. The Virgin is not shrinking away but is is confident and receptive. The trees almost look like fantasy trees, and the distant mountains like something out of Lord of the Rings. The way da Vinci renders the folds of the clothing is remarkable, considering he completed this painting when he was still quite young.
Annunciation, 1472, Leonardo da Vinci
Raphael
I’ve grown to appreciate Raphael’s work over the years. He’s certainly one of the biggies, considered by some to be the greatest painter of them all. There’s a lot of justification for that view. Unlike Michelangelo and da Vinci, who had other pursuits (science for da Vinci and architecture and sculpture for Michelangelo), Raphael only did painting–and an astonishing amount of it considering he died young, while da Vinci and Michelangelo both lived to ripe old ages.
The work by Raphael I most liked in the Uffizi is Madonna of the Goldfinch. The Madonna’s expression is so youthful and serene; unlike many Madonnas, she really does look like a young mum. The trees and landscape in the background are so beautifully rendered. In places they almost look like something Cézanne would have painted 400 years later. And check out the red of the Madonna’s gown–so rich and full and Florentine. It’s a keeper.
Mary, Christ and the young John the Baptist, known as “Madonna of the Goldfinch“, 1506, Raffaello Sanzio
More Uffizi
After exploring the long galleries on Level 2 of the Uffizi, you can descend to Level 1 to take in even more masterpieces of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Highlights include several works by Caravaggio. If you have the energy, don’t miss them.
Enjoying Florence
You emerge from the Uffizi into the beautiful piazza della Signoria. Here, you’ll stare up at the Palazzo Vecchio with its iconic tower, check out a statue of Michelangelo’s David (the original is displayed in the Accademia), and marvel at the fountain and statue of Neptune. Here’s a shot of it in the evening.
Neptune’s Fountain in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence
Resist the urge to stop and have a coffee at one of the cafes in the piazza, These high-rent places cater to tourists and have sky-high prices. Walk a few blocks into the maze of streets leading from the piazza toward the river to find slightly less touristy places, although to be honest, Florence is Tourism Central. And no wonder! It’s crowded, crammed with souvenir shops, and far from undiscovered. But hey, it’s Florence, and there’s no place on Earth quite like it for conjuring the grandeur and pomposity of the Renaissance.
Staying in Florence
On each visit to Florence, I’ve stayed somewhere different–sometimes on the outskirts and sometimes in the middle. My very favorite place was Serristori Palace Residence where we stayed during our trip in November 2023. Although a bit on the pricey side, the Serristori Palace Residence is excellent value because of the size of the one-bedroom apartment, with high ceilings, view of the river, and its stunning location.
Here’s a video I shot from the bedroom window early on a breezy November morning.
You will need to walk a good fifteen minutes to reach the center of Florence. But the walk that takes you along the Arno is just spectacular, particularly at sunset. Compared to a typical hotel room in Florence, the Serristori Palace Residence is almost a bargain, at least for Florence.
Here’s me on the walk into Florence on a brilliantly sunny (but not particularly warm) November day.
Tickets and Tours in Florence
You can easily spend several days in Florence, immersing yourself in the great art of the western world. If you’re short on time, consider a guided tour. Here are a few suggestions from Get Your Guide and Tiqets.com. I’ve purchased tours and tickets through both companies and been very satisfied with the prices, the quality of the tours, and the ease of booking
As an Artsy Traveler, one of the most rewarding things I recommend you do is sign up for an artsy retreat in a gorgeous location. You’ll get inspired while learning new techniques and meeting like-minded travelers.
I recently discovered the Villa Lena in Tuscany (and I LOVE Tuscany!) where you can do just that.
Imagine spending four days surrounded by spring flowers in the Tuscan countryside while you learn how to arrange and paint flowers with master artist Tanvi Pathare. From May 5th to 10th in 2023, Tanvi will be conducting four watercolor master classes that “will focus on an old and healing art form: the slow-paced appreciation of flowers, landscapes, and natural beauty.”
Sounds pretty awesome to me! I hooked up virtually with Tanvi and asked her some questions about her background as an artist and about her upcoming Flower Painting Retreat at the Villa Lena in Tuscany.
Interview with Tanvi Pathare
I interviewed Tanvi virtually (and hope one day to meet and learn with her in person!). Here is our interview.
Who is Tanvi Pathare?
Artsy Traveler: Tell us about your background as an artist–where you studied and some of your influences.
Tanvi Pathare: I was born in Mumbai, India. Since an early age, I was fascinated by the idea that you could create something beautiful with your hands; I enjoyed the craft element of it. I studied at the Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai, after which I moved to Florence in the search of more formal training as a realist painter.
I studied in the painting program at the Florence Academy of Art. After graduating from this program, I began teaching, and have been a Principal Instructor for drawing and painting at The Florence Academy ever since.
I look up to painters such as Rembrandt, Titian, Van Dyck, John Singer Sargent, Emil Carlsen, Henri Fantin-Latour, and Isaac Levitan to name a few.
Tanvi’s Inspiration
Artsy Traveler: What is it about floral painting that inspires you?
Tanvi Pathare: I feel my journey as a painter involves the constant delightful pursuit of studying the perfection of nature. Flowers are a wonderful source of inspiration, as they change, move, and grow. I find tracking their beauty through paint highly intriguing.
Tanvi teaching painting in Florence
Tanvi’s Favorite Flowers
Artsy Traveler: Do you have any favorite flowers that you particularly enjoy painting?
Tanvi Pathare: I truly enjoy painting roses and peonies. I think their overall forms are very intricate, and hence a good place to spend a few hours meditating over them.
Painting of peonies by Tanvi Pathare
Influences of Location
Artsy Traveler: You grew up in India and now live in Florence. How have these locations inspired you? What changed in your work when you moved to Europe?
Tanvi Pathare: I think having grown up in India, color (and a lot of it) was always a part of my visual aesthetic. Moving to Florence, I think my palette, became a bit more harmonized, though still having sharp color notes. My formal training in Florence helped me organize my ideas in a more cohesive way. Living in Florence, you are spoilt by the beauty around you. I think Mumbai and Florence will always be an integral part of my language as a painter.
Villa Lena Workshop
Artsy Traveler: As a workshop leader, what do you hope participants will take away from their experience painting with you?
Tanvi Pathare: hope that participants walk away with a new found appreciation of nature and flowers. Painting flowers is a beautiful way of truly appreciating their beauty because you spend much longer looking at them, versus just taking a picture of them and moving along..
White Roses by Tanvi Pathare
Tanvi Pathare’s Artwork
Tanvi’s art is truly exquisite. Her website beautifully showcases her work with various subjects: portraits, landscapes, and still lifes (lots of flowers in this category).
Here is a selection of some of her works I particularly liked. I can definitely see how she is influenced by masters such as Titian and Rembrandt and also by 19th century painters such as Henri Fantin-Latour and John Singer Sargent.
Landscapes by Tanvi Pathare
Tanvi’s website includes several paintings of the Tuscan landscape. Artists have been captivated by this landscape for centuries and no wonder. Tanvi captures the light and motion with fluid strokes and an eye for strong composition.
The Valley in Lucca by Tanvi PathareThe Mediterranean by Tanvi Pathare
Still Lifes by Tanvi Pathare
I often gravitate to still life paintings when I tour art museums. I especially enjoy flower paintings, perhaps because my mother painted flowers almost until she passed at the age of 93. So flower paintings have been a part of my life forever. Also, although I’m not the best of gardeners, I love watching flowers grow! Tanvi’s flower paintings really spoke to me. She captures the exuberance of their colors and the whimsy of their forms spilling out of vases and scattering petals. I feel like I can reach out and pluck a rose just before it falls.
Wine and Roses by Tanvi Pathare
Of Peonies and Roses by Tanvi Pathare
A Wisteria Dream by Tanvi Pathare
Still Life with Roses and Cherry Blossoms by Tanvi Pathare
The Flower Painting Workshop at Villa Lena runs from May 5th to May 10th, 2023. You stay at the Villa Lena and can participate in many more activities in addition to flower painting.
When I read the description about what participants in Tanvi’s floral painting workshop at the Villa Lena are going to do during their stay, I wish I could hop on a plane and attend myself. Alas, not this Spring, although I plan to visit the Villa Lena when I’m in Tuscany in the Fall of 2023.
Here’s what you’ll enjoy during your floral painting workshop:
5 nights accommodation on site at Villa Lena
Full board – farm to table feasting.
4 master classes on painting floral compositions with Tanvi Pathare
Wine tasting
Afternoon tea & baking lesson with in-house pastry chef
Pasta cooking class
Olive oil tasting
Guided tours of the VL orto & flower farm, with flower cutting session
Daily Yoga
Access to Villa Lena facilities including 2 pools, 2 bars and beautiful common areas.
That sounds like an amazing way to spend some time in Tuscany! Interested?
Full disclosure: If you follow this link and book a stay at the Villa Lena, I earn a small commission. Thank you!
Visit Villa Lena
Villa Lena is located in the heart of Tuscany between Pisa and Florence. The villa hosts retreats and offers agriturismo accommodation.
Villa Lena in TuscanyPool overlooking the Tuscany countryside at Villa Lena
Staying at the Villa Lena
The accommodations at Villa Lena are stylish and comfortable. I’m imagining myself sitting in front of that view doing some writing. I’ve always found Tuscany an incredibly inspiring place to work and can’t wait to get back there in Fall 2023.
View from a room at Vill Lena
A bedroom at the Villa Lena
Villa Lena Foundation
The villa is also affiliated with the Villa Lena Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting international contemporary artists working in art, music, film, literature, fashion, and other creative disciplines, and fostering opportunities for multi-disciplinary dialogue. If you’re an artist, you can apply to do at residency at the Villa Lena Foundation. Applications open soon for residencies in 2024. Check the Villa Lena Foundation website for details.
Art studio at the Villa Lena Foundation
Conclusion
Are you traveling to Tuscany this spring? Consider spending time at the Villa Lena learning flower painting with Tanvi Pathare. You’ll come away with a renewed appreciation of the beauty of nature and a painting or two that you’ve created.
Have you ever taken an art workshop or gone on a painting retreat? Share your experience and suggestions with other Artsy Travelers in the Comments below.
Here are some more posts about artists and artsy traveling in Tuscany:
Every so often when traveling, serendipity rears its delightful head. The plans you’ve made go awry, but instead of facing disaster, you step into something even more wonderful.
That happened to us while traveling a few kilometers out of the fabled town of Montepulciano in Tuscany.
Read about our day leading up to finding Sant’Antonio Country Resort or cut to the chase and scroll down to my review!
Lead-Up to Montepulciano
In Rome, we woke up to the first rainy day of our time in Italy (we’d been in the country two weeks). The clanging at the building site next door to our apartment was slightly muted, much to our relief. After nine nights, it was time to leave the Eternal City. We were all packed and waiting at the door for our 10:30 Uber. Horrendous Rome traffic delayed him over half an hour, but when he finally arrived, Roberto was cheerful and helpful.
Thirty minutes later, he dropped us at the garage where we found the same smiling attendant and our car already out of its slot and waiting for us to drive it away. What a wonderful service. Shout-out to Parclick!
Arrival in Montepulciano
We made it out of Rome without even one wrong turn—perhaps a record for us! Soon, we were back on the Autostrade speeding north to Tuscany. Ah, Tuscany! It’s one of my favorite places in Europe which is why I set my first novel, The Towers of Tuscany, there. I’m working on two more novels set in Tuscany; perhaps on this trip I’d find more inspiration to finish them.
The beauty of the Tuscany landscape never gets old
After a smooth two-hour drive, we pulled up in front of our hotel for two nights—a lovely Albergo about five minutes outside Montepulciano. Neither of us had ever visited Montepulciano and so decided that on this trip we’d skip our usual visits to San Gimignano and Siena and see something new. Good call!
No Room at the Inn
Except we had a few more hoops to go through before the full Tuscan experience would wash over us.
The proprietor of the hotel looked puzzled when I give him my name. He searched his list, frowned, shook his head.
No, Signora.
Oh dear. I pulled out my phone and showed him my booking on booking.com and said in a somewhat aggrieved tone, We’ve definitely booked! See – October 13 to 15! A little shiver of doubt ran through me as I said this. Wasn’t today October 13?
He peered at my phone. Ah. That’s next year, Signora.
Oh.
And of course the place was full.
Plan B
We piled back into the car and started driving toward a place he suggested. Within three minutes–Google Maps notwithstanding–we were lost. We’ve found that Google Maps doesn’t always work well in the Italian countryside, or in the cities for that matter.
Gregg pulled over and I consulted my phone to see what booking.com had to offer. Fortunately, several options popped up around Montepulciano. We wanted something outside the town in a country setting. Over the years, we’ve had our share of disasters when we’ve booked places within the medieval walls of an ancient town. If you’ve ever done so, you’ll know what I mean. And if you haven’t, trust me.
If you’re driving, never book a place inside the walls of a medieval city. Ever.
Success
After a few searches, I selected Sant’Antonio Country Resort. It ticked all the boxes–countryside, looked pretty, nice big rooms, mid-range price, and best of all, available. I booked it, paid for it, and entered the address in Google Maps. The suggested route took us around Montepulciano where a band of red showed traffic congestion. Another route that was supposed to be slower but seemingly more direct took us across country in a straight line.
Throwing caution to the wind, I decided to ignore Google Maps and the nice GPS lady and directed Gregg along the other route.
On Our Way Again
Soon, we were bumping along dirt roads cleaving through vine-studded fields punctuated by deep green cypresses. In the distance, a row of pale blue Tuscan mountains floated in a smoky autumnal haze.
It was the Tuscany of our dreams. And fortunately, the road, although unpaved, was not undrivable. So, at a leisurely and extremely scenic pace, we eventually arrived at a massive iron gate—the entrance to the grandly named Sant’Antonio Country Resort.
I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I pressed the intercom and a voice told us to drive in as the gates slowly opened. The owners were incredibly welcoming and friendly. They informed us that never in the history of their working with booking.com had anyone ever booked on the website on the same day they wanted to stay. Apparently, the system is designed to reject such bookings.
But for some unexplainable reason, a glitch in the system let us through. How fortuitous!
Heaven at Sant’Antonio Country Resort: My Review
Sant’Antonio Country Resort is everything we love about Tuscany. Here’s why:
Located out in the country but still within a short drive of an iconic hilltown, in this case, Montepulciano
Plenty of free parking and easy to drive to
Gorgeous self-contained units in a renovated medieval convent
Most units with terraces
A swimming pool and many outdoor areas on the grounds
Plenty of country walks and scenic drives nearby
Stunning vistas of olive trees and cypresses at every turn
Excellent reviews
Friendly and accommodating owners who speak English and genuinely love sharing their little piece of heaven with their guests
And at the Sant’Antonio Country Resort, there is even a friendly fox that likes to steal shoes. We were warned not to leave our shoes outside our door because the fox would take them. What the fox does with the shoes is a mystery, but we agreed not to find out.
Our Accommodation at Sant’Antonio Country Resort
The owners very kindly upgraded us to a two-bedroom apartment complete with very comfortable living room, a big dining room, a large bed in the master bedroom, a second smaller bedroom where we stashed the luggage, and two bathrooms.
Oh, and two terraces.
Here are a few photographs of the place.
Our two-bedroom apartment is on the ground floor
Comfortable living room and dining area
On a walk on the grounds of the resort
Beautiful spots for relaxing all over the property
Memorable Dinners in Montepulciano
After a few hours reveling in our good luck, we left around 5 pm for a drive up to Montepulciano which we discovered is a lovely, calm town, much less frenetic than other Tuscan towns such as San Gimignano.
The deal here is food and wine—lots of wine, particularly the vino nobile of Montepulciano. We stopped at a little bar and I sampled my first glass while Gregg had a cappuccino. With about an hour to kill before our dinner reservation (kindly made by our hosts at Sant’Antonio Country Resort), we climbed the cobbled streets to reach the piazza. It was nearly empty in the early evening. I imagine that during the day, the place is mobbed.
Carol in the Grande Piazza in Montepulciano
Sunset over Tuscany from MontepulcianoDarkness falls over Montepulciano
Dinner at Porta di Bacco was served in an ancient room replete with a column (is it Roman?) and brick arches. The wine and food were predictably excellent. I ordered gnocchi with a duck ragout—hearty and tasty. The food here is different from Rome – more country-style and a nice change from the usual fare offered in Roman trattorias, which can get a bit repetitive.
After a moonlit stroll back to the car, we faced the challenging drive in the dark back to Sant’Antonio Country Resort. A drive that in daylight is quick and easy took on a different tenor at night. We made a few wrong turns but eventually got back on track and were soon pulling into our temporary home.
The next night we dined at Ristorante La Grotta, outside the city walls. Located in a 16th-century building, the restaurant was directly opposite the Church of San Biagio, a noted example of Tuscan Renaissance architecture.
Getting settled at the Ristorante La Grotta
My dessert
Church of San Biagio with Montepulciano perched on the hill above
I highly recommend Ristorante La Grotta for a Tuscan splurge. The service was impeccable and the food excellent. It was the most expensive meal we had in nine weeks, but at 110 Euros for three gourmet courses and excellent wine, it was an amazing bargain!
Enjoying Sant’Antonio Country Resort
While at Sant’Antonio Country Resort, we met some fellow Canadians who shared that they’ve visited before, and love returning. I can’t say I blame them!
We spent our day “off” from traveling by taking walks around the property (it stretches for several hectares), enjoying a drive along small country roads in the area, and generally chilling out. We even saw the fox!
Gregg working on one of our two terraces
Swimming pool (too cold in October!)
Walkway to our suite
An outdoor dining area for guests
Beautiful vista of Tuscan countryside near Sant’Antonio Country Resort
Should You Visit Sant’Antonio Country Resort?
If you’re looking for a Tuscan retreat that is reasonably priced (albeit slightly on the high side, but worth it), set in a glorious landscape, and owned by very helpful and friendly hosts, then I can’t recommend Sant’Antonio Country Resort highly enough.
For other places in and around Montepulciano, click the map below.
Many years ago, I took a wine tour of Tuscany that included a visit to a vineyard near Montepulciano. If you have a day to spare while visiting Tuscany, I highly recommend booking a wine tour. Here are a few suggestions.
Other Posts about Tuscany
Over the past three decades, I’ve visited Tuscany at least a dozen times, and every time I discover new wonders to enjoy and fabulous places to stay. For more suggestions about Tuscany, check out these posts:
