Top Ten Favorite Masterpieces at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence

Arts & Culture, Destinations, Europe, Italy, Museums Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 09:33 pm

The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is an Artsy Traveler must-see, particularly for artsy travelers who love Renaissance art.

On every trip to Florence, I take the time to marvel at the artworks at 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.

Pinterest graphic with the text Uffizi Gallery at the top over a picture of the exterior of the Uffizi gallery in Florence, Italy. At the bottom is the text Top Ten Favorites for the Florence-Bound Traveler.

Overview

The Uffizi (which means offices) was built in the mid 16th century by the all-powerful Medici family in order to administer their vast holdings and show off their art collections.

The Uffizi is big and crowded and even, at times, overwhelming. All that amazing art concentrated in one space makes for a heady experience. Take your time and enjoy the ride.

Assume you’ll return!

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 a recent visit in November, I chose an afternoon time. 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. Here’s an option for buying tickets.

https://www.getyourguide.com/florence-l32/florence-uffizi-gallery-skip-the-line-ticket-t638304/?ranking_uuid=f0d9101e-2bb9-453e-bb6c-cdb4745d1bb0

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 (#6: see below for more information about the Palazzo Serristori Residence — high recommended).

This map was created with Wanderlog, an itinerary planner on iOS and Android

Advice for Touring the Uffizi Gallery

As mentioned above, the Uffizi Gallery is large and brimming with amazing art, particularly Renaissance masterpieces. To avoid burnout, I suggest you focus on enjoying ten to twenty pieces rather than stopping to admire every piece. Doing so will quickly exhaust you.

Crowds of people in a hallway in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. — Even in November, visitors throng the long corridors in the Uffizi

The Uffizi’s collection of amazing artwork 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 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 you’ll encounter 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 in the Basilica of Saint Francis in 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 by Giotto in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. — *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.

Annunciation by Martini in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. — *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 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.

Four paintings of the Life of Saint Nicholas by Lorenzetti in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

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 batlle of Romano by Uccello in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. — *The Battle of Romano*, 1435-40, Paolo Uccello

Botticelli

No visit to the Uffizi Gallery is complete without doing some serious swooning in front of 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 by Botticelli in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. — *Primavera*, 1480, Sandro Botticelli

The Birth of Venus

The Birth 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 clam shell, 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.

One of the masterpieces at the Uffizi Gallery is the magnificent, circular Doni Tondo, the only finished panel painting done by Michelangelo that has survived the centuries. It glows.

Doni Tondo by Michelangelo in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. — *Doni Tondo*, 1505-1506, Michelangelo

Piero della Francesca

Piero della Francesca’s double portrait of the Grand Duke of Urbino and his wife 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 from the Archangel Gabriel, but 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 by Leonardo da Vinci in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. — *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 expression on the face of the Virgin Mary 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.

Madonna of the Goldfinch by Raphael in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. — *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, descend to Level 1 to take in even more masterpieces of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.

Highlights are the Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Caravaggio’s Medusa, and my fave, Judith Beheading Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi.

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 — 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. 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 excellent 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.

Carol Cram on a bridge across the Arno with the Palazzo Vecchio and Ponte Vecchio in the background in Florence.

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 GetYourGuide 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

Walking Tours in Florence

Florence is a great city for a walking tour. It’s relatively small and that is a LOT to see. Check out these tours offered through GuruWalks.

Conclusion

Have you visited the Uffizi? What were some of your favorite pieces? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.

Free Your Inner Floral Artist at Stunning Villa Lena in the Tuscan Countryside

Arts & Culture, Destinations, Interviews, Italy Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 09:37 pm

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.

Tanvi Pathare floral painting workshop at Villa Lena in Tuscany

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 Pathare painting in Tuscany — 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 who is hosting a workshop at the Villa Lena in Tuscany — 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 who is hosting a workshop at the Villa Lena in Tuscany — 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.

Landscape painting by Tanvi Pathare — *The Valley in Lucca* by Tanvi Pathare

Painting of the Mediterranean by Tanvi Pathare — *The 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 who is hosting a workshop at the Villa Lena in Tuscany — *Wine and Roses* by Tanvi Pathare

Of Peonies and Roses by Tanvi Pathare who is hosting a workshop at the Villa Lena in Tuscany — *Of Peonies and Roses* **by Tanvi Pathare**

A Wisteria Dream by Tanvi Pathare who is hosting a workshop at the Villa Lena in Tuscany — *A Wisteria Dream* by Tanvi Pathare

Still Life with Roses and Cherry Blossoms by Tanvi Pathare who is hosting a workshop at the Villa Lena in Tuscany — *Still Life with Roses and Cherry Blossoms* by Tanvi Pathare

To see more of Tanvi’s work, check her website.

About the Flower Painting Workshop at Villa Lena

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?

Click here for more information and to book.

Full disclosure: If you follow this link and book a stay at the Villa Lena, I earn a small commission. Thank you!

Having a meal at the Villa Lena in Tuscany

Visit Villa Lena

Villa Lena is located in the heart of Tuscany between Pisa and Florence. The villa hosts retreats and offers agriturismo accommodation.

Aerial view of the pool at the Villa Lena in Tuscany — Villa Lena in Tuscany

View over the Tuscan countryside — Pool 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 Villa Lena — View from a room at Vill 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.

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:

Stay at Sant’Antonio Country Resort near Spectacular Montepulciano in Tuscany

Destinations, Hotel Reviews, Italy, Travel Smart Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 09:37 pm

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!

Pin of Sant'Antonio Country Resort - Recommended place to stay

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.

View of the Tuscan countryside — 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.

View of Tuscan countryside from Sant'Antonio Country Resort near Montepulciano

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.

Tuscan farmhouse accommodation at Sant'Antonio Country Resort near Montepulciano — Our two-bedroom apartment is on the ground floor

Living room at Sant'Antonio Country Resort near Montepulciano — Comfortable living room and dining area

Carol Cram walking in the countryside near Sant'Antonio Country Resort near Montepulciano — On a walk on the grounds of the resort

Shaded walkway at a country resort in Tuscany — 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 main piazza in Montelpulciano in Tuscany — Carol in the Grande Piazza in Montepulciano

Looking over the Tuscan countryside from Montepulciano at sunset — Sunset over Tuscany from Montepulciano

Large medieval buidling with porticos against a darkening sky in Montepulciano, Tuscany — Darkness 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.

Carol Cram in the Ristorante La Grotta in Montelpulciano — Getting settled at the Ristorante La Grotta

Beautifully plated dessert at La Grotta Restaurant in Montepulciano — 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 on the terrace at Sant'Antonio Country Resort near Montepulciano — Gregg working on one of our two terraces

Swimming pool at Sant'Antonio Country Resort near Montepulciano — Swimming pool (too cold in October!)

Beautiful walkway at Sant'Antonio Country Resort near Montepulciano — Walkway to our suite

Outdoor dining area at Sant'Antonio Country Resort near Montepulciano — An outdoor dining area for guests

Vista of Tuscany countryside — 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.

Booking.com

Tours of the Tuscan Countryside

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.

A Visit with Tuscan Artist Silvia Salvadori in Arezzo, Tuscany

Arts & Culture, Destinations, Interviews, Italy Artsy Traveler 1 Comment

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 09:37 pm

Artsy traveling means being on the lookout for interesting encounters with artists, artisans, musicians, writers—the whole pantheon of creative people.

In Arezzo, a delightful town in Tuscany known as the city of gold and high fashion, I met with visual artist Silvia Salvadori.

Silvia works out of her studio, the Bottega d’Arte Toscana, on a tiny side street steps from the Piazza Grande in Arezzo (see the map below).

If you are in Arezzo, stop by to meet her and see her marvelous work.

Pinterest graphic showing Carol Cram with Silvia Salvadori, an artist in Arezzo, Itlay in her studio.

Map of Arezzo

Places mapped by Wanderlog, a trip planner on iOS and Android

Silvia is one of the very few artists in Italy who creates art using the same painting techniques as those used by the great masters of medieval Tuscany. I’m talking about such luminaries as Giotto, Duccio, and Lorenzetti—all artists I love and who inspired my debut novel The Towers of Tuscany.

Who is Silvia Salvadori?

Silvia’s ambition as an artist is to preserve and promote the ancient painting techniques described by Cennino Cennini in his work Il Libro dell’Arte (1370-1440) and by Giorgio Vasari in the Lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors, and architects (1550-1568).

Using these techniques, Silvia draws her inspiration from the art created by artists in Florence and Siena during medieval, Gothic, and early Renaissance times.

Silvia’s workshop–the Bottega d’Arte Toscana–is a treasure trove of beautiful paintings. One of the more prominent pieces is A Window in Time that hangs on the back wall of the Bottega and immediately captured my attention.

This arresting painting is a tribute to the city of Arezzo and the work of Piero della Francesca. The painting is a good example of how Silvia uses medieval painting techniques to put her own spin on a medieval subject.

A Window On Time - medieval-style painting of a woman playing chess by Silvia Salvadori

Interview with Silvia Salvadori

I interviewed Silvia in the Bottega d’Arte Toscana in Arezzo in October 2022. Here’s an excerpt from our lively conversation conducted with the aid of a translation app.

Silvia’s Inspiration

Artsy Traveler: Why have you chosen to create works inspired by medieval art and using medieval techniques?

Silvia Salvadori: Twenty years ago, I began to study these painting techniques while at school in Siena. From there, a real adventure began. I decided I wanted to rediscover and use the painting techniques described by Cennini, a painter who lived in the 14^th century and was a pupil of Giotto.

Selection of pigments and brushes and other painting tools in the workshop of Silvia Salvadori — Art materials being used in Silvia’s workshop

Silvia’s Goal as an Artist

Artsy Traveler: What is your goal?

Silvia Salvadori: My goal is to preserve these techniques from medieval art and pass them on to future generations. These techniques are typically Tuscan. They were born in Siena and then also applied later by artists living in Florence and Arezzo where other schools of painting were born.

There have been other artists who have taken up these techniques but only to make reproductions or copies. I started by making copies, but now I am creating a style that is Renaissance but that also looks to the future.

It is a cultural project. These medieval art techniques are important and should not be lost.

How Silvia Creates a Painting

Artsy Traveler: How do you create a painting?

Silvia Salvadori: As described in Cennini’s book Il Libro dell’Arte, I start with wooden boards from poplar, lime, willow or pear trees that have been aged at least thirty years. I then prepare them using layers and layers (eight to twelve coats) of rabbit skin glue mixed with chalk. The chalk I use is the same kind that Cennini used in the 14^th century. I also use the same pigments that Cennini describes.

The second phase is gilding performed with thin leaves of pure 23 carat gold stretched on a thin layer of red clay. I also use precious gems. These gems all had special meaning in medieval times. For example, amber, which I use a lot, symbolizes eternity.

For a detailed description of all the steps involved in creating a painting, check this page on Silvia’s website.

Silvia demonstrates how she uses a small punch to make designs in the gold leaf.

Landscapes in Silvia’s Work

Artsy Traveler: I see that you also often include landscapes in your paintings.

Silvia Salvadori: Yes, since I live in Arezzo and every day see the Tuscany landscape, I like to include it in my paintings.

An example of one of Silvia Salvadori’s landscape paintings

Looking to the Future

Artsy Traveler: Will you one day teach your techniques?

Silvia: I would very much like to teach young people how to paint using these techniques so that the techniques are not lost. But as Cennino said, technique is not enough. To create art, you must have a kind soul.

Silvia’s Artwork

As soon as you see one of Silvia’s pieces, you know you are looking at work inspired by medieval and Renaissance art. And while most of her subjects are directly related to their medieval and Renaissance counterparts, some subjects are contemporary and from pop culture.

Silvia’s work glows with the rich colors she creates from pigments she mixes with egg tempera, just like Cennini describes in his handbook. Her skill is awe-inspiring. Following are examples of the many gorgeous paintings hanging in Bottega d’Arte.

Paintings of Madonna and Child

Go to any art gallery in Italy that features medieval art and you’ll see scores of depictions of the Madonna and Child. Silvia’s versions, while heavily inspired by medieval works, are fresh and vibrant. The colors glow in the soft light of her workshop.

Here are four of the Madonna and Child paintings displayed in the Bottega d’Arte.

A depiction of the Madonna and Child by Silvia Salvadori done in the medieval style

A small, circular gold painting of the Madonna and Child by Silvia Salvadori done in the medieval style

A gold painting of the Madonna and Child by Silvia Salvadori done in the medieval style

A medieval-inspired painting of the Madonna and Child by Silvia Salvadori done in the medieval style

Paintings of Medieval Scenes

I love how medieval artists depicted buildings and towns. Silvia does the same when she includes buildings in her paintings. I particularly loved these two pieces.

Medieval-style painting of Christ and the devil by Silvia Salvadori

Medieval style painting by Silvia Salvadori of Saint George and the dragon

Paintings with Contemporary Subjects

Silvia doesn’t confine herself to creating works in the medieval style. Many of the paintings in her workshop depict contemporary subjects—from Marilyn Monroe to a dachshund (one of my favorites).

Painting on a gold background of a dachshund

My Connection to Silvia’s Work

I was thrilled to discover Silvia and her beautiful artwork for two reasons. First, as you’ve already seen from the examples included in this post, her work is stunning. And second, her work has a direct connection with my first novel The Towers of Tuscany about a female painter in 14^th-century Tuscany.

When I was researching early Renaissance painting techniques in order to write the novel, I read and re-read Il Libro dell’Arte by Cennino de Cennini many times. Imagine my delight to discover that Silvia is intimately familiar with Cennini’s book, credited as the first manual designed to teach painting techniques to artists.

I felt honored to spend time with someone totally dedicated to her art. Silvia clearly loves what she does. As I watched her paint with tiny brushes that she uses to meticulously layer on stroke after stroke, I felt like the centuries had melted away and I was watching Sofia Barducci, my fictional heroine in The Towers of Tuscany, at work.

I have every confidence that Silvia will be able to realize her ambition to one day share her knowledge with other artists so that the ancient techniques are kept alive.

Visit Silvia Salvadori

Visit Silvia in the Bottega d’Arte Toscana in Arezzo and tell her the Artsy Traveler sent you! And after you’ve enjoyed meeting Silvia, consider purchasing one of her pieces. She has a wide variety of sizes and subjects to choose from. And considering the hours and hours of work Silvia dedicates to each of her pieces, the prices are very reasonable.

A selection of small paintings for sale in the Bottega d'Arte Toscana in Arezzo

Gregg Simpson with Silvia Salvadori in her studio

I love the small piece I purchased of a stylized Tuscan town painted in Silvia’s unique style. I have hung it next to my writing desk so I can look at it every day and remember the wonderful hour I spent getting to know Silvia and admiring her work.

Small and colorful gold painting by Silvia Salvadori of a Tuscan town — The small painting I purchased from Silvia Salvadori

Visit Arezzo

After meeting Silvia in the Bottega d’Arte, take time to wander around Arezzo. It’s a charming town with plenty to delight the Artsy Traveler. With its inclined trapezoidal shape, the Piazza Grande is one of the most beautiful in Tuscany (which is saying something!).

Here are some pictures of the Piazza Grande.

Medieval houses lining the Piazza Grande in Arezzo in Tuscany

And like so many towns in Tuscany, a big attraction is the food. We passed numerous stores and cafes featuring local cuisine. The specialty in Arezzo is Pappardelle all’Aretina (a ribbon-shaped pasta served with a sauce made from rabbit or duck), Zuppa di Cavolo (a cabbage soup), and the Pappa al Pomodoro (a tomato soup).

While in Arezzo, you can also visit the Vasari House Museum, which is a rare example of an artist’s house from the late Renaissance.

Conclusion

Have you visited Arezzo? Share your experience and suggestions with other Artsy Travelers in the Comments below.

Here are some more posts about artists in Europe:

Cooking in Roma with InRome Cooking

Activities, Arts & Culture, Destinations, Italy Artsy Traveler 2 Comments

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 09:37 pm

Culinary tourism is definitely a thing, and nowhere more so than in Italy.

Food tours and cooking classes abound and for good reason. Italy and food go together like, well, Italy and food.

The popularity of Stanley Tucci’s series Searching for Italy about food in Italy is proof that eating and cooking continue to be two of the many artsy reasons to travel in Italy.

Is cooking an art? Absolutely!

Carol Cram using a pasta maker at a cooking school in Rome. The text of the graphic is "Cooking in Roma: with InRome Cooking"

And so, while spending a week in Rome, I decided to take a cooking class. I’d taken a cooking class in Paris, and one of my guest posters, Liz Reding, has written a post about her cooking class experiences in France and Spain.

It was time for Italy to take a turn.

Choosing InRome Cooking

I chose a 3-hour cooking class with InRome Cooking. Here’s the link to register if, after reading this post, you’re interested in taking the class.

Full disclosure – the link takes you to the Tiqets.com website, which is one of my affiliates. That means I get a small percentage of the ticket price if you register.

Cut to the chase–I highly recommend taking a 3-hour class with InRome Cooking. The time flew by and not only did I learn a lot, but I also enjoyed a fabulous meal that I’d cooked myself with some help from my new friends and chef Marco.

About InRome Cooking

InRome Cooking operates out of three locations:

Flagship school on Corso del Rinascimento in a converted 17th-century palace very close to the Piazza Navona and overlooking the Italian parliament. This is the location for the Hands-on Pasta Making Class & Tiramisù class I took.
A sleek and stylish terraced building near the Pantheon on Via Giustiniani.
A cooking school located in the Pope’s organic farm at his private estate in Castel Gandolfo outside Rome.

My Experience with InRome Cooking

In this post, I write about my experience taking a 3-hour class at the Corso del Rinascimento location.

InRome Cooking offers several classes–either shared or private.

I chose the Hands-on Pasta Making Class & Tiramisù for two reasons. First, my husband, Gregg Simpson, had recently discovered the delectable delights of Tiramisù and so I thought it would be good to learn how to make it at home. And second, I have a pasta maker gathering dust in my cupboard, and felt it was high time I learned how to use it correctly.

Both goals were met during the course of the evening.

Registering for a Class with InRome Cooking

I registered for the class about three days in advance, in October 2022. The registration process through Tiqets.com was quick and efficient. Within seconds, I had my ticket downloaded and ready to show. It’s advisable to register well in advance. I was probably lucky to get a spot because the class of just twelve participants was full.

Arriving at InRome Cooking

Promptly at 5:20, I arrived at InRome Cooking located at Corso del Rinascimento, 65 after passing it and then doubling back. You have to look closely to see the rather small InRome Cooking sign on the door.

View of the InRome Cooking sign at Corso del Rinascimento, 65 in Rome — InRome Cooking next to the buzzer at Corso del Rinascimento, 65

For a few moments, I was flummoxed, but soon figured out that I needed to ring the buzzer to be let in. A voice answered (phew!), the buzzer buzzed, and I climbed two flights of marble stairs in the converted 17th-century palazzo. I do like a nice palazzo.

I was met at the top of the stairs by Chef Marco holding a clipboard and smiling broadly. He ushered me into a gorgeous, light-filled kitchen and introduced me to my companions for the evening: a mother and son from Arizona; a mother and son from Sweden, a mom and dad and son from San Francisco, and two couples from Toronto.

The InRome Cooking kitchen with ingredients set out to make Tiramisù

The evening began promptly at 5:30 with a welcome glass of prosecco. We were then placed around the large table already laden with the ingredients and utensils we’d need to make Tiramisù.

Carol Cram at InRome Cooking — Me with chef Marco

Making Tiramisù

We started by making dessert so it would have time to set before enjoying it at the end of the evening.

Chef Marco paired us up and told us to get cracking (literally!). We each separated an egg to get two yolks. The whites were whisked away to be beaten by the sous chefs for later folding into the Tiramisù. We then set to work beating the gorgeous yellow yolks.

Marco told us that fresh eggs are essential for Tiramisù (or indeed any cooking). They shouldn’t be much older than a few weeks and preferably from local hens. I’m lucky that I live on an island where fresh eggs are readily available.

Throughout the evening, Marco emphasized that great cooking starts with the very freshest of ingredients. You don’t need many ingredients to create a wonderful dish when each ingredient is top quality.

Tiramisù Ingredients

For the Tiramisù, we used only six ingredients: fresh eggs, sugar, mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers (called savoiardi), cold coffee, and cocoa powder (unsweetened) for the topping. Tiramisù translates literally as “pick me up,” a direct result of the espresso used in the recipe.

Tiramisù Method

Under Marco’s expert tutelage, we beat sugar into the egg yolks until the color was a rich and creamy light yellow. The more we beat, the creamier the eggs became. I’d say we beat for at least five minutes. Fortunately, Marco supplied links to recipes at the end of the class so I didn’t need to make notes.

After beating the eggs and sugar, we stirred in very generous dollops of mascarpone cheese. Marco emphasized that precise measuring is not necessary in Italian cooking. A generous tablespoon looked to me more like two or three level tablespoons. But then is there such a thing as too much marscapone?

Next step was folding in generous spoonfuls of whipped egg yolks.

Layering the Tiramisù

With our creamy, eggy, cheesy concoction all mixed and ready to go, we were ready to build our Tiramisù. Marco handed each of us a lovely big tea cup (I suppose coffee cup would be more accurate!) and demonstrated the next steps.

First, I took a ladyfinger biscuit and dipped it quickly into the bowl of cold espresso. Down and up, no lingering. The ladyfinger should absorb the coffee but not be dissolved by it. I then broke the ladyfinger in two and placed it at the bottom of the cup.

Next, I spooned in half of the creamy, eggy, cheesy mixture and then dipped and broke another ladyfinger. Finally, I slathered on the rest of the creamy stuff.

One more step! We were given shakers of pure, unsweetened cocoa to sprinkle on top of the Tiramisù and directed to carve something meaningful into the cocoa so we’d know which one is ours.

Here’s my first (and extremely delicious) attempt at Tiramisù with my initials etched in with a toothpick:

A serviing of Tiramisù made at the InRome Cooking school — Tiramisù made at InRome Cooking

Making Pasta

The Tiramisùs were whisked away and the large workspace cleaned by the staff while I mingled for a while with the other guests and enjoyed another glass of prosecco. Two of the people from Toronto had been to Bowen Island where I live, and one has a friend who has just written her first historical novel. Coincidentally, it’s about a subject that intrigued me after visiting the Back to Backs National Trust property in Birmingham. Small world.

We were to make two kinds of pasta: cacio e pepe and amatriciana. It turned out we wouldn’t be making the sauces; Marco demonstrated that. Our job was to make the pasta.

Marco showed us how to mix the two flours and then to knead in the olive oil to make a beautiful, yellow dough. Next step was to pass the dough through the rollers of the pasta maker several times to flatten it and then through the cutters.

The pasta makers were equipped with two cutters–one to make spaghetti which we later ate with the cacio e pepe sauce and one to make fettucine, which we ate with the amatriciana sauce.

Carol Cram passing pasta dough through a pasta maker at the InRome Cooking school — Carol flattening the pasta

Making the Sauces

As he had all evening, Marco emphasized the importance of using just a few, top quality ingredients.

Amatriciana Sauce

The amatriciana sauce contains only three ingredients: Mutti tomato sauce (it only contains tomatoes grown in Italy, of course), small pieces of pork cheek that have been very slowly cooked to release the fat and flavor, and romano cheese.

Marco cooked the fettucine we’d just made for a very few minutes and then showed us how to combine the pasta with the three-ingredient sauce. The smell was amazing!

Cacio e pepe Sauce

This sauce is a Roman specialty and is the simplest of all. Only two ingredients are used–romano cheese and freshly ground pepper. That’s it! Marco demonstrated how he makes the sauce by stirring the starchy water from the boiled pasta into the cheese to make a rich, creamy sauce. He then added the fresh pepper. The result was to die for!

Chef Marco at InRome Cooking school making pasta — Making Amatriciana

Chef Marco at InRome Cooking school adding spaghetti to a sauce. — Making Cacio e pepe

Eating the Results

Following the demonstrations of how the pasta is combined with the two sauces to make Amatriciana and Cacio e pepe, we were invited into the adjacent dining room, complete with coffered, Renaissance style ceiling. I joined the table of Canadians and enjoyed pleasant conversation about travel and food while enjoying the fruits of the evening’s labors.

Rome Walking Tours

GuruWalk lists pay-what-you-please walking tours that connect tourists with tour guides all around the world. Check out their tours of Rome!

Conclusion

The three-hour cooking class (more like three and half by the time we finished eating) at InRome Cooking is a bargain at only €75 (price varies depending on which class you choose). Considering I enjoyed three delectable courses, learned a lot of valuable cooking tips and even got plenty of hands-on practice, I consider the fee very reasonable indeed.

Have you taken a cooking class in Rome? Share your experience in the comments below.

How to Spend Three Fabulous Days in Venice

Arts & Culture, Destinations, Italy Artsy Traveler 1 Comment

Last updated on January 7th, 2025 at 10:15 pm

A three-day visit to Venice gives you a flavorful taste of this float-on-water, impossibly beautiful city.

I love Venice and go there as often as I can. In three days, you won’t see everything, but you’ll see a fair bit and, most importantly, you’ll whet your appetite (forgive the pun!) to return.

My suggestions for three days in Venice include plenty of time for slowing down and enjoying yourself. You can’t see everything, so don’t even try. Instead, focus on my suggested artsy highlights and still have plenty of energy left over for wandering.

A promotional graphic for a travel guide titled "3 Days in Venice," featuring San Giorgio Maggiore’s silhouette at night.

Best of Venice at a Glance

Getting lost, especially at night
Touring the Peggy Guggenheim Foundation
Enjoying an evening concert (Vivaldi’s the home town boy here)
Taking a gondola ride
Staying at the San Teodoro Palace
Taking an Art & Culture Tour of the Dosodoro

Venice is probably the most “wanderable” city I’ve ever visited.

Definitely avoid popping into Venice for a day, or worse, an afternoon. It’s better not to visit at all than to end up being jostled around Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) with thousands of other sweaty, rushed tourists.

You’ll come away with a negative view of Venice, and that would be a terrible shame!

I’ve met people who visited Venice for an afternoon from a cruise ship and couldn’t say anything good about the place, calling it hot, crowded, rude, and over-hyped. That makes me want to weep!

Venice is so much more than over-priced coffees on the St. Mark’s Square and gondola traffic jams on the Grand Canal.

It’s wandering dark calles late at night when the only sounds are your footsteps on the cobblestones and the swish of water against stone.
It’s early morning strolls to take photos of the peculiar Venetian light glinting off bobbing gondolas.
It’s a bar hop to sample bàcari and cicchetti and maybe even meet a few Venetians.
It’s quiet canals gleaming in the late afternoon sun with nary another human soul in site.
And it’s full of wonderful, heart-breakingly lovely art.

Why I Love Venice

Of all the cities I’ve been to, Venice is my favorite. The first time I visited, I couldn’t stop laughing for the first fifteen minutes of our ride on the vaporetto (water bus) from the train station along the Grand Canal to our hotel.

I just couldn’t believe that such a place existed on Earth, that Venice was real.

But Venice is real, and Venice is special.

Quiet side canals glimmer in the luminous Adriatic light, buildings with exotic facades slowly sink into the mud, world-class museums and art galleries abound, peaceful piazzas and bustling piazzas beckon, gondolas glide and water taxis and water busses churn up and down the Grand Canal, and the music of Vivaldi wafts into the night air.

A tranquil Venice canal with charming bridges and cafes, offering a glimpse into the romantic side of the city. — A quiet side canal in Venice

When to Visit Venice

In recent years, my favorite city was become horribly overcrowded. Massive cruise ships dock within sight of the Grand Canal and the cafés on the Piazza San Marco take rip-offs to a whole new level.

That said, go to Venice. Just be strategic about how and when you visit.

Floods in winter are often a serious problem, and summers can be hot and crowded.

I’ve stayed in Venice in both spring and autumn and recommend both seasons. You’ll still encounter crowds, but the weather will be bearable. Just bring lots of mosquito repellent!

A Three-Day Venice Itinerary

Here’s how I suggest you spend your time as an Artsy Traveler with two full days and three nights in Venice.

Day 1 in Venice

Arrival in Venice

Arrive around lunchtime and make your way to your hotel. If you’re driving, park in the Tronchetto Car Park. The rates are fairly reasonable and the car park has a station on the Venice People Mover, an automated tramway that takes you quickly into Venice.

The futuristic glass architecture of the Murano Glass Museum, a must-visit spot to explore Venice's renowned glass artistry. — People Mover station near Tronchetto Car Park in Venice

I wouldn’t waste time parking on the mainland. You’ll save a bit of money, but you’ll also waste a fair bit of time getting into Venice itself. Save your energy for sightseeing! Here’s a comprehensive overview of parking options in Venice.

If you’re taking the train, you’ll arrive at the train station and then, depending on where your hotel is located, hop on a vaporetto–the Venice version of a bus.

Getting Around Venice

The two main ways to get around Venice is by riding the vaporetto–a quintessentially Venetian experience–and walking. You could also take water taxis, but they are super expensive.

I’ve only taken one once from my place near the Grand Canal back to the Tronchetto Car Park at the end of a week in Venice to attend one of Gregg’s art exhibitions. We had a large box of his paintings in addition to our luggage and did not want to wrangle everything on to and off the people mover.

A classic wooden speedboat glides through Venice's waterways, highlighting the city's unique transportation. — A sleek and stylish water taxi may be worth the splurge if you have lots of luggage

Sometimes, saving your legs and your sanity is worth the extra cost of a water taxi. But most of the time, you’ll get everywhere you need to go in Venice either by walking or by taking the vaporetto. Also, even when it’s packed to the gunnels, a ride on the vaporetto is fun!

Buy Tickets in Advance for the Vaporetto

A single ride on a vaporetto costs €9.5! That’s waterway robbery. Fortunately, you can buy a City Pass from the Venezia Unica website CityPass website that includes public transit and entrance to various Venice sites or you can just buy a transit pass for one, two, three, or seven days.

A Vaporetto water taxi cruises along the Grand Canal, passing historic Venetian buildings under a sunny blue sky. — A *vaporetto* on the Grand Canal in Venice

I suggest buying the three-day pass and using it on Days 1, 2, and 3. On the morning of Day 4 when you’re making your way back to your car, either walk, depending on where you’re staying, or splash out for a single ticket.

I bought a seven-day travel card for €60. Since my apartment was close to the Grand Canal, I used the vaporetto several times a day to get around and to travel to Burano and Murano. Buy the Venice Travel Card at the ticket-vending machines located at the largest vaporetto stops or online before you arrive (most convenient).

And depending where you’re staying in Venice, you may not even need to ride the vaporetto. On my latest trip, I stayed at the San Teodoro Palace right next to the Rialto Bridge, which is about as central a location as you can get. I was able to walk everywhere I wanted to go.

Areas to Stay in Venice

I suggest you stay in the Dosoduro area across the Grand Canal from Piazza San Marco or the area between the Rialto Bridge and the train station. I’ll talk more about hotels later. For now, drop your bags if your room isn’t ready and set out for your first stop.

Activities on Day 1 in Venice

Here’s what you’ll have time to do on your first afternoon and evening in Venice:

Visit the Peggy Guggenheim Museum
Walk to and cross the Rialto Bridge
Visit Piazza San Marco as the sun is setting and the crowds have thinned
Take a traghetto back across the Grand Canal
Dine at a small trattoria near your hotel

Here are the details!

Visit the Peggy Guggenheim Museum

I seriously love this museum. Located right on the Grand Canal and accessed from the Dosoduro district, the P eggy Guggenheim Museum is a must-see for modern art lovers. Peggy Guggenheim was quite the gal in her day. She knew just about every famous modern artist in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s and amassed an amazing collection of their art.

You’ll find works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Miró, Braque, Giacometti, Klee, Magritte, Dali, Pollock, de Chirico, Brancusi, Braque, Duchamp, and Mondrian.

The museum is located in Peggy’s renovated Venetian palazzo. Wander the cool halls to revel in the fabulous collection and then go outside to enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the Grand Canal.

On your first day in Venice, this really is the place to come to get your first Venetian hit.

A visitor smiles beside a modern art sculpture outside the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice, a hub for art enthusiasts. — In front of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice

You can buy advance tickets (recommended in peak season) here.

Cross the Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge is one of Venice’s most iconic sites and as such it is often heaving with tourists. Avoid crossing it during the day, but definitely cross it at least once or twice during your visit to Venice.

Since it’s one of the very few bridges across the Grand Canal, you can’t miss it!

Venice's famous Rialto Bridge over the turquoise Grand Canal, surrounded by vibrant buildings and gondolas, teeming with visitors. — The Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal is often very crowded

Visit Piazza San Marco

Take your time and wait until the sun is setting and the crowds have dissipated, and then make your way to Piazza San Marco. Called the drawing room of Europe by Napoleon, the Piazza San Marco lives up to the hype, even when seething with tourists.

But it’s better when it’s not too crowded.

Another option is to visit it very early in the morning (see my suggestions for Day 3) or late at night after dinner to really see and appreciate it.

In the evening, you can dance to the music coming from the posh cafés that line both sides of the piazza. Scare away a few pigeons and enjoy.

I have occasionally splurged on a cup of coffee at one of the cafés (the prices are truly eye-watering), but the people-watching is worth the price and hey, you’re in Venice.

Piazza San Marco in Venice, illuminated at night with its iconic bell tower and grand architecture reflected on the wet square after rain. — Piazza San Marco on a rainy evening

Take a Traghetto Back Across the Grand Canal

You have to ride a traghetto at least once while you’re in Venice. These fairly large and plain gondolas ferry people across the Grand Canal from various points.

One option is to catch it from the Santa Sofia boat pier not far from Piazza San Marco and go across to the Rialto Fish Market. The ride is fast, cheap, and great fun.

It’s not exactly a replacement for a “real” gondola ride, but it’s a great budget option, and at least you can say you rode in a gondola.

On the other hand, I do suggest you splurge on a gondola ride (see Day 3 suggestions).

Dine at a Small Trattoria

Check restaurant reviews and find a small restaurant near where you are staying. Avoid the more touristy restaurants at or near Piazza San Marco.

My most memorable meal in Venice was at La Zucca, a small osteria on a side canal on the Dorsoduro side of the Grand Canal. Get reservations in advance (advisable everywhere in Venice) and enjoy!

Day 2 in Venice

On your first of two full days in Venice, use your morning energy for sightseeing (fewer crowds) and then spend the afternoon on Murano. Here’s what I suggest:

Visit the Accademia Gallery
Visit Murano for a glass-blowing demonstration and to shop for glass
Go to a concert of baroque music in the evening

Here are the details!

Activities on Day 2 in Venice

Visit the Accademia Gallery

You’ll find plenty of Renaissance and Baroque biggies in the Accademia in Venice (Gallerie Accademia). Works by such masters as Veronese, Tiepolo, Bellini, and Titian grace the walls of this very walkable and enjoyable museum. It’s not too big and in my experience isn’t usually that crowded.

That said, get tickets in advance to avoid line-ups, just in case. Check the gallery’s website for details. Or consider a private art & culture tour in the Dosodoru. Here’s an option from GetYourGuide:

Take the Vaporetto to Murano

Using your vaporetto pass, hop on the vaporetto for a trip across the lagoon to the lovely island of Murano. It’s quite a long voyage and the lagoon can be choppy.

If you can, snag a seat outside to guard against seasickness.

Murano is the glass-blowing island and allegedly the best place to buy the distinctive Venetian blown glass. There are certainly plenty of shops there and the prices do seem to be a bit more reasonable than the prices at the tourist joints in Venice itself.

Enjoy a Glass-blowing Demonstration

Upon arrival, head for a glass-blowing demonstration. It’s put on for the tourists, and our hand-scarred guy looked kind of bored as he dutifully blew, rotated, heated, and smashed a variety of glass ornaments.

But I enjoyed the demonstration and recommend it to see how glass blowing is done.

A skilled artisan shapes molten Murano glass into a unique creation over a flame, showcasing the intricate craft of Venetian glassmaking. — Glass blowing is big business on the Venetian island of Murano

Browse the Shops

Make your way down some fairly nondescript streets to the main shopping street bisected with a small, straight canal arched over with several small bridges. On both sides of the canal, shop after shop after shop marched a good three blocks in both directions—each one crammed to the ceiling with glass.

A lively canal in Venice, Italy, lined with colorful buildings, small boats, and bustling tourists enjoying the vibrant scenery. Perfect for exploring Venetian culture. — Colorful main drag on the island of Murano

Dozens of storefronts twinkle with heaps of glittering, glaring, glinting glass—swoopy vases and finely spun figures, paperweights, pendants, chandeliers, glasses, earrings, pitchers, plates, bowls, beads.

Every store advertised that their glass is authentic, made on Murano, not in China like 80% of all the other glass for sale in Venice.

Enjoy Lunch Along the Canal in Murano

After shopping, enjoy a leisurely lunch at one of the canalside restaurants in Murano and then hop back on the vaporetto to return to Venice.

After your trip to Murano, either relax in or near your hotel for the afternoon or just keep wandering. Venice is endlessly fascinating.

I love strolling alongside the canals, never knowing what’s around the next corner. Sometimes, I find a bustling street, at other times, nothing is moving except a cat stretching on a boat moored in the canal.

Gregg loved our visit to Murano and created several pieces inspired by glass blowing. Here’s my favorite (also featured in our collaboration Pastel & Pen: Travels in Europe):

A modern abstract painting featuring a dynamic swirl of rainbow colors, bold black lines, and soft pastel accents. — “Murano” inspired by Murano blown glass by Gregg Simpson

Attend a Concert of Italian Baroque Music

A highlight of a trip to Venice is attending a concert of Italian baroque music. Vivaldi is the hometown boy here and you shouldn’t have much trouble finding a concert featuring his Four Seasons. by Italian baroque

One concert we attended was held in a baroque church with a ceiling painted by Tiepolo.

Look online for concert schedules and purchase tickets in advance if you can. Afterwards, float out into the warm Venetian evening (depending on the time of year!) and find another small trattoria for dinner.

I attended this concert, and it was marvelous.

Get Lost in Venice After Dark

And after dinner, keep wandering. Getting lost after dark in Venice is one of Europe’s best travel experiences.

In fact, I put getting lost in Venice at the top of my list of must-do activities because first, getting lost is unavoidable (even with GPS on your phone), and second, you’ll never be lost for long.

Some of my fondest Venice memories are of strolling alongside dark canals in the evening (violent crime is very rare in Venice), not knowing if I was going in the right direction and not caring.

A close-up of a yellow directional sign with bold black text and an arrow pointing toward St. Mark's Square in Venice. — Sign pointing to San Marco in Venice

Venice is an island; you can’t fall off. With the world asleep and the crowds long gone, Venice at night is one of the most magical places on Earth.

Walk until you come to one of the ubiquitous signs pointing to San Marco or Rialto or Ferrovia (train station) and get your bearings. You could also ask someone for directions, but chances are they’re tourists and also lost.

Day 3 in Venice

Get going bright and early to take in two of the most iconic sites of Venice, again before the crowds start to gather. Here’s an overview of Day 3:

Tour the Duomo and the Doge’s Palace
Wander and get lost some more
Take a gondola ride after dark

Activities on Day 3 in Venice

Tour the Duomo and Doge’s Palace

Both are crowded, and both are must-sees. Get your tickets ahead of time and go early or late. Several times I’ve bypassed long lines of hot and tired tourists waiting to get into the Doge’s Palace.

Breeze past them with your pre-purchased ticket.

The sumptuous public rooms of the Doge’s Palace will show you just how powerful Venice was back in the day.

A more sobering attraction are the dungeons reached by crossing the Bridge of Sighs, so called because prisoners who crossed it got their last glimpse of the world before being shut away and usually executed. Cheerful stuff.

The iconic Bridge of Sighs illuminated in golden light against a dusky blue Venetian canal, creating a romantic and serene atmosphere. — Bridge of Sighs at night in Venice, Italy.

Leave Piazza San Marco before it gets too crowded and spend the afternoon wandering the back streets. Shop for souvenirs if you haven’t already bought your quota in Murano, relax at a sidewalk cafe in a small piazza, watch the people go by, and enjoy life.

What’s the hurry? You’re in Venice!

Take a Gondola Ride at Dusk

Yes, it’s expensive and kinda touristy but it’s also super romantic and relaxing. You’ll be taken into canals you may not have seen from the street, and if you’re lucky, you’ll hear a few gondoliers break into song.

Occasionally, I’ve seen gondola traffic jams. To avoid them (not at all romantic!), go later.

A row of traditional blue-topped gondolas moored in a Venetian lagoon during a colorful sunset, with San Giorgio Maggiore in the background. — Gondolas bobbing on the Grand Canal in Venice

At the time of writing, a daytime gondola ride costs 80 Euros for 40 minutes. After dark, the price rises to 100 euros, but in my opinion, going at night is the best.

Six people fit in a gondola so you could share, depending on who you are with and whether romance is on the cards!

Here is Gregg and me on one of two gondola rides we’ve taken during our trips to Venice. We loved every minute of it!

A couple smiling while seated in a luxurious gondola, gliding through the picturesque canals of Venice surrounded by historic architecture.

Tours of Venice

Here’s a selection of artsy sightseeing options in Venice with links to fast-track tickets.

Walking Tours of Venice with GuruWalks

How about a walking tour of Venice? GuruWalks has some good options:

Staying in Venice

Venice deserves at least three nights and preferably more so you can settle in and enjoy being a temporary Venetian. If time allows, rent an apartment and stay for a week.

My most cherished memories of Venice are the ten days I spent there a few years back while Gregg had an exhibition of his paintings in a gallery overlooking the Grand Canal.

A framed exhibition poster reading "Venezia 2015 Gregg Simpson" with colorful abstract artwork and event details for an art show on the Grand Canal. — Poster for exhibition of Gregg Simpson’s work in Venice

A wall displaying vibrant abstract paintings with bold, colorful shapes and patterns, showcased in an art gallery setting. — Paintings featured in the exhibition by Gregg Simpson

I spent hours just wandering the city, staying well clear of the heaving masses in Piazza San Marco and taking my time getting to know this most extraordinary city.

For the apartment stay, I chose a place just off the Grand Canal about a five-minute walk from the train station. The neighborhood was quiet and close to a piazza that every evening spilled over with local Venetians enjoying the air and watching their children play.

If you have the time, rent an apartment in Venice and stay for a week. Live like a local, not that you’ll see many locals these days. Venetians are moving out of the city at an alarming rate. But at least you’ll experience shopping in tiny local grocery stores and get to know your way around a neighborhood.

As mentioned earlier, consider staying in the Dorsoduro district across the Grand Canal from the Piazza San Marco. I recommend you avoid the area immediately adjacent to Piazza San Marco. Hotels there can be expensive, and the tiny streets in the area are wall-to-wall tourists during the day.

Accommodation Suggestions

Here are suggestions I’ve stayed in Venice.

San Teodoro Palace: This one-bedroom apartment is huge by Venice standards and located steps from the Rialto Bridge in a very lively and touristy area.

Ca’ Mirò: Settle into this two-floor apartment in a quiet area of Venice not far from the train station and become a temporary Venetian. It’s gorgeous.

Hotel Canaletto: We stayed there a few years ago and loved it. The rooms were small, but that’s par for the course in Venice. The location, just 200 meters from Rialto Bridge, was fantastic as was its situation on a charming side canal.

Hotel Messner is a more modest option, located in the Dorsoduro neighborhood close to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. It was quiet, and the area was peaceful and uncrowded, particularly at night.

For other options in Venice, check the map below. Resist the temptation to stay on the mainland. The savings will be minimal once you take into account train fares and your time.

Stay in the middle of Venice and enjoy this unique city.

Booking.com

Conclusion

Include Venice in your trip to Italy if at all possible. With a bit of planning and some strategic dodging, you can easily avoid the crowds and find plenty of peaceful areas to enjoy.

Venice is a city for dreaming. Give her time and she’ll reward you.

Looking to travel elsewhere in Italy? Here are some more posts to check out:

Amazing Artsy Sightseeing Choices in Italy for the Independent Traveler

Arts & Culture, Destinations, Italy Artsy Traveler 1 Comment

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 09:29 pm

Where to begin when it comes to artsy sightseeing in Italy? Italy feels at times like one giant art gallery! There’s so much to see that even after numerous trips, I know I have many more wonders in store for me on future trips.

In this post I’ve described some of my favorites in eight historical periods: Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Byzantine, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and 20th Century.

Read about my artsy sightseeing highlights and then follow links to more detailed recommendations. Seriously, you could very easily spend years in Italy and not run out of art to admire.

Pinterest graphic with the text Artsy Sightseeing in Italy. Above the text is a picture of the skyline of Siena in Tuscany. Below the text is a picture of the Rialto Bridge in Venice.

Map of Italy: Suggested Artsy Sightseeing Choices

The map below shows the locations of the artsy sightseeing options mentioned in this post. Click a number to read more about the location.

Map from Wanderlog, a trip planner app on iOS and Android

Greek Ruins

Three of the best preserved Greek temples in the world are located in Italy!

Ever since I first saw pictures of the magnificent Doric temples at Paestum (#1) in southern Italy, I’ve wanted to visit them–and finally I have!

The ruins are well worth the effort to get to them. Pictures give some idea of the beauty of the temples, but they cannot give a sense of the sheer size and splendor of the columns.

The temples are thought to be dedicated to the city’s namesake Poseidon (known to the Romans as Neptune), Hera and Ceres. The oldest temple dedicated to Hera dates from 550 BC.

Here are some options for touring Paestum with GetYourGuide.

Staying In Paestum

If you have a car, stay at the Savoy Beach Hotel. It’s on the Mediterranean and includes a beach club with loungers and people to bring you drinks! The hotel is luxurious, but the price is surprisingly reasonable.

Etruscan Art

I’ve grown very fond of Etruscan art. It’s different from Roman art in that it’s less monumental and more personal.

The Etruscans pre-date the Romans and were based around Florence and throughout Tuscany as far south as Tarquinia, about 50 kilometers north of Rome. The Etruscans were a fascinating society in which women held much more power than they did in Roman society.

I mention Volterra in the section on Tuscany. The Etruscan Guarnacci Museum is the place to see Etruscan artifacts.

Here are two other great options for enjoying Etruscan art while artsy sightseeing in Italy.

Tarquinia

All around Tarquinia are the ruins of Etruscan tombs, many with fabulous paintings. Visit the Necropolis of Tarquinia (#2) to see some of the most famous paintings including the Tomb of the Leopards which dates from 473 BC. The colors are remarkably well preserved.

Visit the museum in Tarquinia to see more Etruscan art. Fascinating.

National Etruscan Museum in Rome

We loved this place! The Museo Nazionale Etrusco (#3), housed in the lovely Villa Giulia, was virtually empty when we were there, which was a treat after visiting other museums in Rome. We wandered happily through room after room of Etruscan treasures including the famous Sarcophagus of the Spouses from the late 6th century BC.

Although we didn’t find the museum crowded, play it safe – skip the line and buy your tickets online.

Sculpture of a married couple in the Etruscan Museum in Rome; the musuem is high on my list of artsy sightseeing options in Italy — One of the most famous sculptures in the Museo Nationale Etrusco – skip the line to buy tickets

I also enjoyed the urns and household goods, even little statues of animals. The Etruscan style is very modern-looking.

Ancient Roman

In addition to visiting the Roman sites in Rome and Pompeii, you don’t need to go far to find Roman ruins in Italy. Here are a few artsy sightseeing suggestions related to Roman art and architecture.

Hadrian’s Villa

Hadrian’s Villa (#4) is a massive archeological complex near Tivoli outside Rome. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the site is a must-see for fans of ancient Rome.

Be prepared to walk–the complex is vast, containing over 30 buildings and covering 250 acres, making it larger than the city of Pompeii. Stroll past the remains of fountains, pools, and gardens surrounding what must have been one heck of a pleasure palace back in the day.

View of columns at Hadrian's villa in Italy--a highlight of artsy sightseeing in Italy — Hadrian’s Villa in Italy

Hadrian constructed the villa as a retreat from the tough work of emperor-ing during the second and third decades of the 2nd century AD. We first discovered the villa on our family trip to Italy in 1994. Since then, much more of the site has been excavated with more ruins yet to be uncovered.

TIP: A good strategy is to visit Hadrian’s Villa (also called Villa Adriana) and the Renaissance Villa d’Este on a day tour. Here’s an option.

Ostia Antica

Rome’s original seaport is 30 minutes from Rome by train. Ostia Antica (#5) is like a mini Pompeii but without all the tourists. If you’re not planning to go south, take an afternoon from your Roman sightseeing to check out the atmospheric ruins at Ostia Antica.

You’ll find a well-preserved Roman theatre, the Baths of Neptune, remains of the military camp, temples to ancient deities, the forum and even Ostia Synagogue, the oldest known synagogue site in Europe.

Baths of Caracalla

This complex of ancient public baths close to Rome is worth a visit. Several towering walls remain along with impressive black and white mosaics. Descend below ground to view the well-preserved tunnels where slaves worked to keep the baths operating and the water hot.

Buy tickets for the Baths of Caracalla (#6).

Archeological Museum of Naples

This museum is a relevation–and one of the best museums showcasing Roman-era art that I’ve every visited. The Archeological Museum of Naples contains much of the art–paintings, frescoes, objects, mosaics–recovered from Pompeii.

If you’re pressed for time and trying to decide whether to visit the Pompeii ruins or the archeological museum, my vote is the archeological museum. The ruins may be far more popular (and very crowded), but to get a comprehensive view of what life was like in Pompeii, the museum has it all.

Read my detailed post about the Archeological Museum of Naples (#7): How to See the Art of Pompeii at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

Staying in Rome

Here are two great options for staying in Rome:

Sant-Angelo Apartments: located deep in the Jewish Ghetto, you’re within steps of most of the major sites in ancient Rome.
Viam 6B located near the Spanish Steps and the Piazza del Popolo, this very stylish apartment is staffed, with some units including a lovely outdoor terrace.

Early Christian and Byzantine Art

Ravenna (#8) is the place in Italy to see the best Byzantine and early Christian mosaics. I wasn’t prepared for how incredibly new the mosaics looked. Despite dating from 400 to 600 AD, they looked like they were created yesterday.

I was taken with how the figures were depicted. Large eyes stare right at you, flowing robes glint with gold, the figures look like they could step from their perches on the walls high above you and join you for a glass of wine.

Be warned that many of the fabulous mosaics are located high up which means after a day of touring the UNESCO sites, you come away with a stiff neck.

It’s worth it! Artsy sightseeing doesn’t get much better than visiting the mosaics in Ravenna.

Gold mosaic showing a religious scene in Ravenna, Italy; Ravenna's mosaics are a must-do for the artsy sightseer — Sumptuous mosaic in Ravenna, Italy

Here are some options for touring Ravenna with Get Your Guide.

Staying in Ravenna

If you’re driving, avoid the narrow Ravenna streets and stay a little ways outside the city. The Grand Hotel Mattei is a modern and comfy choice.

Medieval Era

If you’re an artsy traveler with a love of the medieval, you just need to look out the window in Italy. Okay, that’s not quite true, but if you stay in any hill town, you’ll be surrounded by buildings that date from the 1300s, if not earlier.

These are some of my favorite medieval artworks I seek out when sightseeing in Italy.

Frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti and Simone Martini in the Palazzo Pubblico (#9) in Siena
The Maestà altarpiece by Duccio di Buoninsegna in the museum at the Siena Cathedral (#10)
“The Annunciation” by Simone Martini in the Uffizi (#11) in Florence
Frescoes by Giotto in the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi (#12)
Frescoes by Giotto at the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua (#13)
Frescoes by Memmo di Filippuccio in the Camera del Podestà in the Palazzo Comunale in San Gimignano (#14) showing domestic scenes including a couple taking a bath and getting into bed

For more details about seeing medieval art in Italy, read Ten Must-See Masterpieces in Tuscany.

San Gimignano 1300

And before I leave medieval art, I must put in a plug for San Gimignano 1300 (#15). This scale model of what San Gimignano looked like in 1300 is located near the Palazzo Comunale and the Torre Grosso in the center of San Gimignano. The display is free and well worth seeing to give you an idea of how the city of towers looked with 72 towers instead of its current 17.

And while you’re there, pick up a copy of The Towers of Tuscany.

At San Gimignano 1300 with a copy of The Towers of Tuscany and the museum director — At San Gimignano 1300 with a copy of *The Towers of Tuscany* and the museum director

Here are some options for touring San Gimignano and the area with Get Your Guide.

Staying in San Gimignano

My favorite place (perfect if you have a car) is the Hotel Pescille on the outskirts of San Gimignano and overlooking the towers. The Cappuccina Country Resort also overlooking the city is another good choice.

Renaissance Era

The Renaissance was born in Florence with an explosion of amazing art by artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Leonardo da Vinci. You’ll see a fair whack of the best stuff at the Uffizi.

TIP: If you go to the Uffizi, you must buy your tickets ahead of time, preferably a few days or weeks before you arrive, especially if traveling in peak season. Here’s a link to buy your tickets to the Uffizi and skip the line.

Here are some of my favorite Renaissance pieces (it’s just a partial list–I could go on and on!):

Primavera and Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli in the Uffizi in Florence
David statue by Michelangelo at the Academia (#16) in Florence
David statue by Donatello at the Bargello (#17) museum in Florence
Expulsion from the Garden of Eden by Masaccio at the Brancacci chapel (#18) in Florence
The Medici chapels in Florence
Sistine Chapel frescoes by Michelangelo at the Vatican (#19) in Rome
Paintings by Sofonisba Anguissola, one of the few female painters from the period, in Siena and at the Uffizi in Florence.

For more artsy sightseeing in Florence, here are suggested tours and skip-the-line ticket options.

Staying in Florence

I highly recommend the Serristori Palace Residence. It’s right on the Arno River and slightly off the beaten track.

Baroque Era

Of all the art periods, the Baroque (roughly the 17th century) is my least favorite. I find the style too florid. However, the Baroque style is everywhere in Italy, from churches to museums. You can’t escape it.

Big names in Baroque art include Caravaggio, Tiepolo, Titian, Bernini, and Artemisia Gentileschi. Although Baroque art isn’t my cup of tea, I do love Artemisia’s work.

You can see her masterpiece, Judith Slaying Holofernes, completed in 1610, in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Modern Art in Italy

Italy has produced several noted modern artists including Giacometti, Modigliani, and Futurists such as Severini, Marinetti, and Balla. Following are three places to see wonderful modern art in Italy (and again, there are many more).

Peggy Guggenheim Museum

Located right smack on the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro district of magical Venice between Santa Maria della Salute and the Gallerie dell’Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Museum (#20) just makes me smile. I can’t visit it often enough!

The museum houses Peggy Guggenheim’s personal collection of 20th- century art including masterpieces of cubism, surrealism and abstract expressionism. Artists in the permanent collection include Picasso, Kandinsky, Miró, Braque, Giacometti, Klee, Magritte, Dali, Pollock, de Chirico, Brancusi, Braque, Duchamp, and Mondrian. It is an embarrassment of 20th-century riches.

If you’re in Venice, take a break from the Renaissance and cross the canal to visit the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. Wander the cool halls of her renovated palazzo to view the paintings and sculptures and then descend the steps to the edge of the canal and watch the boats go by.

I include the Peggy Guggenheim museum in my post about the Top Ten Modern Art Museums in Europe. Buy advance tickets (recommended in peak season) here.

National Museum of Modern Art in Rome

Also included in Top Ten Modern Art Museums in Europe is Rome’s National Museum of Modern Art (Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna (#21). The museum is conveniently located on the edge of the Villa Borghese so you can see it before or after you visit the Galleria Borghese

Read my description in Ten Great Ways to Enjoy Bella Roma.

The museum features an excellent collection of 20^th-century Italian painters including Giorgio de Chirico, Amedeo Modigliani, Antonio Canova, Giacomo Balla, and Giorgio Morandi, along with works by Rodin, Degas, van Gogh, Monet, Duchamp, Man Ray, and Pollock.

Unlike the Vatican and the other Renaissance and Ancient Roman attractions of Rome, the museum is sparsely attended and, therefore, extremely pleasant.

Tarot Garden: Sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle

Located near the coast in the province of Grosseto in Tuscany, the Tarot Garden (Il Giardino dei Tarocchi – #21) is a collection of sculptures created by the French artist Niki de Saint Phalle.

If you’re traveling through Italy by car, carve out time to visit this wonderful place. For a great, although long, day trip from Rome, catch the train from Rome Termini to Orbetello Stazione (about 90 minutes) and from there take a taxi or a bus.

For a detailed description of how to get from Rome to Il Giardino dei Tarocchi, check out this post on The Spotted Cloth website.

Pictures of Il Giardino dei Tarocchi don’t do the sculptures justice. If you love quirky, whimsical modern art, you have to go and see the sculptures for yourself. You can walk around them, touch them, even go inside some of them.

Carol Cram in Il Giardino dei Tarocchi, a highlight of any artsy sightseeing trip to Italy. — Sitting on a sculpture at the Il Giardino dei Tarocchi

Il Giardino dei Tarocchi is far enough off the beaten path to be uncrowded and totally delightful.

The garden is open every afternoon from 2:30 pm to 7:30 pm from April 1 to October 15. In November, December, January and March, the garden is open on the first Saturday of the month from 9 am to 1 pm. If the Saturday falls on a public holiday, the park opens the following Saturday.

Sculpture of lovers in the Il Giardino dei Tarocchi

Quirky foundation in the Il Giardino dei Tarocchi

Check the website for more information and directions.

Exploring the Area

Here are some GetYourGuide tours in Italy.

Conclusion

Have you visited any of the places described in this post? If so, let other artsy travelers know what you think.

Here are some more posts on Italy to help you plan your next trip–or just to indulge in some armchair travel.

Favorite Regions in Italy for the Artsy Traveler

Arts & Culture, Italy Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 09:24 pm

My favorite regions in Italy range from Milan and the Dolomites in the north to Naples in the south. Unless you have several months to spare, you can’t really “do” all of Italy in one trip.

You’ll spend far too much time traveling and far too little time enjoying. Pick one or two regions and spent a week or two in each.

As Rick Steves says, “travel like you plan to return.”

Pinterst graphic with the text Favorite Regions in Itlay for the Artsy Traveler over two pictures. The top picture is of Milan Cathedral and the bottom picture is of the Grand Canal in Venice.

Map of Favorite Regions in Italy

The map below shows approximate locations of the main regions in Italy that I recommend you explore. I’ve visited all of them except for Sicily (coming soon!).

Map of Italy showing major tourist areas including Rome, Tuscany, and Venice

I’m going to start in the north and move south because we often drive to Italy, so that’s the direction we enter the country from.

Here are the five regions of Italy I suggest you explore:

Northern Italy: Turin, Lake Como, Milan, Dolomites
Venice and Ravenna
Tuscany and Umbria
Rome
Compania: Naples, Pompeii, Amalfi Coast

In this post, I give a brief overview of these areas and provide links to more in-depth posts.

Northern Italy

You could spend at least a week traveling through the regions of northern Italy.

Milan Cathedral at sunset — Milan Cathedral

From east to west, I recommend Turin, Lake Como, Milan, and the Dolomites. Spend at least a week in the north (not counting Venice which deserves at least three days on its own). You won’t run out of things to do!

Highlights of Northern Italy

Here are some of my favorite artsy highlights (a by no means an exhaustive list) in northern Italy:

Turin: The Egyptian Museum – Museo Egizio is first-rate. It houses one of the oldest collections of Ancient Egyptian artifacts in the world. Even if you’re only moderately interested in ancient Egypt, put it on your list.
Milan: The Duomo, Da Vinci’s Last Supper, and La Scala just for starters. There’s lots to see in Milan and it has a very different vibe (calmer in my opinion) than Rome.
Italian Lake District: Spend several days exploring small towns such as Sirmione on Lake Garda, the various lakes; gorgeous views, great food, lots of history.
The Dolomites: Drive as far up as you can and then take a chairlift or gondola even higher. The alpine culture is very different from the rest of Italy.
Bolzano: The South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology

For more details about these and other artsy sightseeing in northern Italy, check out Recommended Places to Travel in Northern Italy.

Venice

Don’t stint on the time you allocate to visiting Venice. The city is worth at least three days (preferably longer). You could choose to spend a week in the area–three or four nights in Venice, a night in the Veneto to visit Vicenza and Padua, and then head south to spend two nights in glorious Ravenna (more on Ravenna in a minute).

Rialto Bridge — Rialto bridge in stunning Venice

You don’t need a car in Venice and you can reach the other towns in the area by train.

Highlights of Venice

Peggy Guggenheim Museum – one of my very favorite small modern art museums in Europe (read more in 12 Modern Art Museums in Europe.
Piazza San Marco late at night when the crowds have thinned
Accademia Gallery – great selection of Renaissance and Baroque artists in a lovely, old building
Island of Murano to watch glass-blowing and buy glass souvenirs
Duomo and Doge’s Palace: must-see attractions, but go early or late and get reservations to avoid crowds
Enjoying a Vivaldi concert and getting lost in the dark on the way back to your hotel

For more details about these and other sightseeing options and to plan your trip to Venice, read Venice in Three Days for the Artsy Traveler.

Ravenna

Ravenna is a delightful small city south of Venice, most famous for the mosaics in the eight Christian monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

While many of these sites, particularly the most famous mosaics in the Church of San Vitale, attract the tour busses, the rest of Ravenna is wonderfully non-touristy. Relax in the main square and watch the world go by. Ravenna has a subtle charm that made me want to write a novel set there just so I could go and stay for a good long while.

Piazza del Popolo in the evening, Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

While we were in Ravenna, we watched a bride and groom emerge from a church and get into a red Ferrari, stopped into an art opening and drank white wine with the two Italian artists who were exhibiting their paintings, and enjoyed one of the best meals we’ve ever had in Italy at Ristorante Alexander. Check out the website and make a reservation! The food was to die for and the prices very reasonable.

TIP: When dining in Italy, make use of review apps and websites to find good restaurants. Every time we’ve taken the time to search out well-rated restaurants and to make reservations, we’ve been amply rewarded by fabulous meals.

Highlights of Ravenna: Touring the UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The mosaics in the early Christian monuments are the big draw in Ravenna, as noted earlier.

TIP: Buy your combination ticket for the six UNESCO sites in central Ravenna at any of these locations: the Basilica San Vitale, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Neonian Baptistery, and the Archbishop’s Chapel.

The sixth site–the Arian Baptistery–is free and worth a visit to view the well-preserved domed mosaic, dating from the early 6th century AD, that shows Christ being baptized by John the Baptist.

At just €9.50 for entrance to all these sites, the Ravenna Mosaics combo ticket has to be one of Europe’s best artsy bargains. In addition to the six sites in central Ravenna, don’t miss the remaining two UNESCO sites. The mausoleum of Theodoric is a short walk from the town center, and the Church of Sant’Apollinare in Classe is an 8-kilometer drive towards the Adriatic coast.

Mosaic in Ravenna featuring the Empress Theodora

Staying in Ravenna

We were driving when we visited Ravenna, and so, as usual, we stayed in a hotel on the outskirts. We then took taxis into the city and from there walked to seven of the eight UNESCO sites in the center of Ravenna. On our last morning in Ravenna, we drove to the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe.

For my hotel recommendations in Ravenna, read Where to Stay in Italy: My Best Picks.

Tuscany and Umbria

Toscana! The very name evokes warmth and good living and beauty while at the same time associated with a deliciously turbulent history.

All those towers and walls and fortifications in towns such as San Gimignano and Siena and Lucca were not built back in the Middle Ages because life was easy. The architecture of Tuscan hill towns screams strife.

Fortress of Montalcino in Tuscany — The Fortress of Montalcino, a hill town in Tuscany

At the same time, the museums and churches of Tuscany burst at the seams with art–much of it created between 1300 and 1600, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.

We’ve been visiting Tuscany for years and plan to return. We’ve only recently “discovered” Umbria and were taken with its less touristy, more authentic atmosphere. While I love Tuscany, it can get overrun with visitors, particularly in Florence.

TIP: I recommend allocating at least a week to exploring Tuscany and another week for Umbria. Spend a few days in Florence to see the highlights and then if you have a car, find a house or an agriturismo property to rent for several days or a week in or near one of the medieval towns in Tuscany. Take day trips to other towns, bearing in mind that driving in Tuscany can be slow going on the twisty, narrow roads.

In a typical week, reserve a few days for just staying put and enjoying bella Toscana.

If you don’t have a car, you can still stay in the country, but choose a place that provides some assistance with transportation. You can join local tours such as wine tours (highly recommended!). Some properties offer cooking classes and painting classes.

After your week in Tuscany, spend a week in Umbria. The areas around Perugia or Assisi are good choices.

You won’t run out of things to see. I guarantee it!

For plenty of recommendations and suggestions, read Exploring Tuscany, Umbria and La Dolce Vita and Exploring San Gimignano in Tuscany. Also check out Art Masterpieces in Tuscany Who Don’t Want to Miss.

Rome

The Eternal City takes hold of your psyche with the weight of its 2,000-plus-year history and the central role it has played in the development of western culture.

Rome will not be denied.

I’ve visited Rome several times since my first trip there with my parents in 1974. During our most recent trip, Gregg and I spent ten days enjoying the city during Gregg’s exhibition of his paintings at a gallery near the Vatican. We lived like locals in an apartment in the same area and set aside time every day to explore new areas of Rome.

Read my Rome recommendations and a suggested itinerary for a three-day visit in The Best of Rome in Three Days.

Here are additional suggestions for what to see in Rome, including tours.

Naples and the Compania

Naples is kind of crazy–or at least it was when I visited a few years ago. We keep meaning to get down there again to see how or if it’s changed. I rather hoped it hasn’t.

I have a vivid memory of being driven in a taxi through downtown Naples and noticing how the driver barely slowed down at stop signs caked with dirt. Apparently, obeying them was optional. The driver pulled up in front of the National Archeological Museum in Naples, reputed to be one of the best museums in Italy for Roman antiquities. He then turned around and announced chiuso. Closed.

Oh. Those were the days before the Internet took the guesswork out of travel planning. Our only day in Naples was also the only day of the week when the museum was always closed.

That mistake wouldn’t happen nowadays which is a good thing although sometimes I miss the serendipity of the “olden” days when plans could so easily be derailed.

View of the Bay of Naples, the city of Naples, and Vesuvius in the distance

Read my recommendations and a suggested itinerary for a Week in the Campania.

Conclusion

I have a lot of posts on Italy for you to explore. Here again are some of the ones I’ve already mentioned along with a few more.

Why do I Love Italy?

Arts & Culture, Destinations, Italy Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 05:55 pm

Let me count the ways!

First, the landscape is varied and stunning. From the rolling hills of Tuscany to the rugged cliffs of the Amalfi coast and the dreamy canals of Venice, Italy has so much to offer travelers. We are constantly discovering new regions to explore. Our latest favorite is Umbria after spending two weeks there in 2018 during an exhibition of Gregg’s paintings in the charming town of Galdo Tardino.

Pinterest graphic with the text Why I Love Italy over an Italian flag.

When I’m not admiring the landscape of Italy, I’m immersed in its history. Between the Etruscans and the Romans, Italy is brimming with ancient sites. Every town and village traces its roots to at least Roman times and all have a central medieval core. The Middle Ages is my preferred historical period, and Italy brings both the medieval and the Renaissance periods to life every day, sometimes literally.

I don’t think I’ve ever visited Italy and not seen people dressed in medieval garb at one of the many festivals and demonstrations of medieval life.

Food is another big draw in Italy. Tuck into steaming plates of pasta swimming in amazing sauces, eat your plate-sized paper-thin pizza with a knife and fork like the locals do, enjoy exquisitely prepared main courses, and finish off with desserts to die for. Italy is a gastronomic paradise.

And finally, there’s the art. From the Etruscans to the moderns, art is everywhere in Italy. Some of the most beautiful artworks in the western world were created in Italy and are still there to be admired, which is excellent news for the Artsy Traveler.

For more about what to see in Italy art-wise, check out these posts:

Siena Cathedral in Siena in Top Cathedrals in Europe – My Best Picks
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice and the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome in Top Ten Modern Art Museums in Europe
The incredible variety of art in Tuscany in Tuscany Art

Also, take a look at posts for individual regions:

Here is one of my favorite artworks in Itlay, the fresco featuring the Empress Theodora in Ravenna.

Overview

When to Visit

Getting Tickets

Location of the Uffizi Gallery

Advice for Touring the Uffizi Gallery

Giotto

Martini

Lorenzetti

St. Nicolas Gives to the Poor

St. Nicholas Gets Ordained

St. Nicholas Raises the Dead

St. Nicholas Talks to Sailors

Uccello

Botticelli

Primavera

The Birth of Venus

Michelangelo

Piero della Francesca

Leonardo da Vinci

Raphael

More Uffizi

Enjoying Florence

Staying in Florence

Tickets and Tours in Florence

Walking Tours in Florence

Conclusion

Interview with Tanvi Pathare

Who is Tanvi Pathare?

Tanvi’s Inspiration

Tanvi’s Favorite Flowers

Influences of Location

Villa Lena Workshop

Tanvi Pathare’s Artwork

Landscapes by Tanvi Pathare

Still Lifes by Tanvi Pathare

About the Flower Painting Workshop at Villa Lena

Visit Villa Lena

Staying at the Villa Lena

Villa Lena Foundation

Conclusion

Lead-Up to Montepulciano

Arrival in Montepulciano

No Room at the Inn

Plan B

Success

On Our Way Again

Heaven at Sant’Antonio Country Resort: My Review

Our Accommodation at Sant’Antonio Country Resort

Memorable Dinners in Montepulciano

Enjoying Sant’Antonio Country Resort

Should You Visit Sant’Antonio Country Resort?

Tours of the Tuscan Countryside

Other Posts about Tuscany

Map of Arezzo

Who is Silvia Salvadori?

Interview with Silvia Salvadori

Silvia’s Inspiration

Silvia’s Goal as an Artist

How Silvia Creates a Painting

Landscapes in Silvia’s Work

Looking to the Future

Silvia’s Artwork

Paintings of Madonna and Child

Paintings of Medieval Scenes

Paintings with Contemporary Subjects

My Connection to Silvia’s Work

Visit Silvia Salvadori

Visit Arezzo

Conclusion

Choosing InRome Cooking

About InRome Cooking

My Experience with InRome Cooking

Registering for a Class with InRome Cooking

Arriving at InRome Cooking

Making Tiramisù

Tiramisù Ingredients

Tiramisù Method

Layering the Tiramisù

Making Pasta

Making the Sauces