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Internet Sites:
- Visit the Sistine
Chapel or the Uffizi
on line, or visit the Web Museum.
- A highlight of Renaissance painting was fixed perspective. Read about
how Brunelleschi worked out the means to creating the illusion of
perspective in the fifteeneth century.
- You can visit the catacombs
without having to go underground.
- Florence was home to Galileo. The
Museum of the History of Science in Florence includes a room dedicated
to his equipment and even has (if you enjoy sacred relics) a piece of
Galileo's finger, removed and preserved when the scientist was buried
at the Cathedral of Santa Croce.
- If you are planning a trip you will enjoy reading the information
and tips at the Lonely
Planet.
Books
- The
Rise and Fall of the Medici by Christopher Hibbert is a wonderful
history of the family that included Lorenzo the Magnificent (he really
was) and Leo X (he really was dreadful). Here, too, you can read about
Girolamo Savonarola (his 500th anniversary is coming up.) Reading this
book makes a trip to Florence much more significant.
- A World
Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester is a fascinating history
of the teenth centuries.
- The
Stones of Florence by Mary McCarthy is the famous and well written
account of the city.
- New
Italian Poetry translated by Dana Gioia is an excellent collection
of poems. In general, Diane would recommend any poetry by Guiseppe
Ungaretti (available at the library even though his selected work
in English translation is listed as out-of-print) and Patrizia Cavalli.
Unfortunately it is out of print, but there is a good translation of
poetry by Lorenzo the Magnificent. And, of course, the first published
woman poet of Italy, as well as the great Dante Alligheri, are Florentine.
- A
Walking Tour of Florence by Jeanne Oelerich is 16 pages, with clear
maps to many sites. It is lighter to carry around than a guide book.
We did not enjoy the one restaurant we tried from her guide, but that
may have been an exceptionally bad place or bad night.
- If you go to Italy be sure to buy the books you want and do not expect
they will be available here. Even Amazon.com lists Italian
Labyrinth: Italy in the 1980s as out of print, although the Italian
bookstores all had copies in the English-language section. This book
by John Haycraft may be a bit dated, and his theme about the significance
of the Italian economic unit gets pounded in a bit much, but the book
has fascinating history and information about Italy.
- The beautiful pictures books sold in front of every tourist site
in Italy are also not available here, except for
- The
Uffizi.
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Places to Stay and Eat:
- In Milan we went to the tourist information office at the train station
for a hotel recommendation. They sent us to a hotel called The
Lady, which is an easy five-block walk from the station. Our
room was very comfortable, with a beautiful view of gardens, seen to
the left. (However, our neighbor who also stayed at The Lady had a cheaper
room and ended up in the basement.) The host is elegant and has a dog
that looks like "Lady" from the cartoon movie. And our neighbor agreed
with us that the young man who is night clerk is completely charming.
The Lady also has an indoor garden restaurant, with a pond and gold
fish at the center. The address is Via Settala 48. The phone number
is 02-295-235.50.
- At the recommendation of Ken's art teacher we stayed
in Florence at thePensione Centrale, with a great
view of the Medici Chapel. The hotel is within easy walking distance
from the train station, about five blocks. As one guide book describes
it, "very central, Old World." Marie Therese Blot and Franco, who run
the hotel, speak fluent English and are very helpful. If you go, reserve
Room 19 months in advance. The address is: Albergo Pensione Centrale,
Via dei Conti, 3 in Firenze, Italia. The phone number is 055/215761
and the fax number is 055/215216.
- In Rome the Hotel Fiori is only two blocks from Trajan's
Column and within walking distance of many sites. The bus that stops
right in front of the hotel goes to the Vatican. The staff does not
speak English, but are very helpful nonetheless. The address is Via
Nazionale 163. The phone number is 06/6797212.
- In general, food in Italy was expensive but good. The butter and eggs
were more fresh than any I have tasted in the United States. However,
the only restaurant that genuinely lived up to the sort of rave reviews
people give of food in Italy was a tiny four-table restaurant near the
cathedral in Venice. The salad was one of the best ever eaten. And Diane
almost fell off her chair when she tasted the pasta with porcini mushrooms
in cream sauce, it was so delicious. Be sure to try Anima Bella
at Calle Fiubera-San Marco, 956. The phone is 041/27486.
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