Yesterday, one of the greatest living artists, Cy Twombly passed away in Rome, most likely from complications from cancer. He was 83. An American artist, Twombly was known for his large, graffiti like paintings. He began his career in New York in the mid-1950s, a time when he shared a studio space with Robert Rauschenberg, whom he was also ... Read More »
Not often does something started by a horrible dictator result in years of prosperity and art but Cinecittà Studios is that exception. Opened in April of 1937 by Mussolini in order to promote Italy and fascism with the slogan “Il cinema è l’arma più forte” (Cinema is the most powerful weapon), Cinecittà Studio is now the largest production studio ... Read More »
You may have noticed that Italy this year is especially in love with Renaissance painter Caravaggio since this year marks the 400th anniversary of his birth. To add to the Caravaggiomania that is sweeping the country, last week the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano announced in a front page article that it had found a previously undiscovered Caravaggio in the sacristy ... Read More »
The only ceiling Caravaggio ever painted has been hidden for hundreds of years in a villa in Rome. But now, Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi in an effort to “bring more life” into the crumbling Villa Aurora, which she inhabits with her husband Prince Nicolò Boncompagni Ludovisi, descendent of Popes Gregory XIII and Gregory XV, is on view to the ... Read More »
A distant shore, a desperate man, the promise of redemption, in other words, just another year in the life of the painter and rogue, Caravaggio. In 1607, in an attempt to outrun the law, Baroque painter Caravaggio headed south to Naples. The year before, Caravaggio had killed a man in a bar brawl in Rome and fled to ... Read More »
There isn’t a better time to live out your Under the Tuscan Sun dreams, rent a car and explore Italy than during Settimanna della Cultura, or Cultural Week. For the past twelve years, the Italian Ministry of Culture has opened all state operated museums, archaeological sites, historical homes, monuments and various other places around the country free to the ... Read More »
To absolutely no one’s surprise, recent reports have it that “The Hangover”—the raunchy, dizzy Las-Vegas-based gross-out flick that quickly became the most profitable comedy in box-office history—is going to be giving birth to a sequel, set to debut late this year. Already, rumors have it that the second round of mystery and debauchery will take place in Thailand—a logical ... Read More »
Being travel guides, we always advocate putting your heels to the pavement and seeking out art, music and film locations yourself. Flipping through a coffee-table book of Caravaggios naturally pales in comparison to seeing his Contarelli Chapel murals up close and in person. But even we have to admit that one can’t see every worthwhile piece of art or ... Read More »
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