Florence

The House of Borgia is depicted here as “A glass of wine with Cesare Borgia,” a painting that clearly shows the wealth and power (church power) of this illustrious and infamous family. Photo source: John Collier / Public domain

27 November, 2021 - 18:18 Cam Rea

The Classical Influences Behind The Works Of Niccolo Machiavelli

Niccolo Machiavelli, a 16th-century man, is today still feared and yet revered. Machiavelli has come to represent the archetype of a scheming and conniving mastermind and even modern psychology...

Detail of Dante, between the mountain of Purgatory and the city of Florence by Domenico di Michelino. Source: Public domain

9 July, 2021 - 18:57 Sahir

Dante’s Handwritten Notes Discovered 700 Years After His Death

An Italian national treasure, and one of the greatest poets and writers to emerge from the Italian Middle Age (indeed, ever), Dante Alighieri was a 13th century and early 14th century writer who was...

Dante holding open a copy of the Divine Comedy while gazing towards Mount Purgatory (1530), Agnolo Bronzino

1 September, 2020 - 19:01 Riley Winters

A Pilgrimage of Thought: The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

The most widely read work of Florentine politician and writer Dante Alighieri, the Divine Comedy dictates a tale of the three realms of the afterlife as believed by the Italians of the Middle Ages...

Florence’s historic ‘wine windows’ have reopened in response to COVID-19 Source: Buchette Del Vino

11 August, 2020 - 00:11 ashley cowie

Historic Wine Windows Reopen in Italy, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

The bubonic plague , otherwise known as the Black Death, originated in Asia during the late Middle Ages and spread north into Europe through the bacteria Yersinia pestis on infected fleas. To counter...

A wine window (buchetta del vino), used in the past to sell wine directly to passers-by, on the old stone wall of an ancient building in the historic centre of Florence, Tuscany, Italy. Source: Simona Sirio /Adobe Stock

7 August, 2020 - 14:04 Ed Whelan

Medieval ‘Wine Windows’ Revived Due to Coronavirus

An old tradition has been revived in Florence, Italy due to the COVID-19 crisis. Once again wine windows have been opened to serve customers in one of Italy’s most beautiful cities. This tradition...

Left: Florence Nightingale inspects a hospital ward during the Crimean War. ( Wellcome Images / CC BY 4.0). Right: Portrait of Florence Nightingale from Carte de Visite. (H. Lenthall / Public domain)

12 May, 2020 - 23:00 ancient-origins

A History of Nursing Heroes from Florence Nightingale to Coronavirus

By Leslie Neal-Boylan / The Conversation Nurses are heroes of the COVID-19 crisis. May 12 is International Nurses Day, which commemorates the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the first “professional...

Photo of Michelangelo’s David showing the jugular vein in his neck distended. Source: Jörg Bittner Unna / CC BY 3.0

31 December, 2019 - 13:54 Ed Whelan

Michelangelo’s David Reveals Artist Knew About Jugular Vein a Century Before Doctors

A new study has shown that Michelangelo knew facts about the human circulatory system over a century before scientists and doctors. A prominent jugular vein in the neck of Michelangelo’s David shows...

23 December, 2019 - 23:05 dhwty

The Renaissance: The ‘Rebirth’ That Changed the World

The Renaissance refers to the period in European history between the 14 th and 17 th centuries. As a historical era, the Renaissance was preceded by the Middle Ages, and succeeded by the early modern...

A portrait of Michelangelo flanked by his sculpture ‘Madonna of Bruges’ and a detail of the Redeemed from his painting of ‘The Last Judgement.’

3 October, 2018 - 03:18 dhwty

Michelangelo: A Mixture of True Talent Meeting Great Luck and Perseverance

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, better known as Michelangelo, is one of the most famous figures of the Italian Renaissance period (between the 14th and 16th centuries AD). The Renaissance...

31 October, 2016 - 02:50 Natalia Klimczak

Origins of the Magnificent Florentine Cathedral Santa Maria di Fiore

The city of Florence, known as Firenze in Italian, has long been recognized for its wealth and beauty. The heart of the city is its cathedral. This building is famous not only for its appearance, but...

26 January, 2016 - 00:47 dhwty

Mona Lisa Meets War Machines: Details on the Driven Life and Lesser-Known Talents of Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, known more commonly as Leonardo da Vinci, is arguably one of the most well-known figures of the Italian Renaissance. Leonardo’s primary claim to fame is in the field...

Fresco of Dante and the Divine Comedy (1465), Domenico di Michelino, Florence cathedral, Italy

20 August, 2015 - 23:57 Riley Winters

A Pilgrimage of Thought: the Politician, Poet, and Pilgrim called Dante Alighieri

Born in Florence in the late thirteenth century, Dante Alighieri would grow up to become one of the most famed and well-read authors of the Italian Middle Ages. The scope of his political and...

18 April, 2014 - 03:17 aprilholloway

Ancient Roman theatre discovered beneath the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence

Archaeologists conducting an excavation beneath the Palazzo Vecchio, a 13 th century building which serves as the Town Hall in Florence, have discovered the remains of an ancient Roman theatre dating...

13 February, 2014 - 01:04 aprilholloway

Mass grave discovered under Uffizi Gallery in Florence

Dozens of ancient skeletons in a mass grave were found during excavation work to expand an exhibition space in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Archaeologists believe the grave dates back somewhere...

Medici children malnutrition - Italy Florence

1 October, 2013 - 09:52 aprilholloway

Bones from the wealthy and privileged Medici children show they suffered from malnutrition

The Medici family rose to power in the 13 th century in Florence and Tuscany through banking and commerce and became one of the most powerful families of the Renaissance period. However, new research...