Rebuilding The Renaissance

The archeological park of Siracusa, Sicily is in one of the five ancient districts of Siracusa known as the Neapolis - "the new city." Its two major ancient monuments are a massive ancient Greek theater from the 5th century BCE carved directly into the limestone rock of the Temenite hill and an equally impressive ancient Roman amphitheater which had a seating capacity of some 20,000 spectators. But the park's most famous site is the so-called "Ear of Dionysius" which was named by the celebrated painter Caravaggio and has extraordinary acoustic properties. 

Ortygia is a small island forming the historical center of the Sicilian city of Siracusa. While already inhabited by native Sicels in ancient times, Siracusa became an ancient superpower after Greek colonists settled there in the 8th century BCE and became part of Magna Graecia. In fact, Ortygia contains many of the city's oldest landmarks, including the Greek Temple of Apollo, the Fountain of Arethusa, and the Temple of Athena, which is today the Cathedral of Siracusa. It was later home to the legendary mathematician and inventor, Archimedes. 

Covering nearly 3,500m2 of floor surface, the mosaic decoration of the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina, Sicily, are almost unique not only in their scale, but also in their extraordinary state of preservation. The two most noteworthy and famous mosaics are the "Great Hunt," which is nearly 70m long and the surprising "Bikini Girls"  mosaic which has gained international notoriety.  

Located in the very heart of Sicily in a town called Piazza Armerina, the Villa Romana del Casale is an archeological site containing the remains of an ancient Roman "Latifundium," or agricultural estate.  The massive building is incredibly well preserved and provides us with a vivid glimpse of Roman life in the early 4th century CE. It is also home to an extensive mosaic program covering 3,500m2  (38,000ft2) of surface and including the famous "bikini girls" mosaic.  

Situated about 750m above sea level in the northwestern part of Sicily, Erice is one of the most charming of Sicilian towns. Characterized by narrow, medieval streets flanked by churches and palaces, Erice is simply a delight to stroll through. Its main church is known as the "Chiesa Matrice" ("Mother church") and was built at the beginning of the 14th century. The Norman castle in Erice is known as the "Castello di Venere" ("Castel of Venus") offers breathtaking views of the Tyrrhenian coast. 

Selinunte is home to one of the most important archaeological sites from the Greek period in Italy. Located on the west coast of Sicily, it was the most westerly of ancient Greek colonies and one of the most important. Its ancient public spaces, temples, fortifications, and houses are remarkably well preserved and date as far back as far as the middle of the 6th century BCE. 

Located about an hour west of Palermo in Sicily, Segesta is home to a magnificent Greek-style, Doric order temple built in the 5th century BCE. Perched high up on a hill, offering breathtaking views of the nearby Gulf of Castellammare, the temple and nearby ancient theater are testimony to the ancient people of Segesta who were known as Elymians.  

From how I go about recording my podcasts, to great Italian Renaissance art in England, to where to stay in Sicily, to the similarities between Michelangelo's unfinished "Entombment" and Pontormo's "Capponi Altarpiece," to Parmigianino's ceiling in Fontanellato, to where Michelangelo got his talent, and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists, and history of the Italian Renaissance.

The Valley of the temples in Agrigento, Sicily, is an archeological area containing the remains of seven ancient Greek temples, in varying states of conservation. Located along a ridge with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea in the distance, it represents one of the world's most important collections of Ancient Greek architecture. 

The southern Sicilian city of Agrigento was founded in 580 BCE by a group of Greek colonists from the nearby town of Gela with the name "Akragas." It quickly became one of Magna Grecia's most important cities and eventually defeated a Carthaginian army at the Battle of Himera in 480BCE. To celebrate the victory, a series of majestic temples were built along a nearby and known today as "The Valley of the Temples." 

Covering some 6,500m2 (70,000ft2), the spectacular mosaic cycle of Monreale Cathedral in Sicily is one of the largest in the world. The mosaics were created in the 12th and 13th centuries by order of Norman King William II in the Byzantine style. While the nave and clerestory mosaics depict Old Testament stories, the side aisle walls, instead, depict New Testament stories. The entire program culminates in the apse of the great cathedral with a massive "Christ Pantocrator" image. 

According to legend, in the 12th century, the Virgin Mary appeared to King William II of Sicily while he was napping and ordered him to build a church on a hill just 7km south of Palermo, Italy. The result is one of the greatest churches of the Middle Ages - Monreale Cathedral. Next to the majestic church, whose interior contains Italy's largest mosaic, is an exotic cloister that was clearly influenced by Islamic architecture. 

Originally built in the 14th century, the Dominican church and convent were both renovated in the 16th century. While the church displays a n almost dizzying example of Sicilian Baroque architecture, the well-preserved convent is instead quite sober and reflects what mosaic life was like for the nuns. The convent is also home to a still active bakery called "I Segreti del Chiostro" which offers visitors delicious local specialties. 

Originally carved in 1554 for the garden of a Spanish nobleman in Florence, the so-called "Fountain of Shame" was dissembled in 644 pieces and transported to Palermo, Sicily, after having been sold to the Senate of Palermo.  Situated on the western side of the Dominican church and nunnery of Santa Caterina, the abundant nudity of the fountain was thought to be shameful in such proximity to the chaste nuns. 

The Quattro Canti is a spectacular example of Sicilian Baroque architecture on a grand scale!  Marking the entrance to Palermo's historic district, the Quattro Canti (technically Piazza Vigliena) is a large octagonal piazza laid out in the early 17th century, four side of which are occupied by Baroque facades. Each of these facades contains allegorical fountains on the ground level, statues of Sicily's Spanish rulers of Sicily on the next, and Palermo's four patron saints above. 

Construction on the church of Sant Maria dell'Ammiraglio in Palermo, Italy, began in 1143 CE under the patronage of George of Antioch, admiral of King Roger II's navy, from which the church gets its name. The church preserves an extraordinary collection of 12th-century mosaics, the two most important of which are "Christ Coronating King Roger II" and " George of Antioch at the Feet of the Virgin Mary." In later centuries, the church received various Baroque-style additions and decorations, and the nickname "La Martorana" from the nearby Benedictine nunnery.

Built as a royal chapel in the 12th century CE by King Roger II, the Norman ruler of Sicily, the Palatine Chapel is a beautiful manifestation of the influences of Byzantine, Norman, and Islamic art and architecture. The chapel is home to one of Italy's most important examples Byzantine mosaic decoration and an almost unique example of a non-Islamic muqarnas ceiling.  

Born to a noble Norman family in the 12th century, Santa Rosalia became Palermo's most important patron saint when she miraculously saved the city from a devastating plague in 1624. Still today, she is venerated and celebrated by both the people of Palermo as well as Sicilians throughout the world. 

Originally built in the 12th century, Palermo Cathedral was continually modified for the next six centuries. While much of its original and rather exotic Norman architecture survives on the exterior, the interior is entirely Neoclassical in design. Palermo Cathedral is home to the tomb of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and the remains Palermo's patron saint, Santa Rosalia. 

Founded by the Phoenicians nearly 3,000 years ago, Palermo subsequently became a Greek, Carthaginian, Roman, Arab, and Norman city. This mix of civilizations is palpable in Palermo art, architecture, food, and customs of the city. This podcast explores this magical Sicilian city's three millennia of history, beauty, and traditions.

The Italian Island of Sicily is one of the most magical places on earth. Embraced by the Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian, and Ionian Seas, kissed by warm sunshine nearly year-round, home to three active volcanoes – the largest of which, "Her Majesty," Mt. Etna, looms over the island like a sleeping giant – and a multi-colored landscape that includes forests, farmland, and arid fields, Sicily, it seems, was truly favored by the gods, both past and present. 

From the origins of the name "Rialto," to mysterious statues on the facade of Florence Cathedral, to the connection between Piero della Francesca and Caravaggio, to the reason why the red pigment in Fra Angelico's frescoes glitter, to great Italian Renaissance art in England, and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists, and history of the Italian Renaissance.

Built in the 14th century for the Davizzi family, before being sold to the Davanzati family in the 16th century, the Palazzo Davanzati is today home of the "Museum of the Old Florentine House." The various floors showcase domestic spaces and household objects to recreate life in a medieval Florentine home. 

The Museum of Santa Maria Novella is in the convent of the great Dominican complex of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy. It consists of a series of cloisters and spaces that house various artistic masterpieces including the frescoes of the Spanish Chapel, Paolo Uccello's "Stories of Noah, Abraham, and Jacob," and Suor Plautilla Nelli's (who was a Dominican nun and painter) once lost "Last Supper." 

The Museum of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy, occupies the former refectory and wing of the Franciscan convent that separated two cloisters. It includes the celebrated Pazzi Chapel, a "God the Father" statue by Bacio Bandinelli, Taddeo Gaddi's "Lignum Vitae," Donatello's "St. Louis of Toulouse," and Giorgio Vasari's "Last Supper."

Originally part of the residence of the Medici dynasty, the Palatine Gallery encompasses the entire second floor of the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy. Its collection includes the largest concentration of paintings by Raphael in the world, as well as works by Titian, Artemisia Gentileschi, Andrea del Sarto, Caravaggio, and Rubens. The paintings in their lavish frames entirely cover the walls of the rooms. 

The Archeological Museum in Naples, Italy, contains one of the world's most important collections of ancient Greco-Roman art and artifacts. The collection includes the "Farnese Bull" - the largest ancient sculpture ever recovered, the "Farnese Hercules," the "Farnese Atlas," and the spectacular "Alexander Mosaic" from Pompeii which depicts an episode of the legendary Battle of Issus between Alexander the Great and Daris III. The museum is also home to an extraordinary collection of ancient engraved gems, jewels, and cameos. 

Sometimes referred to as "the Uffizi of southern Italy," the Capodimonte Museum in Naples, Italy, houses one of the world's most important collections of Italian Renaissance painting. It includes masterpieces such as the "Crucifixion" by Masaccio, Titian's "Danaë" and  "Portrait of Pope Paul III," Caravaggio's "Flagellation," and Artemisia Gentileschi's "Judith and Holofernes," just to name a few.  

Located in the remains of the 16th-century Palazzo del Pilotta, once the royal residence of the Farnese dukes of Parma, the National Gallery houses one of Italy's premier collections of Renaissance paintings. It includes masterpieces by Fra Angelico, Correggio, Parmigianino, and Leonardo da Vinci. 

The Accademia Gallery in Venice, Italy, houses the world's most important collection of Venetian Renaissance painting. This last episode dedicated to this extraordinary museum examines masterpieces by Gentile Bellini ("Stories of the Relic of the True Cross"), Vittore Carpaccio ("Healing of a Madman" and "The Legend of St. Ursula") and Titian ("The Presentation of the Virgin"). 

The Accademia Gallery in Venice, Italy, houses the world's most important collection of Venetian Renaissance painting. This episode examines masterpieces by Paolo Veronese ("The Feast in the House of Levi"), Tintoretto ("The Stealing of the Body of St. Mark" and "The Miracle of the Slave"), and Titian ("The Pietà"). 

The Accademia Gallery in Venice, Italy, houses the world's most important collection of Venetian Renaissance painting. This episode examines the history of the building and collection, as well as masterpieces by Paolo Veneziano, Giovanni Bellini, and Giorgione. 

From the identity of a frequently seen character in Caravaggio paintings to how many Caravaggio paintings there are in the world to how to secure tickets for Leonardo's "Last Supper" to how much the Medici were worth, and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists, and history of the Italian Renaissance.

The magnificent Basilica of St. Peter is our last stop as we explore the extraordinary collection of art and architecture in the Vatican. In addition to its great scale and beautiful decorum, the basilica is also home to renowned masterpieces such as Michelangelo's "Pietà" and Bernini's "Baldacchino," as well as the tombs of St. Pope John Paul II and St. Pope John XXIII.

The most famous work of art in the Vatican Museums is Michelangelo's "Sistine Chapel Ceiling." This episode explains how best to experience this stunning work of art, as well as the other masterpieces that are in the Sistine Chapel. 

The next major stop in your visit to the Vatican Museums after the Gallery of the Maps is the former apartments of Pope Julius II. They are known as the "Rooms of Raphael" because they were decorated with beautiful frescoes by Raphael between 1507 and 1513, including his famous "School of Athens." This fresco depicts the greatest philosophical and scientific minds of the ancient world including Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, and Euclid. 

This podcast examines the extraordinary collection of 16th and 17th century tapestries in the Vatican collection, many of which were designed by Raphael and his workshop. It also looks at the amazing array of geographical maps of Italian territories and Papal dominions in Renaissance Italy that cover more than a football field of wall space!

This episode explores the majestic Belvedere Courtyard, which was designed by Donato Bramante at the beginning of the 16th century. It also examines the 18th-century Pio Clementino Museum which houses ancient Greek and Roman sculptural masterpieces such as the Laocoön, Apollo Belvedere, and the Belvedere Torso.  

While more than 7 million people visit the Vatican Museums each year, few of them realize there is much more to this extraordinary collection than just the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel. The Pinacoteca, or "painting gallery," of the Vatican Museums opened in 1932 and includes masterpieces by Giotto, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Bernini. 

Located in the beautiful Baroque Barberini Palace, the National Gallery of Ancient Art contains works of art produced before the year 1800. It includes masterpieces by Andrea del Sarto, Bronzino, Canaletto, Titian, and Tintoretto. But the collection's most important works are Caravaggio's "Judith and Holofernes," Bernini's "Bust of Pope Urban VIII," and Pietro da Cortona's spectacular ceiling fresco "The Allegory of Divine Providence and Barberini Power." 

This 4th and final episode dedicated to extraordinary art collection in the Borghese Gallery in Rome, Italy, focuses on the painting collection on the second floor of the museum, which includes masterpieces by Raphael, Correggio, and Titian. 

This episode takes you through the 1st-floor rooms of the Borghese Gallery in Rome, Italy. It discusses the breathtaking early statues by Gian Lorenzo Bernini - "Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius," "Pluto and Persephone," "Apollo and Daphne," and "David," as well as Antonio Canova's sublime Neoclassical "Paolina Bonaparte as Venus Victrix."

This podcast takes you into the extraordinary building and collection of the Borghese Gallery in Rome, Italy. From the great hall with its beautiful ceiling fresco, ancient Roman floor mosaics depicting gladiators and beast hunters, and ancient/Baroque statue of "Marcus Curtius," to the adjoining Caravaggio room which houses six paintings by the great master, a visitor to the Borghese Gallery is immediately struck by the magnificence of the collection.   

Shortly after his election, Pope Paul V Borghese decided to transform his land outside the Porta Pinciana in Rome, Italy, into the city's greatest villa complex. The result was one of the most beautiful and majestic examples of traditional and landscape architecture. The building, today known as the Borghese Gallery, as well as the surrounding gardens evolved over three centuries. This first episode dedicated to the Borghese Gallery explores the history of the Borghese family,  the gallery, and the park. 

From my opinion on the recently discovered paintings attributed to Caravaggio, to the influence of Hadrian's Villa on Borromini's architecture, to a possible connection between Caravaggio's "Burial of St. Lucy" and the movie "Schindler's List," to why Michelangelo's "David" is more famous than Bernini's, and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists, and history of the Italian Renaissance.

Located in the Doria Pamphilj Palace (where the Doria Pamphilj family still resides) on the Via del Corso in the heart of Rome, Italy, the gallery houses one of Italy's most important art collections. It includes portraits of Pope Innocent X by Velasquez and Bernini, as well as two of Caravaggio's earliest paintings – the "Penitent Magdalene" and the "Rest on the Flight into Egypt."

The Capitoline Museums are a group of art and archaeological museums located on top of the Capitoline Hill, which was the political and religious center of ancient Rome. Their collections focus on the history of Rome and include masterpieces such as the "Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius," the "Capitoline Wolf, " the "Dying Gaul, " but also later masterpieces such as Caravaggio's "Fortune Teller" and Bernini's "Head of Medusa."

Part of the Ambrosian Library in Milan, Italy, the Ambrosian Art Gallery was founded along with the library by the celebrated Cardinal Federico Borromini in 1609 to house his extensive collection of manuscripts, books, and paintings. The collection today includes "The Portrait of a Musician" attributed by many to Leonardo da Vinci, the "Cartoon for the School of Athens" by Raphael, and "The Basket of Fruit" by Caravaggio. In addition to these great masterpieces, the Ambrosian Art Gallery is also home to the world largest collection of drawings and writings by Leonardo da Vinci, known as the Codex Atlanticus. 

Located in Milan, Italy, and inaugurated on Napoleon's birthday on August 15, 1812, the Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera Art Gallery) contains one of the world's most important collections of Italian Renaissance painting. This second episode explores masterpieces by Piero della Francesca, Raphael, and Caravaggio. 

Located in Milan, Italy, and inaugurated on Napoleon's birthday on August 15, 1812, the Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera Art Gallery) contains one of the world's most important collections of Italian Renaissance painting. This first episode explores masterpieces by Giovanni Bellini, Andrea Mantegna, Tintoretto. Paolo Veronese, and Vittore Carpaccio.