1. Outstanding Universal Value (What does the UNESCO say about the property? Why is it worth your visit?) 2. Practical information 2.1 The complex 2.2 Ticket prices 2.3 Opening hours 2.4 Suggested length of visit and recommended route 2.5 Other important information and tips 3. The Royal Palace 3.1 The Grand Staircase 3.2 Hall of the […]
Baroque
Historic City of Trogir (2) – the Kamerlengo Fortress & Benedictine Monastery of St. Nikolas
As the UNESCO comments: Trogir is a remarkable example of urban continuity. The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement dates back to the Hellenistic period and it was embellished by successive rulers with many fine public and domestic buildings and fortifications. Its beautiful Romanesque churches are complemented by the outstanding Renaissance and Baroque buildings […]
Milan – Pinacoteca & Biblioteca Ambrosiana (2/3)
Previously, in my first post about the Ambrosian Art Gallery, I explained in detail two masterpieces, that is to say, the “Basket of Fruit” by Caravaggio (in the library) and the “Preparatory Cartoon of the School of Athens” by Raphael (in Room 5). Taking the opportunity, I also talked about Raphael’s (most) famous fresco “The […]
Palazzo della Pilotta – the Farnese Theater & the Palatina Library
In the Palazzo della Pilotta, besides the National Gallery of Parma, the Farnese Theater and the Palatina Library are absolutely another two must-sees. In this post, I’ll focus on introducing them to you. By the end of the post, I’ll also mention briefly the Archaeological Museum and the Museo Bodoniano, a museum dedicated to Giambattista Bodoni. Now, let’s get […]
Palazzo della Pilotta – the National Gallery of Parma (2/2)
In my previous post about the National Gallery of Parma, I provided some practical information about the opening hours as well as the admission fees of the gallery and introduced to you in detail Leonardo da Vinci’s “La Scapigliata”. Additionally, I showed you through the “special rooms” which are temporarily closed and will be open on weekdays at 10:30, […]
Palazzo della Pilotta – the National Gallery of Parma (1/2)
Parma is a city in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, famous for Parmesan cheese and Parma ham. Besides its gastronomy, the Romanesque buildings, including the frescoed Parma Cathedral and the Baptistery, dominate the city center. What’s the attraction that eventually persuaded me to pay a visit to the city? It’s the Galleria Nazionale, inside the imposing Palazzo […]
Modena – Gallery Estense (2/2)
Following my previous post about the Galleria Estense, this post is gonna be about some masterpieces of El Greco, Tintoretto, Veronese and Guercino, as well as some Roman antiquities. Now, let’s get started with the Portable Altarpiece by El Greco (Domenico Theotokopulos). Portable Altarpiece by El Greco Doménikos Theotokópoulos (1541 – 1614), most widely known as El Greco (“The Greek”), was […]
Modena – Galleria Estense (1/2)
Besides the Cathedral, Torre Civica and Piazza Grande, which are inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list, the Galleria Estense is another major attraction in Modena that you should not miss if you are interested in culture and art. It was opened to the public in 1854 and since 1894 it has been located on the fourth floor […]
Milan – Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera Art Gallery) (3/3)
As I mentioned at the end of my previous post, in this post, which is also the last post about Brera, I’ll show you masterpieces by Caravaggio, who had a formative influence on Baroque painting, Peter Paul Rubens, the most influential artist of Flemish Baroque tradition, Giambattista Tiepolo, Giambattista Pittoni, Canaletto, Bernardo Bellotto, Pietro Longhi and so on. What’s […]
Strasbourg – the must-visit museums (Palais Rohan, Alsatian Museum & L’Aubette 1928)
In this post, I’ll talk about some of the most important museums in Strasbourg, for example, Palais Rohan, former residence of the prince-bishops and cardinals of the House of Rohan and now home to the city’s Archaeological Museum, Museum of Decorative Arts and Museum of Fine Arts. This palace has also hosted a number of French monarchs such as Louis […]