All the articles by Federico Giannini, Ilaria Baratta on Finestre sull'Arte

Niccolo Puccini, an early 19th century patron: "the rich are the stewards of the poor"

In the heart of Pistoia's historic center, in Piazzetta Spirito Santo, just a stone's throw from the Cathedral, stands a 19th-century monument dedicated to Niccolò Forteguerri, a Pistoiese cardinal who lived in the 15th century and was known f...
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Jacopo della Quercia's Madonna in Anghiari: a sculpture...versatile.

A marvelous Renaissance wooden sculpture has been enriching the state heritage since 1977: it is the Madonna and Child by Jacopo della Quercia (Siena, c. 1374 - 1438), purchased that year by the Superintendency of Arezzo and now the most important wo...
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The Pisa sinopites. what they are, what they were used for, how they were discovered

A collection that is widely described as "unique in the world": that of the Museo delle Sinopie in Pisa, consisting entirely of sinopites. One could define sinopia as the preparatory drawing of a fresco: it is one of the least known elements of medie...
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Titian's Venus of Urbino, a masterpiece of ambiguity

When one thinks of the goddesses of beauty that adorn the walls of the Uffizi, the best known is surely Botticelli's Venus, which has become something of a symbol of the Renaissance itself, but no less important is another apex of Renaissance paintin...
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How Pandolfo Petrucci's patronage changed the face of Siena in the Renaissance

A patron so splendid that he earned the appellation "Magnifico." Pandolfo Petrucci (Siena, 1452 - San Quirico d'Orcia, 1512) was one of the most powerful men in late 15th-century Siena , and his activities in the arts contributed substantially to sh...
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A lesson in dance in eighteenth-century Venice: the celebrated work of Pietro Longhi

Those who want to know the social life of 18th-century Venice , entering the homes of the nobles and bourgeoisie, the places they frequented, understanding how they spent their days, what their activities were and what their pastimes were, should ind...
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Entrepreneurs and art patrons of today's Tuscany: who they are and what they do

Tuscany is not only celebrated for its beautiful landscapes and unparalleled artistic heritage, but also for a tradition of patronage that has spanned the centuries. Today, this noble practice finds expression in modern business and professional patr...
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Sandro Botticelli's Primavera, the very image of the beautiful season

When one thinks of a work of art that succeeds in embodying the essence of spring, probably the image that will most easily come to mind will be that of Botticelli's Primavera , at the risk of being a bit trite. Few paintings, however, have reached t...
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