More Art Inspired by Tuscany and Umbria

The colors and sensations of Italy linger long after I return home and had a direct influence on the work I did for a while. I am not sure if the light and colors of Italy ever totally leave your mind's eye. I did several series of monotypes based on my trips to Tuscany and Umbria. These three monotypes are titled (from the top): Harvest Time, Landscape Lambrusco and Tuscan Hills 2.

See more at my website: www.lindadubingarfield.com

Art inspired by Tuscany and Umbria

The colors, sensations and memories of the lovely hill towns of the wine country in Italy linger long after I returned home. Tuscany and Umbria are in my mind's eye and these are from several series I did inspired by my travels there. I will be posting several more in the next few weeks.

From the top: Tuscan Hills 1, Merlot Fields, Exuberant Landscape. All are monotypes.

See more on my website www.lindadubingarfield.com

Traveling Around Tuscany- A Treat with A Twist!

Driving around Tuscany was a delight. The towns were near each other, the roads were clearly marked and each town had some special character and charm to discover. Here are four more of them:

Pisa is in western Tuscany and is know throughout the world for the Leaning Tower. Of course, there is so much more there than the world renown landmark. It has many historical buildings and manages to maintain its medieval appearance. It is also known for its excellent university which was established in 1343.

Terme is a popular destination for thermal spa tourism. The link will give you information about hot springs all over Italy. The bottom picture is from Terme.

Arezzo offers many artistic elements and original characteristics to visitors. There is an Antique Furniture Exhibition the first weekend of the month. There are also splendid landscapes around the area as well as Etruscan remains and architectural and pictorial works of different periods. Second photo from bottom is a scene from Arezzo.

One of my favorites, however, was Pitigliano, a very small town in the southern part of Tuscany. The Jewish Quarter of Pitigliano was settled by Jews in the 16th century when the town became a haven for Jews escaping the enclosed ghettos of cities like Siena and Florence. Even when the Jewish Quarter was enclosed in 1622, relationships still continued between Jews and non-Jews, and it was known as the liveliest Jewish ghetto in Italy. When Jews were emancipated in the mid-19th century, the ghetto population was about 500, accounting for a third of Pitigliano's population. Many of them left for cities, though, and by WWII none were left.

The parts of the ancient Jewish Quarter open to visitors includes a small museum, the restored synagogue from 1598 which was done beautifully, ritual baths, dye works, the kosher butchering area and bread ovens. It was quite a surprise to see a synagogue in a small hill town and a kosher bakery, even though it was not working!! Second photo from the top is the restored synagogue and top photo is one of the streets in Pitigliano. It's a wonderful town to visit- all the usual elements, with a surprise twist! Actually, the kosher bakery is the central window on the left.

Next post will include some of the art I created, inspired by this trip into Tuscany, a magnificent and multi-sensory environment!! Of course, the colors and sensory experiences of Italy are in my mind's eye forever and will always be there influencing me in some way.

Visiting Siena, Italy

Siena is one of Italy's best-preserved medieval towns, located in the heart of Tuscany. Built on three hills and surrounded by well-preserved walls, Siena is filled with fine examples of Gothic architecture and has one of the world's most unique piazzas- Piazzo del Campo (shaped like a shell with scalloped edges). Siena, with its uniquely preserved medieval architecture, satisfies every art lover and many others as well. From tiny piazzas shared by you and a couple of pigeons to stately 14th and 15th century buildings, there is always something to notice and admire. Limited traffic within the city center enhances your experience and adds to the feeling of stepping back in time into a medieval world. I also enjoyed the small shops around the Piazza for shopping and still have the pottery I bought there.

Tuscany, Italy

Tuscany is know for its exquisite landscapes, its rich legacy and its influence on high culture. It is regarded as the birth place of the Italian Renaissance and has been home to some of the most influential people in the history of arts and science such as Petrarch, Dante, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Amerigo Vespucci and Puccini. The region has major art museums such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace in Florence and other galleries in smaller towns and villages. The area also has a great culinary tradition and is famous for many wines, including Chianti, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and Morelino de Scansano.

Six localities have been designated as World Heritage sites: the historic center of Florence, the historic center of Siena, the square of the Cathedral of Pisa, the historic center of Pienza and the Val d'Orcia. In addition, 120 natural preserves have been protected, making Tuscany and its capital Florence a very popular tourist destination with millions of tourists coming here every year.

In the next few posts, I will tell you about the towns I visited.

Umbria, Italy- Todi and Spoleto

Todi is a picturesque medieval hill town with storybook charm in the southern part of Umbria, 40 minutes from Spello on the way to Rome. It is near the Tiber River, overlooking the Tiber Valley. It is surrounded by medieval, Roman and Etruscan walls. Although it's a hill town, its center at the top of the hill is flat. The central piazza, originally the Roman forum, has several beautiful medieval buildings. Sights are close together and there are good places to linger, enjoying the views and the ambiance. Todi photographs are bottom three images.

Spoleto, one of the largest towns in southern Umbria, is a hill town in Italy famous for its summer music festival, Festival dei Due Mondi, with interesting Roman, medieval, and modern sights. It was inhabited in prehistoric times and the lower parts of its wall are from the 6th century BC. Spoleto is a walled town built on a hillside with most of the sites in the compact upper town. Above Spoleto is a medieval Rocca and spanning the deep gorge to one side of the Rocca is Spoleto's most famous sight, Ponte delle Torri or Bridge of Towers (Photograph third from top.) Spoleto photographs are top three images.

Photographs are from the web.

Umbria, Italy- Hill Towns of Perugia and Assisi

A 25 minute ride from Spello takes you to a hill town almost in the very center of Italy, capital of an area known as the "Green Heart of italy." Perugia is a lively, medieval, walled hill town with historic buildings, people-filled squares and modern shops. Estruscan ruins are still visible in certain places.

Famous for its chocolate, there is a chocolate festival in October. Otherwise, walking through the narrow streets and along the walls at the edge of town for views of the valley (see bottom photograph taken from Piazza IV Novembre) is the city's top attraction. Corso Vannnucci is the main pedestrian street which is lined with elegant shops, bars and restaurants. There are art exhibits and many points of interest including Roman walls and gates and a 5th century Temple. We loved the feel of this town, great energy!! Lots of charm and interested places to explore. Looked like reasonable hotels were available- not as nice as ours in Spello, though.

Twelve miles east of Perugia is Assisi, best known as the birth place of St Francis. It is a hill town of Roman ruins, medieval streets and sacred shrines. A very popular tourist attraction, there are 3000 inhabitants and 4-5 million visitors annually. We stayed a short time, walked around a bit and then left, overwhelmed by the crowds and not so interested in visiting all the churches.

All three photographs are of Perugia.