Europe

Remembering many wonderful trips to Europe, the first grand tour in 1965!! Here are some works on paper created from memories of trips to Spain,the Cotswolds,and Tuscany which were more recent! See more on my website www.lindadubingarfield.com

Florence- my favorite city!!

Aerial view of Florence

Glad to be back for my fourth visit to a favorite city!!

Lovely hill town with amazing architecture

Ponte Vecchio

After great flood in 60's, dams were build along the Arno River

Spectacular synagogue in Florence

Another view of the synangogue

David by Michelangelo at Galleria dell'Accademia

Florence is the capital city of Tuscany. It is the most populous city in Tuscany. Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It is considered the birthplace of the  Renaissance and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages." A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici  family and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy.

The city attracts millions of tourists each year, and the historic center of Florence  was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture  and monuments. The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics. Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I agree!!

Montecatini Terme- a gem in Tuscany

Montecatini alto connected by a Funicular

Our hotel- Montecatini Palace

Fountain in town

Main streets are filled with tourists

Main squares has live music playing

Shopping area is popular at night

Montecatini Terme is an Italian municipality in the province of Pistoia, Tuscany. The town is located at the eastern end of Piana di Lucca and is a draw for for tourism, as well as industrial and commercial industries related to the spa, which in turn has increased the interest in hotel accommodation in the region.

Montecatini Castello, corresponding to the modern Montecatini Alto, grew in the Middle Ages on a hill commanding a marshy area. A spa already existed in the village, being mentioned in 1340 document. In 1315 it was the seat of the Battle of Montecatini. In 1339 the area was conquered by the the Republic of Florence. Cosimo de' Medici built a bridge to cross the marshes, but also had the castle dismantled.

The current spa town grew after the land reclamation program of Duke Leopold II  in the late 18th century.it is charming and filled with many beautiful hotels with spa accommodations. We stayed in the Montecatini Palace which was lovely, The spa was amazing and I treated myself to two services!! The town is a tourist town with trendy restaurants and lots of shopping. the main streets are jumping in the evenings- live music in some squares.

Monte San Savino

 

Charming Tuscan hill town

Street scene in Monte San Savino

Nestled in the hill

Monte San Savino is a small hill town in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany. Monte San Savino was one of the first urban settlements in Tuscany. It originated around 1100, but a further century had to pass before Monte San Savino could be considered a center of a certain social, political and cultural importance of Tuscany in those times. But it is no longer now.

There once was a thriving Jewish community for over 2 centuries. This small town was also the birthplace of Salamone Florentino, the first Jewish poet to have place in Italian literature in the 15th century.

Chianti- Greve and Castellina in Chianti

Cobblestone streets in Greve in Chianti

Main street in Greve in Chianti

Another view of the main square

Castellina in Chianti

Castellina in Chianti

Beautiful views around Chianit

Big sky and great landscapes

The vineyards of Chianti are visible even before you cross the local government line of Greve in Chianti but, it isn’t until you actually walk into the triangular shaped square, with its stone pavement, and inhale the small town atmosphere that you can really truly say you are having a Chianti experience. Looking at the tranquil atmosphere of this fairly busy little town, one would never guess that the town of Greve, and the headquarters of the local commune, had been caught in the crossfire of Florence and Siena for hundreds of years.

this area is the best example of Tuscan regional identity, rich in natural resources and agricultural productivity.

Siena- a must see!!

Piazza del Campo

Piazzo del Campo

City Hall at Piazza del Campo- refuge in the sttorm

City Hall in Siena

Refuge during a hail storm in August!!

Synagogue in Siena

Siena- charming hill town

Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The historic center of Siena has been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.  It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions. Siena is famous for its cuisine, art and its medieval cityscape.

The Jewish community dates back to the 13th century. It is very small now but they maintain a synagogue.

Visiting on a hot August day, we were surprised to be caught in a hail storm with hail stones the size of dimes!! Luckily we took shelter in the arches of the city hall for the 40 minutes it poured and rained hail stones at us.

Returning to Tuscany

Walls of San Gimignano

Piazzo del Campo in Siena

Ponte Vecchio in Florence

Statue of David by Michelangelo at Galleria dell'Accademia

View of Pitigliano

Tuscany is a region in Central Italy with an area of about 8,900 square miles and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (Firenze). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, traditions, history, artistic legacy, and its influence on culture. It is regarded as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and has been home to many figures influential in the history of art and science, and contains well-known museums such as the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace. Tuscany produces  wines and olive oil. Having a strong linguistic and cultural identity, it is sometimes considered "a nation within a nation".

Tuscany is traditionally a popular destination in Italy and the main tourist destinations by number of tourist arrivals are Florence, Pisa, and Montecatini Terme.

Seven Tuscan localities have been designated World Heritage sites: the historic center of Florence (1982); the Cathedral square of Pisa (1987); the historical centre of San Gimignano (1990); the historical centre of Siena (1995); the historical centre of Pienza  (1996); the Val d'Orcia (2004), and the Medici Villas and Gardens (2013). Tuscany has over 120 protected nature reserves, making Tuscany and its capital Florence popular tourist destinations that attract millions of tourists every year. In 2012, the city of Florence was the world's 89th most visited city, with over 1.834 million arrivals.

I have been to Tuscany three times before, but visited some places I had not been and returned to others. This trip I visited San Gimignano,  Montecatini Terme, Monte San Sevino, Chianti, and Ferrara for the first time. I also returned to Florence, Siena, Pitigliano, Venice (not really in Tuscany but always worth a visit)

More details to follow in new posts. Stay tuned...

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.