Rebuilding The Renaissance

Covering some 6,500m 2  (70,000ft 2 ), 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 c...

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 influ...

Originally built in the 14 th  century, the Dominican church and convent were both renovated in the 16 th 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...

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 cha...

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 Sic...

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 M...

Built as a royal chapel in the 12 th 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 12 th 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 12 th 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,...

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...

Built in the 14th century for the Davizzi family, before being sold to the Davanzati family in the 16 th 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 Sup...

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 t...

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 Alexan...

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.