De Duomo is een van de opmerkelijkste gebouwen van Casale Monferrato. Pas sinds 1474 geldt het gebouw als de kathedraal van Casale Monferrato: in dat jaar kreeg het stadje zijn eerste bisschop. De geschiedenis van de Duomo gaat echter veel verder terug. Dat geldt ook voor de verering van de…
Wie de kerk van San Domenico in Casale Monferrato wil bezoeken, moet dat bezoek goed plannen. De immense en indrukwekkende kerk is namelijk zelden open voor het publiek. Zondagochtend tussen 9:30 en 11:30 uur zouden de deuren echter geopend moeten zijn, en dat bleek toen wij aankwamen gelukkig ook het…
There is a lot to see in the basilica of Santo Spirito in Oltrarno, and there is a lot more to tell about the building, but unfortunately it is difficult to tell this story and simultaneously show images. The main reason is that it is strictly prohibited to take pictures…
The old refectory (cenacolo) of the Santo Spirito complex houses a very special museum, administered by the Fondazione Salvatore Romano. In the museum we can see the personal collection of the art dealer and collector of ancient art Salvatore Romano (1875-1955). Romano was originally from the town of Meta on…
In the north of Florence there used to be a large monastic complex administered by Camaldolese nuns. This complex of Sant’Apollonia, dedicated to a saint who had all of her teeth pulled out, was founded in 1339. The convent was disbanded in the second half of the nineteenth century and…
None of my travel guides mention the church of San Remigio in Florence, but thanks to a question from one of my colleagues I did end up there during my last stay in the city. He was doing research on a Dutch painter from the nineteenth century who had travelled…
The church of Sant’Ambrogio adjoins a charming little square full of bars and terraces. I happened to pass by the church on a lovely evening, when many people were sitting outside on benches or on the steps of the church. A band was playing enthusiastically, but unfortunately it got a…
A square box at the corner of the Via de’ Cerretani and Via de’ Vecchietti. I think that is a fair description of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The church is in fact one of the oldest in Florence. There is probably no truth in the story that it…
The church of Santa Maria a Ricorboli is not mentioned in any travel guide. There was a considerable chance that I would never have visited it, had it not been discussed on the best website about churches in Florence, the unrivalled The Churches of Florence. The article there mentioned a…
The church of Santa Felicita stands close to the famous Ponte Vecchio. Its history goes back to the early Christian age, but in its current form the Santa Felicita dates from the eighteenth century. The most interesting art in the building is older, with most tourists visiting the church because…
One of the main goals of my last trip to Florence was viewing the works of the famous painter Giotto (ca. 1266-1337) that I had not seen previously. Of course it is not always possible to attribute works to this innovative master with certainty, so I had already broadened my…
Between 1238 and 1751 the patriarchs of Aquileia usually resided in Udine. Initially the castle of the city was their residence, but at the end of the sixteenth century that building was commandeered by the Venetian governor. The patriarchs – who were all Venetians too by the way – thereupon…
The castle of Udine is situated on an artificial hill of which the history goes back to the Bronze Age. There is no truth whatsoever in the legend that it was Attila the Hun who had the hill created in 452 so that he could witness the destruction of the…
The Piazza della Libertà is the most famous square in the centre of Udine. It is dominated by two buildings. On the south side we find the Loggia del Lionello, the former city hall of Udine, which looks a lot like the Doge’s Palace in Venice. And on the north…
The museum of the cathedral of Udine is housed in the octagonal bell-tower of the building and in a couple of chapels to the left of the choir. The ground floor of the bell-tower previously served as the baptistery of the cathedral, which also explains its octagonal shape. Regretfully the…
Udine is not the most touristic city in Italy. It was nice and quiet in both the museums and the restaurants, while there was ample space in the underground car park. One of the main goals of our visit to the city was of course its Duomo, of which the…
Het Museo dell’Opera del Duomo opende in 1986 zijn deuren voor het publiek. In 2015 gingen die deuren weer dicht voor een broodnodige renovatie en herinrichting van de zalen, maar sinds 2019 kunnen bezoekers weer genieten van allerhande prachtige beelden, schilderijen en andere voorwerpen afkomstig uit de verschillende gebouwen van…
In de kerk van Santa Caterina in Pisa is veel te zien, als je het tenminste kúnt zien. Het was in de kerk namelijk ongelooflijk donker toen ik haar in april 2023 bezocht. Bovendien bleek een van de belangrijkste kunstwerken in de kerk spoorloos verdwenen te zijn. Ik doel dan…
Op weg terug naar het station van Pisa liep ik toevallig langs de kerk van San Sisto. Direct vielen de veelkleurige decoratieve schalen onder de dakrand me op. Zulke schalen waren vaak buit die in de Middeleeuwen werd behaald tijdens aanvallen op en rooftochten in islamitische gebieden. En Pisa was…
Het was 25 april 2023, de dag waarop de Italianen hun Festa della Liberazione oftewel Bevrijdingsdag vieren. Ik was met een volle trein naar Pisa gereisd en wandelde door de stad op zoek naar interessante kerken die ik nog niet eerder had aangedaan. Zo kwam ik, even ten noorden van…