18 Blog Posts about My Adventures in Italy

“Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life.”
--Anna Akhmatov

April 2023 I traveled to Italy for the first time in my life. For reasons I can only guess I’ve always felt an inward desire to one day visit this magical place. How marvelous it was when on my 70th birthday I received an all expenses paid trip to Italy from my daughter.

While there I scrawled 40 pages of notes and took what seems like a thousand photos. Upon my return I began processing my experience by writing about it on my Ennyman’s Territory blog. Assembling them here in one place enables me to share them with a single link.

1. Initial Thoughts after my first trip to Italy

2. A Brief Overview of My Italy Adventure

3. 850 Years Old and Still Looking Good: The Battistero di Parma
4. The Galileo Museum in Florence Is Worthwhile Destination

5. Liberation Day: Italy Celebrates Victory Over Fascism, With Expressions of Gratitude to the U.S.

6. 1000 Rooms of Splendor: The Palazzo Pitti
7. Bob Dylan in Italy

8. The Death of Galileo

9. The Scarpelli Mosaici

10. Michelangelo’s David… A Showstopper

11. Daniela Meza Sigala: Florence Artist’s Seriously Whimsical Paintings

12. The Teatro Farnese in Parma

13. The Duomo in Florence: A History, plus Photos

14. One of the Most Famous Paintings in Florence: Ecce Homo (Behold the Man), by Antonio Ciseri

15. The Bargello: Another “Must See” Museum In Florence

16. L’Ippogrifo Stampe d’Arte: Mastery of a Grand Tradition

17. Snapshots from Parma, 2023--A Catalog of Memories
18. The Enigmatic Whisper: Da Vinci’s La Scapigliata

If you've never been, add it to your bucket list.

1000 Rooms of Splendor: the Palazzo Pitti

1000 rooms with 1000 ceilings. How did they do it?

It was almost by chance that I ended up touring the Palazzo Pitti. I happened to be in the vicinity and had been notified that it is a vast collection of Renaissance treasures. It is located on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present palazzo dates from 1458. It was originally the residence of Luca Pitti, an ambitious Florentine banker. (Banking evidently has its perks.)

The palace was bought by the Medici family in 1549 and became the chief residence of the ruling families of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Over time it grew as a great treasure house as later generations amassed paintings, plates, jewelry and luxurious possessions. In the late 18th century, the palazzo was used as a power base by Napoleon (before he'd been tapped to become emperor of France) and later served for a brief period as the principal royal palace of the newly united Italy. In 1919, the palace and its contents were donated to the Italian people by King Victor Emmanuel III. It is now the largest museum complex in Florence.

The Pitti Palace has over 1,000 rooms. It's divided into several museums, including the Palatine Gallery, the Modern Art Gallery, the Costume Gallery, the Silver Museum, and the Museum of the Imperial and Royal Apartments. The artwork on all the ceilings alone is mind-numbing. The palace is also home to the Boboli Gardens, which modestly claims to be one of the most beautiful gardens in Florence. (You mean there are other gardens of this caliber in Florence? I can't imagine it.)

What follows are a batch of photos illuminating the variety of treasures here.

Yes, it says Rob Roy on the banner,
a Scotsman from whom I am descended.

I saw numerous paintings with dogs.
Here is a sculpture featuring a boy and his dog.

Even the tables were exquisitely designed with inlaid marble.

Another painting featuring a dog, attempting to save a young boy
from drowning. Is it too late?

Looking out across the courtyard to the Boboli Gardens

The detail in this painting captured my attention for a little bit.

It made me want to know more about the story.

Wow. Just wow.

If you're ever in Florence, Palazzo Pitti is a short walk across the river

from the Uffizi. If you're the kind of person who gets inspired by art,

you really must check it out. And if art is not your thing,

why are you in Florence? Oh, wait. There's history. And architecture.

And food. And splendor. And, oh yes... it's Italy.