Many of the best early Renaissance paintings and altarpieces by Fra Angelico are exhibited in the San Marco Museum in Florence. The pilgrims’ hospice of the former convent of San Marco in Florence has the world’s largest collection of altarpieces and paintings by Fra Angelico. Famous altarpieces on display include the Deposition from Santa Trinita, the Annalena Altarpiece, … [Read more...]
Visit Frederiksborg Slot Castle near Copenhagen in Denmark
Frederiksborg Slot is the largest Renaissance castle in Scandinavia and has the Museum of National History of Denmark – a popular day-trip from Copenhagen Frederiksborg Castle is home to the vast Museum of National History (Det Nationalhistoriske Museum). The rooms of this former royal palace are filled with portraits, history paintings, furniture, and decorative art … [Read more...]
Visit Santa Croce in Florence to See Giotto Frescoes and Michelangelo’s Grave
The art in the Church of Santa Croce in Florence includes frescoes by Giotto and Taddeo Gaddi and the oft-visited tombs or funeral monuments for Michelangelo, Dante, Galileo, and others. The Basilica of Santa Croce is one of the great Gothic churches of central Florence. This large Franciscan church is filled with art including magnificent frescoes by Giotto and his … [Read more...]
Visit the Piccolomini Library (Libreria Piccolomini) in Siena Cathedral
The Piccolomini Library (Libreria Piccolomini) inside Siena Cathedral is a colorful Renaissance highlight in the otherwise predominantly Romanesque-Gothic Duomo. The Piccolomini Library is in a single hall accessible only from inside the cathedral of Siena. Although a number of significant codices are on display, the main reason to visit is to admire the colorful frescoes … [Read more...]
Visit San Zeno Maggiore Church in Verona, Italy
The large Basilica San Zeno Maggiore is the finest church in Verona and one of the most important Romanesque churches in Northern Italy. San Zeno Maggiore is architecturally the most important church in Verona. This large Romanesque basilica, with cloisters and a separate bell tower, was part of a Benedictine monastery that often housed the German Roman emperors. The … [Read more...]
Enjoy Best Views of Venice from San Giorgio Maggiore
Visit the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore for some of the finest panoramic views of Venice in Italy including San Marco, the Doge’s Palace, and the Grand Canal. Some of the best views of Venice can be enjoyed from the campanile of the San Giorgio Maggiore church. From the square in front of the church, visitors can enjoy marvelous views for free of the Doge’s Palace … [Read more...]
Transportation to Chenonceau Chateau in the Loire Region of France
Driving is the best option for most visitors to Château de Chenonceau but public transportation and day-trip tours are alternatives. Getting to Château de Chenonceau on the Cher River in the Loire region of France is easiest by car but public transportation is also available with trains arriving from Tours and Bourges. Cycling is an option from Amboise and other towns in … [Read more...]
Visit Renaissance Egeskov Slot Castle in Denmark
Romantic Egeskov Slot is a living castle with fun park for families, museums, and beautiful gardens located on the island Funen near Odense in Denmark. Renaissance Egeskov Slot is an impossibly romantic moated castle with one of the most beautiful gardens in Denmark. It is a truly family-friendly destination with a very large fun park, a variety of play areas, a treetop … [Read more...]
Visit Clos Lucé – Leonardo da Vinci’s Home in Amboise
Leonardo da Vinci spent his final three years in Amboise in a chateau now housing a museum with models of his designs. Château du Clos LucĂ© is a relatively small 15th-century palace in the Loire town Amboise. The chateau was the childhood home of King Francis I but much more famously the palace where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final three years as the guest of the king of … [Read more...]
Visiting Chateau de Valencay in Berry, France Centre
Chateau de Valencay in Berry near the Loire was the home of Talleyrand and served as state guesthouse during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. Chateau de Valencay is an impressive palace with marvelous formal gardens, a large nature park, a maze, animals, and play areas for children. Valencay served as state guesthouse during the times of Napoleon Bonaparte and was the country … [Read more...]
Visiting Château de Chenonceau in France
Château de Chenonceau is the most romantic castle and the most popular monument to see in the Loire region of France. Château de Chenonceau is the most popular and arguably the most recognizable chateau in the Loire Valley. This incredibly romantic Renaissance chateau celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2013. Château de Chenonceau is most famous for it gallery that spans the … [Read more...]
Historic Chenonceau – The Ladies’ Chateau
Chenonceau, the Ladies’ chateau, has an interesting history as royal residence in the Loire and center of power in the 16th-century Kingdom of France. Romantic Château de Chenonceau celebrated its official 500th anniversary at the start of 2013. When construction of the present Renaissance palace started in 1513, few could have expected that in the following century … [Read more...]