I’ve been making a lot of art recently. Watercolor, collage, I’ve dabbled in acrylics (I’m not proud of the results) and using my camera more intentionally. I’m fascinated by the idea that art and the creation of art are a lifestyle that anyone can live, that life itself is an act of creating. | | | | | | I’ve been making a lot of art recently. Watercolor, collage, I’ve dabbled in acrylics (I’m not proud of the results) and using my camera more intentionally. I’m fascinated by the idea that art and the creation of art are a lifestyle that anyone can live, that life itself is an act of creating. Florence is famously an art city. As one of the most touristed places in the world (read our guide to overtourism before you go), it lives in our collective imagination because the people there are known for being artists. You can wander the many museums dedicated to the most renowned artists that ever lived, and you can get lost in the streets poking into studios in which the great-grandchild of a master leather worker still plies their trade. I’m not one for the crowds, but there are places in this world where I’m willing to stand in the long line to do the thing. That includes some of the experience in these itineraries in Italy, and especially in Florence. I’ve searched our books and articles and asked our staff for recommendations. Angelo Zinna’s list (linked in the button below) of the best things to do in Florence got me started. | | | | It's believed that Michelangelo hid for 2 months under the Cappelle Medicee – now a national monument and museum – when he displeased Pope Clement VII. In the small room where he hid, the artist busied himself by drawing all over the walls. If I were trapped in a tiny room for months, I would also doodle on a grand scale. I would love to see how this artistic master used his alone time while trapped in this space. Tickets must be booked in advance, so I'll be grabbing the first one available before enjoying the rest of the museum. | | | | | Florence celebrates and supports generations of craft people and artisans. I want to wander the streets and poke into stores like Bramada, which Editor Ann Douglas Lott says is the loveliest little shop for handmade accessories. Or L'Arte de' Ciompi Firenze, where Editor James Pham says you can buy beautiful handmade leather notebooks, one of which he’s owned and loved for 20 years. And finally, there is Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, which opened in its current iteration to the public in 1612 and began specializing in fragrances and perfumes for the Florentine elite. | I received two sandwich recommendations from my colleagues, the first from Editor Chamidae Ford, who said the meat sandwich at Da Nerbone changed her life, and the second from Photo Editor Rhia Hylton, who said the sweet pepper spread at SandwiChic was perfection. But, you’ll also find me with a scoop of gelato on a cone every afternoon I’m there. | | | | Plan your perfect trip to Florence | | | | | Photography credits: Brester Irina/Shutterstock, Cheungjoproduction/Shutterstock, lindasky76/Shutterstock, Cheungjoproduction/Shutterstock, Okunin/Shutterstock, Cheungjoproduction/Shutterstock (2), alfredogarciatv/Shutterstock | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | | |
