Florentine Renaissance Sources and Documents
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Sources Geographical
- Commune di Firenze Official Web site of Florence and its suburbs: information on museums, libraries, cultural events; plus roadworks, the budget, planning for the future of Florence, etc.
- Firenze.net "Where to go and what to do in Florence." From sites on Brunelleschi to online journals to what's playing at the local cinema.
- Firenze by Net Links to sources especially for longer-term visitors (or those who wish to be).
- The Duomo webcam Live (well, almost) photos taken by a camera atop the Duomo and whisked off to you via the WWW.
- "From the Rooftops of Florence." From a camera on the terrace of the Hotel Minerva.
- University of Florence Maybe you could finish that degree in Florence.
- All about the lovely ATAF buses Or, how to get to I Tatti in Settignano.
- Some Web cams Ponte Vecchio, Cupola of the Duomo.
Sources Art Historical
Libraries and Research Institutes
- Archivio di Stato di Firenze With links to the Archivio Communale and to the Archivi in other cities in Italy.
- Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze An extensive resource that very much repays some patience on the visitor's part.
- Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz Including a link to their online catalogue.
- Istituto Nazionale di Studi sul Romascimento. Located in Palazzo Strozzi. Has an excellent small library on the Italian Renaissance, open to the public.
- Gabinetto Scientifico Letterario G.P. Vieusseux. Also located in Palazzo Strozzi.
- Biblioteca Riccardiana Especially important for its manuscript collections.
- Biblioteca Marucelliana Primarily modern period studies.
- Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana Otherwise known as the Laurentian Library, part of the church complex of San Lorenzo. Designed by Michelangelo; has important manuscript exhibitions.
- Dutch University Institute for Art History Florence "...provides scholars and students from the Netherlands and elsewhere with accommodation, research and publication opportunities and the use of its library in a city with extraordinary resources for art historical research and international academic training and exchange."
Museums
- Musei fiorentini A site devoted to the Museums of Florence; descriptions of collections, opening hours, some photographs.
- Sculpture. Almost all of the museums and many of the churches. Includes a map and some images of the works in the collections.
- Accademia Gallery
- Museo Bardini
- The Bargello
- Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine
- Museum of the Opera del Duomo Images and many links.
- Virtual Uffizi
- The Official Uffizi Gallery Site
- Institute and Museum of the History of Science Famous for its collections of scientific instruments, such as Galileo's telescope ("eppure si muove...").
Palaces, Villas and Other Notable Buildings
- Palazzo Davanzati
- Palazzo Medici.
- Palazzo Medici. With a drawing of what it originally looked like.
- Palazzo Rucellai. By the way, there's a study-abroad program there now!
- Palazzo Antinori Built by Giuliano da Maiano in 1460, it is also home to the Gonzaga University program (see below).
- Palazzo Strozzi. The official Web site!
- Palazzo Strozzi: exterior. and the interior, showing the courtyard. Built by Benedetto da Maiano and Il Cronica, over the years 1489 to 1539.
- Palazzo Corsini
- Historical Villas around Florence. With opening hours and links to photograhs for some.
- Medici Villas in Florence and its Surroundings Part of a larger Web site on Florence put together by the Commune.
- Architecture of Florence, Italy From the site "Great Buildings Online."
- Santa Maria del Fiore (il Duomo) Virtual views of the Duomo and Baptistery.
- Piazza della Signoria See what it looks like in the summer!
- San Miniato al Monte Some excellent photographs of the exterior and interior; text sometimes a bit dodgy ("Giotto's baptistery"?).
Florentine Painting and Sculpture
- Virtual Tour of the Italian Renaissance Sculpture collection of the MFA, Boston.
- Monumental Sculpture from Renaissance Florence Restored statues from Orsanmichele have come to visit the National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2005/2006.
Some Useful Online Research Sources for the Renaissance Art Historian
- Fratelli Alinari Browse the Alinari photography catalog and order online.
- IRIS: Associazione di Biblioteche Storico Artistiche e Umanistiche a Firenze The online, searchable catalogues of several important art historical libraries in and around Florence, including the Biblioteca Berenson, degli Uffizi, della Fondazione R. Longhi, dell'Ist. Naz. Studi sul Rinascimento, and others.
- Online catalog of the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Know before you go.
- University of Florence online catalogue
Some Courses about and in Florence
You know, Italy's always been a good place to hide while the world crashes in around you. It is said that there are over 250 U.S. sponsored programs in Florence; here are a few (plus some others) to get you going. These are some academic sites I've found on the Web; I'm not necessarily recommending any of them.
- The University of Florence
- European University Institute
- The British Institute of Florence An experience all by itself.
- Arizona State University's Summer Program in Florence
- Italian Medieval and Renaissance Art From Boston University at Capitignano.
- California State University Year-long program in Florence. You need to be a student at one of the CSU campuses.
- Columbia College Chicago Summer Session in Florence.
- Duke University summer program in Florence and Rome (Mostly Rome)
- Fairfield University Semester and year-long program. Appears to be of immense size.
- Gonzaga-in-Florence Their course on Renaissance Art.
- Harding University in Florence Not much information on courses.
- Iowa State University The site for their Semester in Florence program.
- Sarah Lawrence College in Italy
- The Renaissance in Florence A study abroad course offered by Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
- Monmouth University, New Jersey Fall semster program in Florence.
- Portland Community College One-semester program in Florence.
- Pratt Institute Florentine Art and Culture
- Syracuse University Perhaps the largest program in Florence, with large programs in many undergraduate subjects and an M.A. program in art history.
Often Recommended Hotels in Florence, Especially for the Budget-Challenged
These come from past personal experience, or were recommended on various list-servs. Note the Ritz is not included.
- Two well-known "low-cost hotels", both in the Santa Croce area:
- Hotel Annalena Note that this is now a three-star hotel.
- Pensione Sorelle Bandini
- Hotel Medici "Inexpensive place near the Duomo...just around the corner from the Piazza della Repubblica [it] is ideally located and, with a 2-star rating, is reasonably priced." From the CAAH listserv, 18 September 2009.
- Hotel Cestelli ..."a nice, affordable place for me in the past. They are very friendly and have a website" (see above). From the CAAH listserv, 18 September 2009.
- Suore Oblate dell'Assunzione (convent). From the CAAH listserv, 18 September 2009. Described as simply furnished, with a pretty garden (some rooms overlook it), with an 11 pm curfew (a bit tough for Florence--no nightlife allowed). If that doesn't bother you, there are convents throughout Italy available for lodging. Here is a link to Monastery Stays, with photos and links to other convents. Some are for women only; this one is open to all:
Borgo Pinti, 15 Phone: 055.248.0582; Fax: 055.234.6291 11pm curfew- Albergo Fiorino, "which is in Via Osteria del Guanto right off Via dei Neri, behind Palazzo Vecchio" From the CAAH listserv, 26 April 2007. Currently (18 September 2009) listed as a three-star hotel.
Above right: Luca della Robbia, Portrait of a Young Woman 1465, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence. Lower right: Detail of the facade of San Miniato al Monte, Florence.
General Index to Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture Sites
The Trecento
The Quattrocento
The Cinquecento
Other Italian Renaissance Cities
