Month: January 2018

Female Artists in Italy

Photo by Author

By Alyssa Schultz

Today Florence is full of creative women, but what about Florence of the past?

For centuries it has been male artists who have attracted the interest of art historians. Great collectors and museums have barely paid attention to the existence of talented female artists from periods such as the Italian Renaissance and Baroque period. Women like Artemisia Gentileschi and Plautilla Nelli are not as widely known as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Even by doing a simple Google search, looking for Italian renaissance artists, not one top result is a female artist. This may also be due to the fact that women had to be self-taught. Female artists were not able to study at universities. They were also not allowed to study anatomy and it was illegal for them to sell their artwork. Now, times are starting to change. Over the last decade, more than 40 works of art by female artists have been restored to their original dignity and returned to the museum spotlight. This is because of the AWA: Advancing Women Artists Foundation. Florence is known for its excellence in the arts, and the female artists of the Renaissance paved the way for women in the arts today.

See more of Florence and Italy at FUA’s FB, Instagram, and Twitter.

Hidden Florence: Costa San Giorgio

Photo by Author

By Alyssa Schultz

One student’s perspective on the neighborhood of Costa San Giorgio.

When I first arrived in Florence, I was in a shuttle from the airport, dropping off other students from my program. I was becoming intrigued about where my home would be for the next few weeks. Until, I was the last student on the shuttle. We were suddenly driving over the Arno River, away from everything, or so I thought. We were driving through the winding roads, going higher up into the hills, surrounded by trees. At the time, I had no idea the amount of art and culture that lived in my backyard. That was until multiple Florentines told me how lucky I was to be living on Costa San Giorgio; how it was one of their favorite neighborhoods in the city. But all I could think about was the hill I had to climb daily to get to my apartment. After Costa San Giorgio came up multiple times, I decided to go find out why locals loved it so much.

I did a little research and the things I found were incredible. To start there was Palazzo Pitti, which contains works by Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael, Rubens, and so many more. Attached to Palazzo Pitti are the Boboli Gardens which consist of 11 acres. It is one of the largest public parks in Florence and I had no idea that it was there, hidden behind the walls that surround it. Another short walk from my apartment brings you to the Piazzale Michelangelo. This is where I believe the best views in Florence are. You can see it all; the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, and even the mountains in the distance.

These places are just a small preview of the art and history that is in this neighborhood. I cannot even begin to describe the amount of food, wine, and shopping that is available. After seeing all my neighborhood has to offer, I am grateful to be living on Costa San Giorgio for the weeks that I am here. I can now appreciate the beauty, art, culture, and especially the people. It is not just some hill I have to climb!

Photo by Author

See more of Florence and Italy at FUA’s FB, Instagram, and Twitter.