Tuscany Gardens

http://www.traveltuscany.net/tuscanytours_garden.htm

The Garden at Villa della Petraia

State owned. Open Tuesday - Sunday. 9:00AM - 4:30PM

Ticket: 2 Euro
"Of particular interest in this 16 th century villa is the lovely entrance hall covered with a glass skylight once serving as a stylish ballroom. It also houses many 17 th century frescoes. In the Italian-style garden is the famous fountain of 'Fiorenze emerging from the water' sculptured by Giombologna. There is also a delightful English park with groves of oak, pine and cedar."

Fiorenze Fountain

Frescos

Le Cascine

Owned by the Town Council (Comune di Firenze).

"The gardens extend for 3 kilometres along the shores of the River Arno and is great for the daily jog or simply strolling in the shade of hundreds of trees. There is a market held here every Tuesday morning from 8am until lunchtime." 

Opening Times: always open.

-Le Casine is the biggest park in Florence (2 miles) .

-This park was once owned by the Medici family.

What could I do there?

People often come to jog, walk their dog, play games or just enjoy the beautiful trees with their loved ones (or alone!)

Every Tuesday, from 8:00-2:00 people can come to Le Cascine to shop. People come to buy and sell a variety of things such as clothes, shoes, fresh fruit and vegetables. 

Giotto Di Bondone

Along with Cimbue, Giotto is considered one of the first Renaissance Artist. Supposedly, Giotto was greatly influenced by the work and teaching of Cimbue. It is said that Cimbue found Giotto drawing sheep. When Cimbue saw how life like this drawing was, he asked Giotto to be his apprentice. However, many historians argue that Giotto was never taught by Cimbue at all.

Giotto was a painter and an architect.


As an architect, Giotto is most famous for The Bell Tower at the Cathedral in Florence. The colors come from three different Italian marbles.

As a painter, Giotto is most famous for his fresco cycle in the Arena (or Scrovegni) Chapel in Padua. This chapel was commissioned by Enricho degli Scrovegni to be used as a place of worship and a burial space for his family and himself.

This fresco cycle completely covers the interior wall and ceiling surfaces. The cycle is divided into 37 scenes. This starts with the story of Joachim and Anna, who were the parents of Mary.

Joachim Meets Anna at the Golden Gate.

The Annunciation of Anna.

and continued on with the life of Mary:

The Birth of Mary

Mary Presented at the Temple.

along with the life and death of Jesus:

The Nativity

Massacre of the Innocents

The Baptism of Christ

Raising of Lazarus

Christ enters Jerusalem

The kiss of Judas

  

Crucifixion

 The Pieta

The Resurrection: Noli Me Tangere

Giotto was breaking away from Byzantine style and starting the Renaissance era. Because of this, his figures were not stylized or elongated. Garments hang naturally and have weight and form rather than swirling formalized drapery.

Giotto was thought of as having set a new standard for representational painting. It also said that he re-introduced the technique of drawing accurately from life which had been neglected for 200 years.

More Example of Giotto's work: 

Giotto also painted chapels for four different florentine families in the the church of Santa Croce. These include:

The Bardi Chapel, The Peruzzi Chapel, The Giugni Chapel and The Tosinghi Spinelli Chapel

                               The Bardi Chapel

 The Peruzzi Chapel

Ognissanti Madonna

Another famous painting by Giotto is an alter piece in Florence called Ognissanti Madonna. This alter piece was painted for the church of the Ognissanti in Florence. (Ognissanti meaning all saints.) This is a large, 10 foot painting. This painting was actually undocumented but almost all scholars agree that it is the work of Giotto. This peice is famously exhibited beside Cimbue's "Santa Trinita Madonna"and Duccio's "Rucellai Madonna."  (Shown below) 

Duccio's "Rucellai Madonna"

Cimabue's "Santa Trinita Madonna"

Front

Back

In 1320, giotto finished the Stefaneschi Triptych. which is now in the Vatican Museum.