• 21 minutes 41 seconds
    Episode 382 - Sicily - Palermo Cathedral
    Originally built in the 12th century, Palermo Cathedral was continually modified for the next six centuries. While much of its original and rather exotic Norman architecture survives on the exterior, the interior is entirely Neoclassical in design. Palermo Cathedral is home to the tomb of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and the remains Palermo's patron saint, Santa Rosalia.
    13 May 2026, 10:30 am
  • 22 minutes 21 seconds
    Episode 381 - Palermo - 3,000 Years of History, Beauty, and Traditions

    Founded by the Phoenicians nearly 3,000 years ago, Palermo subsequently became a Greek, Carthaginian, Roman, Arab, and Norman city. This mix of civilizations is palpable in Palermo art, architecture, food, and customs of the city. This podcast explores this magical Sicilian city's three millennia of history, beauty, and traditions.

    6 May 2026, 10:30 am
  • 20 minutes 24 seconds
    Episode 380 - The Soul of Sicily
    The Italian Island of Sicily is one of the most magical places on earth. Embraced by the Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian, and Ionian Seas, kissed by warm sunshine nearly year-round, home to three active volcanoes – the largest of which, "Her Majesty," Mt. Etna, looms over the island like a sleeping giant – and a multi-colored landscape that includes forests, farmland, and arid fields, Sicily, it seems, was truly favored by the gods, both past and present.
    29 April 2026, 10:30 am
  • 27 minutes 20 seconds
    Episode 379 - Answers to Open Questions Part XXVIII

    From the origins of the name "Rialto," to mysterious statues on the facade of Florence Cathedral, to the connection between Piero della Francesca and Caravaggio, to the reason why the red pigment in Fra Angelico's frescoes glitter, to great Italian Renaissance art in England, and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists, and history of the Italian Renaissance.

    22 April 2026, 10:30 am
  • 22 minutes 44 seconds
    Episode 378 - Florence: Palazzo Davanzati
    Built in the 14th century for the Davizzi family, before being sold to the Davanzati family in the 16th century, the Palazzo Davanzati is today home of the "Museum of the Old Florentine House." The various floors showcase domestic spaces and household objects to recreate life in a medieval Florentine home.
    15 April 2026, 10:30 am
  • 21 minutes 21 seconds
    Episode 377 - Florence - the Museum of Santa Maria Novella
    The Museum of Santa Maria Novella is in the convent of the great Dominican complex of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy. It consists of a series of cloisters and spaces that house various artistic masterpieces including the frescoes of the Spanish Chapel, Paolo Uccello's "Stories of Noah, Abraham, and Jacob," and Suor Plautilla Nelli's (who was a Dominican nun and painter) once lost "Last Supper."
    8 April 2026, 10:30 am
  • 26 minutes 25 seconds
    Episode 376 - Florence: The Museum of Santa Croce
    The Museum of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy, occupies the former refectory and wing of the Franciscan convent that separated two cloisters. It includes the celebrated Pazzi Chapel, a "God the Father" statue by Bacio Bandinelli, Taddeo Gaddi's "Lignum Vitae," Donatello's "St. Louis of Toulouse," and Giorgio Vasari's "Last Supper."
    1 April 2026, 10:30 am
  • 30 minutes 12 seconds
    Episode 375 - Florence - The Pitti Palace (Palatine Gallery)

    Originally part of the residence of the Medici dynasty, the Palatine Gallery encompasses the entire second floor of the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy. Its collection includes the largest concentration of paintings by Raphael in the world, as well as works by Titian, Artemisia Gentileschi, Andrea del Sarto, Caravaggio, and Rubens. The paintings in their lavish frames entirely cover the walls of the rooms.

    25 March 2026, 10:30 am
  • 23 minutes 5 seconds
    Episode 374 - Naples - The Archeological Museum
    The Archeological Museum in Naples, Italy, contains one of the world's most important collections of ancient Greco-Roman art and artifacts. The collection includes the "Farnese Bull" - the largest ancient sculpture ever recovered, the "Farnese Hercules," the "Farnese Atlas," and the spectacular "Alexander Mosaic" from Pompeii which depicts an episode of the legendary Battle of Issus between Alexander the Great and Daris III. The museum is also home to an extraordinary collection of ancient engraved gems, jewels, and cameos.
    18 March 2026, 10:30 am
  • 29 minutes 28 seconds
    Episode 373 - Naples - The Capodimonte Museum
    Sometimes referred to as "the Uffizi of southern Italy," the Capodimonte Museum in Naples, Italy, houses one of the world's most important collections of Italian Renaissance painting. It includes masterpieces such as the "Crucifixion" by Masaccio, Titian's "Danaë" and "Portrait of Pope Paul III," Caravaggio's "Flagellation," and Artemisia Gentileschi's "Judith and Holofernes," just to name a few.
    11 March 2026, 10:30 am
  • 26 minutes 44 seconds
    Episode 372 - Parma - The National Gallery
    Located in the remains of the 16th-century Palazzo del Pilotta, once the royal residence of the Farnese dukes of Parma, the National Gallery houses one of Italy's premier collections of Renaissance paintings. It includes masterpieces by Fra Angelico, Correggio, Parmigianino, and Leonardo da Vinci.
    4 March 2026, 11:30 am
  • More Episodes? Get the App