You don’t need to have been to Italy or studied history of art to recognise that the country has one of the finest artistic legacies in the Western World. Over the centuries, Italy has influenced major movements and produced generations of creative geniuses from as far back as the Etruscans, through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and into the 17th century Baroque period and beyond.
Quite simply, the selection of extraordinary art on offer in Italy is vast. But a two-week holiday there doesn’t leave you with masses of time, and the chances are you’ll only want the art to be one element of a more varied trip.
So how do you prioritise?
The temptation is to head for the most popular and best known masterpieces – think Michelangelo, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Caravaggio. But what if you prefer something less traditional? Or maybe even prefer to be outdoors rather than in a gallery or museum? The individual nature of art makes it so important to visit what you enjoy rather than ticking off a ‘seen that’ list.
Fortunately, the art scene is sufficiently varied to cater to all tastes, so here are some of my top tips for finding an art experience in Italy that will work best for you.
Take in a Must-See Masterpiece
Accept that you’re not going to get to see everything and that less can be more. Rather like resisting temptation at a buffet! So which are the standout heroes in Italy’s art world? Michelangelo’s statue of David (Accademia Gallery, Florence) and frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican never fail to amaze.
But Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper (Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan) and Botticelli’s Birth of Venus (Uffizi Gallery, Florence) are equally extraordinary. Raphael was one of the great artists of the High Renaissance but anything by Tintoretto, Bernini, Mantegna and Piero della Francesca is also likely to feature on any art-lovers bucket list. And that’s just for starters!
Focus on One Artist
Focusing on a single artist is one way of not being totally overwhelmed by too much splendour. One of my favourite artists is Piero della Francesca, a painter from the early Renaissance. While his works are scattered round the world, you can feast your eyes on some of his greatest works in Arezzo and the nearby towns of Monterchi and Sansepolcro at the same time as exploring Umbria’s medieval history and rural landscapes.
Enjoy Art Without the Crowds
The downside to visiting the most celebrated works in Florence, Rome and Venice is that they frequently come hand in hand with crowds and hefty entrance prices. Pre-booking tickets is essential if you want to avoid hours of queueing. So how do you get to see some of the art world’s greats without the queues?
One option is to stick to Italy’s smaller, less touristy towns. Two of my favourites are Padua and Mantua, quite close to each other in northern Italy. The big attraction in Padua is the incredible Scrovegni Chapel, home to a cycle of Giotto frescoes.
Mantua, meanwhile, despite its relatively small size, boasts elegant palaces, and multiple art and architectural treasures thanks to its former rule by the wealthy and powerful Gonzaga family. Art highlights include the Ducal Palace, home to Mantegna’s Camera degli Sposi fresco cycle, and Palazzo Te where floor to ceiling frescoes fill the Hall of the Giants.
Explore Italy’s Ancient Art
Want to step right back in time? Rarely does art dazzle as much as the Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna. Set in the region of Emilia Romagna, these extraordinary mosaics date back to the early Christian and Byzantine periods and are amongst the most magnificent collection of mosaics anywhere in the world. Housed in a cluster of churches and baptisteries, the mosaics are a brilliant testimony to the period between the Roman empire and the rise of medieval Europe.
Enjoy Street Art and Murals
But who wants to be indoors when the sun’s shining! And this is where street art really comes into its own. The island of Sardinia is the homeland of Italian muralism and nowhere is it more evident than in Orgosolo where 150 murals decorate its streets, telling the story of the Pratobello revolution. The nearby villages of Mamoiada and Fonni are also famous for their murals.
Sculpture parks and outdoor exhibits are another great way of exploring art in Italy. The Chianti Sculpture Park close to Siena is home to a series of installations but if you’re lucky enough to be on holiday with grandchildren, the Gaudi-esque Giardino dei Tarocchi (Tarot Garden) in Capalbio, Tuscany is guaranteed to please.
Find Local Arts and Crafts
One of the joys of a holiday anywhere must surely be the thrill of wandering and discovering locally produced arts and crafts, perhaps even finding something to take home as a memento or a gift, whether pottery, ceramics, stained glass or jewellery.
Ceramics from Caltagirone in Sicily and Venetian glass immediately spring to mind but there are plenty of others. In Tuscany, seek out locally carved alabaster trinkets in Volterra and ceramics and crystalware in Colle Val d’Elsa, a beautiful medieval town which is the last stop on our Tuscan Harvest tour.
Seeing Art on a Budget
One of the downsides to visiting galleries and museums can be the cost, particularly if you want to cram in several different places. You can ease the pain slightly by buying a city pass. For example, a Firenze Card gives you access to over 60 museums over a 3-day period. But you can also see a fair bit for free!
Of course, just walking through the streets of many of Italy’s towns and cities can be an art lesson in its own right, but in Florence, head for the Piazza della Signoria where the giant copy of the statue of Michelangelo’s David stands in front of the Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi houses sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini and Giambologna. And, remember too, that on the first Sunday of each month, many Italian state sites and monuments are free.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Do you enjoy visiting art galleries? Who is your favourite Italian artist? Do you prefer traditional or modern art?
