Author: HairWeavings Editorial Team

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 17^th 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?

Sometimes, when we get older, we forget about our dreams. We forget how they made us feel – the passion, ambition, excitement, enthusiasm, desire. We forget how they once took up our entire waking moments… and probably some of our sleeping ones, too. 🙂

But those dreams are still there, maybe a little buried, perhaps a tad crumbled or crushed, but still alive and kicking and waiting for you to bring them out, shake them down and give them another look. What is even more valuable is that you have a lifetime of skills and learning, that makes the likelihood of success even greater today. Is it time to bring them out and show the world what fabulous hidden gems you have been keeping? 

No Time Like the Present

As they say, ‘The present is a gift’ but it is a gift that has no guarantee. That is the same if you are 16 or 60. There will always be a reason not to do something… no time, no money, no space, fear, anxiety, apathy. But this is yourshot at making your dreams come true; perhaps it is even your last shot. If you don’t try, you will never know. But if you take a chance, who knows what could happen, or where it might lead.

So put on your big girl pants and start writing out a to-do list. Be brave, be fearless, be bold, and take the first step towards your new future with a belief in yourself and your abilities. If others think you can’t, let them. Look yourself in the mirror, give yourself a huge smile and know you’ve got this! 

What Does Your Dream Look Like?

All of us have different dreams, and that’s exactly how it should be. For one person it could be building an empire, for another it could be walking a few blocks. What your dream is doesn’t matter at all, just start turning it into a reality. Perhaps you want to begin a new career, open a shop, design wedding dresses. Maybe you would like to set up an animal shelter, travel the world, become a new version of yourself.

What matters is that you are passionate about it, willing to work hard, and brave enough to begin… and I know you have that in you. Think about all the things you have done in your life up to this point. How many of them did you think you couldn’t do? But here you are wise, skillful, accomplished. An expert in more ways than I could mention. Wife/partner, mother, chauffeur, financier, negotiator, chef, first aider, teacher, gardener, decorator, to name just a few.

Take a Chance on You

You have probably spent your whole life making other people’s lives function. The boss who barely knew your name, the colleagues you covered for. The kids you took to school, play dates, parties, cinema, swimming, clubs. Perhaps you put your career on hold to be a mum, and then had to play catch up with your career, or took a job you were over qualified for.

Maybe now is the time to take a chance on you, bring that dream to life, take a risk, embrace uncertainty. Make yourself proud, even if it does not turn out as you wanted. Would you regret it more if you hadn’t tried? And who knows, even if that dream doesn’t work, it could take you in the direction of something even more magnificent.

Looking Back

So, when you are old, really old, and looking back at life in your 60s and 70s, I hope you are glad you took that slightly dusty old dream out of your heart. Maybe what you wanted was to get a little healthier, learn to play an instrument, or start a little side hustle. Or perhaps you aimed to become the next Colonel Sanders, Barbara Cartland or Julia Child. It really doesn’t matter as long as it was your dream, and you are proud you were brave and fearless enough to give it a go!

Please Join the Conversation:

Do you have a dream you have kept in your heart for a long time? Have you given your dream a go? What would you do if you could do anything?

We’re still reeling in from that cliffhanger.

Will their love last?

Will their love last?