Birthplace of the Renaissance and for centuries the centre of Western Civilisation, Italy has made an immense contribution to Europe’s historical and cultural heritage. Holiday makers with an interest in art or culture therefore enjoy a wealth of opportunities to explore some of the world’s most incredible masterpieces of art and architecture.
Anyone with a passion [...]

Tapestries are a woven wall hanging that depicts a scene or famous painting. Medieval and renaissance tapestries were first developed in Europe to decorate castles and large churches. At first they were primarily of religious scenes and later to depict historical events. Kings and other nobility would hire artists to make a tapestry of historical [...]

While many people associate costumes with children and the Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating, increasing numbers of adults are rediscovering the joy that comes from dressing in period costumes. Thanks to the influence of Renaissance Faires and the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), adults are embracing costumes and accessories that hearken back to the late Middle [...]

This major cultural rebirth and revival began in Italy during the 1300’s and spread throughout Europe until around 1650.
Here are a few of the historical milestones during this period of great change.
Lorenzo de Medici (MED-uh-chee) (1449-1492) was a prominent ruler of Florence, Italy who was also a strong patron of many great artists of that [...]