arttrav.com

Augusto De Luca (born 1955) photographs in black and white, with an attention to composition and the minimal elements required to tell a story, be the subject a person or a city. Sometimes realist, sometimes metaphysical, from De Luca we can learn how to approach an Italian city through a personal lens in a way that doesn’t make the result look like a standard postcard (or Instagram post). Professional photographer since the 1970s, De Luca has published numerous books and has held exhibitions in museums and cultural centers in Italy and abroad, and even at the Camera dei Deputati in Rome. Augusto De Luca said one thing that really struck me; for me this encapsulates the challenge of the real photographer, especially now, in the Instagram era, when every part of a city is recorded on its location tag.

I’ve been assured that it’s hard to create something horrible because Cheloni has created base blends, tried and true combinations, and a sure-fire method to let total neophytes like me make their own perfume. I’m reminded of the invention of cake mixes: they ingeniously required the addition of key ingredients like eggs and milk in order for the 1950s housewife to feel like she made the cake. Cheloni’s assistant Matilde Bini is my expert guide; she gets started by asking me what brand of perfume I usually like or wear. There are two types of people: those who remain connected to one perfume in a lifetime, and those who like to change.

This blog has 15 years worth of articles about Florence and Rome to search through, so I’ll provide links to some relevant articles as well. the birthplace of the Renaissance Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance and, as such, it’s a city rich with must-see art for the Renaissance art-lover. It’s been ages since I’ve written a Florence itinerary because I find it hard to limit myself in a city I know so well, though back in 2011, I published this 3-day Florence itinerary and the historical content there is still perfectly valid. While Florence and Venice were Republics, many other cities flourished under enlightened rulers; these city states, best exemplified by Mantova and Urbino, represent yet another important chapter in Italian Renaissance art.

Then, last year, I posted a photo on Instagram of a gorgeous table topped with romantic lights set in a Chianti vineyard, and many of you said you’d love to do that. The location was Querceto di Castellina, and the good news is that this has become a much-anticipated annual event organized by the winery’s young and friendly owners. Querceto is a family-run organic winery and agriturismo near Castellina in Chianti, in the Chianti Classico wine-producing zone of Tuscany. As the sky began to darken and the “blue hour” began, we walked a short way up to a small, walled vineyard where a long table has been laid under twinkling fairy-lights – a real dream come true!