Some candid and random shots with almost no historic information! Just what I saw and was attracted to shoot this day in late February 2026. Enjoy this quirky tour!

I don’t know why, but I love seeing modern technology used on these medieval or ancient monuments in Italy! It just makes me smile for some reason.

I always light a few candles for my loved ones whenever I’m in a church. And I’m atheist. Again, quirky.

I always smile at these often silly neoclassical 19th century productions.

The meridian lines in major churches are of great interest to me. In the photo below you can see the line inscribed in the pavement in bronze.

They weren’t just reviewing/cleaning/whatver on the exterior of the building! They were vacuuming the inside as well on this day!

Below, inside the beautiful basilica, looking toward the altar.

Ok, I lied. Here’s some historical info.

Of course the painting I most wanted to see, the Trinity by Masaccio, is under scaffolding and being restored. If I had a nickel….

The Giotto Crucifix.

Nest we are in my favorite chapel in all of Italy. The Ghirlandaio frescos in the Bardi Chapel behind the altar. On this day I was joined by schoolchildren, who in Italy have this artistic heritage running in their veins. Such lucky kids!

And of course my favorite scene from the entire fresco cycle is under restoration. If I had a dime….

I love these casual everyday moments sometimes inserted in 15th century paintings.

Love, love, love the costumes and hairstyles of the women.

So much to see. I’ll be back soon with part 2.

La Cappella Strozzi, Overview of the chapel from the east.

The construction of the Dominican basilica of Santa Maria Novella began in 1246, and was essentially completed by the start of the 14th-century.

Chapels dedicated to certain elite families began to fill the sacred spaces near the altar shortly after the basilica was completed. The Strozzi Chapel is one example of such chapels, (known formally as the Cappella Strozzi di Mantova because the man who commissioned it was exiled in Mantua at the time ). It is situated on an elevated level at the end of the left transept. Tommaso Strozzi and his brothers were the sons of Rosso di Gerio Strozzi, who died in 1316. The chapel was constructed and decorated between 1340 and 1348. The Strozzi were one of the wealthiest of Florentine families, having attained wealth and influence through their trading and banking businesses beginning in the early 1300s. By creating this lavish chapel they hoped to atone for their usury.

Nardo di Cione, brother of Orcagna, painted the frescoes between 1354 and 1357. He was assisted by his Giovanni Del Biondo. These frescoes are the best of Nardo’s extant works.

Unlike earlier family chapels, this fresco program is devoted almost exclusively to a depiction of theLast Judgment, which takes up all three walls. The pictorial program of the frescoes is articulated like a triptych, with the Last Judgment on the west wall as the core of the ensemble and Paradise on the south wall as the pendant to Hell on the north wall. The frescoes were inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy and painting on the West wall includes a portrait of Dante.

The gold encrusted altarpiece, The Redeemer with the Madonna and Saints, was completed by Andrea di Cione (known as Orcagna), brother of Nardo di Cione who was commissioned to paint the frescoes here between 1351 – 1357. Tommaso Strozzi was the patron.

I must gratefully acknowledge that all of the excellent photography of the chapel are from this site: https://www.wga.hu/html_m/n/nardo/strozzi/index.html

I spent a lot of time in this chapel recently, studying the walls and vaulted ceiling, and try as I might I could not make decent photos. The light is poor and inconsistent, so I’m grateful for the internet yet again!

The Last Judgement, on West wall behind the altarpiece

Detail of the Blessed from the Last Judgement fresco:

Detail of the Damned, from the Last Judgement fresco:

Paradise, South wall

Detail of Paradise:

Another detail from Paradise:

Hell, North wall

Detail from Hell:

The vault

The Strozzi Chapel is home to one of the most important altarpieces of the Trecento, painted by Orcagna (Andrea di Cione) between 1354 and 1357. Orcagna was the brother of Nardo di Cione who was commissioned to paint the fresco cycle. I will devote a separate post to the altarpiece later.

Strangers in Time. Great book about the War effect on London.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. My oh my! I absolutely adored this book. I could not stop reading it. Highly, highly recommend!

I love children’s literature and don’t know how I could never have known of the Noel Streatfeild books, all titled around shoes! But, they were referred to in the movie You’ve Got Mail which I recently rewatched. I looked them up, and I’ve fallen in love. I’ll be back again with more of his titles, I can promise you!

What are you waiting for?! Read! Read! Read!

My almost daily percorso takes me by the water polo club in Florence called the Rari Nantes Florentia. From the 2011-2012 season the men’s team plays in the Serie A1, the top division of the Italian league.

The sport activities of Rari Nantes Florentia began in 1904. From 1904 to 2009, the swimmers of the club have amassed eighty victories in the national championships. In water polo, introduced by the Genoese Pine Valley, the club has never relegated from the first division from 1929 to today and has won 9 championships, especially during the years 1930 and 1940. In 2000 and 2001, the men’s team was ranked second behind the Posillipo. This position allows him to participate and win the LEN Cup Winners’ Cup in 2001.

In Florence, you never know what history you might be strolling by at any moment. I try to keep my eyes peeled and my mind open. Alla prossima!

You are so beautiful to me! I never tire of locating slightly different views of your fabulous medieval monuments!

Always different according to time of year, time of day.

Or even my mood can change the views I choose.

The sky, the sunlight: endless variations.

Bella Firenze!

Not me! Drug me and I’ll dance!

Oh, if only I could enter the Matisse painting and be a part of that dancing group!

Masaccio, one of the most important Renaissance painters, lived on a street in the center of Florence that I am lucky enough to often walk by. I took photos this day when I noticed the sign that announced the location of Masaccio’s house, calling the artist “the poet of perspective.”

Inspired anew for his art, soon after this day I high-tailed it over to the basilica of Santa Maria Novella to feast my eyes on Masaccio’s early masterpiece, the Trinity, only to find–as is so often the case here in Italy–that the large fresco is under scaffolding and covering while it undergoes restoration. If I had a nickel….

But, I’ll add a photo of the fresco here for you:

The city of Florence is extending the tram system in my neighborhood and in the diggings they recently accidentally discovered the skeleton of a young girl that is said to be more than 2000 years old!

Here’s the article in English.

And for some confirmation of the findings in natural English:

Marriage advice for young ladies from 1918 Suffragettes!