Right on the famous Piazza Pitti, the Russian writer found lodgings where he could write.

Translated the plaque reads: In these surroundings between 1868 and 1869 wrote his novel The Idiot.

Continuing my visit to this small, modest, ancient but very fine church, let’s look at some of the artwork housed within, including:

I love how statues of holy figures in Italian churches are often adorned with rosaries and other objet.

More will follow. It may be a modest church, by Italian standards, but it is filled with wondrous artworks!

I don’t know if basketball is the right name. Please correct me if you know better.

I love all of the activity that goes on this famous and important river!

On a recent Friday evening in Florence my friends and I set out for the Palazzo Antinori, a Renaissance palace in the center of the city. The august group, The Friends of Florence, which raises money to restore precious objets in Florence, was promoting a fund-raising auction of fine wines with the Pandolfini auction house and was honored by the Antinori family hosting a reception.

But long before reaching the palace, the natural lights of this Friday night sky were magnificent!

Often my phone can’t capture natural phenomena well, but this evening was an exception. These photos are close to the original!

And as the sun went further down, the sky became more splendid!

Wow!

Double wow!

So we reached the beautiful palace and were welcomed by the patriarch of the Antinori clan in this short address. You are looking at and listening to the man who currently embodies a wine producing family concern that evolved over centuries. Bask in this moment of Florentine history with me!

We were guests of the Antinori family for a few hours on a beautiful evening in their incredible home, on the piano nobile.

Lively conversation abounded.

I loved the simplicity and elegance of a still-life tableaux. The clear class vases, filled with water, reminded me of hundreds of paintings I’ve experienced of such loveliness.

Back outside, we wandered through this magical city, which is as impressive at night as it is during the daytime. The electric lights do not photograph well, but you get the vibe.

From every angle, the duomo complex astounds me.

And, because it was before Easter, we happened upon a procession pouring out of the Duomo, about which I have already posted on March 29, 2026 if you’d like to read more about it.

Another magical evening a Firenze. Buona notte a tutti!

Like turtles, Florentines come out to bask in the sun after the winter.

But of all the places to sun, why one earth would someone go to the trouble of sunbathing in THIS particular spot??

I love love love lilacs and I rarely see them here in Florence! But I spotted these today and I was so happy!

If only I could have gotten close enough to inhale their gorgeous scent!

I recently had the good fortune to see an intarsia artist at work in his workshop in the Oltrarno section of Florence. I am happy I got some good videos and photos of him and his work. Please enjoy!

Bottega: workshop.

Below is a piece of 19th century intarsia, created in an antique (Renaissance) style. Renato just had this piece on hand.