Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Florence FREE”
This article originally appeared in the December 2023/January 2024 issue of Dream of Italy. To cope with record-high tourist numbers, Italy has generated new and creative ways to welcome and entertain visitors. This coming year promises a renewed love and appreciation for locomotive travel, ancestry-inspired tours and a fresh Italian Capital of Culture sure to bring a new side of the …
This article originally appeared in the December 2023/January 2024 issue of Dream of Italy. Read about what else is new in 2024 here! Extensive restoration of this church, former monastery and grain storehouse is complete. Florence’s Orsanmichele church and museum are now open to the public. The church’s marble tabernacle, honoring the Madonna delle Grazie, is conserved in shining splendor. This …
Under the Medici Chapels in the Bargello Museum in Florence, a secret room held a secret set of drawings on its walls believed to belong to Michelangelo Buonarroti, an artist who needs no introduction. The drawings in the room, which was accessible through a trap door, remained hidden and unbeknownst to even members of the museum staff until plans to renovate the …
We are here to make your Italian dreams come true! Win four nights at a beautiful Florence apartment from Italy Perfect! – One winner will receive four consecutive nights for up to four guests staying together at a select Italy Perfect vacation apartment rental in Florence, Italy. This prize is valued at approximately $2,500-$4,000 USD. You can redeem this prize …
Transcript with Show Notes Embedded: Lisa Byrne: The idea of fractional ownership is that you own a share in a property. Now, it’s not a timeshare, but you actually have deeded ownership in a property where you can stay for a month a year and enjoy feeling like a local. Kathy McCabe: This is Kathy McCabe. Welcome to the …
This Editor’s Note originally appeared in the October/November 2022 issue of Dream of Italy. Members receive access to more than 180 back issues—if you’re not a member, join here. For the past year I’ve been hearing so many people talking about their desire to spend more time in Italy and to have that time be much more than a vacation. This post-Covid …
This Editor’s Note originally appeared in the February/March 2022 issue of Dream of Italy. Members receive access to nearly 190 back issues—if you’re not a member, join here. As you’ve just read on the facing page, one of our new features, Dream Day in Italy, is just a snippet of something exciting and authentic to experience in Italy. My friend Valerie …
All three versions of Michelangelo’s Pietà are now on display at the Museo Opera del Duomo in Florence (you might recognize the museum from the Florence episode of Dream of Italy’s PBS TV show). The title of the exhibit, Le Tre Pietà di Michelangelo: Non vi si pensa quanto sangue costa (“We do not think of how much blood it costs”), …
This article originally appeared in the December 2021/January 2022 issue of Dream of Italy. Members receive access to more than 180 back issues—if you’re not a member, join here. I love introducing our readers to foreigners who have created fascinating lives in Italy! Twin sisters Lisa and Toni Brancatisano are two such people. Lisa, a trained fashion designer, embodies creativity, …
This interview originally appeared in the book Dream of Italy: Travel, Transform and Thrive. Not only did we profile Mary Gray, she also was a key contributor to the book, writing more than 80 pages on moving to and living in Italy. We consider her quite the expert on expat Italian life! Mary Gray was born and raised in Mississippi and originally …
