Hi, everyone! I'm so excited to share one of my favorite places in Florence with you -- The Uffizi Gallery. The Gallery is located in the center of the city, only a few short blocks south of the Duomo. So many famous Italian artworks are housed here. Have you ever heard of Michelangelo's David, The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, or Raphael's Madonna and Child? They're all located here in Florence! This makes sense because Florence is known as the home of the Italian Renaissance. The Renaissance, or Il Rinasciamento in Italian, refers to the period from around 1300 to about 1525 in Italy when artists and writers began to look back to ancient Greek and Roman examples to inspire their work. "Renaissance" means "rebirth" in French, so this name refers to the rebirth of classical culture. We'll discuss more about what that means on our next call together.
I've included a photo of my favorite piece from the Uffizi Gallery, called the Ognissanti Madonna. I know this painting isn't what most people would consider beautiful; so can you think of reasons why it might be my favorite? What does the word "art" mean to you, and do you have a favorite famous piece? Do you make art yourself?
