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Dante at the Gallerie degli Uffizi: a journey through artworks inspired by the Supreme Poet
Few authors have inspired artists of the calibre of Giotto, Botticelli, Raffaello and Michelangelo as much as Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), still world-renowned for his Divina Commedia. A man of prose and poetry, Dante was forced to leave his native Florence due to political strife. Yet the city still preserves many traces of his enduring fame.
Like a modern-day Virgil, we will guide you through the halls of the Gallerie degli Uffizi to discover some of the most evocative works linked to the Supreme Poet and his words.
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BeCulture is the platform dedicated to culture, created to accompany and facilitate travellers, art enthusiasts and the curious in visiting cities, museums and cultural institutions. Through in-depth information and thematic routes, you can create a customised visit built around your interests. A unique and secure purchase that includes tickets, publishing and official and certified merchandise. AVOID THE
Giambologna’s Mercurio: an unrivalled icon of Florentine Mannerism
Determined, talented and tenacious, Giambologna – born Jean de Boulogne – is one of the leading figures of sixteenth-century Italy, and even today, anyone visiting Florence cannot help but admire his works. Among the most remarkable, celebrated and widely reproduced is certainly his Mercurio volante (1580, Florence, Museo del Bargello), now a true symbol of Mannerism and its daring formal balancing acts.
The beauty of ugliness: a fresh look at art between the 15th and 16th Centuries
Throughout the history of Western art, Ugliness has undergone a fascinating evolution. Initially viewed as a mere negation of beauty, it gradually acquired the status of an aesthetic category. This shift in taste and culture makes it even harder to define what is considered beautiful or ugly in art.
We’ve selected a few themes that highlight the concept of ugliness between the 15th and 16th centuries.
Florentine high craftsmanship: the historic Fonderia artistica Marinell
The story of the Fonderia Artistica Marinelli spans many years, built on ancient expertise and family traditions, where art and the highest Florentine craftsmanship merge to create one-of-a-kind works to admire and collect.
We spoke with its owner, Ferdinando Marinelli – grandson and namesake of the historic founder – to learn more about the foundry’s work, which still relies today on the fascinating 16th century technique of lost-wax bronze casting.
Sculpting space: discovering Michelangelo the architect
A supreme sculptor, an outstanding painter, Michelangelo was also an architect and writer – even though, by his own admission, he claimed he was neither. Yet he produced numerous verses in rhyme (published posthumously) and designed several buildings in both Florence and Rome. Many of his architectural projects were never even started, but among those that did take shape, we have chosen three that profoundly revolutionized traditional forms – an innovative spirit Michelangelo brought to every art form he mastered.
Greek mythology: stories of gods and heroes in painting and sculpture
From its earliest origins to the dawn of civilization and beyond, Greek myth has never ceased to captivate writers, philosophers, and artists. It survived Roman conquests, barbarian invasions, Christian reinterpretations, and more, arriving down through the ages largely thanks to the works of painters and sculptors who immortalized its stories. From the Renaissance onward, gods, heroes, and ancient figures reemerged, rediscovered and celebrated for their feats or their political, ethical, and moral significance. Let’s explore some of the most famous masterpieces dedicated to classical mythology.
Dante at the Gallerie degli Uffizi: a journey through artworks inspired by the Supreme Poet
Few authors have inspired artists of the calibre of Giotto, Botticelli, Raffaello and Michelangelo as much as Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), still world-renowned for his Divina Commedia. A man of prose and poetry, Dante was forced to leave his native Florence due to political strife. Yet the city still preserves many traces of his enduring fame.
Like a modern-day Virgil, we will guide you through the halls of the Gallerie degli Uffizi to discover some of the most evocative works linked to the Supreme Poet and his words.
Giambologna’s Mercurio: an unrivalled icon of Florentine Mannerism
Determined, talented and tenacious, Giambologna – born Jean de Boulogne – is one of the leading figures of sixteenth-century Italy, and even today, anyone visiting Florence cannot help but admire his works. Among the most remarkable, celebrated and widely reproduced is certainly his Mercurio volante (1580, Florence, Museo del Bargello), now a true symbol of Mannerism and its daring formal balancing acts.
The beauty of ugliness: a fresh look at art between the 15th and 16th Centuries
Throughout the history of Western art, Ugliness has undergone a fascinating evolution. Initially viewed as a mere negation of beauty, it gradually acquired the status of an aesthetic category. This shift in taste and culture makes it even harder to define what is considered beautiful or ugly in art.
We’ve selected a few themes that highlight the concept of ugliness between the 15th and 16th centuries.
Florentine high craftsmanship: the historic Fonderia artistica Marinell
The story of the Fonderia Artistica Marinelli spans many years, built on ancient expertise and family traditions, where art and the highest Florentine craftsmanship merge to create one-of-a-kind works to admire and collect.
We spoke with its owner, Ferdinando Marinelli – grandson and namesake of the historic founder – to learn more about the foundry’s work, which still relies today on the fascinating 16th century technique of lost-wax bronze casting.
Sculpting space: discovering Michelangelo the architect
A supreme sculptor, an outstanding painter, Michelangelo was also an architect and writer – even though, by his own admission, he claimed he was neither. Yet he produced numerous verses in rhyme (published posthumously) and designed several buildings in both Florence and Rome. Many of his architectural projects were never even started, but among those that did take shape, we have chosen three that profoundly revolutionized traditional forms – an innovative spirit Michelangelo brought to every art form he mastered.
Greek mythology: stories of gods and heroes in painting and sculpture
From its earliest origins to the dawn of civilization and beyond, Greek myth has never ceased to captivate writers, philosophers, and artists. It survived Roman conquests, barbarian invasions, Christian reinterpretations, and more, arriving down through the ages largely thanks to the works of painters and sculptors who immortalized its stories. From the Renaissance onward, gods, heroes, and ancient figures reemerged, rediscovered and celebrated for their feats or their political, ethical, and moral significance. Let’s explore some of the most famous masterpieces dedicated to classical mythology.
