Three Towers In Tuscany

Sofia is trained in secret as a painter in her father's workshop during a time when women did not paint openly. She loves her work, but her restless spirit leads her to betray her extraordinary gifts to marry a man who comes to despise her for not producing a son. After Sofia's father is crushed by his own fresco during an attack motivated by a vendetta, Sofia realizes she must escape her loveless marriage. She flees to Siena, where, disguised as a boy, she paints again. When her work attracts the notice of a nobleman who discovers the woman under the dirty smock, Sofia is faced with a choice that nearly destroys her. Meticulously researched settings and compelling characters are united with a strong heroine in this rich portrait of medieval Italy.

This volume examines the aristocracy in Tuscany and in England across a period of two and a half centuries (1000-1250). It deals first with Tuscany, tracing the history of the aristocracy and illustrating its nature and evolution, and observing aristocratic behaviour and attitudes, and how aristocrats related to other members of society. Peter Coss then examines the history of England in the same periods. It is not, however, a comparative history, but employs Italian insights to look at the aristocracy in England and to move away from the traditional interpretation which revolves around Magna Carta and the idea of English exceptionalism. By offering a study of the aristocracy across a wide time-frame and with themes drawn from Italian historiography, Coss offers a new approach to studying aristocracy within its own contexts.

This book will be of interest to students of both children’s literature and gender studies. It re-examines a period long considered to be of poor quality as regards children’s books. It explores a range of themes, such as female agency, power and courage, and additionally gives a linguistic analysis of selected texts. The book adopts a socio-cultural approach, placing the authors in their historical context. By focusing on a small number of authors in depth, it discovers subtleties perhaps ignored by a broad-brush approach. While reflecting their era in some respects, these writers also demonstrated individuality in their representation of gender, offering a wider range of models to their readers than previous critics have acknowledged.

Here is everything you imagined Tuscany to be: palazzi, villas and churches, vineyards and lofty cypresses. Masterpieces of Renaissance painting and sculpture are there, but so is a great Chianti with a plate of steaming pasta. After the pageant of Siena's Palio, the magic towers of San Gimignano and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, take it easy on a beach at Viareggio and do some designer shopping in Florence. Tuscany is eternal.

Mussolini&’s bold claims upon the monuments and rhetoric of ancient Rome have been the subject of a number of recent books. D. Medina Lasansky shows us a much less familiar side of the cultural politics of Italian Fascism, tracing its wide-ranging efforts to adapt the nation&’s medieval and Renaissance heritage to satisfy the regime&’s programs of national regeneration. Anyone acquainted with the beauties of Tuscany will be surprised to learn that architects, planners, and administrators working within Fascist programs fabricated much of what today&’s tourists admire as authentic. Public squares, town halls, palaces, gardens, and civic rituals (including the famed Palio of Siena) were all &“restored&” to suit a vision of the past shaped by Fascist notions of virile power, social order, and national achievement in the arts. Ultimately, Lasansky forces readers to question long-standing assumptions about the Renaissance even as she expands the parameters of what constitutes Fascist culture. The arguments in The Renaissance Perfected are based in fresh archival evidence and a rich collection of illustrations, many reproduced for the first time, ranging from photographs and architectural drawings to tourist posters and film stills. Lasansky&’s groundbreaking book will be essential reading for students of medieval, Renaissance, and twentieth-century Italy as well as all those concerned with visual culture, architectural preservation, heritage studies, and tourism studies.

The eBook version of updated Green Guide Tuscany, organized by district for easy travel, presents the best of the region. Discover its Alpine peaks and valleys, explore a landscape of vineyards, grain fields, sunflowers and olive trees. Visit breath-taking cities, such as Renaissance Florence and Siena; and enjoy the glamorous coast with its picturesque ports and idyllic beach coves. From San Gimignano’s towers to the Tuscan Archipelago, Michelin's celebrated star-rating system, respected maps and trusted advice ensure an unforgettable journey. In this eBook you’ll find: • Full-color photos and plenty of detail travelers look for. • Attractions reviewed and rated, using Michelin's celebrated star-rating system, from the Romanesque architecture of three-star Lucca to the arcaded streets of one-star Poppi. • Walk-throughs of major museums, galleries, churches and attractions. Illustrations and floor plans are often included to pick out the highlights of major attractions. • Michelin walking and driving tours for a more in-depth, personal experience of the country. Take a driving tour through Chianti, or explore Siena's Piazza del Campo by foot. • Comprehensive illustrated sections on modern-day Tuscany, its art, architecture, history and culture, all written by experts in their fields. • Sidebars throughout the guide on intriguing topics from Michelangelo's crucifix and Botticelli to the Elba's semi-precious stones. • Detailed visitor information for every attraction, opening hours, entry fees, tour times, phone, website. • Michelin area and city maps. • Recommendations for great places to eat and stay for every budget. Download onto any kind of eReader (tablet or smartphone), and you’re set to go. Use the guide to orient yourself at any time with a treasure trove of 40+ detailed maps, even if you’re offline with no Wi-Fi or 3G connection. With the interactive navigation, it’s easy to move within the guide. Click from the index to a point of interest or from a sight description to its location on the map. With one touch, you can even phone an establishment directly from the page or click through to a website for more information. No matter what eReader you use, with the Green Guide Tuscany eBook in hand, you’re ready for adventure and exploration, and will experience an unforgettable journey.