Photo-journal by Dr. Brandy Stark
Dr. Brandy Stark has long had an affinity for antiquity. She has studied ancient and Renaissance Italy (in particular) and traveled to Florence recently. Florence is unique in terms of its preservation as a Renaissance gem: “Built on the site of an Etruscan settlement, Florence, the symbol of the Renaissance, rose to economic and cultural pre-eminence under the Medici in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its 600 years of extraordinary artistic activity can be seen above all in the 13th-century cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore), the Church of Santa Croce, the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace, the work of great masters such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Michelangelo” (UNESCO World Heritage Centre).
See Professor Stark’s photo-journal of her travels in Italy:
UNESCO notes that “The Historic Centre of Florence can be perceived as a unique social and urban achievement, the result of persistent and long-lasting creativity, which includes museums, churches, buildings and artworks of immeasurable worth. Florence had an overwhelming influence on the development of architecture and the fine arts, first in Italy, and then in Europe. It is within the context of Florence that the concept of the Renaissance came to be. This heritage bestows upon Florence unique historical and aesthetic qualities” (World Heritage Centre).
Thank you, Dr. Stark!