holidays in florence italy

Crystals and mineral exhibition at the Specola Museum in Florence

from 01/04/2009 to 30/06/2012

The exhibition's title is "Crystal. the world's most Dazzling exhibition ", will be through an extension in Florence until 2012.

Displaying more than 500 pieces, Giazotto collection is one of the most important and famous collection of crystals, thanks to its extraordinary variety and aesthetic richness of items arriving from all over the world. Among the wonderful pieces of this peculiar collection, you can find crystals of tourmaline, aquamarine, topaz and quartz surprising for their colours and nuances, agglomerates of eccentric shapes that evocate living creatures or suggest the idea of motion.

The history of the collection coincides with that of its creator. A particle physicist, head of important scientific projects and globe-trotter, Adalberto Giazotto is enraptured by the magic of crystals since his first childhood and, like many other children, begins a collection that, in the course of time, will become a “wonderful” obsession. Looking for the “beautiful” and the “unique”, he expends much of his energies, travelling all over the part of the world, to take possession of a rare item. He buys a single item from anonymous colliers Pakistani, Brazilian, Chinese, or he buys entire collections or parts of them, such as, for instance, the one of Titta Ruffo (son of the great singer) in 1984, initially made of 1500 pieces, among which emerged silver of Kongsberg, a chrysoberyl, many tourmalines and beryls. An important acquisition dates back to 2001, it’s the collection of Gerlando Bennardo who had worked several years in the Giumentaro mine. Besides the sulphurs, the collection was made of exceptional blue celestite on orange sulphur from the mine La Grasta, incredible crystals of gypsum on sulphur and aragonites of Cianciana similar to aquamarine in shape and colour. As from 2003 Giazotto dedicated more and more attention and time to minerals and since then, a certain number of exceptional pieces has entered the collection: minerals from Russia, China, Pakistan, Brazil, Afghanistan.

The show displays the best of the collection with items of extraordinary quality. Among them, we can cite: the piece of cuprite of Onganja, Namibia; the big fascicolated elbaite of Paprok, Afghanistan, the elbaite of Coronel Murta, Brazil; the crystal of gypsum of Niccioleta, Tuscany.

In occasion of this show it will be reopened the railing between Giardino di Boboli of Palazzo Pitti and the Specola, restoring, not only virtually, that pathway of art and science that, at the time of Leopoldo of Lorena had much splendour. The historical agreement has been signed

All About the crystals and the exhibition

A crystal (from greek κρúσταλλος, krýstallos,ice) is made of atoms, associated in a geometrically regular disposition that repeats itself indefinitely in the three space dimensions. Enchanting and unknown world, crystals have been object of search, collecting, study, and commerce, occupying from the beginning, a prominent position, in economic and scientific history, in the evolution of culture, art and even medicine. Crystals are the most evident expression of the intimate nature of minerals and, more generically, of matter in the solid state.

They can form in different habitats and chemical-physical conditions and they can be characterized by different speed of growth and by different reachable sizes. The time factor plays a critical role. For the formation of big crystals it’s necessary that the chemical-physical condition don’t change much, otherwise the crystal, doesn’t only quit growing, but it can even start to dissolve. Another fundamental factor is the space: it’s very unlikely that a crystal can grow without saturating the entire available surface and, therefore, without losing its connotation of crystal separated from others. Perfect crystals are the result of undisturbed and regular growth, that in rocks, may happen into hollows and clefts. You can find crystals in every type of rock and the mineralogical species, found in nature until today, are more than 4000.

Nevertheless, though the most of them crystallize, only a few can supply crystals of such a considerable dimension to be appreciated with the naked eye and only a few dozen can generate crystals able to grow items of aesthetically relevant dimensions. There is a wide range of geological habitats where crystals grow, from the deepest placed at a depth of even more than 100 km where they are included in the rocks, like diamond, to the intermediate and superficial where they grow in the rocks of crystallized hollows.

The crystals of minerals that, thanks to characteristics like resistance, hardness, good colour, high transparency and high refractive index can supply hard stones, precious and semiprecious, grow generally in the earth’s crust at a depth ranging from 3 to 12 kilometres. Crystals, at any depth they grew, after being preserved in the mother.-rock, also for a very long time, if exposed to atmospheric agents are rapidly destroyed. The show in the end, means to stir a reflection on the concept of “ subsurface ecology”. Most of the crystals in the show, actually come from exhausted mines.

It is evident how the growing demand of the world economy for energy and raw materials, is driving to a rapid and generalized exhaustion of layers and mineral resources. These last, actually, once extracted and used, can’t be reconstituted. As we know that some of the crystals in the show formed more than a billion years ago, it’s totally evident that they can’t grow, if not in another equally long time. So, as there is an ecological consciousness towards the animal and vegetable kingdom, it is necessary to awaken the public opinion also towards this category of naturalistic goods that, otherwise is threatened with extinction.
Scroll upScroll down

Information for the visit

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30 to 16.30 (closed Mondays)
Tickets: € 6 - 3 low; cumulative (+ Observatory Crystals) 10 euro - 5 euros reduced.

Guided tours: For reservations from Monday to Friday from 10.00 to 14.00
tel 0552346760 - fax 0552346760
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web: www.mostracristallifirenze.it

The collections of gems: Cameos and carvings of the Medici at the Museum of the Argenti in Florence

from March 25 to June 27, 2010

In the Renaissance the collection was an activity that characterized him in the rediscovery of the ancient.
Cameos and carvings were eagerly sought by Popes, Cardinals and Princes sparking bitter conflict between lovers, raising the figures to win the desired part.

Why was so used to collecting cameos.

The fashion for collecting gems and carvings were also given the difficulty of engraving and precious gems that had need of other very expensive and rare and fatal errors being put to the test the work of months or even years.

Were also attributed to the special magical powers and mysterious carvings below the material used and the subject depicted. Finally, objects were very well transportable and valuable, so as to become a wonderful gift for famous people, but also a capital to draw on in times of difficulty.

The collection of the Medici

Since the '400 Doctors developed a special fondness for the engravings on precious stones and precious collections in one of the most famous collections of history for all generations of the family that grew over the centuries the amount of gems.

The Show

The exhibition will be shown the complex history of this collection, starting from this treasure of those who constitute Cosimo, Piero and Lorenzo de 'Medici in particular. It accords a prominent place in regulated and cameos and carvings, as the sample called prestigious "Seal of Nero" a beautiful carnelian with Apollo and Marsyas celebrated by a large number of writers and artists.

Some of the authors of gauzy depictions carved in gems Medici: Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello, and Sandro Botticelli have produced a wide variety of books, manuscripts, medals, drawings, paintings and sculptures to demonstrate the great fortune of specimens held by doctors. Even Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo drew elements derived from the engraved stones are completely new.

In the Medici gems is observed recovery of a sense of balance and measure the characteristic of classical proportions.

Ticket

The admission fee which includes the Silver Museum, the Boboli Gardens, the museum of porcelain, the Bardini Garden and Costume Gallery at Palazzo Pitti, costs 10 €.
For EU citizens between 18 and 25 years reduced the ticket is 5 €
While EU citizens are 18 and over 65 years is free.

Schedules, reservations and closing

Hours: Monday-Sunday
8:15 to 18:30 in April, May
8:15 to 19:30 in June

Closed: every first and last Mondays of the month
The ticket office closes one hour before the museum

For information and reservations:
Florence Museums
055. 2654321
The reservation for school groups is free and compulsory
www.unannoadarte.it

Donatello Bed and Breakfast in Tuscany

My name is Mary…I am a single Canadian woman who likes to travel.

I love to travel in Italy!  The warmth of the Italian people is outstanding and unique in the world.  Italy is indeed sheer perfection. The family and the community are still a top priority. From the moment my plane lands in Florence I find that the atmosphere is charged with sunshine and happiness. This is my third trip to Florence to enjoy “la dolce vita”.

On my very first trip I discovered such a wonderful place to stay. Simone Biliotti, the owner, has created "a home away from home". The Donatello Bed and Breakfast in Tuscany is in the nicest residential part of Florence, just steps to the medieval centre.

On this visit, a big cup of my favourite tea greets me upon arrival. Right away I can email my family back home of my safe arrival from Simone's modern computer centre.

On my first night in Florence I always go to dine at EDI House, a few blocks away, choosing a panzerotti and a small beer. The evening stroll home reveals the wonderful surrounding neighbourhood.

For my first night I easily relax in my charming room with a private hot shower, my favourite calming balm and a choice of DVDs to watch in the comfort of my room. There is no substitute for a comfortable bed and the cleanest accommodation is always appreciated when one is away from home.

In the morning I enjoy a breakfast which includes lots of fruit!! There are so many ways to have coffee here in The Donatello Bed and Breakfast in Tuscany that a tea drinker like myself can easily be persuaded to try one. There is a grocery mart around the block, with a friendly staff. I buy a few simple items to store in the modern kitchen for the odd night that I want to eat in.

When I do dine out it is nice, beyond nice!     I use the suggestions from Simone who knows all of the most delicious places to eat. His recommendation for gelato was out of this world!!  Florence at night is s wonderful. After a nice dinner I like to pop into Edison, the best book store in town, then step out to listen to the live music in the piazza under the stars.

I love my Italian activities.  Typically I have lunch at the Cafe Postal where they serve tea, shop for leather purses in the Market and buy night wear at Firinni's. which is  my absolute favourite store here .

Florence is a walker's paradise, I however am a fan of mass transit so I always get a bus pass and travel throughout the city and beyond on the ATAF. There is a city bus map posted in The Donatello Bed and Breakfast in Tuscany

The number 13 bus, which stops right in front of the B and B, circles the city. Day or night one can take this bus to the top of the city –what a vista!!!

With the number 7 bus , I go to Fiesole . It is a short 15 minute ride up the hill to the original Florence and the setting for the film, A Room with a View.   I just stroll about and enjoy a picnic on a bench with a view .

I also look for a list of local music concerts and current exhibits. This year I note that a  Galileo show is on at the Piazza Strozzi. Last year it was Cezanne. There is always something new in this most creative city.

The Uffizi Art Gallery and the statue of David are the MUST DOs and the Ponte Vecchio is the MUST SEE. near this wonderful old bridge there is a wonderful glove shop, Madovas, that provides a special souvenir of Florence. In February, when I put on my Italian leather gloves , I am reminded of Italy and dream of my next visit.