Council of Regional Arts

Visiting the stunningly beautiful city of Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance and cultural center of Tuscany is always an amazing experience. It is very easy to see how artists could be continuously inspired simply from taking up residence in Florence. The natural beauty of the city and surrounding hills has the ability to make even the most jaded holiday traveler stop and ponder. Drinking a bottle of wine on the steps of Piazza Michelangelo, taking a slow Sunday stroll along the Arno or spending a day in the Uffizi contemplating how so much talent was concentrated in this area all are part of the experience that is Florence.

The beauty of Florence is absorbed through all five senses in addition to through the mind, and living like a native Florentine will make your visit that much more rewarding. Rather than staying in one of the huge number of hotels that Florence boasts, staying in an apartment that is adapted as a holiday residence will give you an experience that is much closer to that of living like a local. Returning to an apartment after a day of soaking up culture before a night of soaking up fabulous Tuscan food is a relaxing transition and could make you want to take up permanent residence.

There is also a great diversity in what type and location of apartment you have available. Whether your preference is for the pulsing center of the city or the scenic and tranquil surrounding hills that are only a few minutes outside of the city you can find an apartment that can meet or exceed all your expectations. The range of holiday residences is immense, and virtually everyone, from a 20-something couple to a family with small children, can find fabulous apartments that will make the experience of visiting the birthplace of the Renaissance that much more unforgettable.

To really enjoy your holiday in Florence you only need to stay in the city center, in order to reach the most important museums and works of art directly by foot. It is certainly the best way to discover the beauties of this wonderful city, while at the same time doing a little movement! If you are looking for a place to stay on a budget, there are many cheap solutions to choose: a holiday apartment in the center of Florence, for instance, is the ideal place to spend a relaxing holiday without spending a fortune.

A holiday apartment has some distinct differences and advantages over a hotel room. Firstly, the size, a slightly larger space can mean a world of difference in how comfortable you are. Of course, having a kitchen at your disposal is amazingly convenient and gives you the opportunity to do a little experimenting with the art of Tuscan cookery that is as renowned as the painting and sculpture. Lastly, and most importantly, is the feeling of being at home. Taking up residence in this beautiful city is a dream for many, and living, even temporarily, in a Florentine apartment offers a small sense of fulfilling that dream.

Do you usually link Renaissance to advances in medicine? Typically, when we talk about the Renaissance period, we talk about an explosion of learning and creativity. From paintings to music, this was a tremendous time for the arts in particular. However, the era of the Renaissance, which lasted from the middle 1400s until the 1700s, also featured major developments in European medicine. Here are some of the important facts surrounding the Renaissance period and medicine:

1. New knowledge and inventions improved medicine

A flurry of new knowledge and inventions helped to advance medicine quickly, during the Renaissance. There were no instruments yet to observe bacteria, and thus create a need for cheap urbane scrubs. However, diagrams of the human body and the printing press both had a huge influence on the world of medicine. Thus, doctors had a better comprehension of how the human body functioned, than during any previous era in Europe’s history.

2. Galen was no longer king

During the previous Middle Ages, the medical world considered Galen’s writings to be infallible. Galen was an ancient Greek living in Rome, who had developed the concepts of Hippocrates, “The Father of Medicine.”

However, during the Renaissance, doctors took a more practical and academic approach to training in their profession. Medical students studied from books with realistic diagrams of humans. In addition to better books, doctors-in-training also had access to more of them, thanks to the invention of the printing press. In fact, universities even permitted students to dissect humans, towards the end of the Renaissance. This practice had previously been limited to animals.

3. Science began to supersede spirituality

During the Renaissance, people still held to some spiritual reasoning regarding diseases. For instance, people were unaware that bacteria existed, and could spread from person-to-person. However, logic became king, due to a new wealth of knowledge available, and an efficient way to distribute it faster-the printing press. In addition, the training for surgical procedures greatly improved. Apprentices would learn surgical techniques, from an active surgeon. Interestingly, universities themselves failed to supply doctors-in-training with these skills. Nevertheless, the improvements in textbooks about human anatomy significantly boosted the complexity of the surgeries that doctors did.

4. Many did not embrace advances in medicine

While the Renaissance ushered in a new era of medical knowledge and skills, not everyone was impressed. During the Renaissance, home remedies remained a vital aspect of medical treatment, for many people. In fact, some people still sought treatments from local shaman who lacked formal training in the medical profession. Also, many “old-school” doctors and the Catholic Church still adhered to the teachings of Galen. However, within time, medical advances during the Renaissance would revolutionize the whole professional.

The Renaissance was clearly an era of enlightenment and developments. Besides the fantastic output in the arts, the medical profession flourished as well. While doctors were yet unaware of bacteria or the need to wear scrubs during surgeries, they were nonetheless learning. Essentially starting with the Renaissance, spiritual doctors were becoming scientific doctors!

Height: 9 ft., more than renaissance art drapery folds . Length: 9 ft. more rococo/country style poster bed with headboard . Delivery: 8 weeks. Price/Value: n/a, but more expensive than cabinet fireproof . Sold together with queen anne …

I was intrigued by Lara Broeke’s current work on the translation into modern English of Cennino Cennini’s “Libro dell’Arte”, the 15th century “how to” book on Renaissance Art, which, amongst many others, includes techniques and recipes …

I was intrigued by Lara Broeke’s current work on the translation into modern English of Cennino Cennini’s “Libro dell’Arte”, the 15th century “how to” book on Renaissance Art, which, amongst many others, includes techniques and recipes …