In Brief
Amid Lockdown, Optimistic Photos Show Dolphins and Swans Return to Venice
Images from the city show lucid canals and the unprecedented return of wildlife to the city’s waters as gondola traffic has been brought to a halt.
Italy
Art
The Layers of History Behind Raphael’s Tapestries at the Sistine Chapel
Standing in the chapel last week, I had the feeling that I was seeing something I would never see again: the Sistine Chapel not just as a complete work of art, but as a complete cultural artifact, restored to its Renaissance appearance for a fleeting moment.
News
Coronavirus Outbreak Shutters Italian Museums; Event Cancellations Continue in China and South Korea
Amid reports on six deaths from the virus, authorities have instructed museums and festivals in Italian cities like Venice, Turin, and Milan to cease their operations for at least a week.
In Brief
Raphael’s Tapestries Unite at Sistine Chapel for the First Time Since the Renaissance
The tapestries — made out of silk, wool, and gold and silver thread — have been restored over the past decade by conservationists at the Vatican Museum.
In Brief
Two Thieves Say They Stole a Gustav Klimt Painting and Returned It Over 20 Years Later
In December 2018, gardeners happened upon the “Portrait of a Lady" painting in a trash bag, concealed in a wall of the Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery in Italy.
News
Controversy Boils Over Italian Soccer League's Anti-Racism Campaign Featuring Apes
A campaign to fight racism against Black players in soccer stadiums backfired as it presented controversial images of primates to advance its message of tolerance.
In Brief
With Venice Recovery Underway, Here’s How You Can Help
Bloomberg says that a $500 donation to Save Venice will pay for a day of work for a professional conservator, while $1.1 million will single-handedly fund the restoration of one of the oldest basilicas in Venice.
Art
Are We Prepared to Look Seriously at de Chirico?
I want to resist any temptation to interpret these pictures, to reveal ‘meanings,’ instead of acknowledging the ways they underscore the strangeness of the workaday world.
News
23 Arrested and 10,000 Artifacts Seized in Crackdown on Archaeological Trafficking Ring
A sophisticated organized crime group used bulldozers and advanced metal detectors to excavate ancient artifacts in southern Italy, and deployed facilitators across Europe to traffic them.
News
Volunteers Mobilize to Save Venice’s Cultural Heritage After Historic Floods
After the Italian government declared a state of emergency and issued an international appeal for donations, locals are rushing to save the city's libraries, museums, and churches.
In Brief
Extreme Flooding in Venice Kills Two People; Biennale Shutters As Safety Precaution
Local authorities called for a state of emergency in the worst floods to hit the lagoon city in more than 50 years.
Art
How Women Artists Flourished in Northern Italy During the Renaissance
Bologna boomed with professional women artists, primarily painters. Of the 300 active painters in the city during the 1600s, around 25 were women — more than in any other Italian city.