Tag: Giotto

Where Beauty and Mysticism Meet: The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

In the charming streets of the Italian city of Assisi, in the region of Umbria, an atmosphere of mysticism reigns. There, perched on the glorious slopes of Mount Subasio in the province of Perugia, rests the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, a site of incomparable architectural and artistic treasures. The basilica not only influenced…


Padua: Students, Saints, and Scarpette

Nicknamed “the Brain of Veneto,” Padua is home to the prestigious university (founded in 1222) that hosted Galileo, Copernicus, Dante, and Petrarch. Pilgrims know this city for the Basilica of St. Anthony, where the faithful assemble to touch his tomb and marvel at his holy relics. It’s a great place to experience Italy: to make…


Giotto Di Bondone: The Master of Visual Storytelling

On the day I visited Padua, destroyer clouds were moving in from the west. The snow was knee-high. I had been asked to a tiny restaurant famous for its tiramisu—and to see Giotto’s Arena Chapel. Tiramisu— meaning “pull me up”—a famous desert, which is made with ladyfingers soaked in bitter coffee and mascarpone cream, was sublime….