New painting holiday venue in Venice

We are excited to introduce Villa Padova to our list of Villa options for our painting holidays in 2015. 

Our new venue in Venice is from the 16th century and is sure to impress guests on their painting break. With historic frescos from some of the most famous artists from the region, we are absolutely delighted to have secured this venue. Want to find out more? Then check here: https://www.flavoursholidays.co.uk/blog/villa-padova-history/ 

Exploring Italian art forms: Italian fashion

What is art? Is fashion a form of art? This week we are inspired by the Glamour of Italian Fashion exhibition at Victoria and Albert museum, one of the the world’s greatest museum of art and design. Read today’s post and explore with Flavours, the specialists in painting holidays in Italy, why Italian fashion has become world renowned and why it plays a such unique role in Italy’s contemporary art culture. 

A ‘work of art’ is considered to be a human creation which gives emotion and dreamy perception, made from a creator’s idea to the pleasure of the audience. Every creator or artist has a personal and unique style, a signature, even when taking inspiration from old trends and techniques - as artists they reproduce and elaborate on previous styles.

So, is fashion not a form of art? When a fashion designer realises something without caring about the simple use or dressing necessity, experimenting with the aim of communicating, a dress becomes art. This is what has been happening in Florence since the famous 1951 fashion show of Roberto Capucci, known as the ‘cloth sculptor’, the first to bewitch the fashion world with his study of materials and original creations.  

That’s why Florence itself is thought to be where Italian fashion was born! Today the city is known for its accessories and leather industry, it is the home of the important male fashion show ‘Pitti man’, and counts many famous Italian maison, such as Gucci, Enrico Coveri, Roberto Cavalli, and Salvatore Ferragamo. Moreover, you will find the only Italian museum, the Galleria del Costume, dedicated to fashion history, with a collection of more than 6000 which includes cinema and theatre costumes, accessories, ancient dresses, pictures, drawings and prestigious samples of international stylists like Valentino, Armani, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, and others.

Rome is the centre of haute couture, with its many boutiques – Balestra, Fendi, Bulgari…- around Piazza di Spagna and Via del Corso. 

But it’s Milan that holds the Italian fashion reputation of ‘fashion capital’ since 2009. In Milan many previews take place in well known boutiques in the ‘quadrilateral of fashion’ during Fashion Week, and Milan praises designers like Valentino, Prada, Armani, Versace, D&G…nothing to be added!

Many other cities, such as Naples and Venice, host famous boutiques and old traditional laboratories, surrounded by the historic and artistic value of the city’s beautiful places - that makes fashion even more suggestive!

Classy shops can be found in famous seaside and mountain resorts such as Portofino, Forte dei Marmi, Positano, Capri, Taormina, Porto Cervo, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Courmayer and Cervinia to name a few.

Italian fashion history evolved together with Italian culture and society: this is the reason behind its success, becoming part of national heritage, just like any other form of art. From the 1950s trend to cinema glamour (think about the Mastroianni trim suit in La dolce vita), Italian tailoring has been so admired all over the world and is somewhat ‘celebrity’, with Made in Italy wanted everywhere.

Italian fashion calls to tourists every year as much as food, art, and music do. Can you think of a more inspiring trip to immerse yourself in this form of art than Flavours painting holidays in Italy?

Florence: The Uffizi

Our Favourite Art Musuem

For painting holidays in Italy, visiting Florence is an absolute must. The capital of Tuscany and Italy’s hub of Renaissance art, few cities in the world have such a rich and well-preserved artistic heritage as Florence.

Here, generations-worth of Italy’s great artists, from the forefathers of the Renaissance - such as Giotto, Donatello and Brunelleschi - to the leaders of high-Renaissance art in Italy - Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci - have all been immortalised in one of the densest collections of art galleries on the planet; absolute heaven for anyone on a painting holiday in Italy.

More concentrated than any other city in Italy, Florence has over 60 world-class museums and art galleries to choose from, all packed with incomparable artworks, such as the Renaissance sculptures at the Bargello; paintings of the Golden Ages at the Palatina; Fra Angelioc’s work at the Museum of San Marco; the mosaics at the Florence Baptistery; the Cathedral frescoes; The Gallery of Modern Art… the list goes on. But there’s one gallery in Italy that will be on everyone’s list and, despite being a bit of a cliché, is our overriding favourite…

The Uffizi art museum is one of the oldest and most famous galleries in the world and no painting holiday in Italy would be complete without a visit. The building itself dates back to 1560 and began life as the offices for the Florentine magistrates of the Cosimo I de’Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany - Uffizi means offices in Italian.

Throughout its lifespan, the palace has been used to display some of Italy’s most prestigious masterpieces, with the Medici setting aside rooms to house the finest works. As time as passed, more and more areas of the building have evolved into art-space. But, as you’ll discover on a painting holiday here, even the building itself is a work of art; every aspect of the Uffizi has been remarked upon for its form, composure and artistic expression and once attracted artists such as da Vinci and Michelangelo who would come here to study and marvel at the works and seek inspiration. It’s oldest exhibition space, the Tribuna, is an elaborately decorated, domed hall hung with Bronzino portraits and, outside the main galleries, its corridors are adorned with fascinating frescoes; its central courtyard has views through to the river Arno and the cafe terrace overlooks a breath-taking Florentine skyline - painting holidays in Italy don’t get much better than this!

The Uffizi gallery has been made available to visitors by request, since the sixteenth century, and in 1765 it officially opened its doors to the public, welcoming tourists from Italy and across the globe. Today, the museum displays works from the 13th to 18th century and is most famous for its Renaissance collections, housing some of Italy’s classic artworks such as da Vinci’s The Annunciation and The Adoration of the Magi; Botticelli’s Primavera and The Birth of Venus; Michelangelo’s The Doni Tondo; Raphael’s Madonna of the Goldfinch.

The second most important museum in Italy after the Vatican museum in Rome, and referenced countless times in popular literature, it’s not to see why painting holidays in Italy will undoubtedly lead you here. The Uffizi is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Florence and, in the peak summer months, waiting times can be up to five hours. To avoid the longer queues, advance booking is advisable, as pre-booked ticket holders are given fast-track access via a priority queuing system. The other option is to arrive before opening time, avoiding both the booking fee and long queues, but with the drawback of an early start!

Ticket reservations can be made online or in the reception halls of the New Uffizi. The booking office is usually open from 8:30 till 19:00, Tuesday to Sunday

Colours of Italy Exhibition

We just wanted to start 2009 with a roundup of some of the fabulous artworks we've received from people inspired by the tastes and flavours of Italy. This online showcase has been an extreamily popular aspect of our blog and a great way for our budding artists to gain some exposure. If you would like to make any enquiries about purchasing some of the artworks then contact us on oliver@flavoursholidays.com . We've had entries from all over the world and we are now trying to set up an exhibition in our Edinburgh shop that will showcase some of the talented artists! We will keep you posted!

Ernesto Torres (London), 'Images of Sicily' Mixed Media 2008

Simon Baker (Chester), 'Tuscan Hillside', Digital Photographs 2008

Phyliss Croce (USA), 'Sorento', Digital Photographs, 2006

Paola Beatrice Giacalone (Naples, Italy), Untitled, Mixed Media, 2008

Matt Cervenka (NY, USA), Duomo, Pen and Ink on paper, 2008

Jeanette Torkelson (San Francisco, USA), Orvieto, Digital Print, 2008

Aber Nasher (Verona, Italy), Untitled, Digital Photograph, 2008

Aber Nasher (Verona, Italy), Untitled, Digital Photograph, 2008