Michelangelo and the Freedom of Art

Excerpts from the book “Inspiration Tuscany”

The cultural landscape of Tuscany exerts a special pull on art lovers. As if it was a painter’s composition, its scenery tempts them to embark on a hedonist art and culture tour from town to town. With the rhythmical wave shapes of its cypress and pine studded hill ranges and its unequalled light, it is so much more than your regular holiday destination. Drawing on ideas from the ancient world, the Italian Renaissance also heralded the separation between crafts and fine arts. As the creative act became art’s central focus, people’s understanding of what “art” meant underwent a significant change.

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Art gift book ‘Inspiration Tuscany – Inspiration Toskana’

In memory of Michelangelo and the Florentine Renaissance

Book series LOUNGE 2 – volume XII

Editor: Kurt Ries

“Florentia”, “the blossoming one” can also be found in the name of the city of “Florence”. Over time, the city has blossomed into the queen of Tuscany, and continues to be one of the most important art metropoles in the world. The conscious differentiation between a landscape’s significance as an artistic motif and its arability led to a new culture, the blossoming of the “villeggiatura”. Its inhabitants began to reflect deeply, write poetry, make music. Florentine cities like Siena, Lucca, and Pisa have their own architectural charm. Similarly, the walled picture book villages on the hill ranges of Tuscany resemble organic structures.

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