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The Hills of Florence: Bellosguardo and Arcetri with Kate Bolton-Porciatti

The Hills of Florence: Bellosguardo and Arcetri with Kate Bolton-Porciatti


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Can't make this time? A video recording will be sent to all participants after the seminar.

Series Description:
The hills and villages around Florence offer an idyllic mix of art, history, and culture immersed in classic Tuscan landscapes: olive groves, vineyards and cypress-lined alleys that lead to historic villas, monasteries, and convents. Led by cultural historian Kate Bolton-Porciatti, this pair of Context Conversations meanders through the hills to the north and south of the city, with videos recorded on location, photos, and a narrative that threads together cultural and practical information. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with a deeper appreciation of the serenity, beauty, and cultural riches of ‘the sweet hills’ of Florence.

Event Description:
To the south of the city, the hilly areas of Bellosguardo and Arcetri have been a magnet for novelists, poets, musicians, scientists, and intellectuals. Henry James described the view from his villa on Bellosguardo as ‘simply the most beautiful in the world’, and he was one of many famous writers, painters, and musicians who lived or sojourned here and whose work was inspired by its landscapes and inhabitants; others included Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Brownings, Nathanial Hawthorne, Clara Schumann, and Frank Duveneck. While the scenery of Bellosguardo inspired the Romantic spirit, the night skies from the hills of Arcetri led to the building of Florence’s observatory, a mere stone’s throw from where Galileo Galilei lived for the last decade of his life.

Details about Part One of this series are available here. 

Kate Bolton-Porciatti is a professor of Italian cultural history and music at the Istituto Lorenzo de'Medici in Florence, where she teaches BA and MA courses in the humanities. She also lectures at the British Institute, Florence, and at the Chigiana Music Academy in Siena. Kate has published extensively as an academic and a journalist; she is a music critic for BBC Music and a travel writer for The Daily Telegraph, UK. Before moving to Italy permanently in 2005, she was a senior producer and broadcaster for BBC Arts & Classical Music in London and has won prestigious Jerusalem and Sony Awards for her programs. She did her M.Phil. thesis in Italy, exploring the musical culture of early Renaissance Florence.

This conversation is suitable for all ages.

90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.

Customer Reviews

Based on 6 reviews
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(6)
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M
Mary Baker (New London, US)
Spirit of Place

Kate sets the scene by establishing the geography of the two hillside suburbs so that the armchair tourist feels oriented. Bringing in art, poetry, letters, even music inspired by the two neighborhoods helps capture the spirit as well as the history of place. The over-arching promise of these programs is to contextualize the people, places, buildings artwork associated with particular places. Kate succeeds wonderfully in doing this.

N
Nancy Knechtel (Tonawanda, US)
Another excellent presentation

Kate flawlessy presents powerpoints and videos and gives a tremendous amount of information about each place she discusses. Her research also allows her to patiently answer questions. She is an excellent guide and I have loved every talk.

Reviewer avatar
Ginnie (Brantford, CA)
The Hills of Bellosguardo and Arcetri

This was a beautiful informative presentation - literary quotes, music, poetry, painting - with magnificent views of Florence. Highly recommend!

k
k. (Chicago, US)

I just finished watching this lecture. I loved it as much as the first part, esp. all the interesting poets, etc. who lived in the area.

B
B.K. (San Antonio, US)
Wonderful experience

As always, a wonderful presentation and so informative

Customer Reviews

Based on 6 reviews
100%
(6)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
M
Mary Baker (New London, US)
Spirit of Place

Kate sets the scene by establishing the geography of the two hillside suburbs so that the armchair tourist feels oriented. Bringing in art, poetry, letters, even music inspired by the two neighborhoods helps capture the spirit as well as the history of place. The over-arching promise of these programs is to contextualize the people, places, buildings artwork associated with particular places. Kate succeeds wonderfully in doing this.

N
Nancy Knechtel (Tonawanda, US)
Another excellent presentation

Kate flawlessy presents powerpoints and videos and gives a tremendous amount of information about each place she discusses. Her research also allows her to patiently answer questions. She is an excellent guide and I have loved every talk.

Reviewer avatar
Ginnie (Brantford, CA)
The Hills of Bellosguardo and Arcetri

This was a beautiful informative presentation - literary quotes, music, poetry, painting - with magnificent views of Florence. Highly recommend!

k
k. (Chicago, US)

I just finished watching this lecture. I loved it as much as the first part, esp. all the interesting poets, etc. who lived in the area.

B
B.K. (San Antonio, US)
Wonderful experience

As always, a wonderful presentation and so informative