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Book Overview
Richly informative, an admirable piece of historical writing - offers lively interest wherever it is opened'YORKSHIRE POST This is a book to read before you go, to carry with you and to re-read on your return. SPECTATOR A sure and illuminating guide. SUNDAY TIMES The city state of Florence led the rest of the western world in art, science and political idealism in the middle ages. This early richness, the importance of the achievements of its famous sons, including Dante, Giotto, Leonardo and Michelangelo, the great quantity of visible remains, make Florence as a city to visit both alluring and challenging. In true Companion Guide manner, this book describes, with the knowledge and insight distilled from long residence in Florence, and with an art historian's eye, what is to be seen and its place in history. In discussing the Florentine monuments and their origins in the city's life, EVE BORSOOK presents a study of the ideas, events and personalities of Florence yesterday and today; she communicates to the visitor her delight in her chosen city, including those districts usually neglected by the tourist but particularly rich in Florentine life. EVE BORSOOK is a research associate at Harvard's Centerfor Italian Renaissance Studies at Villa I Tatti in Florence.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:190063919X
ISBN13:9781900639194
Release Date:April 1997
Publisher:Companion Guides
Length:422 Pages
Weight:1.51 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 6.1" x 9.1"
Customer Reviews
4 ratings
Indispensable read before visiting Florence
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
Borsook offers a comprehensive overview of the history and culture of the cradle of the Renaissance, and a guide to the many nooks and crannys of old Florence. This book details all the important venues open to the public, plus many that are not. It gives invaluable insight into the context of the city, and site maps to all the important works of art and science. I read this book before a recent trip to Florence, using it to plan the visit. I left it home, thinking it too heavy to tote along. I won't make that mistake when we return. Forget the guidebooks; Borsook is all you need to enjoy Florence.
A true companion
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I lived in Florence as a full time tourist for a year in the early eighties. I could divide my year into before and after finding this book; it's that good. The maps reveal every nook and cranny, helping you to see the hidden wonders right before your eyes in this city that is so immensely rich in wonders. The recommended walking tours make your time more meaningful, as the buildings and artwork become not only isolated splendors, but also pieces of the history of this remarkable city. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the latest edition so that I can plan a return visit for next year. Buy yours early and plan your time, and you will have a visit beyond what even the best tour guide could ever offer. Buon viaggio!
Making the connection
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
A lot of things began in Florence. The way businesses keep their books, the way sovereign states relate to each other, the way people use art to tell stories and create beauty. These things and many more elements of modern society have their origins in this smallish Tuscan city. These impulses were born in the middle of the last millenium - during a century or so when Florence blossomed as an intellectual and artistic supernova of the Italian Renaissance. Today, Florence remains densely packed with the memories of that time. Eve Borsook's "THE COMPANION GUIDE TO FLORENCE" is the key to the city. In addition to all the names, dates, places of history, Borsook skillfully weaves in meaning and context so that you may not only know who painted what fresco in which church - but why it remains meaningful 500 years down the road. You can go to Florence to shop for many beautiful Italian creations. But with this book, you can gain a clear appreciation about why the names and images from this amazing city's glorious past still resonate in our lives today.
Connecting to ...ourselves
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
A lot of things began in Renaissance Florence: the way businesses keep their books, the way sovereign states relate to each other, the way people use art to tell stories and create beauty. These things and many more elements of modern society have their origins in this smallish Tuscan city. These impulses were born in the middle of the last millenium - during the century or so when Florence blossomed as the intellectual and artistic supernova of the Italian Renaissance. Today, Florence remains densely packed with the memories of that time. Eve Borsook's "THE COMPANION GUIDE TO FLORENCE" is the key to the city. In addition to all the names, dates, places of history, Borsook skillfully weaves in meaning and context so that you may know who painted what fresco in which church - but why it remains meaningful 500 years down the road. You can go to Florence to shop for many beautiful Italian creations. But with this book, you can gain a clear appreciation about why the names,images and achievements from this amazing city's glorious past still resonate in our lives today.
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