Was “Medici: the Magnificent” shot in Florence?

If you’ve watched the second series of the Medici, you might be wondering if you can see any of those locations next time you come to Florence. Well, sorry to disappoint you, but it turns out that most of the scenes set in Florence were shot somewhere else. But that doesn’t mean you can’t see… Read more »

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Medici the Magnificent. Fact and Fiction in the TV series

While the first series of Medici wasn’t that historically accurate, the second series “Medici: the Magnificent” is much more faithful to the truth of what really happened. It’s set during a particularly complex and turbulent period in Italy’s past, at a time when the Florentine republic was effectively ruled by the Medici. It was a… Read more »

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Giuliano de’ Medici. Who was the brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent?

Handsome, athletic, passionate and kind. That’s how history books portray Giuliano de’ Medici (Florence 1453-1478). He was the younger brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent, at the time when the Medici family was unofficially ruling Florence. Giuliano didn’t get a chance to show all his qualities to the world, as he was brutally murdered during what… Read more »

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Pazzi Conspiracy – Murder and drama in Florence

The Congiura dei Pazzi, or Pazzi Conspiracy, is a bloody and dramatic moment in Florence’s history. The day when an attack on the Medici brothers left Giuliano de’ Medici dying on the floor of Florence’s Cathedral. Date: Easter morning, 26 April 1478 – Location: Florence’s Cathedral But who were the participants in the Pazzi Conspiracy? And… Read more »

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La Verna Sanctuary, Tuscany, Italy – Nature and Spirituality

La Verna is a famous Franciscan Sanctuary in Tuscany, central Italy. The religious complex has an impressive location atop Mount Penna, which is part of the Foreste Casentinesi National Park. Surrounded by a thick forest of fir and beech tees, it’s built high up on a rocky outcrop on the ‘Saint Francis’ sacred mountain’. Pilgrims… Read more »

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Lorenzo the Magnificent. Where is he buried?

If you want to pay your respects to one of the most famous members of the Medici family, Lorenzo the Magnificent, you’ll need to visit the Medici Chapel in Florence. Lorenzo de’ Medici, known as “Il Magnifico” (1449- 1492) is buried in a simple tomb in the New Sacristy, designed by none other than Michelangelo…. Read more »

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Tuscany’s Unusual and Mysterious places

In Tuscany there’s no shortage of mysterious places to visit. The ancient haunted castles of Lari and Poppi, a Medieval church in Siena that guards the mummified relic of a venerated saint and the monastic cell of the religious firebrand Savonarola. Tuscany even has its own “sword in the stone”,  a 12th century sword that… Read more »

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See the Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester at the Uffizi in Florence

This October 2018 is a special time for the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. One of Leonardo’s manuscripts, the Codex Leicester is coming back to Italy this year. The precious codex is currently owned by American multibillionaire Bill Gates, who will lend it to the Uffizi, where it will be shown as part of an exhibition from… Read more »

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In search of Leonardo da Vinci in Florence and Tuscany

Where was Leonardo da Vinci born? Which of his works can be seen in Florence? Get closer to Leonardo da Vinci with our itinerary that takes you from his hometown Vinci to Florence, where some of his works can be admired. Leonardo da Vinci was born in Vinci, a small town near Florence in Tuscany…. Read more »

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Medici Masters of Florence. What to expect in season 2

The first series of Medici Masters of Florence thrilled audiences with the dark secrets of the Medici dynasty. It mixed history with pure fantasy and threw in some famous actors for good measure. The second series, entitled “Medici: The Magnificent” was released on Netflix in early 2019. Season 2 of Medici Masters of Florence was shot… Read more »

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