Lucy Lopardo

Tuscan Tour Guide

On April 8, 1820, the beautiful and enigmatic Venus de Milo was found on the island of Milo in Greece. Now in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

It’s the most famous statue in the world and one of the most revered goddesses of classical antiquity. You can also call her Afrodite.

Lei rappresenta la fertilità, l'amore, l'ideale della bellezza. Scommetto la mia licenza di guida turistica che conosci questa statua. Sai perché sono così sicura? Continua a leggere.

Venus of Milo vs Medici Venus

 Tutto ebbe inizio quando nel 1815 la Francia restituì all'Italia la Venere Medicea (ora alla Galleria degli Uffizi di Firenze). Rubata da Napoleone Bonaparte durante il suo regno, era un enorme vuoto da riempire.

La scoperta della Venere di Milo è stata una manna dal cielo e quindi pazzamente sponsorizzata dal governo francese.

Da allora, la Venere ha ispirato non solo artisti, scultori, musicisti e registi, ma anche pubblicità e serie TV.

 

Ecco i miei preferiti:

Nel film di Bertolucci "I Sognatori", un effetto ottico ricorda la Venere ellenica: i guanti neri della protagonista la fanno sembrare senza braccia.

La statua ha influenzato un'opera d'arte contemporanea, la Venere di Milo con cassetti di Salvador Dalí

Nel 1910 la dea apparve in una pubblicità per i fiocchi di cereali Kellogg's , accompagnati dalla scritta “Se Venere avesse le braccia”.

Cosa è successo con le braccia di Venere?

Sembra che con il corpo abbiano trovato dei frammenti di una mano che reggeva una mela e da qui l'ipotesi che lo scultore Alessandro d'Antiochia, volesse rappresentare la dea mentre consegnava la mela d'oro a Paride...

...oppure è la rappresentazione della dea del mare Anfitrite, venerata nell'isola di Milo ma questo non lo sapremo mai... per ora.

Grazie a tutti questi tributi oggi conosciamo pezzi di storia dell'arte.

Grazie alla Francia conosciamo la Venere e grazie a Bugs Bunny conosciamo Il Barbiere di Siviglia o La Cavalcata delle Valchirie che ha ispirato generazioni di cantanti e amanti dell'opera.

Caccia al tartufo in Toscana

We all are (I am!) in LOVE with truffles: in pasta, on meat or on a simple piece of bread. It doesn't matter how it is presented, it is a delight. In 2022, the price of the white truffle, the most valuable of all due to its rarity, was over five thousand euro per...

Quale torre pendente? ne abbiamo tre!

A select few (or rather, a few curious ones) know that in Pisa we not only have the famous leaning tower, which became even more famous in January 2020 when it was also photographed from Corsica 190 km away, ... but we have three! During my tours I always jokingly...

Non c'è solo il Ponte del Diavolo

All those who take the highway to go to the sea see that wonderful aqueduct that accompanies travelers by car for a few seconds. Few people know that it was built by the great architect from Segromigno – Lucca, Lorenzo Nottolini. That aqueduct in 1833 will bring clean...

Fina from San Gimignano

You can’t say you know San Gimignano if you don’t know who Santa Fina is. Serafina or Iosefina Ciardi, for friends Fina, is a very young blessed who lived in the mid-1200s. From an early age she cultivated a great devotion to the Madonna, in fact it is said that she...

“I don’t know where to go” is no longer an excuse

In full heat and with the fear of a faint, we arrived in Buggiano Castello. What to say? after facing the super climb you say “wow, it was worth it”. Also known as the “Borgo degli citrus” because it enjoys a particularly mild microclimate. Focus and admire the...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

A village inhabited since prehistoric times and known thanks to its thermal baths, San Giuliano is located in a favorable geographical position: in the province of Pisa and at the same time not far from Lucca. The main attraction is undoubtedly the establishment of...

The curious case of Colle Val d’Elsa

There are villages that do not exist … yes, this sentence made me laugh but unfortunately it has something of reality. While looking for a village to combine with a guided tour while going to San Gimignano I found Colle Val d’Elsa, one of these jewel-like villages...

The Holy Face, no longer just a legend

Also known as the “black Christ of Lucca” (for the color of the dark brown wood), it is an imposing wooden crucifix of 2.24 meters which, according to the legend of the writer Deacon Leobino, would be the true and only face of Christ. Arrived to us, well in 2020...

Stroll to get lost

t’s Sunday, you weren’t able to sleep late because obviously you woke up at 8 am, you’ve already had breakfast… what are you going to do? or It’s Sunday, you would like to be in touch with nature (but not too much) you are not a super sportive one (like to do 8 hours...

L'Italia come

Italy is divided into 20 regions (use this official link Italia.it to know the “boot”) The total land area of Italy is approximately 301,328 square kilometres. The regions are divided into provinces, 110 in all, varying dramatically in size. Tuscany it’s a REGION....
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