Travel to Tuscany - Art and Photography

A bit of history

Tuscany, located in central western Italy, is a cradle of art that inspired the whole world. Ancient Etruria (territory of the Etruscans) it saw its name given in the 10th century. This ancient civilization which perished under the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC was already very prosperous and turned towards trade (copper, ceramics, fabrics) due to their large fleet.

Its capital, Florence, witnessed the flourishing of great masters of painting such as Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Fra Angelico and Michelangelo during the Renaissance.

These painters, largely financed by the Medici, made the artistic renown of the region and of this land, once populated by the Etruscans. Famous authors like Dante and Petrarch also contributed to its fame. We easily understand this attraction and the desire for poetry by contemplating this tuscan countryside in the gentle heat of summer.

The Orcia valley - Landscape to take in pictures

First celebrated for a long time by the painters of the Sienese school, at La Maison de argentique we like to stroll, wander on foot or by car and photograph these magnificent landscapes.

South of Siena, a special air resides among the famous cypress and olive trees that line long winding roads.

At the bend of a path, or overlooking a hill, the "agriturismo" (farm where you can stay) participate in this beauty. The calm and Italian-style dolce vita that we feel are good living.
For lovers of road trips, these agricultural landscapes offer an avalanche of beauty. Thus, in this hilly land, one feels man in harmony with nature as it was celebrated in the art of the Italian Renaissance.

The small villages of Castiglione d'Orcia, Montalcino or the photogenic Pienza are emblematic of this space.
You may admire the medieval villages, with narrow streets and at the top of which you can contemplate the very special countryside that surrounds them. There, the panorama is magic ! 

Over the seasons, the colors change the hot arid lands of summer give way to the green autumn. Close to the Umbria region, we also find ancient villages like Pitigliano which overlooks the famous tuff cliffs.

Rich in history, the architecture of these medieval houses, Baroque churches and the remains of Etruscan necropolises make this village one of our favorites with the very isolated San Quirico d'Orcia.

The sunrises and sunsets over this countryside give to lovers of painting and photos an eternal engraved memories of beautiiful images.

The city of Siena is also a must with its famous palio race which takes place every year in August, its cathedral and its surrounding countryside.

The city of Contignano, Monticchiello, Bagno Vignoni, Rocca d'Orcia, Campiglia d'Orcia, Bagni San Filippo, and Vivo d'Orcia are among the beauty of this contemplative place.
This area is definately a place to stay.

Florence - Italy

Florence is also the city that saw the birth of Botticelli. Innovative with his cold, melancholy nudes, he regularly shows Venus with mother-of-pearl skin (birth of venus as an exemple). He reinvents the sensual and pure nude both from mythological scenes Leonardo da Vinci is one of the many artists whose medics will be the patrons. For Leonardo, painting is a supreme science which allows to transcribe life as a whole. He will open the voice of modernity with his poetic vision, using landscape formats and placing man in harmony with nature.

It is undoubtedly the harmony of the Tuscan landscapes that gives him the idea, the taste for the study and the observation of reality. This study will make him begin a treatise on each knowledge that he deems necessary for the painter's work. But his masterpiece is by instinctive composition, to manage to breathe life into his characters. The hand then lets go to find the right contour. The appearance and his mastery of sfumato will also make him wonderfully render the distances by his technique of atmospheric perspective. In his paintings the beauty and the mystery of the world, the physical and spiritual driving force which breathes life make this artist one of the masters of the rebirth.

The road trip to tuscany continues

The city of Lucca is a magnificent city to discover thanks to its fortified wall which surrounds it which can be found in the city of Monteriggioni. Note also the city of Pisa so famous for its leaning tower. Volterra, with its Etruscan remains and its testimony of a medieval town, is another essential place to discover.

Art film photography in Tuscany, Italy