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New tourist attraction for Florence?
Florence already has many sights which tourists flock to year upon year, such as Florence Cathedral. However, if Italian art expert Maurizio Seracini is right, there will be one more reason for tourists to visit. According to The Telegraph in the UK, Seracini believes that he may have found the missing The Battle of Anghiari masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci hidden behind The Battle of Marciano in the Chiana Valley by fellow Renaissance artist Giorgio Vasari. Seracini claims that a mini military banner in the fresco saying “Cerca Trova” – seek and you will find – is a clue left behind by Vasari to indicate the presence of da Vinci’s masterpiece beneath his own. And now he has been given permission to use high-tech gadgets to discover whether there is anything beneath the fresco. If his hunch is right and da Vinci’s masterpiece is underneath , then it’s a very exciting discovery and another reason to go to Florence!
Earthquake hits Italy
An earthquake hit the cities of Parma, Milan, Genoa and Florence today, measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale. The National Institute of Geophysics in Rome has said that the epicentre of the earthquake was near Parma. According to Italian news reports, two churches have minor damage but no-one is injured. I have experienced earthquakes before and they are pretty scary stuff! I’m just glad that no-one was injured and that the magnificent architecture of Parma, Milan, Genoa and Florence was not damaged. However, for Italy this earthquake was relatively strong. The last strong earthquake occurred in Molise in 2002 and measured 5.4 on the Richter scale.
Calling all artistic types
If you have not heard, since July 1st the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery in Florence have had extended opening hours. Now as I’m a big fan of the Arts, I would recommend everyone to take advantage of this offer. The galleries are now open until 10pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays but the extended hours end on September 31st 2008. The Giovanni da Milano exhibition at the Accademia Gallery is also open later until 10 pm on Thursdays with special free entrance. The galleries are open everyday except Monday, if you fancy going another day. So if you want to go and have a look, you had better hurry up!