Recent Articles
The Tomb of Galileo
During our family travels through Italy, we visited the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. Among the extraordinary monuments lining the interior is this elaborate tomb honoring Galileo Galilei, one of the most important figures in the history of science. Galileo was born in Pisa in 1564 and spent important years of his life in […]
The Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica
On one of our family trips to Rome, we visited St. Peter’s Basilica, where this photograph of Erin was taken standing in front of the enormous bronze Holy Door. Known as the Porta Santa, it is one of the most significant entrances to St. Peter’s Basilica and has been associated with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee […]
Leaning Tower
During our family vacation in Italy, we weren’t sure whether we wanted to take the time to visit Pisa. There were so many places we wanted to see, and we wondered whether making a special trip just to see the famous Leaning Tower would be worth it. In the end, we decided that we were […]
The Chains of Saint Peter
On our visits to Rome, we entered the Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli, whose name literally means “Saint Peter in Chains”. The church is best known today by many visitors for Michelangelo’s magnificent statue of Moses, but beneath the main altar is something much older and even more connected to the earliest history of […]
The Ponte Vecchio
Some places become woven so completely into the identity of a city that it is impossible to imagine one without the other. In Florence, that place is the Ponte Vecchio. Spanning the Arno River for nearly seven centuries, this remarkable bridge is the heart of the city, connecting not only its two banks but also […]
The Gates of Paradise
One of the highlights of our visit to Florence was seeing the magnificent bronze doors of the Baptistery of Saint John. As Emily and Erin stood before them, they were looking at one of the most celebrated masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance, a work that transformed bronze sculpture and influenced generations of artists. The east […]
Gondola Ride
First trips to Italy almost must include Venice, and for us that meant experiencing the city the way generations of Venetians have done for centuries, by boat. A gondola ride through the canals quickly became one of the highlights of our journey and remains one of those family memories that has not fad. Venice itself […]
Basilica of St Francis
The Basilica of Saint Frances of Assisi was built after the death of Saint Francis of Assisi in 1226. St Francis had lived a life defined by humility, poverty and service to others, and his followers wanted a place that could honor him as well as welcoming pilgrims from across Europe. Construction began in 1228, soon […]
