A drawing by Italian High Renaissance master Raphael has sold for 29.72 million pounds, or $47.9 million – a record for a work on paper in art history – after a dramatic bidding war at a Sotheby’s auction in London. The winning bid came after a 17-minute duel on Wednesday.
The icy storm going through Italy reached Florence today. Flakes of snow fell in the city in the first morning. At the moment, no disruption to traffic are recorded. As a result of cold air coming from Greenland a white mantle had held the hills around the city during the night, the temperatures are currently below zero.
Salvatore Ferragamo Group, one of the global leaders in the luxury sector, celebrates 75 years on Old Bond Street and the refurbishment and expansion of both the Old Bond Street and Sloane Street flagship stores. To mark the occasion, Chairman Ferruccio Ferragamo and CEO Michele Norsa welcomed guests to the Old Bond Street store for cocktails and a private dinner hosted at a 61 metre long table.
Nearly 700 hectolitres of Brunello di Motalcino were lost Sunday in a raid on a winery in the Montalcino wine-growing region near Siena. Unidentified vandals broke into the cellar of the Case Basse estate, opening the taps on barrels and barriques and allowing the contents to drain away.
Christmas is approaching and in both Florence and its province the squares are teeming with markets. Once the prerogative of the northern countries, Christmas street markets are now a big success here as well, and there are numerous to choose from for gift shopping or to see the towns in the territory in an unusual and charming light.
Democratic Party (PD) leader Pier Luigi Bersani will be the centre left’s premier candidate in next spring’s national elections after a big win over Florence Mayor Matteo Renzi in Sunday’s primary runoff. “I’ll be loyal to Bersani,” Renzi said after conceding the victory to PD leader.
December 8th is a religious holiday in Italy. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates belief in the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. If you are in Florence, Italy, this weekend, as December 8th is Saturday, you will be able to visit museums, gardens, villas and churches, because most of them are open.
The Garden extends on the hill behind Palazzo Pitti and continues down towards Porta Romana. Thanks to landscaping work carried out over the years, this garden is today one of the biggest and most elegant Italian style gardens. Following the acquisition of Palazzo Pitti by Cosimo I de Medici and his wife Eleonora of Toledo who had decided to make it the official Grand-Ducal palace, work was started on the adjacent land.
Art and wine: a Florentine artist in Hong Kong. The painter Elisabetta Rogai made the first live Asian performance at the Tsim Sha Tsui Center with the Chinese celebrity Jason Chan. She has performed a live painting of today called EnoArte, where artist to use wine instead of colors to paint pictures as they age over time.
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The wave of bad weather lashing Tuscany since early Tuesday morning hasn’t spared the Grosseto area and, in particular, the Albinia and Orbetello districts, hard hit by the floods of 12 November. Rainfall forced a temporary closure Tuesday of the rail line between the cities of Florence and Pisa.
