Rebuilding The Renaissance

From the weird shading in Masaccio's "Expulsion of Adam and Eve,", to whether Michelangelo's "David" is left or right handed, to how to find out about upcoming exhibitions dedicated to Italian Renaissance art, to my opinion about the "Cupid" sculpture attributed to Michelangelo by the Met, to why more people don't listen to Rab Hatfield, and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists, and history of the Italian Renaissance.

Originally built in the 3rd century BCE, the ancient Greek theater of Taormina is the second largest Greek theater in Sicily after Siracusa. Constructed against the natural slope of Mt. Taurus, the structure can accommodate up to10,000 spectators and offers spectacular views of the Ionian Sea and Mt. Etna. It is still used today for musical performances and film festivals.

Often called the "Pearl of the Mediterranean," Taormina, Italy is set on Mt. Taurus and surrounded by endless magnificent views of both sea and mountains, offering Mediterranean beauty everywhere you look. Taormina is also home to the second largest ancient theater in Sicily after Siracusa. As is customary for Greek theaters, it is carved into the stone slope of a natural hill, using the backdrops of Mt. Etna and the Ionian Sea to create a jaw-droppingly beautiful natural panorama.

The archeological park of Siracusa, Sicily is in one of the five ancient districts of Siracusa known as the Neapolis - "the new city." Its two major ancient monuments are a massive ancient Greek theater from the 5th century BCE carved directly into the limestone rock of the Temenite hill and an equally impressive ancient Roman amphitheater which had a seating capacity of some 20,000 spectators. But the park's most famous site is the so-called "Ear of Dionysius" which was named by the celebrated painter Caravaggio and has extraordinary acoustic properties.

Ortygia is a small island forming the historical center of the Sicilian city of Siracusa. While already inhabited by native Sicels in ancient times, Siracusa became an ancient superpower after Greek colonists settled there in the 8th century BCE and became part of Magna Graecia. In fact, Ortygia contains many of the city's oldest landmarks, including the Greek Temple of Apollo, the Fountain of Arethusa, and the Temple of Athena, which is today the Cathedral of Siracusa. It was later home to the legendary mathematician and inventor, Archimedes.