citylikeyou — La Specola — Florence by Cathrine Raben Davidsen

La Specola is one of my favourite museums I have ever visited. The museum is a branch of the Natural History Museum of the University of Florence and is one of the oldest science museums in Europe, built in 1775 with the aim of gathering the natural treasures collected by different generations of the Medici family, such as fossils, animals, minerals and exotic plants. You really have to go. The displays are stunning and odd, also the Zoological Collection is full of specimens and old taxidermy pieces. On top of that there is also a quite “scary” collection of about 1,400 pieces of anatomical waxworks (made between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century).

Website
msn.unifi.it

Address
La Specola, 17 Via Romana, Florence, Italy

Artist Painter Visual Artist

Current city: Copenhagen

Other cities: London Helsinki Tokyo Florence

cathrinerabendavidsen.com

CATHRINE RABEN DAVIDSEN Historical accounts, works of fiction and mythological material combined with personal memory often form the point of departure for the work of Danish artist Cathrine Raben Davidsen. Her activities are characterized by a strong fascination with the material and the urge constantly to experiment with and explore different artistic techniques. From early on she has also drawn inspiration from the history of art and from a variety of textual references associated with Western and Eastern mythology and literature. The traditional hierarchies among art, artist-craftsmanship and design are negated in an artistic oeuvre that ranges wide from painting, drawing and ceramics to costumes and stage design. Cathrine Raben Davidsen (b. 1972) has exhibited widely in Denmark and abroad and is represented in several national and international art collections. Public collections include: SMK, The National Gallery of Denmark, Trapholt Museum of Modern Art, Applied Art, Design and Architecture, Horsens Art Museum and The New Carlsberg Foundation among others. She has created costumes and set design for The Royal Danish Ballet and has received numerous prestigious awards, grants and scholarships. She is educated in Italy, The Netherlands and in Denmark at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. She lives and works in Copenhagen.

More Places in Florence 19

Florence / Bar

My favourite café in Florence, where you can not only drink coffee (if you lucky enough, you'll get it in ToiletPaper mug), but also buy some designer objects (including ToiletPaper gems) or flowers and plants, and, in the evening, listen to live piano music, sitting at the loooong wooden table. Everything five minutes from the Santa Maria del Fiore.

Florence / Art

Inspiring Hidden place in the Hearth of Florence.

Florence / Area

In 2011, the Caffē Letterario Le Murate was born in Florence, in one of the oldest districts of the historic center of Florence. Located within the complex of the Murate, the former old prison of Florence and former convent, returned to the city after a restoration whose guidelines were traced by Renzo Piano. The Caffè Letterario is first of all a place of aggregation (especially during summer) which serves as a space for multiple cultural initiatives. For everybody and for the families living in the area, it offers a calendar full of literary, artistic, musical and gastronomic activities.

Florence / Bar

Monkey Bar is the first place I discovered in Florence. In this small pub I found myself comforted with its dive bar feel. Lorenzo and Freddy, the bar tenders, greet their patrons with a kiss on each cheek, a sarcastic comment and cheap drinks. I have grown to love this small place; its welcoming atmosphere brings me instantly home in a city constantly bustling with mainstream tourism.

Florence / Bookstore

Florence may be beautiful, but with the amount of tourists it can get quite overwhelming. Todo Modo is a wonderful escape located near the centre that provides a space to sit, sip, read, and reflect. A quaint bookstore in the front, with a bar/café in the back, Todo Modo is one of my favourites in Florence. The hanging plants, the smell of books, the wood covered interior, all provide a cosy nook to sink into. Recommendations: a glass of chianti classico + a pen and journal.