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 17

Florence / Market

Piazza die Ciompi depicted here, along with San Lorenzo leather market and Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio host one of the many markets in Florence. Countless treasures; everything from antiques, leather goods, an amazing variety of fresh, typically organic fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses of all sorts, cheap clothing, and a immediate submersion into the sounds and smells of Italian cultures. This is one of the only places I can experience the authenticity of Florence, these markets force me to speak Italian which is a rarity since this city flourishes with English speaking people and establishments.

Florence / Museum

The Museum takes its name from its creator, one of the most famous Italian antiquarian of the late nineteenth century, who after years of intense commercial activity, decided to transform his collection into a museum and donate it to the City of Florence in 1922. Stefano Bardini was a famous art dealer who collected objects of different periods and of high quality. Bardini contributed to spreading the myth of the Italian Renaissance throughout the world and showed great interest in all forms of art, which is one of the reasons to visit the collections: over 2000 pieces including sculptures, paintings, furniture pieces, ceramic pieces, tapestries and objects from ancient art to the eighteenth century. It's also possible to admire some fragments of the old centre of Florence, salvaged before destruction. Inside the museum, everything is on display as it was at the time when Stefano Bardini worked as an antique dealer. The pieces are not grouped by historical period, but are put on display according to the taste of Bardini, so as to better accentuate the beauty of the pieces. Even the building itself is remarkable for its use of doors, windows and the fact that many of the room are painted in a bright electric blue. It doesn't usually appear in the guides (so it's not crowded) and you'll never find it on the MUST VISIT museum list, but it's worth a visit. The visit (depending on whether you are running or deciding to take it easy) takes approximately between 1h and 2:30.

Florence / Art

Inspiring Hidden place in the Hearth of Florence.

Florence / Restaurant

Nice Lunch.

Florence / Park

This secret garden, positioned behind San Miniato al Monte, just a few steps away from one of the most beautiful look out points Florence has to offer, Piazzale Michaelangelo. Here is a quaint whimsical hideaway. Coming from my small town roots, completely surrounded by nature; finding this miniature grove was a gold mine. Here, you will find trees, things I immensely love and miss; this slice of nature here gives me a refreshing taste of purity and comfort.