Rebuilding The Renaissance

Episode 404 - Puglia: Italy’s Best Kept Secret

Oct 14, 2026

From the natural beauty of its countryside and coast, to the man-made beauty of its architecture, to the beauty of its artisanal and culinary traditions, the Italian region of Puglia is simply astonishing. The capital city of Bari is the resting place of one of Christianity’s best-known saints - St. Nicholas. The...

Episode 403 - Answers to Open Questions XXX

Oct 7, 2026

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...

Episode 402 - Sicily - The Ancient Theater of Taormina

Sep 30, 2026

Originally built in the 3^rd 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...

Episode 401 - Sicily - Taormina - “The Pearl of the Mediterranean”

Sep 23, 2026

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...

Episode 400 - Sicily - Neapolis Archeological Park of Siracusa

Sep 16, 2026

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...