The Gypsy on Travel with Rick Steves

My Book
A big thank you to travel guru Rick Steves for having me on his show! We had a great conversation about Rome, Michelangelo, and our mutual love for great art.  If you missed the broadcast on your local PBS station, you can listen to it online:
You can also listen to the program on iTunes.  Look for Barcelona; Michelangelo's Rome.

Rick Steves
And if you haven't purchased my book yet, what are you waiting for?  A Journey into Michelangelo's Rome is available at most major booksellers including Amazon.com.  Heck! I'd even be happy to autograph it for you.  Leave a comment, and I'll contact you with more details.

Michelangelo's Rome on Rick Steves' Radio Show

My book -- do you have it?
I'm very excited to announce that I will be a guest on Rick Steves' radio show this weekend, August 21-22.  We will be talking about Michelangelo and Rome -- two of my favorite subjects -- as well as my book, A Journey into Michelangelo's Rome.

For a list of stations and air times, check this link:
If your local NPR station doesn't offer Travel with Rick Steves, you can listen to it anytime after August 22 from the audio archives on Rick Steves' website.  It will also be available as a podcast on i-Tunes and other podcast directories.

And, for Northern California fans of Rick Steves, I will have a big announcement next week -- a fantastic opportunity to hang out with Rick Steves!  More details to come!  

See you on the radio!
Travel guru, Rick Steves, in Italy (image courtesy of Rick Steves)

Florence vs Italy: Michelangelo's David at Centre of Ownership Row

©Angela K. Nickerson, 2010
Michelangelo, who completed his David in 1504, would be astonished by Silvio Berlusconi's latest move and Italy's latest quarrel. Lawyers from the Italian Ministry of Culture are preparing to argue that Michelangelo's David -- and the millions of dollars in admission fees it generates -- belongs to the Italian government and not to the city of Florence. The city of Florence is challenging this assertion -- and hoping they will get a piece of the pie.

Of course, in the early 1500's there was no "Italy" as we know it today. That is a 19th century development. But in the unification of the Italian city states, were there some details left unexplored? And why would the city of Florence just be thinking of this now? One word: Euros. When the going gets tough, people look for revenue in "creative" ways.

So, what would Michelangelo do? I'm fairly certain he would champion his hometown of Florence. His David represents the Florentine Republic standing up against other threatening forces including the Vatican -- the Goliaths of his day. It seems David has another stone to throw.


Further Reading: