Museums
Art and architecture, cultural sites and special cultural events
This is a very incomplete list of museums and cultural sites I visited, plus
a
few others which I plan to visit, eventually.
USA
Canada
France
Italy
- Firenze
- Siena
- Palazzo Publico Siena, Lorenzetti's frescoes (Allegory of Good and Bad
Government)
- Catedrale (Duomo), Libreria Piccolomini, Museo del Opera del Duomo, Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena
- Arezzo
- Musei a Roma:
- Venezia
- Padova, Capella Scrovegni
- Pisa
- Museo Nazionale San Matteo,
a jewel of a museum, small (i.e. human size) but filled with beautifully displayed superb quality artwork from the region.
- Museo dell'Opera del Duomo,
next to the Leaning Tower. I was so entranced when I visited this museum, that I didn't notice that they were closing it, and I found
myself locked among all those treasures. Not feeling prepared to live up a Hollywood movie plot, I managed to open a window and, in
rudimentary Italian, asked some passer-by's to come to rescue by notifying the museum guards.
-
Museo delle Sinopie, right next to the Duomo. Contains very interesting sinopie of the famous frescos from Camposanto.
-
Museo del Camposanto Vecchio. Superb rescued and restored frescos of the Camposanto (cemetery). An absolute must-see.
-
Collezioni Egittologiche. I haven't seen this yet, it's on my list for the next visit.
-
Museo Nazionale degli Strumenti per il Calcolo. This sounds fascinating! Must go there next time.
-
Museo Nazionale Palazzo Reale. I missed it, so I must see it next time.
- Il Duomo di Pisa,
Il Battistero
del Duomo,
Il Campanile, or la Torre Pendente (Leaning Tower) di Pisa (it was undergoing major
structural work when I visited Pisa in 1997).
-
San Paolo a ripa d'Arno, a little jewel of a church (chiesa).
England
Ireland
Austria
Germany
Spain
Malta
- Valletta
, a World Heritage city
- The splendid baroque co-cathedral of St John
in Valleta. Not to be missed: the cathedral's museum, where the tapestries used for decorating the cathedral at special occasions are displayed,
as well as illuminated manuscripts and paintings by Andrea Preti and Caravaggio's "Beheading of St John"
- Unique and absolutely spectacular fortifications
- Mdina,
the beautiful Silent City with memorable sights from its ramparts. This walled city is simply a living museum.
The Low Countries
Switzerland
Russia
China
Japan
- Tokyo
- Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park.
My favorite gallery in the Honkan was the collection of
Ukiyo-e,
Japanese woodblock prints, and this spectacular
jar
from the Jomon period.
- I just learned that the Tabacco and Salt Museum in Shibuya has
four prints from
Hiroshige "53 stations of the Tokaido".
- Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Harajuku, Tokyo. Was closed when I got
there. Next time :-)
Here is a web site with a large collection of ukiyo-e's,
and another one, and
another one,
a Library of Congress exhibit, the
Japan Ukiyo-e Museum, the Ukiyo-e Society of America,
Ukiyo-e art dealers
and the Kotobuki Ukiyo-e auction site. An interesting finding about
Frank Lloyd Wright, dealer of ukiyo-e!
Japan links.
- Senso-ji, or Asakusa Kannon temple, with its charming and busy
shopping street Nakamise and
large-scale fireworks on the last
evening of July.
- Kyoto
- Kyoto Gion festival, mid-July
- Imperial palaces, villas and castles:
- Budhist Temples and Shinto Shrines
- Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion. Really covered in gold leaf.
- Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion. No silver, though. From there, continue on the
Philosopher's Path along a canal, passing several smaller temples and heading
towards Nanzen-ji.
- Ryoan-ji, the most famous Zen Rock Garden.
- Ninna-ji, with a most beautiful palace and gardens. One of my favorite sites.
- Sanjusangen-do, the Temple of the 1000 Buddhas. Mesmerizing.
- Kiyomizu-dera, "Pure Water" and a fantastic view.
- Nanzen-ji. A spectacular Sanmon (gate).
- Toji, with its elegant
pagoda and collection of Buddhist sculptures.
- Nishi and Higashi Hongan-ji, large Buddhist temples of the Jodo sect, in the center of Kyoto.
- Kodai-ji
- Daitoku-ji
- Tenryu-ji in Arashiyama area,
with its wooden bridge and bamboo groves,
and the charming Rakushisha, the former residence of Kyorai Mukai, an 18th century haiku poet.
- Daigo-ji
- Tofuku-ji
- Yasaka shrine in the attractive, artistic and turistic
Gion district.
- Fushimi Inari Shrine, with its miles and miles of red torii gates
- Heian shrine, one of the few we missed.
- Nara, Japan's first capital
- Todai-ji temple, the world's largest wooden building.
- Nara Park, with its freely roaming deer
- Horyu-ji, founded by Japan's legendary prince Shotoku,
one of the oldest temples in Japan. A short train and bus ride from Nara.
- Kasuga Taisha shrine, with its many lanterns.
- Odawara in Kanagawa, with its samurai castle and donjon.
This is the shinkansen stop on the way to Hakone, on the shores of
Ashinoko (lake Ashi), the hot springs up the mountain and the spectacular
views of Mt Fuji.
Romania
Museum links
Ileana Streinu