Tuscan Countryside Tours

This is a video that I took at Ostia Antica with my Flip video camera. The Roman Baths is the area were I spend most of my time during my visit to this archeological park. I am still amazed by the complexity, and the sophistication of these baths. The Romans used to be very found of their thermal baths. This thermal bath contains several “tanks” that were used to store, and to warm up big amount of water and to at different temperature, Calidarium, Tiepidarium, and Frigidarium. Really fascinating hydraulic engineering. The quality, and the state of conservation of the floor mosaics is absolutely amazing. The Archeological Park is pretty big, and I was just able to visit a small part of it, but well kept and not crowded. There is also a nice small museum, were statues and smaller objects are exposed. I really recommend a visit to Ostia Antica if you are in the area. Ostia Antica is litterally 10 minutes away from the Rome Airport, and from the town of Fiumicino, and it is well connected to Rome by the local train systems. A great place to travel back to Italy glorious past.

Noli desinire

This video was taken by a Filigiakke a “young” Florentine Artist with the Flip. This new video camera makes taking videos and uploading them to the YouTube a snap.

During my recent trip to Italy, I stopped in Ostia. The city of Ostia is really close to the Rome Airport (Fiumicino), and it used to be the port of ancient Rome. All the goods directed to the capitol of the empire passed trough the port of Ostia. The archeological park of the ancient City of Ostia can be visited, and some of the ruins are really outstanding. I took some pictures of the Ostia Antica, and as you can see from the mosaics on the bath floor are really amazing, and in very good condition. The ruins are in good condition, and the Archeological park is rarely crowded. There is also a Roman Theater that it still be used during the Summer.

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SeeTen is the first Web-TV in English dedicated to promote cultural, and touristic activities that are taking place in Florence and Tuscany. Contains interesting information that can help you plan your trip to Florence and Tuscany.

To celebrate UNESCO’s International Year of Astronomy the City of Florence is planning numerous cultural activities, one of them is the exhibit dedicated to Galileo Galilei. The Astronomer that for many years worked for the Medici Family, in Florence. The exhibit is being held in the Renaissance Palazzo Strozzi, in downtown Florence and it is dedicated to the extraordinary adventure that led to the current conception of the universe. Some of Astrological, and Scientific objects including the only surviving Telescope belonging to Galileo, are in loan from the Museum of History of Science of Florence. The exhibition is being held at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence until August 30th 2009.

Video courtesy of www.seeten.it

Today the italians are celebrating the night of Saint Lawrence or the night of the falling stars. According to the Catholic tradition this day is dedicated to the suffering of St. Lawrence, which was killing on this day, the falling stars are representing his tears coming down from heaven. On this night the Italians believe that every wish can come true, if we stop to remember to the pain that St. Lawrence suffered.
For the Astronomers, less poetically, the falling stars are caused by the passage of a group of asteroids coming from the Perseus constellation, and for this reason called Perseidi, inside the orbit of our planet.
For more information about this you can also read the blog of my friend Michelle Fabio. http://bleedingespresso.com/2008/08/la-notte-di-san-lorenzo-make-a-wish.html

I found a copy of the movie, La Notte di San Lorenzo on Veoh. The story of the movie takes places in Tuscany at the end of WWII, and it was directed by 2 Tuscan Brothers, Paolo e Vittorio Taviani. I hope that you enjoy it.

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From Petra to Shawbak is the name of the Archeological Exhibit that is taking place at the Limonaia of Palazzo Pitti. The ruin of the Medieval Castle Shawbak, located just few miles from Petra, Jordan are presented in this special exhibit. The site was excavated by a team of Archeologist from the University of Florence, Italy. This exhibit is going to run until the 19th of October.

Here is the extended version of the latest spot realized by the Regione Toscana to promote tourism in Tuscany. For more information http://turismo.intoscana.it

Francesca and Beatrice show Salvadonica, their farm house in Tuscany. A perfect location to enjoy the Chianti countryside and to go sightseeing historical cities as Firenze, Siena, San Gimignano and so on.
These are two friends of mine, and I stayed there for a week few years ago. During the years I referred them to several friends, and they all had a very good time.

The Discovery Channel is going to air the first episode of a new series called “Doing da Vinci” dedicated to the contraptions imagined by Leonardo da Vinci. In the first episode a group comprised of an engineer, an artist, and a special effect designer is going to try to build a military device, an armored car that was originally designed more than 500 years ago. The idea is not new since there are at least a couple of museum in Tuscany only that have already done something similar. I only saw a preview of the show and it look something in between “American Chopper”, and “This Old House”. The web site of the series looks really interesting Doing da Vinci

La Bicicletta di Leonardo

These are pictures of models that were designed by Leonardo, and that were realized for the “Museo Leonardiano” in Florence. I took these pictures few years ago.

Leonardo's flying machine

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