"Tagging" Museum Books

Do you mean that you're tagging the pages of guidebooks so that you can refer to them while you're touring those locations?

If that's the case, in Florence and Rome I've primarily used a combination of Rick Steves' guides to those locations and the much drier, more detailed Blue Guide to Rome and Blue Guide to Florence. The Blue Guides are very dense (and thick and heavy), and make sure that you want that kind of detail before you spend money on them (and public libraries tend to not carry them). I find that Rick Steves' descriptions provide good overviews of artists and periods, and compare artists to each other, which I enjoy.

All of the museums you mentioned have wonderful works. I have two favorites in the Borghese--1) Venus Victrix by Canova and Apollo and Daphne by Bernini.

Have a great trip!

Through Ebay,Amazon and used book stores in my town,
I have been able to find all of the museum books at terrific prices.

I will be tagging and highlighting the pages from those books
with what I have read, and hopefully, the impressions of those who
have been there.

My heart dropped into my stomach when I saw this topic heading. I pictured some young punks taking cans of spray paint into museums and "tagging" old manuscripts with graffiti. Whew! I'm glad I was wrong.

Me too!!! Here in L.A., "tagging" means a whole different thing!!!!

Bring mini binnoculars if you can fit them with you so you can really enjoy all the details on the ceiling of the Baptistry in Florence. I just remember rings and rings of gold with amazing Biblical pictorials, like a demon spewing sinners from its mouth. Santa Croce is where the Giotto frescos are so that is a real treat. He was one of the first to break away from the flat one dimension icon figures and gave volume and dimension to his figures. They are more like living breathing people than the gold encrusted icons of the 1300s.Since I am Catholic I took the opportunity to go into some of the restricted, prayer only parts of the churches, said a little prayer and oggled the art while doing so. I don't think I prayed so much in my life!

In the Uffizi, I would say Botticelli's Primavera is one of my favorite pieces. His trademark flowing blonde tresses, elongation of the figures, flow of the drapery on the figures . . . . I also love the work of Fra Fillippo Lippi. Again, it is the ornateness of the folds in the Madonna's veil and that translucent quality of the veil. I also like the story behind it that the model for the Madonna was his mistress! Ok...I was an art history major long ago, so I digress :)

Sharon and Lori -
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
It is exactly what I had hope for.

This Catholic will be packing her mini binoculars too, great idea !

Florence - The Accademia and the Bargello are pretty small, lots of time to see everything. The Uffizi isn't much bigger. I would add the Pitti Palace and the Duomo Museum (which is in a separate building and has many absolutely wonderful works, including a Pieta by Michelangelo) and the Medici Chapels for the amazing room by Michelangelo. I was disappointed by the Palazzo Vecchio sculptures - they are oddly lit making it hard to see them.

Rome - if you appreciate ancient sculpture/mosaics/frescos add the Capitoline Museum and the Museo Nazionale Romano (Massimo & Altemps). The San Luigi dei Francesi church has 3 wonderful Caravaggios. The church is French, so quite different from the other churches you will see in Italy.

Vatican Museums. OMG spend 3 days . Then there's St. Peter's . . . :-) Don't miss the Laocoon Group (there's usually a crowd around it) which was discovered during Michelangelo's life and influenced him. No words - you just have to see it.

Before I went, I read "The Agony and the Ecstasy" by Irving Stone. It will give you great insights into the processes (sculpture, fresco) and the influences on Michelangelo. Most of his extant works are in either Florence or Rome. Enjoy!!!