Florence: A Portrait

By Michael Levey

Book Overview

Nestled in the Apennines, cradle of the Renaissance, home of Dante, Michelangelo, and the Medici, Florence is unlike any other city in its extraordinary mingling of great art and literature, natural splendor, and remarkable history. Intimate and grand, learned and engaging, Michael Levey's Florence renders the city in all of its madness and magnificence.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674306570
• ISBN13: 9780674306578
• Release Date: September 1996
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 498 Pages
• Weight: 3.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 7.8" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Great resource

This was a required book for my study abroad which I took in Italy. This was a great book, although it is quite extensive, so with that it might be better used for a more in depth study then a simple read. The book provided a great resource for papers (yes plural) on many aspects of Florence and it really does make a great portrait of Florence. It's a great city and a great book!

A Fascinating Journey

It is as though we are moving through the streets of Florence with Mr. Levey at our side telling us fascinating stories about the people and places of the city by the Arno. Anyone with an interest in Florence will find this volume a wonderful companion to the larger histories and art books. We are the beneficiaries of the author's lifetime of experience and understanding in the matters of the Renaissance and its center, Florence. Highly recommended.

Well written and challenging

The book is wonderfully written, but reading it presents the same challenges as following a university lecture on the subject. Mr. Levey does not dumb down his subject or choose words he thinks most people will understand. You must keep up with him, and it would be helpful to keep handy a dictionary and a book on art history (or at least be near the internet). This is a fascinating and insightful work, but not one you'll want to read a couple of pages of while your spouse watches Letterman before bed. You'll want to be paying strict attention as you read. If you do so, you'll find yourself well prepared for a visit to this amazing city. Rather than questioning your tour guide, you may well be able to teach her a thing or two on the subject.

Much More Than a Parlor Table Book

This book is a wonderful, "behind-the-scenes" history of Art and Life in Florence during its Golden Period. Levey has synthesized historical and personal accounts of the period and it results in a Historical text which is very readable. He gives life to the great artists of the time and some of the 'dirt' too. Levey not only discusses the achievements of the Masters with authority, but also provides interesting background information, including motives, jealousies, intrigue and favoritism. Despite its weight, this is THE travelogue on Florence I will take with me.

Florence at its best

This book gives the reader a history of Florence through its art. Naturally, the Florence in the time of the Renaissance is covered at length, but Levey doesn't stop there. He gives lots of insight into the patronage of art in succeeding periods. Levey's portrait of Florence is also a portrait of the Medici family and their artistic legacy to the city.While this book might be too hefty and too heady for the casual italophile, it should be in the library of every hard-core Italy lover.