City Breaks

Munich Episode 02 The Residenz

A brief history of Munich's most visited tourist attraction, the Residenz, is followed by tips on what is most worth seeing, such as the grottos where 19th century ball-goers did their eating, meeting and greeting and the Treasury with its crowns and ostrich-egg-holder. Then we introduce the Wittelsbach family, who ruled Bavaria from this palace between 1180 and 1918, and who will keep popping up in future episodes. Find out about the king doomed by an extraordinary love affair with a con girl and his grandson who shied away from busy Munich, preferring to retreat to his bejewelled boudoirs in the depths of the Bavarian forests.

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Munich Episode 01 Introduction to City Breaks Munich

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Florence Episode 19 Literary Florence

The final episode on Florence focuses on a selection of the many literary writings connected to the city, beginning with the Tuscan writers Petrarch and Boccacio and the English poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Then four novels set in Florence are covered:Irving Stone’s biographical novel about Michelangelo,The Agony and the Ecstasy, Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel, E M Forster’s A Room with a View and finally Sarah Dunant’s The Birth of Venus, a vivid imagining of the life of a 15 year-old cloth merchant's daughter, which paints a colourful picture of Florence in 1528.

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Florence Episode 18 History and Travel Writing

First a brief look at some history books which have much to tell about Florence, and then glimpses into the many different writings of those – famous and not-so-famous – who have travelled to Florence and then written about it. There is a whole selection of quotes from travellers as varied as the actor David Garrick enjoying the city's 'fine profusion of things' in 1763, and Dylan Thomas who found Florence 'a gruelling museum'. Find out too about such literary delights as Mary McCarthy's The Stones of Florence, David Leavitt's Florence: A Delicate Case and Diana Athill’s A Florence Diary.

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Florence Episode 17 The Uffizi

This episode is devoted to the Uffizi, Florence's world-famous art gallery, offering a short history of the gallery and an overview of its treasures. The main focus is then on a number of highlights by Italian painters, such as the three glorious Madonnas (by Ducio, Cimabue and Giotto respectively) displayed together in the first main room plus, of course, Botticelli's Primavera and The Birth of Venus. Mention is also made of a well-known double portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Piero della Francesca and in each case the descriptions are supplemented by useful background information.

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Florence Episode 16 Michelangelo

Of course, Michelangelo deserves an episode to himself and this is it. First, hear about the museums which display his work, including the Bargello and the Accademia. Then, there's a brief biography, focussing particularly on his Florence connections, especially his time as a youngster under the care and sponsorship of Lorenzo il Magnifico. Despite a long period working in Rome, Michelangelo took care to leave instructions that after his death his body should be returned to his home city for a funeral and burial in Santa Croce. Florence is still proud to be 'the birthplace of this divinely endowed spirit'.

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Florence Episode 15 San Marco

Perhaps one of Florence's lesser-known pleasures, San Marco's tranquil atmosphere and beautiful frescos are a delight. Hear a brief history of the building, including its connections to Cosimo de Medici and the 'mad monk' Savonarola, both of whose rooms you can visit. Find out too about the 43 monks' cells, each with their own fresco, the Pilgrim's Hospice and the Library, originally commissioned by Cosimo di Medici and today housing displays of medieval illuminated manuscripts. Lastly, there is information on the monastery's two most famous artists - Fra Angelico and Bartolomeo – and on the works they left behind them here at San Marco.

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Florence Episode 14 Galileo

Amid all the art and culture in Florence, it’s important to remember that the city also has a special place in the history of science, most notably as the home of Galileo.  This episode begins with a biography, including his links to the Medici family, his main work and his controversial dispute with the catholic church, whose doctrine was in direct opposition to Galileo’s teaching.  Hear about the resulting trial and sentence, and find out about the places in Florence today where Galileo is remembered, notably at his tomb in Santa Croce and at the Science Museum named after him. 

Florence Episode 13 The Palazzo Pitti

Hear how the Medicis lorded it over the Pittis by buying up the grand palace which the latter could no longer afford. There are brief biographies of various Medici, some who patronised the arts and sciences and others who murdered each other to ensure their own succession. Find out which one was the 'the spendthrift cardinal' and which one was said to have 'passed his brief life between luncheons, receptions and literary or scientific debates.' Finally, hear about the most noteworthy things to look out for at the Palazzo, such as the Boboli Gardens, and paintings by Raphael and Titian.

Florence Episode 12 Machiavelli

This episode takes time out from visiting the sights of Florence in order to get to know more about one of the city's most famous inhabitants: Nicolo Machiavelli, one-time Secretary to the Council of Florence, but much better known to us for his writings.  Hear about his life at the centre of Florence's politics, his banishment to the countryside when he fell out of favour and the writing he left behind, from 'perhaps the most famous letter ever written in Italian' to his advice to a former boss on how to succeed politically, written up in 'The Prince'.