The bottom line on that is that sculptors got paid a good deal more than painters. The art form that Florentines have always been most interested in and have most valued is sculpture. Petersburg, at the Hermitage in New York, at the Met and on, and on.īut painting was not what Florentines were really about. There are also wonderful collections in Rome, at the Vatican in Paris, at the Louvre in London, at the National Gallery in Vienna, at the Kunsthistorisches in St. There’s another one in Florence – at the Palatine Gallery in the Pitti Palace. In fact, there are many wonderful collections of Florentine Renaissance paintings. It has one of the best collections of Florentine Renaissance paintings. Here’s my prime example having to do with Florence. What I see, over and over again, with the followers of Rick Steves is that they tend to mimimize their own choices in ways which make their own visits less rewarding and which make things more difficult, sometimes much more difficult, for others. For that I would consult Fodor’s, Frommer’s, Lonely Planet, etc., as well as, just maybe, Rick Steves, and, just maybe, TripAdvisor. Only then, after I had some idea about what I wanted to see and do in Florence, would I start looking for ideas about room and board. If I had the time, once I knew a litte bit about the subject, I would read Mary McCarthy’s “Stones of Florence” – easily the most delightful book in English on the subject. I would also get the Blue Guide to Florence, which provides details on what’s what and what’s where, and, because it doesn’t have lots of brightly colored pictures, the papers aren’t covered with clay, which means the book is light and easy to carry around – which I do religiously. I would start with Eva Borsook’s “Companion Guide” – which is a series of walking tours focusing on what makes Florence special. I would read as much as I could of some of the very best books written about Florence. Hotels, restaurants, etc., are important, but far, far less so than the other stuff. If I’m going to Florence for the first time, I want to know what I need to know to make the trip as rich and memorable as possible. It also wouldn’t be Fodor’s or Frommer’s, or Lonely Planetor any of the other guides that try to combine lessons on history and culture and art with the most up-to-date advice on the "in" hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, etc., etc. But if I had only one book to read about my first and perhaps last and only trip to Florence – or wherever – that book would most certainly not be Rick Steves’. In the first place, I know people are busy, and they don’t have time. I did not address the problems I see with those who rely more or less exclusively on him for advice on where to go, what to see and do, where to stay, and where to eat. I listed above the three problem I see with Rick Steves’ books, of which I have read most if not all of two – those on Florence and Rome. In fact, there is absolutely nothing whatsoever wrong with being "elite" - nor in seeking out the help of those who are among the "elite". When I am looking for advice on anything: A medical issue, a problem with my car, what are the most remarkable things in a particular museum, I think it makes sense to seek out the "elite" in that field and find out what they have to say. When I'm hiring somebody, or voting for somebody, I certainly want the "best or most skilled" people I can find. The true meaning of “elite” is, very simply: "The best or most skilled members of a group". Therefore, whenever it is moderated, as in the expression "very unique", or otherwise used to mean "unusual", the word is corrupted, and we lose a useful tool – a word that is, in fact, “unique”. For example, English has no synonym for "unique". I hate seeing words corrupted - consciously or not. Whenever "elite" is used as a synonym for "snob", or "rich" or "condescending", it's simply being misused. "Elite" has – only very recently - become a pejorative.
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