The Princess

(Check back here for updated photo)

Some of my earliest memories were as a little girl in the late 1950s in Alexandria, Virginia.  I was the third child and the only girl.  I was told my older brother Ed wanted a little sister because his best friend Larry had a sister.  More so, my father wanted a little girl to spoil and he called me his Princess.  My next older brother John didn't seem to care one way or another about having a little sister as he was my mother's favorite.  My mother would have been content with the just two boys as she was age 36 and was pressured by my Dad and Ed to have a little girl.  She was also not in good health during the 10 month pregnancy and developed lifelong diabetes while she was pregnant with me. My memories of her were that she was mostly in poor health. I was about 11 pounds at birth and had to stay in the hospital for two weeks under an oxygen tent so the initial bonding between mother and newborn was delayed.  All the more attention from my older brother and father when I did come home!

Betty Ann Osius 1954

 Betty Ann Osius 1957-8

In 1957-8, I was 3-4 years old.  My mother's maternal Uncle Michael Bugos died in my bed from gangrene.  He refused to have his leg amputated after a foot sore did not heal.  He had diabetes.  There were many of his items that were inherited by my mother. His wife, Mary, was put into St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, DC. There were no children from that marriage. The relatives in Czechoslovakia were contacted and no one wanted to take care of the elderly Mary.  My Great Uncle Mike was brought to our Alexandria, Virginia home to die.  I remember my father carrying him piggy-back through the front door and into my bedroom.  I had just got my own room that year and a “big girl bed” after being in a crib in my parent’s bedroom.  I remember how it felt to be told I have to go back to sleeping in the crib again so my Great Uncle Mike could have my bed and room.  I was not happy. My last memory of him was when my brothers and I dressed up for Halloween and went by the open bedroom door to show him our costumes before we went out trick or treating.  Then I remember staying home with a babysitter for the first time as my parents went to his funeral.   I got my room back soon after the funeral.

After his funeral and my brothers were in school, there were many trips into Washington, DC during the day with just me and my parents as I was too young for school.  My mother was at the courthouse while my father took me to the park nearby.  I have many great memories of time spent with my father feeding the pigeons and buying food from vendors in the park.  I think we may also have gone to museums and other attractions but we did that a lot anyway since we lived just a few miles away in Alexandria. I did go with my father and mother into the courthouse once as my father had to speak before the judge.  I only remember him being very nervous when the judge told him to remove his hat.  I do know it was all about settling my Great Uncle Mike’s estate and what to do with his wife Mary.

Michael Bugos was the maternal uncle of my mother, Elizabeth Hudak Osius.  He sponsored my mother to come to the United States in 1939 from Czechoslovakia when she was a single 21 year old woman.  Her older brother, John Hudak, had also been sponsored by Michael Bugos previously.  I do not know the year he came to Washington, DC from the old country I believe was known as Austria-Hungary before it became Czechoslovakia in 1918 (the year my mother was born). Michael Bugos earned his living as a house painter and likely worked in wealthy households in Washington, DC where he and his wife Mary lived. He also painted beautiful roses on postcards and I think he may have sold them on the side or just enjoyed art in general. Several of the furniture pieces we inherited had roses painted on them. I do not know when he came to the United States and became a citizen.  My mother’s older brother John Hudak worked with him as a painter before he met and married Stacia and moved to Ohio to farm.  Elizabeth Hudak worked nine years as a domestic in nine different embassies in Washington, DC before she met and married my father, Rudolph F. Osius.  They moved to Alexandria, Virginia in 1948 and had three children.

             Michael & Mary Bugos, Washington, DC (est 1940s)

Michael Bugos as a House Painter with Crew in Washington, DC (est 1940s)

  

                             The Osius Family in 1954: 

John, Rudy, Ed, Betty (Elizabeth), Betty Ann (Elizabeth Ann) 

                                     Alexandria, Virginia 

                               

I think it is likely that my Great Uncle Mike acquired the bronze Faure De Brousse statue as payment for a house paint job from a wealthy family in Washington, DC.  I think he helped my mother get work at foreign embassies so he likely would be in contact with such households. It is unlikely that he brought the 40 pound statue with him from Europe.  It is also unlikely that he was of financial means to be purchasing expensive large artwork. It is likely that he valued this statue as an art piece representing his homeland before World War I changed everything.  Maybe he bartered his services as a house painter in exchange for the bronze statue?

Both my older brothers and I took turns in each room of our mother’s home in Alexandria, Virginia dividing her possessions after her death in September 1993 (b.1918).  I was the only sibling that expressed interest in the bronze statue. I wanted it as it held precious childhood memories for me. I had played with “The Princess” as a little girl putting makeup and jewelry on the bust. It was always kept under the basement staircase in the dark with one light bulb on a chain.  She was my secret princess friend. My father would call me his “Princess” as I was the youngest and only girl. He often told me he always wanted a little girl. He told me stories about Empress Elisabeth of Austria Queen of Hungary. He said she had a son named Rudolf. My father birth name was Rudolf and he changed it to the Americanized spelling of Rudolph when he came to the United States at age 16 in 1933.  My young imagination had made stories of being “royalty” especially since my parents never talked much about their early lives.  My father was born and raised in Vienna, Austria and my mother near Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. Their early stories were received by me over many years with my mother expressing much sadness whenever she did reveal a few childhood details and my father’s story was told to me whenever I asked and with much grandeur. It was the 1950s and any association with communism was not talked about especially when most of our relatives were in Eastern Europe. It is no wonder that my little girl imagination combined the stories of my unknown relatives with those of The Princess hidden away under the stairs in our basement. My parents made a new life in the United States in the 1930s, met and married in 1948, and as the family grew, didn’t even speak to or teach their children their native language. We were not close to any relatives except my mother’s brother John Hudak and her maternal uncle Michael Bugos who acquired the bronze statue.  I never met my mother's parents. They died of tuberculosis in 1966.   My mother only returned to her native homeland once in 1974 after I left home. 

I have a relationship with my maternal cousin's Stratka-Adams family in Slovakia that I have cherished since the mid-1990s. My father's estranged mother was a self-made woman of wealth living in Florida that I only met once for a week when she visited in1969.  Louise Zabrinska Osius died in 1986.  Since 2015, I have had a wonderful relationship with a paternal cousin in the Czech Republic.  I may not be "royalty" but I did the work to solve the mystery of who I am and where my family came from for the most part.  These real relationships have made me rich beyond my imagination!

Our father Rudolph F. Osius had died in May of 1990 (b.1916) and everything was left for our mother, Elizabeth Hudak Osius in Alexandria, Virginia.  My brother John Osius lived nearby and took all his stuff to his home. Whatever was left after Ed and I chose would go to charity. My brother Ed Osius and I rented a U-Haul truck and combined our stuff to drive to Missouri with my husband and son where we lived, unload, then drove to Iowa where Ed lived. My daughter and I followed in my car to Missouri and Ed's wife drove their car to Iowa.  I thought the bronze statue was unloaded at my house in Missouri along with many other things.  When I asked my brother later about my statue, he said his wife said she would clean it up and find out what it was worth.  We agreed then that if it was of great value we would split it 3-ways.  When she didn’t get the job done, we joked about hiding it in each other’s cars when we visit each other over the years until one of us spends the time and money to find its worth.  We joked each time one of us made a major personal purchase saying that it must have been paid for by selling “The Princess” and not sharing the money!  Over the years, we never really knew who actually had it as each household became cluttered with life’s growing processions. 

I became the family Genealogist when I retired in 2011.  I was able to document over five generations on either parent's side.  I needed to do the work to put my parent's life into a timeline corresponding to historical facts.  There were many gaps so in December 2019, I wrote a historical romantic novel about my father’s life covering the years of 1898-1948.  It is mostly factual from the stories my father told me and what couldn't be verified likely could have been true and was identified as such.  It is available through Amazon Kindle as an e-book titled: “Rudolf’s Rhapsody” by Babi Beti. A few years later, I discovered Jewish DNA information about my biological paternal grandfather that could add a whole new chapter!  The only mystery remaining was about my bronze Princess statue!

My older brother, Ed Osius found the bronze statue in his garage attic in Blencoe, Iowa in 2023.  It had been pushed into a dark place and not moved for about 30 years after our mother died in September 1993. He did not realize he had the statue.  His large old metal chemistry set from his childhood was in front of the covered statue hiding it from view. Recently retired, he was cleaning out his garage attic and found the bronze statue wrapped in a white sack. He was surprised he had it all this time!

Keith & Ed load up The Princess for Missouri in 2023

Ed brought it down to the main floor of the garage so I could take it home to Hermitage, Missouri. I was staying with Ed on this trip to attend my mother-in-law’s funeral.  I had visited my brother at least once a year over the past 30 years and he visited me in Missouri every Memorial Weekend. I had asked my brother about the bronze statue many times over the years and we both thought our other brother, John Osius in Virginia, must have it as his large home was always very cluttered and he didn’t really know for sure whether he had it or not. 

I was thrilled to see it again after 30 years and very happy to take it home with me to Missouri where it always belonged! My 5 year old granddaughter saw it and her wide eyes brought back my childhood memories and I look forward to telling her many stories. Maybe she and I could restore it together when she visits me and I can tell her stories of Empress Elisabeth of Austria Queen of Hungary and my parent’s history. She was very much into everything “princess” at her age!  She asked if she could have it when I die and after my initial surprise at her bluntness, I smiled and said, “Of course you can have it!”

The signed “FAURE DE BROUSSE” (circa 1876-1908) bronze statue bust with the name “RAFFAELLA” on the pedestal banner and “CK V” marked on the underside is located in Hermitage, Missouri in the possession of Elizabeth Osius Pearson. It was in its original unrestored condition and not cleaned as of March 20, 2023.  There were no dents, scratches, or broken parts.  There are some areas where a gold-like gilding has chipped off especially at the pedestal; likely from many years stored in a garage with temperature changes.  The white bag that covered it all these years in the garage was loaded with this gold-like gilding dust and chips.  I was told that gilding was a popular trend at the time as gilding gives an object a gold appearance at a fraction of the cost of creating a solid gold object as a solid gold piece would often be too soft or too heavy for practical use.  This sculpture weighs 40 pounds, as is.  A guilt surface also does not tarnish.  I will use a special wax to protect it before I put it outside.

 

The past two winters, I have lightly cleaned the statue and attempted some restoration on the face area only.  I am not skilled to remove all the gilding and take it down to the original surface other than the face area which is already developing a rich patina color!  My intent was to find the insurance value and put the statue in my home garden to enjoy my old childhood memories. The Princess will not be kept in the dark anymore as 65 years was too long!

May 13, 2025 I had free tickets for two to attend The Antiques Road Show at Grant's Farm in St. Louis, Missouri.  I went through the application process and was accepted to attend this event that is regularly broadcasted on PBS traveling around the country to different locations.  It's all about a free verbal appraisal from experts. It is about insurance value. I never had any intention of selling it at any price! 

Keith and I drove the three hours to St. Louis and stayed overnight nearby as our appointment was for 8 AM the next day. The location was the former farm of Ulysses S. Grant the 18th President of the United States.  It is currently the home of the famous Budweiser Clydesdales with the Anheuser Busch breweries nearby and are open for public viewing.   It was a beautiful spring day and we enjoyed seeing all the interesting people and items they brought to be appraised.  This show will be broadcast on PBS sometime in 2026.  Everything was filmed with cameras and crew everywhere and I had to sign a release.  There were specific areas where more intense interviews were done and security was everywhere.  I do not think I will be on TV but it is possible.  The online research I had done documented values between $500 - $15K for similar bronze sculptures by the artist with the higher end for a jewelry-inlay one in good condition with no apparent gilding.  The Antique Roadshow verbal appraisal opinion indicates I will not have to increase my current home insurance to display this sculpture outside in my garden.  I am relieved!

I had prepared a special place in my garden as the final resting place for The Princess to shine.  I can only hope that my granddaughter, Kayleen Mills, will come to appreciate her own heritage through my novel, stories, and history of my precious statue that she contributed her time (and old pajamas) to clean and restore. It will be hers after I'm done with it.  She will be the one to determine it's final value.

The Final Resting Place for The Princess will be up against the wall on a stone block pillar that is yet to be built.  I may stencil a Bohemian design on the concrete wall to frame it.  I am currently in the planning stages but should be done this summer.  Check back for an updated picture here and The Antique Roadshow PBS schedule for your local TV station in 2026.  Maybe you will see us there!

50th Wedding Anniversary in Italy - Art in Florence

The Marzocco Lion

Art was everywhere in Florence!  We made time for seven different museums in just as many days in addition to unscheduled adventures around Florence's Historic Core.  Some museums required advanced passes so we were prepared.  I'm including a small fraction of my favorite art and artifacts on this post and hope it sparks the reader's interest to click on the links throughout this post for much more information and photos or better yet, to visit these places yourself! 

Here are the 7 different museums we experienced with links for those readers that just want the facts less my personal experiences from the best sights I found online.  Otherwise, scroll down:

1.  The Duomo Complex - Dome, Baptistery, Cathedral, Santa Reparata (crypt), Museum

2.  The Academia

3.  The Uffizi Galleries

4.   Palazzo Vecchio

5.  Piazza della Signoria & Loggia dei Lanzi

6.  The Bargello National Museum

7.  The Leonardo da Vinci Museum

This is my eighth and final post about our trip to Italy in 2024.  It is really long as I took the summer months to research further and enjoy.  It is mostly photos with lots of links for more information.  Just like our actual trip, I didn't want it to come to an end!  If this is the first post you are viewing, please consider going back to the beginning of our trip in June 2024 for the full story.  The Blog Archive is on the right and easy to find from the Home Page.   I know I will be returning many times; one way or another!

If you are sensitive to nudity in art, get out now!  But first, please consider the following quote from Fr. Bryon Miller, CSsR/Dear Padre.org (8/18/2024) when asked if naked statues, like Michelangelo's David, are really appropriate for public viewing:

"It is helpful to consider if the artwork depicts the body to heighten transcendence, or to objectify the body to satisfy basic instincts.  Art is admittedly subjective, and the interpretation of nudity in true art is in the eye of the beholder.  Nudity can evoke feelings of shame for some; for others, the nude body in art can be an aesthetic experience of illuminated grace in humanity, and ultimately in the glory of our Maker for all his gifts - including the gift of Christ's resurrection that restored us to the original image and likeness intended by our Creator.  

Since ancient times, the nude human form was a common subject in art.  The intention is to draw the viewer to a better appreciation of the human body's natural beauty.  However, nudity is often associated with sexuality, and for some, sexuality is equated with sin.  

In his series of addresses about the theology of the body, St. John Paul II expounded on original nakedness that was referred to in Scripture:  'Man tries to cover the real origin of fear with the shame of his own nakedness (Genesis 3:10).  In the state of original innocence nakedness did not express a lack.  Rather, it represented full acceptance of the body...(Real Significance of Original Nakedness, 1980).'

So to answer the question, assuming the purpose of the artist is to inspire, and the atmosphere in which the statue is viewed is conductive to such inspiration, yes, such a public display is appropriate."

There was an event in Florence's history known as the Bonfire of the Vanities that took place on the eve before Lent on February 7, 1497 on the public square known as the Piazza della Signoria.  It is an interesting read about the historical aspect of book burning and judgement of art.  It did not end well for Dominican frier Girolamo Savonarola.  

The art in both Rome and Florence is predominately about Christian history - Old and New Testaments. The ancient pagan Roman and Greek art is preserved as the techniques used influenced all art and architecture.  The Medici family of Florence (1434 to1737) were the major political power and patrons of the arts during the Renaissance.  They sponsored artists, architects, sculptors, and writers.  Florence became a cultural and artistic center and the art capital of the Western world because of their patronage; especially Lorenzo de'Medici (1449-1492) aka Medici the Magnificent.  So much of the art of Florence still reflects the historic drama, influence, and power of the Medici family dynasty which ended in the mid-1700s. 

My favorite artists during this period are Leonardo da Vinci, Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi Botticelli (aka Sandro Botticelli), Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino,  and Michelangelo Buonarroti.  I have included the works of a variety of artists.

In Florence, we were staying just a couple blocks from the Duomo Complex which is the city center and all these museums were walking distance covering the area from the River Arno to the south and The Academia on the north.  

1. The Duomo Complex 

Consists of 5 parts:  

Brunelleschi's Dome

The Baptistry

Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral &

Santa Reparata (crypt)

Opera del Duomo Museum (3 floors)

Giotto's Bell Tower (no inside photos from me)

Brunelleschi's Dome:

View of Brunelleschi's Dome from the balcony of our apartment in Florence with Keith and Beti

View of Brunelleschi's Dome from the balcony of our apartment in Florence at night

View of Brunelleschi's Dome at night from the Piazza (plaza) 

Golden Ball by Verrochio

(top of the dome cupola)

Herringbone Brick Pattern

The Last Judgement (1572-79) by Giorgio Vasari, Federico Zuccaro 

(top portion of the dome)

The Last Judgement (1572-79) by Giorgio Vasari, Federico Zuccaro 

(middle portion of the dome)

The Last Judgement (1572-79) by Giorgio Vasari, Federico Zuccaro 

(lower portion of the dome)

The Baptistry:

Sculpture group of the Baptism of Christ by Andrea Sansovino and Vincenzo Danti over Bronze Door - The East Portal (Gates of Paradise) by Lorenzo Ghiberti

Bronze Door up close - The East Portal (The Gates of Paradise) by Lorenzo Ghiberti

Inside floor to ceiling

Upper wall to ceiling

Apse in the baptistry with alter 

Mosaic Dome

St. John the Baptist (1688) by Giuseppe Piamontini in marble, gold, & bronze 

Baptismal Font (1371) attributed to a follower of Andrea Pisano 

 Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral & 

Santa Reparata (crypt):

Facade of the Cathedral (1880-1888) next to Giotto's Bell Tower

Bronze Door with Keith

Nave

Clock with fresco portraits of prophets by Paolo Uccello (1443)

Dome inside the cupola over the alter

Stained glass windows

Crucifix underground in the crypt (12th century)

Mosaic floor covered with quarry stone masonry underground in the crypt

Opera del Duomo Museum:

There was just so much to like here! Please click on the links under The Duomo Complex above for more information and photos with so many of my favorites!  I've just added a few additional favorites below.  We didn't go inside Giotto's Bell Tower.  

Many of the original artworks from the baptistry, campanila, and cathedral are displayed in this museum while reasonably good copies are still gracing these buildings.  I especially liked the artifacts of the original tools and equipment used in building the dome.  The Hall of Paradise is the name given the space between the baptistry and the church.

In this hall can be seen the original sculptures of the Gothic western facade of the cathedral and the original bronze doors and the sculptures of the baptistry. It is good that so much original art was moved inside out of the weather!

Original tools and equipment used in building the dome

2.  The Academia

This museum founded in 1873 is best known as the home of the original Michelangelo's 17' marble sculpture David.  It also includes a large collection of paintings by Florentine artists from 1300-1600.  The original intention was to create a museum celebrating Michelangelo's fourth century birthday.  Now it includes a small collection of Michelangelo's unfinished work and the original plaster casts of many famous sculptures as well as art relating to botany, music, art symbols, and painting techniques.  Of course, David is the main attraction!

As the second most visited museum in Florence, The Academia is much smaller and specialized than the Uffizi Gallery, the main art museum and most visited.  

Michelangelo's David (1501-1504) - the original

David's Hand

David's Head

David and Beti

The Rape of the Sabines by Giambologna (1579-1583) - original plaster cast.  The term "rape" does not mean sexual violation; rather, the founding men of Rome abducted neighboring women to populate their city; sometimes referred to as "rapture."

The Pentecost (1365-1370) by Orcagnaj

3. The Uffizi Galleries

This is huge!  I highly suggest to have a plan to go early and at least rent the headphone guide to get around as it can be overwhelming.  Take a break at the cafe on the top floor.  The gift shop is on the main floor. 

The Birth of Venus (1485) by Alessandro Filipepi, detto Botticelli 

Spring (1480) by Alessandro Filipepi, detto Botticelli.

Statue of Hercules slaying the Centaur Nessus, Ancient Roman Art restored in part by Giovanni Caccini (1556-1613)  

The Baptism of Christ (1475) by Andrea Del Vercocchio & Leonardo da Vinci (apprenticed)

Testa di Medusa (1597) By Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi, detto (This is actually a shield) 

The Annunciation(1472-5) by Leonardo da Vinci

Saints Margaret and Mary Magdalene with Maria Portinari (1476) by Hugo Van Der Goes

Portrait of a Young Man Holding a Medallion (1475) by Alessandro Filipepi, detto Botticelli 

Madonna and Child with Young St. John the Baptist (1505-1506) by Raffaello Sanzio

Madonna and Child Enthroned with... (1487-1488) by Alessandro Filipepi, detto Botticelli

4.  Palazzo Vecchio

This is the "palace" on the "plaza" and the active seat of government for the city of Florence.  The history is rich and it is interesting to observe how much art and history are intertwined here especially to represent the Medici Dynasty. 

Putto with a Dolphin (1470-80) by Andrea del Vercocchio (original)

First Courtyard with Putto with Dolphin (copy) in the middle by Vercocchio and frescoes of Austrian cities on the wall by Vasarierri

Hall of Lilies. Overview

Hall of Lilies - Judith and Holofernes (1460) by Donatello

Hall of Geographical Maps

Sala Dell'udienza (1545) by Francesco Salviati

Chapel of the Priors - Mary with Baby Jesus & St. Elizabeth with Baby John (the Baptist)

Mosaic Medal Cabinet (15th Century) as described by our soft-spoken tour guide, Glenda

Mosaic Medal Cabinet (15th Century) - detail of the bird panel

Mosaic Medal Cabinet (15th Century) - close view of the Villa la Petraia panel in the center

Hall of 500 - Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci painted the frescos on either side 

Quarters of the Elements - Birth of Venus 

Quarters of the Elements - Fruits of Earth offered to Saturn 

Quarters of the Elements - Fruits of Earth offered to Saturn showing Fortuna with turtle and sail close up

Staircase with Frescoed Vault representing Life of Hercules

Secret Passage Door

Apartments of Leo X - ceiling

5. Piazza della Signoria & Loggia dei Lanzi

The Piazza della Signoria is the plaza. It is the government center with the main building, Palazzo Vecchio "Old Palace," as the city's town hall.  The Loggia dei Lanzi is the open building with columns next to it used for public assemblies.  Connected to the Palazzo Vecchio by a kilometer-long passageway is the Uffizi Gallery as it was originally the city's administrative and judicial offices (1560-1580) but converted to an art gallery in1584 and open to the public in 1765.  The Uffizi Gallery is located behind the Loggia dei Lanzi.

There's a lot of art in this area!  I can hardly keep up with the changes of art in this area throughout the history of Florence as some originals have been moved indoors then replaced with copies.  Some art was moved around and/or restored, some sculptures and frescoes removed, and then much was burned during the infamous Bonfire of the Vanities, and then there's some modern art that comes and goes.  The art history is fascinating!

Here's a small sample of my favorites:

Cosimo I de Medici (1519-1574) Grand Duke of Tuscany on Horse by Giambologna in bronze (1587-1594)

Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati (1565)

Replica (1910) of Michelangelo's David in the sculpture's original position outside in front of the Palazzo Vecchio.  The original was moved inside the Academia in 1873.

Hercules and Cacus by Baccio Bandinnelli (1525-1534) 

Rendition of the lost-to-weather, fully gilded, 1377 original Marzocco Lion Statue with Red Lily Emblem of Florence (1418-20) by Donatello.  The original was placed in the Loggia dei Lanzi but was moved indoors to the Bargello in 1885 when a replica was placed outside the Palazzo Vecchio. 

   

The Rape of the Sabine Woman by Giambologna (1579-1583) is based on a legend of early Roman history.  The term "rape" does not mean sexual violation; rather, the founding men of Rome abducted neighboring women to populate their city; sometimes referred to as "rapture."

Hercules and the Centaur (1549-1599) by Giambologna with  Francavilla

Ulpia Mariana (110-120 CE) - a Roman Woman

The Corpse of Petroclus (Flavian Era 1st Century CE)

Rape of Polyxena by Pio Fedi (1866) - The term "rape" does not mean sexual violation; rather, the founding men of Rome abducted neighboring women to populate their city; sometimes referred to as "rapture."

Overview of the Loggia at night including Perseus holding the severed Head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini (1545-1554)

Piazza dela Signoria overview at night from the front door of Palazzo Vecchio between Adam (right) and Eve (left).  Hercules and Cacus is in front of Eve and David (copy) in front of Adam.

Cosimo I de Medici (1519-1574) Grand Duke of Tuscany on Horse by Giambologna in bronze (1587-1594) at night with the Palazzo Vecchio and full moon the the left and the Loggia dei Lanzi on the right.

6.  Bargello National Museum

Crowned Lion

Bronze Cannon

The Fisher Boy by Vincenzo Gemito (1874-1876) bronze

Oceano by Palazzo (1571)

Fountain for the Sala Grande (1555) marble, reconstructed

Bacchus by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1496-1497) marble

Dawn & Dusk by Niccolò di Raffaello di Niccolò dei Pericoli 

(1534-1537) terracotta

Adam & Eve by Caccio Bandinelli (1551) marble

Eve's Feet - Adam & Eve by Caccio Bandinelli (1551) marble

Flying Mercury by Giambolognia (1580) bronze -  

the artist's most famous work

David by Donatello (1440-1457) bronze - 

the artist's most famous work

The remaining 8 photos are overviews of several rooms loaded with art and artifacts in the Bargello National Museum.  This museum is the least crowded we visited and one that is easy to drop in during the day.  It has a large variety of interests likely because the fortified government building had different uses throughout history and is the oldest public building.

7. Leonardo da Vinci Museum

This is an interactive museum that takes about an hour to see everything and have some hands-on time with projects that were constructed in modern times from Leonardo da Vinci's sketches.  My Czech cousin Lucie chose this museum for us to see and appreciate the great genius of this artist in different ways.  

Vitruvian Man  - a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci that depicts a nude man in two superimposed positions, with his arms and legs touching the perimeters of both a square and a circle.  This drawing is considered one of da Vinci's best-known works and is often reproduced in art, science, and commerce.  Here it was included with a timeline of da Vinci's works and events.

So many things we have in modern times had the original concepts sketched in da Vinci's books.  That's as far as many got and not produced.  Many were constructed in our time directly from these ideas so we can observe and operate in this museum. It was an interesting and fun time to spend with family!   

I included just a few examples here:

Bicycle

Diving Suit

Hands-on dome building with my Czech cousins Lucie, her father Paul, and my husband Keith

Machine Gun with Keith and Paul

My Grand Finale Selfie in this tiny "closet" of mirrors!

That's it!  This is my final post about our 50th Wedding Anniversary in Italy that took place in Rome and Florence, Italy May 2024. I think I may have enjoyed researching more details and writing about my experience as much as I have enjoyed organizing and viewing all the photos again over the past four months  I invite the reader to come back again and again to enjoy any or all of the eight posts I wrote about this trip.  I know I will!

In conclusion, this past week, Keith and I had a wonderful experience in Branson, Missouri which is less than a couple hours from where we live.  Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel the Exhibition was an up-close life-size never-before-seen perspective that began a week ago and runs until March 2025.  We topped it off with a lunch at Olive Garden.  

It was Italy...Branson-style! 

Located at The Shoppes in Branson Meadows, Branson, Missouri

Overview of about 1/4 of the exhibition

The Last Judgement

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary!