Our guide, Jose Luis, took us here to take in more of José Clemente Orozco. I reached out to Gemini, my favorite AI tool for some help in refreshing my memory as to what our guide shared with us, as there was a lot of history that went with understanding why every inch of wall space and stairwells were covered in murals. Feel free to keep swiping to get to my pics, but I think reading the history will shed some light on how important this work was and is. Orozco, along with t

We thought we would check out this castle built in the late 1700's at the Viceroy's request, but he died a year after construction began in 1786. The castle is locate on top of Chapultepec Hill. It was the official residence of Emperor Mximillian I of Mexico from 1864-67. In 1882, it became the official residence of the president until 1934 and subsequently became a museum. On the flag of Mexico and here in the museum, there is a sculpture of an eagle with a rattlesnake in it

As many of you may know by now, I prefer to use ToursByLocals or Context when booking a guide; for our visit to Mexico City, we booked Murals, Art and Architecture Tour in Mexico City led by ToursByLocals guide Jose Luis C.; he was fantastic. While we covered some highlights of archictecture in the City Center, we had an in depth art history mini seminar on the murals of Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. In 1946, architect Carlos Obregón Santaci

Mexico City is a sprawling metropolis with many districts. With our ToursByLocals guide, Jose Luis, we focused on art (mainly murals) and architecture, at least as much as could be covered in 6 hours. We also did our own exploring with the hopes of getting into some art galleries, but we quickly discovered that while coming to Mexico City the week before Easter is great because many folks have left town, so the streets are not quite as crowded, but included in the exodus are

The Palacio de Bellas Artes ("Palace of Fine Arts") is a prominent cultural center in Mexico City. It hosts performing arts events, literature events and exhibitions (including important permanent Mexican murals). "Bellas Artes" for short, has been called the "art cathedral of Mexico". The design of the building is a mix of styles; Art Nouveau dominates the exterior and Art Deco, the interior. We visited the palace with our ToursByLocals guide Jose Luis to focus on the murals

The National Museum of Anthropology (MNA) is one of the most important museums in Mexico and the Americas. It is designed to house and exhibit the archaeological legacy of the peoples of Mesoamerica , as well as to reflect the country's current ethnic diversity. There is a lot of history to take in when visiting this museum; my hope is that this brief summary of the contents and the rooms will help to orient you when you plan a visit. Among the most emblematic pieces in the c

After leaving the Teatro Anatomico, we found ourselves standing before one of the iconic medieval towers that dot the skyline of this historic city. Bologna, known for its rich cultural heritage and architectural marvels, boasts numerous towers that were built during the Middle Ages, serving various purposes from defense to demonstrating wealth and power. As we gazed up at one of the towers which are scattered around Bologna, our wonderful and informative guide Elena S. from

We understood that visiting Milan meant we had to see da Vinci's Last Supper. Securing tickets for this requires some timing and patience. Tickets are released approximately 4 weeks before your intended visit date. They can be purchased directly from the Cenacolo Vinciano museum, but getting in the queue is essential. Tickets are released at noon in Italy, which is 3AM in California where we live, so I had to wake up in the middle of the night to make the purchase. You can bu

Just outside Milan's historical center lies the Sforza Castle, a magnificent 15th-century structure erected on the remnants of an earlier medieval fortress, commissioned by Francesco Sforza, the city's ruler at the time. Throughout the centuries, the Castle saw various rulers, both local and foreign, such as Emperor Charles V and Napoleon Bonaparte, who governed Milan before the Unification of Italy. Following World War II, the Castle became home to the Modern Art Gallery, wh

First stop was the Duomo of Milan, which is renowned for being the third largest in Europe, following the illustrious St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The Duomo of Milan tells a story of faith and art spanning over six centuries. Construction work on the Duomo of Milan probably began in 1386 and ended in 1965. In October 1387 the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo was founded at the instigation of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, with