Have you ever wondered why Florence is considered the "cradle of the Renaissance"? For hundreds of years the city of Florence nurtured an unceasing succession of great artists including Giotto, Masaccio, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael. Find out why no other place can rival Florence for the quantity of first-rate, locally produced works of art, many still in the sites for which they were created or in museums a few hundred yards away.
Elaine Ruffolo has been teaching art history in Florence since 1989 and is a popular instructor for students and adults alike. Her special interests include the history of art and patronage in Renaissance Florence. Elaine firmly believes that the best way to understand a work of art is by exploring the context in which it was made. What makes art history interesting and relevant today is studying the political situation, economic conditions, patronage, and the artist's personality that is reflected in the work of art.
Elaine currently lectures for university programs in Florence and designs academic travel programs throughout Italy. She is also the Resident Director for the Smithsonian Associate’s Programs in Italy, lectures for National Trust for Historic Preservation, Yale Alumni, College of William and Mary, and the Patrons of the Vatican Museums. She has been on the advisory board of the Friends of Florence since 2000 and consults for CEO and YPO programs in Europe including Rome, Florence, Sicily, Naples, Greece, Morocco, and Prague and Argentina.
