If you aren’t already familiar, Tessera Design would like to introduce you to Italian Renaissance Architecture in two of the most unlikely places – Milwaukee and Miami.
The Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee (pictured below) sits on one of the city’s most beautiful pieces of real estate on the historic East Side overlooking Lake Michigan. As the name states, it houses a collection of decorative arts, but the real draw is the 16th Century-style Renaissance Garden which officially opened today.
The Villa can be visited Monday-Sunday from 1-5:00 pm and admission is $5 for adults, children under 12 are free. They have some free music and great events, so for further information, please go to: www.villaterracemuseum.org/index.html
If you are ever in the Miami area, a trip to Vizcaya is HIGHLY recommended. It is probably the most stunning example of Italian Renaissance Architecture in the United States. Formerly a private estate built in 1916 by agricultural industrialist, James Deering, it is now a museum owned by the county which occupies 10 gorgeous acres of formerly Floridian swampland.
You can even check out Vizcaya from your couch, because there is a really great hour of PBS narrated by Andy Garcia dedicated to the history of the estate. Check your local listings for that or check out www.miamidade.gov/vizcaya/ for more info.
Hope you enjoyed this Tessera Design Tip. Italian culture might be closer than you think. (And for awesome biscotti in Milwaukee, try family-owned Canfora Bakery in Bay View, 1100 E. Oklahoma Avenue.)
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