Go behind the scenes of one of history's most precarious moments, when some of the greatest achievements of human creativity fell into the wrong hands. Experience this little-known chapter of Florentine history in a 3-part online lecture series.

It's my pleasure to share the dramatic story of the Florentine art collections during World War II.

I’m a Yale-educated art historian and USA Today bestselling historical novelist. I’ve taught college students in the United States and in Italy. I’m the author of a dozen guidebooks and historical novels.

I can't wait to take you behind the scenes of this amazing chapter in history. Click the button below to join me!

 Click the button below to join me!

In 1943, art professionals in Florence took dramatic action to protect their city’s priceless masterpieces from the impending violence of war. This lecture tells the story of the emptying of the Uffizi and other Florentine collections, the secret repositories in the Tuscan countryside where brave curators and administrators hid their treasures, and the nearly insurmountable logistical challenges they faced.

Sadly, not even the bravest efforts to hide Florentine treasures could stop Nazi troops from looting several hundred works of art from secret places in the Tuscan countryside. This lecture tells the story of those who committed these acts, those who tried to stop them, and what happened to the priceless works of art that were spirited away to the Austrian border.

Post-war, art professionals in Florence faced the monumental task of bringing their city’s treasures home. And what about those looted artworks German troops had hidden away in the most unlikely of places? This lecture reviews the breathtaking story of the return of the Florentine collections–as well as the continued efforts to solve mysteries that endure to this day.

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