Tuscany, The Uffizi, and the Amazing Blue Paint

Getting minerals out of Asia was always expensive. [The Rude Awakening] April 11, 2023 [WEBSITE]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Tuscany, The Uffizi, and the Amazing Blue Paint - Tuscany is a land of ethereal beauty. - The Uffizi remains one of the world’s great art museums. - What is it about Titian’s blue paint that captivates? External Advertisement [This could impact over 100 million families in America. Here's how to protect yourself...]( During and after the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, 485 U.S. banks went under. We warned about 484 — an accuracy rate of 99.8% Now, I have a new warning. But this time, it's not just about a few hundred banks. It's about nearly every single bank in America, whether large or small. [See what it is here.]( [Click Here To Learn More]( [Sean Ring] SEAN RING Happy Tuesday from up north in Italy! I hope you enjoyed Byron’s and Zach’s columns as much as I did. They were a hoot to read, not to mention germane to all the conversations we’ve been having. Before I get into today's mess, I’ll show you some of the things we saw in Tuscany, though no camera can do any justice to seeing it live. To get your ball bearings, here’s a map of the places we went to in Tuscany: [SJN] We started in Florence, then went to San Gimignano, Volterra, Siena, and Montereggioni. Monteroni d’Arbia served as our local town for eating, gassing, and getting groceries. Before this trip, I thought Tuscany was a bit overrated—no more. The ethereal beauty of the landscape cured me of that misperception. [SJN] Tuscan Foothills Credit: Sean Ring There’s a reason why places like Tuscany and Provence (in France) have the reputations they do. I’ll sprint through the places we visited if you ever come this way. Then I’ll tell you about a really cool paint - not painting - I saw in the Uffizi. Florence Ah, Florence. It’s simply one of the world’s great cities. The Renaissance started there, where the Medicis financed it with their banche (banks). In those days, the “banks” were just benches the bankers would sit at with you to discuss the loan you needed. Pro tip: don’t go on Good Friday. Far from everyone staying home and the city being empty, Florence was packed to the gills. And we couldn’t get into the Uffizi until Monday with our tickets, so we’ll revisit Florence a bit later. [SJN] Florence’s Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with Brunelleschi’s dome. Credit: Sean Ring San Gimignano San Gimi is known as the “Manhattan of the Middle Ages,” thanks to its soaring towers. Though many have fallen since then, quite a few remain. Like its counterpart Siena, the Black Death of 1347-1350 wiped out the city and its power. It’s worth going for a short visit, but we didn’t spend much time there. [pub] San Gimignano Credit: Sean Ring The surprise of the trip was Volterra. What a wonderful city, high up on a hill. It’s great to walk around and view the sites, but the best part was looking out over the Tuscan foothills from the top of the city. There’s breathtaking beauty in this part of the world. [pub] The Tuscan foothills from Volterra. Credit: Sean Ring [[CHART] Could Inflation Hit 20%+ In 2023?]( [Click here to learn more]( Take a close look at this scary chart pictured here… What you see is the money supply in America… And as you can see, the number of dollars in circulation has exploded in the last few years. In fact, more than 80% of all dollars to ever exist have been printed since just 2020 alone! Which is why some say inflation could soon explode even higher than it is now, to 20% or more. And if you’re at or near retirement age you must take action now to protect yourself… otherwise you risk losing everything. [Simply click here now to see how to survive America’s deadly inflation crisis](. [Click Here To Learn More]( Siena Another wonderful surprise, we thought it’d be a dead city like San Gimi. But it’s alive and bustling, with a gorgeous black and white cathedral and colossal piazza. We walked around for about four hours and could’ve done four more if we didn’t have other things to see. We were also lucky to attend Easter mass, as we wandering Catholics needed a temporary home! [SJN] Duomo di Siena Credit: Sean Ring Montereggioni This place is a hoot. When it comes to walled cities, perhaps France’s Carcassonne is the most famous. But we happened to drive past Montereggioni a few times and finally decided to enter. And boy, were we glad we did. Again, it’s a city frozen in time. But it boasted great restaurants, gelato, and city wall walking, something I hadn’t done since a trip to York in 2003. It’s absolutely worth seeing, if only to satisfy your inner knight! [SJN] The walled city of Montereggioni Credit: Sean Ring On our way back north on Monday, we stopped in Florence so Pam could finally experience the Uffizi. The Uffizi Gallery is where the last member of the family dynasty gifted the Medici collection of art. It’s one of the world’s great museums in a fantastic location. I hadn’t been there since 1997, so it was wonderful to be back. Of course, Pam loved it, and Micah was bored in five minutes. That’s how it goes, I suppose! But as I was walking through the galleries, I noticed something I hadn’t seen in a very long time. It’s the mysterious, alluring shade of blue that Renaissance artists used when they could, sparingly, for reasons I’ll get to. You’d know it when you see it because it’s a one-of-a-kind color. I stopped, smiled, and mouthed, “Lapis lazuli.” London, the Noughties The National Gallery in London once hosted a Titian exhibition. Titian was a Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. One of the points the exhibition made so clearly was Titian’s use of lapis lazuli in his paintings. [SJN] [The Rape of Europa by Titian]( That blue you see in The Rape of Europa is now called ultramarine blue. But back in the Renaissance, you couldn’t find this shade of blue for love or money. That’s because it was made from lapis lazuli, which was only known to come from Afghanistan then. Since then, deposits have been found in other parts of the world, but not nearly the same quantity. Lapis comes from the Latin “rock,” and lazuli descends from the Persian for “sky” or “heaven.” In essence, you had to be a wealthy artist or have a wealthy patron to get this shade of blue in your paintings. A more famous example may be The Girl With the Pearl Earring by Vermeer: [SJN] [The Girl With the Pearl Earring by Vermeer]( Her blue headwrap is painted with lapis lazuli. From Then To Now All I could think about while seeing this gorgeous blue was, “If they had problems paying for rocks then, imagine the problems we’ll have in this politically charged, increasingly split world.” It’s not a leap to think we’ll have problems importing the stuff we’ll need if we’re perpetually at war with people we need to trade with. This was the argument I made last year as everything was kicking off in Ukraine. Whether it’s Russia, China, or the rest of Asia, there are immense resources we need that they have. Vanadium, palladium, cobalt, potash, or nickel? We need all of these things. But they’re only abundant in Russia and Asia. And it seems that someone in the West has finally noticed. [French President Macron]( just signaled his intention to make the EU a “third superpower” independent of Washington and Beijing. That’s a bold move. He also said the West should stay out of Taiwan, which infuriated the Americans. There’s no sin in not wanting to be a vassal. Wrap Up I hope you enjoyed this whirlwind trip around Tuscany, the Uffizi, and the fantastic blue paint. The story continues to develop, and it’s imperative to watch. Continue to stay abreast of the situation. It’s a once-in-a-century change. Until tomorrow. All the best, [Sean Ring] Sean Ring Editor, Rude Awakening In Case You Missed It… The Case for $3,000 Gold [Sean Ring] SEAN RING Happy Monday! I hope you and yours had a wonderful Easter weekend. Pam, Micah, and I are driving back up to Piedmont from Tuscany now. So my friend and colleague Zach Scheidt is taking over the Rude today. And what a glittering job he does! Zach lets you in on a strategy he uses to increase his family’s wealth by trading gold - not merely owning it. I fully approve of this method as a short-term trading strategy to supplement your physical or long-term holdings. And remember, it costs less and has bigger upside. If this piece whets your appetite, Zach will have more coming. As St. Augustine once said, “Tolle Lege!” Take up and read! And I’ll see you tomorrow. All the best, [Sean Ring] Sean Ring Editor, Rude Awakening [Send Me Your Mailing Address!]( [Click here to learn more]( The biggest gold bull market in history has just begun. That’s why New York Times best-selling author Jim Rickards has arranged to send his must-read book on gold to any U.S. citizen with a valid mailing address today. [Click here now to see how to claim your copy of The New Case For Gold](. [Click Here To Learn More]( [Zach Scheidt] ZACH SCHEIDT Hi Reader, The past few weeks have certainly been full of twists and turns in the financial markets… As you may already know, Credit Suisse was recently bought out (or more accurately rescued) by rival UBS Group, continuing the chaos of the banking crisis. The merger is eerily similar to how Bear Stearns was taken over by J.P.Morgan, or how Merrill Lynch was merged with Bank of America during the financial crisis of 2007-2008. And in March, the Fed announced another round of interest rate hikes, this time by a quarter point, sending the markets into freefall. In the weeks leading up to the Fed announcement, it felt practically guaranteed that it would raise rates again. But it became much less certain in the aftermath of the banking crisis. As you may have noticed, the stock market can swing wildly in one direction or another as soon as a major headline changes investor sentiment. But right now, I’ve got my eye on one area of the market that’s been moving in just one direction... up! Given what I see on the horizon, this could be just the start of a much bigger surge. So today, I want to take the time to explain what’s happening and share an aggressive way you can profit from this next move higher. Gold Is Still on Track to Hit $3,000 an Ounce In the January 2023 issue of my dividend newsletter Lifetime Income Report, I predicted that gold would hit $3,000 an ounce by the end of the year. While 2023 has certainly been off to an unpredictable start, I still feel confident about my gold price forecast. Allow me to explain… As I mentioned, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates again last month. But after March’s meeting, it looks like the Fed will start to pump the breaks on rate hikes going forward. The Federal Open Market Committee indicated that there might only be one more rate hike this year. If that’s true, it would mean three rate hikes in total this year compared to last year’s seven. And several investors expect the Fed will even be forced to cut rates — possibly several times — by the end of the year. It's hard to know exactly what the Fed will do. If Powell raises rates again, he risks pushing a fragile economy into a recession, especially in what has become a vulnerable banking system. But if the Fed keeps interest rates steady or cuts rates too soon, we risk inflation rearing its ugly head. Given the billions of dollars promised to banks, extra liquidity in the system could make the situation even more dangerous than usual. The price of gold has been surging based on new expectations that we’re nearing the end of this rate hike cycle. And it could be a perfect catalyst for gold to hit $3,000 an ounce (or even higher). [pub] Low interest rates tend to pressure the value of the U.S. dollar. Basically, when international investors get less of a return on dollars, they're likely to pull their money and invest it elsewhere. All of that capital moving out of the dollar will naturally act as a tailwind for gold. Meanwhile, if inflation comes back like when the Fed stopped hiking rates in the 1970s, investors would scramble to protect the value of their wealth. And gold is the best way to do this. Bottom line: I expect gold to continue its sharp rise this year. So I want to make sure you're in position to profit. Owning Gold Versus Trading Gold I always recommend owning some gold as part of any well-diversified portfolio. Gold is a great long-term investment to help protect the value of your savings over time. But I also recommend trading gold (or buying gold for a shorter period of time) during certain economic seasons. And this happens to be one of them! When the banking crisis began,I wrote in my free newsletter Rich Retirement Letter that [precious metals would surge](. And that's exactly what’s happened! Gold should continueto rally throughout the year, but it’ll almost certainly be a bumpy ride with plenty of ups and downs. That's because as new information comes out, traders will continue to adjust their positions to try to get ahead of the changes in our economy. So don't expect a straight line higher. You’ll want to add to your gold position on any pullback. And you might also consider taking some profits off the table when we get a surge like the one we had last week. For my family's money, I've been buying in-the-money call option contracts on the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD). I like this approach because call option contracts let me book larger profits while committing less capital. And when GLD trades higher, I can sell the call contracts I have for a profit and use a portion of that profit to buy new contracts with a higher strike price. This is a great way to lock in profits while still keeping my position in play. If you want to know more about this aggressive strategy, stay tuned! I’m working on a project behind the scenes with my team. Once we’re done putting on the finishing touches, I’ll have some exciting news to share with you. Regards, [Zach Scheidt] Zach Scheidt [Paradigm]( ☰ ⊗ [ARCHIVE]( [ABOUT]( [Contact Us]( © 2023 Paradigm Press, LLC. 808 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore MD 21202. By submitting your email address, you consent to Paradigm Press, LLC. delivering daily email issues and advertisements. 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