Florence’s Historic Palaces: Open House & Music

Courtyard at Palazzo Ginori

Ordinarily closed to outsiders, private gardens and palaces tucked behind centuries-old Florentine gates will open again in a once-a-year event this Sunday, May 27. A complete list of the open residences is provided at the end of the article.

The annual “Cortili e Giardini Aperti,” accessible from 10 am – 1 pm and 2 – 7 pm, is organized by ADSI (Association of Historic Homes). Thanks to the Fiesole School of Music, the 23rd edition includes a new element: musicians of all ages headlining in historic sites accessible to the public.

General admission to the landmarks is free, and includes access to a variety of concerts. Guided tours to multiple venues by Città Nascosta are €5 each.

PERFORMANCES

The day’s musical program begins at 11 am in Piazza Borghese, where two guitarists will play varied selections, spanning from the 1700s to present day. In Palazzo Pepi at 11:30 am, a saxophone quartet fuses past and present, staging both original works and favorites by Mozart and Piazzolla. Providing a taste of more traditional classical fare, string quartets will perform at Giardino Torrigiani and the Palazzo Ginori (at 4 and 5 pm, respectively).

While listening to the elegant melodies of Schumann at Giardino Torrigiani, one can also take in the splendor of the largest privately-owned garden in Europe, home to a neo-gothic tower, intricate sculptures, and a treasure trove of countless plant and tree species.

A more modern program is featured at 6 pm in Giardino Corsini sul Prato. This beautiful backyard of the Corsini Family is home to the descendants of the same turtle colony that settled in there in the 16th century. Here, harpists will take the spotlight, playing ensemble works by Gershwin and Respighi.

SPECIAL EVENTS

A number of the open homes and gardens have scheduled additional events and special group tours. Notably, the students of Machiavelli High School offer free tours of Palazzo Rinuccini from 10 am to 6 pm. The building, located on via Santo Spirito, houses their classes and Florence’s largest private theater (newly reopened in January 2018). At Palazzo Gondi, there is a tasting of Tenuta Bossi wines in the courtyard. “The Duel of Apollo and Mars,” a concert playing on themes of war and Gondi family history, will be held there at 5:30 pm. (For ticket reservations or more info, contact: 055 212452 or toscana@adsi.it). On the first floor of Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni an exhibition of 20th century art can be viewed from 11:30 am to 6:30 pm (see related article).

GUIDED VISITS

Itineraries, presented by Città Nascosta, start in the morning with a palace and garden tour. At 10 am, a group will meet at Borgo Pinti 68, going on to visit several beautiful, yet normally elusive, private residences including Palazzo Ximenes Panciatichi. Before ending at Palazzo Ginori, the tour will stop in Piazza Annunziata to visit Palazzo Grifoni Budini Gattai, a Renaissance gem boasting a radically renovated 19th century interior.

Another takes guests through centuries of Florentine art, including contemporary works, with the starting point at via Ghibellina 110 (11:30 am). Those interested in a guided visit to the San Francesco di Paola and Corsi Annalena gardens are invited to come to piazza San Francesco 3 at 3 pm. To round off the day, a final tour of Renaissance architecture and secret gardens departs from via dei Serragli 9 at 5 pm. A stroll through the magnificent Palazzo Antinori is included, constructed as Florence moved into the Renaissance from the medieval period. (tyler bunton)

For a more detailed program of events and guided tours, see the ADSI website.

OPEN COURTYARDS & GARDENS

Giardino San Francesco di Paola, piazza San Francesco di Paola 3

Giardino Torrigiani, via dei Serragli 146

Giardino Corsi Annalena, via Romana 38

Palazzo Guicciardini, via Guicciardini 15

Palazzo Michelozzi, via Maggio 11

Palazzo Ridolfi, via Maggio 13

Palazzo Frescobaldi, via Santo Spirito 11

Palazzo Rinuccini e Teatro Ottavio Rinuccini via Santo Spirito 39

Palazzo Antinori Aldobrandini, via dei Serragli 9

Giardino Corsini sul Prato, via il Prato 58

Palazzo Rucellai, via della Vigna Nuova 18

Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni, piazza Santa Trinita 1

Palazzo e Giardino Rosselli Del Turco,  borgo Santi Apostoli 19

Palazzo Malenchini, via dei Benci 1

Giardino di Palazzo Vegni, via San Niccolò 89a

Palazzo Antinori Corsini, borgo Santa Croce 6

Giardino degli Antellesi, piazza Santa Croce 21

Palazzo Pepi, via dei Pepi 7

Palazzo Gondi, via dei Gondi 2 e piazza San Firenze 1

Palazzo Borghese, via Ghibellina 110

Palazzo Pucci, via de’ Pucci 4

Palazzo Ginori, via de’ Ginori 11

Palazzo Grifoni Budini Gattai, piazza SS. Annunziata 1

Palazzo Leopardi – Galleria Etra Studio Marcello Tommasi, via della Pergola 57

Palazzo Ximenes Panciatichi, borgo Pinti 68

Palazzo Capponi Incontri – Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz, via Giuseppe Giusti 44

Giardino di Palazzo Pandolfini, via San Gallo 74

Palazzo dei Pittori, viale Giovanni Milton 49

Chiesa di San Pietro a Careggi, via Cosimo il Vecchio 15

Giardino di Villa le Pergole, via del Pergolino 15