Florence’s ‘Festa della Donna’ 2016

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Tues. 8: LA FESTA DELLA DONNA (International Women’s Day)

On this day, women are granted free entrance to the following museums in Florence: the Uffizi Gallery, all the Pitti Palace museums (Palatine Gallery, Modern Art Gallery, Costume Gallery and the Boboli Gardens), the Accademia, the Bargello, the Medici Chapels and the Palazzo Davanzati Museum of the Renaissance Home.

Palazzo Vecchio and Arnolfo’s Tower (9 am- 5:30 pm), Fiesole’s Roman theatre (9 am – 7 pm), the church and the museum of Santa Maria Novella (9 am – 6 pm), the Novecento 20th Century Art Museum (9 am – 6 pm) and the Bigallo museum are also accessible at no charge for ladies only.

For those who wish to hit the slopes, March 8 is a discounted ski day at Abetone: women can ski for at the cost of €1 instead of €28 if accompanied by a skier who pays the full price for a pass.

In honor of the fight for women’s rights, “Suffragette” starring Carrey Mulligan and Helena Bonham Carter will be screened in English at the Spazio Uno Cinema (via del Sole 10) at 6:30 pm.

Also in part of the commemoration, the  facade of the Marino Marini modern art museum (piazza San Pancrazio, Florence) will be bathed in glowing pink light as a tribute to women everywhere, especially Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, who willed the Uffizi and its contents to Florence in the 18th century.  The director wishes to emphasize that artist Marino Marini, a native of Tuscany, followed Anna Maria’s example, also destining many of his art works to form a permanent museum collection.

It is common for women in Italy to observe the holiday by passing the time together or by sharing meals with each another. However one chooses to observe La Festa della Donna, it remains undisputedly, a day of recognition for the political, economic, and social achievements of women worldwide.

La Festa della Donna in Italy is marked by the gifting of small, yellow blossoms—mimosa— to women symbolizing solidarity with women all over the world. The custom of giving mimosa can be traced back to WWII Italy.