A 2022 Florence Easter Holiday Guide

The Scoppio del Carro, a Florence Easter Day tradition which takes place in front of the Cathedral

Here is an at-a-glance guide to church services, concerts and festivities in addition to holiday museum hours from Thursday of Easter week to Easter Monday (Pasquetta).  Keep in mind that both Easter and Pasquetta are legal holidays in Italy.

EASTER WEEK CHURCH SERVICES IN ENGLISH

Florence’s English speaking community can still incorporate their Easter home traditions during the festivities in their adopted city.There are multiple churches in Florence that offer worship and Mass in English, such as St. James Episcopal Church, St. Marks Anglican Church and Santi Apostoli Catholic Church.

Thursday, April 14: Holy Thursday.

St. James Episcopal Church. Via B. Rucellai, 9, Florence. 7 pm. 

St. Marks Anglican Church. Music; Solemn Choral Eucharist: songs, psalms and hymns. Via Maggio, 16, Florence. 7 pm.

Friday, April 15:  Good Friday.

St. Marks Anglican Church. Via Maggio, 16, Florence. 12 noon. 

St. Marks Anglican Church. Music; Good Friday Liturgy: hymns. Via Maggio, 16, Florence. 12 noon.

St. James Episcopal Church. Via B. Rucellai, 9, Florence. 12 noon & 7 pm. Open to the public & online. (The Good Friday noon service will be available via live stream on YouTube).

Sunday, April 17: Easter Sunday.

St. Marks Anglican Church. Via Maggio, 16, Florence. 10:30 am. 

St. Marks Anglican Church.  Festal Choral Eucharist: music and hymns. Via Maggio, 16, Florence. 12 noon.

Parish of Santi Apostoli. Piazza Limbo, 1. Catholic Mass. 10:30 am. 

St. James Episcopal Church. Via B. Rucellai, 9, Florence. 11 am. Open to the public.

St. James Episcopal Church. Via B. Rucellai, 9, Florence. Easter Egg Hunt follows directly after Easter Mass. 

EASTER WEEK CONCERT

ORT guest conductor Donato Renzetti

A new Orchestra della Toscana (ORT) production with conductor Donato Renzetti graces the stage in the Verdi Theatre (via Ghibellina 99) on Thursday, April 14 at 9 pm.

The opening piece is written by Milanese composer Bruno Bettinelli (2004). “Two Inventions” (Due Invenzioni) is a short, contemporary music piece written for string instruments and created in 1939. Bettinelli has taught many great musicians in his life, ranging from conductors Abbado to Muti and even rockstar Gianna Nannini.

The center of the program is undoubtedly the “The New World Symphony.” The well-known masterpiece is of the late Romanticism period, composed by Czech Antonín Dvořak, in 1893 during his stay in the United States. For its European audience, “The New World Symphony,” was meant to sound like a souvenir from an exotic location; vaguely bizarre, with seductive melodies with unusual sounds. (Europeans had not yet been introduced to the concept of jazz or American songs).

“The Dances of Galánta” by Zoltán Kodály was inspired by folksongs from eastern European countries.  T he composer received his inspiration from gypsy and 19th century Hungarian dance music. Written in 1933, this is his most representative work. (ted de veer)

SPECIAL EVENT

The San Sepolcro temple in the Rucellai Chapel

After 500 years, 30 candles on Leon Battista Alberti’s Santo Sepolcro temple in piazza San Pancrazio will be lit again. The initiative is to celebrate Good Friday and to honor an ancient tradition–to evoke the Miracle of the Holy Fire–which takes place on Holy Saturday in Jerusalem.

For the occasion, saxophonist Gavino Murgia will perform a ‘jazz-prayer’ in the Rucellai chapel and other non-denominational spiritual music, including pieces by John Coltrane.

The Santo Sepolcro’s design was based on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. Alberti’s creation is part of the deconsecrated San Pancrazio church, which currently houses the Marino Marini Museum.

Alberti is the architect of Santa Maria Novella and the façade of Palazzo Rucellai.

Information about reservations available on: www.museomarinomarini.it  (ted de veer)

EASTER SUNDAY TRADITION

Sunday, April 17:  SCOPPIO DEL CARRO, THE EXPLOSION OF THE CART. Porta a Prato and Piazza del Duomo. 7:30 am – 12:30 pm. Free admission.

Be sure to arrive early to find a place (standing room only) in piazza del Duomo to witness Florence’s time-honored Easter tradition, Lo Scoppio del Carro.

As a participant of an 11th century Crusade, Florentine Pazzino di Pazzi was the first soldier to scale the walls of Jerusalem and was rewarded with three flint stones from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  Every Easter at Porta al Prato (8 am), a priest rubs Pazzi’s three flints together to light the Easter candle, which is used to ignite coals placed in a cart. White, flower-garlanded oxen transport the vehicle, called the Brindellone with the burning coals, to Piazza del Duomo around 9:30 am, after previously transporting the cart from storage at via il Prato at 7:30 am. A procession of soldiers, city officials and musicians in medieval clothing lead the way, stopping in piazza Repubblica at 9 am for a show of live music and flag-throwing before arriving at the Cathedral.

During Easter mass, at 11 am, the Cardinal utilizes the fire to set off a mechanical dove from the cathedral’s altar.  The bird flies down a wire with the aim of striking the cart to ignite a spectacular firework show believed to forecast a good harvest—lo scoppio del carro—for the cheering crowd in the square, before returning to the altar.  If the dove misses the target, it is taken as a bad omen.

EASTER HOLIDAY MUSEUM HOURS

While most museums are normally closed during the Easter holidays, some Florence galleries, alongside the state-run sites, will be open for the holidays.

Sculptures by Michelangelo in the Medici Chapel

April 17: Easter (Pasqua) and April 18: Easter Monday (Pasquetta)

During Easter and Easter Monday, many museums will have different opening hours compared to their usual timetable. While the Duomo is closed, visitors can tour the basilicas of Santo Spirito, Santissima Annunziata and to San Miniato al Monte. Below is a guide to major sites. For all museums, no green pass is required, but a face mask is mandatory. Visit the link at the bottom to see a complete listing.

April 17 and 18:

Galleria dell’Accademia.

Sunday and Monday: 9 am – 6:45 pm.

Uffizi Gallery

Sunday: 8:15 am – 6:50 pm.

Monday: 8:15 am – 6:30 pm.

Palazzo Pitti Complex

Sunday: 8:15 am – 6:50 pm.

Monday: Closed.

Boboli Garden

Sunday and Monday: 8:15 am – 6:30 pm.

Bardini Garden

Sunday and Monday: 10 am – 7 pm.

Bargello museum

Sunday and Monday: 8:45 am – 7 pm.

Medici Chapels

Sunday: Closed.

Monday: 8:15 am – 1:50 pm.

Palazzo Davanzati

Closed.

Galileo Science Museum

Sunday and Monday: 9:30 am – 6 pm.

Palazzo Vecchio

Sunday and Monday: 9 am – 7 pm.

Arnolfo Tower

Sunday and Monday: 9 am – 5 pm.

Novecento Museum of 20th and 21st Century Art

Sunday and Monday: 11 am – 8 pm.

Santa Maria Novella

Sunday: 1 – 6:30 pm.

Monday: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm.

Pratolino Park

Sunday and Monday: 10 am – 8 pm.

Visit this link of Feel Florence to see a full overview of all museums with accompanying openings hours (museum list includes reservation information): https://www.feelflorence.it/en/page-per-guide  (ted de veer)