Takeout is arriving in Florence and Tuscany in a big way. Easing into Phase 2 of the current Coronavirus lockdown, the kitchens of restaurants, cafeterias, cafés, diners, pastry shops, pizzerias and artisanal chocolate shops in addition to gelaterie that make gelato by hand in the location where the product is sold, can re-open on Friday, April 24 in a way inspired by the handling of the health emergency in the United States. [...]
Now that all schools in Italy have been closed for several weeks and restrictions are tightening up even further, parents and children must be getting bored, losing patience, bickering, starting to tear their hair out and searching for things to do to remedy the situation. Last week playgrounds were a possibility, but now they are closed, and visits to grandparents are strongly ill advised. Italian families are not alone. In addition to schools [...]
Recognizable by his red suit, beard and bag full of gifts, Santa Claus (in Italian: Babbo Natale) and his helper elves have decided to bypass Florence chimneys in favor of descending down from the 311 ft (95 meters) of Palazzo Vecchio’s Arnolfo Tower at 3 pm on Sunday, December 22. Once in Piazza Signoria, Santa and the elves will distribute sweets and small gifts to kids in a Christmas preview. This initiative entitled [...]
Florence residents and visitors are invited to the annual holiday party and theatre at the Children’s Lending Library on December 14. The staff will present a musical puppet show in English. The curtain will rise on “Dr. Giacomino’s Tiny Bookshop” with Mikela Rebua and Francesca Mura, a story about the magic of books for children age 5-12 and above on December 14 at 4:30 pm. There will be free entrance for library members, [...]
A woman has been appointed conductor and two women principal guest conductors of the prestigious ORT (Orchestra della Toscana). ORT artistic director Giorgio Battistelli went on record to say “to put things into perspective, if three men had been chosen, it would be taken for granted and not make headlines.” The 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Orchestra della Toscana will be celebrated in 2020 with a series of important changes with [...]
“Bricks in Florence” is a festival for LEGO fans of all ages that will take place at the TuscanyHall (Obihall) from Friday, Nov. 8 to Sunday, Nov. 10. The weekend will focus on colorful pieces of LEGO, featuring over 150 kg of small bricks, that can be utilized in the large free play area. Visitors will be able to learn more about Lego and the history of the brand in addition to having [...]
Calling all witches, monsters, ghosts, and skeletons: if you are looking to celebrate a fun Halloween this weekend, the Children’s Lending Library is the spookiest place to be. The library will be hosting a haunted party for children, complete with costumes, games, and of course, Halloween candy. Held eerily below St. James Church, kids will find many ghoulish activities at the library. Those looking for a scare can run through a haunted house. [...]
Delve into the colorful, animated world of a selfless giant as he makes friends with different creatures along the way in the children’s book The Smartest Giant in Town written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Sheffield. On June 20 at 5 pm, witness the characters come to life through a reading and workshop at the Library of the British Institute of Florence. The story follows the journey of George, a gentle [...]
“This bookstore, we could say, was like a series of fortunate events,” says Icaro Rotunda. He and Gianluca Romeo took a leap of faith when they bought the Paperback Exchange bookstore (via delle Oche 4/r) at the beginning of May 2019. With no background in managing or owning a store, the two entrepreneurs have faced this challenge head on and have maneuvered their way into success. After living in Montreal, Canada for a [...]
Children can dye and decorate Easter eggs and make Easter bonnets on Saturday, April 13 (4-6 pm) at the Children’s Lending Library Party in the undercroft of St. James Church, via Rucellai 9. Accompanying adults can come to the event wearing an Easter hat as well. An event designed for members and their families, non-members are most welcome as well. Participants are advised to bring hardboiled white eggs (available fresh at the Mercato [...]