The second half of the highly-anticipated Amici della Musica (Friends of Music) chamber music season kicks off this month and will run until mid-April. Audiences can look forward to a fantastic array of performances, styles, and distinguished guest artists at concert venues including Teatro della Pergola, Teatro Niccolini and the Murate Art District on via Ghibellina. The next several months will feature a number of cycles dedicated to a specific instrument and a [...]
January 14 – 17, 2025: PITTI UOMO 107. Fortezza da Basso, Florence. Open daily 9 am to 6 pm; last day, 9 am to 4 pm. Entrance restricted to buyers and the press. Florence is always home to cultured and well-dressed individuals, but in the second week of January, the city reflects a new energy. People walk the streets in their best and most contemporary clothes, aspiring to blend in with the models and designers of [...]
Until February 16: FELICE CARENA, LIVING IN PAINTING. Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Open daily 9 am – 7 pm, closed Wednesday. Admission. €10. “Felice Carena, Living in Painting” is a beautiful, interactive art event paying homage to one of the most important painters of 20th century Italy, Felice Carena (Turin 1879 – Venice 1966). This exhibition focuses on his work created beginning in 1924, the year in which the artist accepted a position [...]
A legal holiday in Italy (banks, stores and offices are all closed although the major museums will be open), Epiphany commemorates the arrival of the Three Kings in Bethlehem bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the Christ child. January 6 is also the day of la Befana, when gifts are exchanged marking the end of holiday festivities. La Befana is an aged, witch-like woman, who knows which children have been good [...]
New Year’s Day in Florence offers two traditional concerts: one in the morning by the Fiesole Music School orchestras (11 am) at the Teatro del Maggio, and the other in the afternoon by the Orchestra della Toscana (5 pm) at Teatro Verdi. In addition to the two performances, for museum-lovers, the Medici Chapels will be exceptionally open from 11:15 am to 6:50 pm. Three ensembles will take the stage in the morning concert. [...]
Even though many Florentines enjoy celebrating New Year’s Eve in a cozy, homey setting, some prefer outdoor activities, which are not to miss this year either. Exciting events and activities on the last day of 2024 may be a perfect choice for city residents and visitors. This New Year’s Eve will be filled with music throughout the streets and squares. The free events will be spread across the city center, with roaming bands [...]
Florence will be decked out with Christmas trees and lights through January 6. This period also coincides with school vacation and the city offers festive activities during this period for the young and young at heart, perfectly complementing the magical winter atmosphere. One of the most exciting attractions is the Ferris Wheel, known as Florence’s Eye. It will be located in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, at the entrance to the Cascine Park, from December [...]
Many Christmas Week activities have been organized for Florence residents and visitors; below are the highlights. CHRISTMAS EVE CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT Teatro Verdi (via Ghibellina 99) is hosting the traditional Christmas Eve performance (5 pm) by the Orchestra della Toscana conducted by Diego Ceretta. The musicians will interpret Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll, first presented to the public on Christmas Day, 1870, in addition to the German composer’s Traume, followed by a rendition of Beethoven’s [...]
There will be free admission to Florence’s basilica of Santa Croce on Sunday, December 22 from 12:30 to 5:45 pm. The visit cannot be reserved online so those interested are asked to go directly to the ticket office of the church, which will accessible to large groups every 45 minutes. Guests now have the chance to pay nothing to enjoy the beauty and history of Santa Croce, a Franciscan basilica in the Gothic style. [...]
The feast day of Santa Lucia (St. Lucy, a beloved Italian saint) will be celebrated with a free concert on Saturday, December 14 (5 pm) in front of the Basilica of Santa Croce. The performance has been organized by the Swedish Embassy, where the saint, a symbol of light and the protector of eyesight, is particularly revered, will feature traditional Christmas songs interpreted by a Swedish children’s choir. Just prior to the event, [...]
