Pop-up restaurant/bar Flower al Piazzale in Piazzale Michelangelo is offering two exciting live performances from leading jazz musicians on the evenings Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25. The venue will also provide an all-Tuscan menu of food and drinks alongside their stunning terrace and cityscape view. Doors open from 7 pm. Friday evening features Jazztronic, a project which dedicates itself to a funk and lounge concept with a combination of electronic sounds, [...]
Another historical reenactment will bring forth long-lost memories of the past in Piazza Signoria on May 23. To commemorate the death and life of Fra Girolamo Savonarola, a historical parade will march through the city on the occasion of his execution. The parade will proceed from Piazzetta di Parte Guelfa at 9:30 am, going to Via Porta Rossa, Mercato Nuovo, Via Vacchereccia, and ending in Piazza Signoria. There, at 9:45 am, a wreath [...]
The 75th anniversary of Allied liberation of Tuscany is the focus of a tribute at the traditional Memorial Day ceremony on May 27 at the Florence American Cemetery located in Falciani. Following the capture of Rome on June 4, 1944, Allied forces pursued the occupying German army northward through Tuscany and towards the Po River and the Alps, ending Mussolini’s fascist regime. The soldiers who lost their lives in this campaign were shortly [...]
Tuesday, May 21: WEST WIND-TRANSATLANTIC MUSIC. Teatro della Pergola, Firenze. 9 pm. Free admission. Combining the talents of American and Italian artists, “A Time to Dance” is a contemporary symphonic cantata that will harmonize performers from two separate continents; on this occasion, a newly developed ballet will accompany the music. “A Time to Dance” is full of solos and emotional tone shifts, from the orchestra and chorus at full blast to soft and [...]
Saturday, May 18: LE RAMPE IN FESTA. Piazzale Michelangelo, Piazza Poggi, Firenze. Open 4 – 11 pm. Free admission. The 19th century Le Rampe, designed by the architect Giuseppe Poggi, attracts hundreds of tourists and Florentines daily providing a walkway framed by enchanting stonework, fountains and green spaces, up towards the breathtaking views found at Piazzale Michelangelo. This Saturday, the city of Firenze and the Fondazione CR Firenze is inviting the whole city to [...]
Walking down the timeless Florentine streets, attention is often drawn to a majestic doorway, barred windows with a faint view of frescoed ceilings, and wisteria vines climbing the balconies of a private courtyard. All this and more will be available to the general public during the upcoming Open Courtyards and Gardens on May 19, thanks to the efforts of the A.D.S.I. (Association of Historic Homes). Of special note: behind normally closed doors, a [...]
Historical pageants are a grand show, full of luxurious costumes, buglers, and horse-riding nobles. On May 11, as part of the celebrations for the 500th anniversaries of Cosimo I and Catherine de Medici’s birth, a historical pageant will parade down the streets of historical Florence. This event symbolizes the move from Palazzo Medici on Via Cavour to Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza Signoria on May 15, 1540. The pageant will travel from Palazzo Medici [...]
Restorations of ancient spaces and additions of modern elements are giving a new and exciting look to Boboli gardens. The Pitti Palace museum complex also provides the opportunity to visit two art shows—one that is contemporary and the other historical. The Ananassi Botanical Gardens within Boboli is now accessible to the public for the first time in history (hours: 9 am to 1 pm Monday – Friday). The only Romantic style garden in [...]
Florence celebrates the Festival of Europe from May 1 through 10, hosting conferences, workshops and cultural events that commemorate the European Union, formed in 1993. Like Domenico Modugno’s signature song (Volare or “Blu Dipinto di Blu” and the EU flag, the theme color is blue. The agenda includes the popular Villa Salviati Open Day (May 4), “Notte Blu” artistic activities, family events and language exchange (May 9 – 10), and The Global March [...]
Music lovers can look forward to the start of the 82nd edition of the Maggio Musicale Festival. “Power and Virtue” is the leitmotif, one that will be reflected in 130 appointments over two months involving 50 cultural institutions throughout the region of Tuscany. The Festival will be inaugurated on May 2 and the day is rich with offerings, free of charge, beginning with a concert by the Maggio Musicale Brass Ensemble at Piazza [...]
