Locals and visitors can escape the summer heat by visiting the Belvedere Terrace in Villa Bardini, an outdoor cinema (cinema in villa) overlooking the Florence night cityscape which will be offering movies at night through August 19 with an entrance fee of €5. All of the films are Italian or dubbed in Italian without subtitles. The showings will take place on the terrace, accommodating a capacity of 100 audience members while complying with [...]
This summer, a cocktail hour or dinner with live music outdoors with free admission returns to Florence. The Synagogue gardens will once more be transformed on Thursday nights during August into a Balagan Café—Hebrew for “merry chaos,” in the spirit of the temple’s foundation. In the 19th century, an appointed commission chose one Jewish architect and two Catholic architects to build the splendid, Moorish-style synagogue, which was inaugurated in 1882. Today, guided visits, [...]
DOMENICA METROPOLITANA is when the city’s museums coordinate to give special access to residents of the greater Florence metropolitan area. This month, free museums comprise the Palazzo Vecchio, Museo Novecento of 20th and 21st Century Art, the Bardini Museum and Forte Belvedere (all open 3 – 8 pm), in addition to Santa Maria Novella (1 – 5 pm) and the Palazzo Medici Riccardi (10:30 am – 6:30 pm), the latter also offers no-cost [...]
The Florence Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina) is performing two evenings of tango music as a tribute to Astor Piazzolla (1933 – 1990) on Wednesday, July 29 and Thursday, July 30 at Palazzo Medici Riccardi (via Cavour 3) starting at 9 pm. Tickets range from €15 to €20. The evenings spotlight the talent of award-winning accordion soloist Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi. Accompanied by the orchestra, he will interpret tango classics composed by Piazzolla [...]
Although the 2020 Musart Festival has been postponed to the summer of 2021 in its usual setting, Piazza Santissima Annunizata, one event will still take place this week. Rita Marcotulli will perform her scheduled “sunrise concert” in a courtyard of the Istituto degli Innocenti in the square starting at 4:45 am on Saturday, July 25. This internationally renowned pianist will interpret her own original compositions, which display a variety of artistic influences: [...]
The British Institute of Florence is hosting Jason Arkles, who will speak in English on “American sculptors in Florence” in a lecture via Zoom (meeting ID: 879 0230 4600, password: 5NWhBL), on Wednesday, July 22 at 6 pm. Known for his signature sculpture created in Florence, “The Greek Slave,” Hiram Powers (1805 – 1883) had a studio on via dei Serragli. Greenough (1805 – 1882) studied under Lorenzo Bartolini, a sculptor who infused [...]
While COVID has halted some summer activities from taking place, Fort Belvedere and the Museum of Santa Maria Novella have announced their reopening to the public in compliance with anti-COVID security measures. And better yet, although there is no contemporary sculpture show held at the moment as usual in the summer, Forte Belvedere is offering free admission on its grassy lawns overlooking the city starting on July 10 to patrons for the rest [...]
On July 8, Lisa Kaborycha will speak on New Jerusalem: Florence, the Medici and the Jews during the Renaissance as part of the British Institute of Florence’s Wednesday series of lectures in English via Zoom (meeting ID: 815 2527 3230, password: 0kZkjK). Throughout the Renaissance, the wealthy and powerful Medici family maintained a special relationship with the Jewish community. The period also saw intense political conflict and questioning of moral values, which led to a [...]
As Florence continues along a positive track by following post-lockdown Phase 3 guidelines, a refreshing sign of normalcy is the return of exhibitions, one by a famous photojournalist, Massimo Sestini —that signals a revival of the cultural scene. “Indispensable Nurses,” is presently being hosted by the Santa Maria Nuova Hospital, with a multimedia section in the Sala d’Arme of Palazzo Vecchio is open to the public until July 5, from Monday to Sunday [...]
Wednesday, June 24 commemorates Florence’s patron city, John the Baptist (San Giovanni Battista) on his feast day (Festa di San Giovanni). A typical day would see city-wide parades, live music, and various contests. Instead, this year’s holiday will include socially distanced in-person activities and the online streaming of concerts and ceremonies. Despite safety protocols, the city has created an engaging schedule which will make this year’s festivities stand out in history, despite the [...]
