2021 will be defined by health and political events around the world but one more positive characterization of this year is the 700th anniversary of Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s death. Author of The Divine Comedy and credited with establishing the Florentine vernacular, Dante contributed to the evolution of the Italian language alongside his contemporaries including Petrarch and Boccaccio. Also to honor the anniversary of his death, the Municipality has decided to establish the [...]
Christmas is a time for giving. With this in mind, several holiday markets will return to Florence this season despite the Covid emergency, allowing shoppers to support local artisans and also make purchases that raise funds for charities. Although the typical wooden stands set up in Piazza Santa Croce will not be able to return this year, organizations including Atelier, Nataleperfile, and ANT will sell gifts and bring awareness to the difficult moment [...]
Two young talents are headlined at the Friday, November 20 Orchestra della Toscana concert which will be streamed starting 9 pm. Lasting an hour-and-a-half without intermission, the event is free and can be accessed through the Orchestra della Toscana You Tube channel and Facebook page. Nil Venditti, appointed one of the two principal guest co-conductor at the ORT (along with Beatrice Venezi) in January 2020, is just 24. Trained as a cellist at the [...]
This week, the Orchestra della Toscana (ORT) also moves ahead with their programming, in compliance with the latest directives of allowing a limited audience to enjoy evenings of live music at the Teatro Verdi. On October 21 and 22 Michele Campanella will lead and perform two authentic masterpieces of Viennese classicism, Mozart’s concerto K. 467 and Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. Michele Campanella enjoys conducting the works himself from the piano because he feels [...]
The Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (MMF) will open its virtual doors on Sunday, June 9 at 8 pm for its first live performance in streaming after three months of lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Maggio Musicale orchestra will take the stage using safety precautions, including one person per music stand with one meter (3.2 ft.) separation and plexiglass barriers for the wind and brass instruments. The concert program offers overtures [...]
Since the formation of the European Union in 1993, Florence has celebrated this historical event by hosting the Festival of Europe. Although the larger festival, which often includes cultural events, will not take place amidst the pandemic, the State of the Union will be streamed in three segments on Friday May 8, 2020 and will still be available afterwards for viewing on the website. The State of the Union is organized by the [...]
Salumeria Verdi, aka “Pino’s Sandwiches” on via Verdi 36 has three specials lined up for Valentine’s week. Wednesday, February 12, is “Coccoli Day” from 5 – 8 pm, when Pino and his family will make Tuscan fried dough balls (coccoli) right on the spot, then fill them with Nutella and serve to guests (€1 for a large coccolo, €2 for an extra-large one). Friday, February 13 is “Galenwine Day” at Pino’s Enoteca DiVino (via Ghibellina [...]
The Red Cross of Florence will host a holiday market, whose proceeds will go to Florentine families in need at Palazzo Capponi (via Borgo San Frediano 12) on Sunday, Dec. 1 from 10:30 am – 6:30 pm. The CRI solidarity panettoni (Christmas bread) and various fine products will be for sale throughout the holiday market, which is being held in the same building where the local office of the volunteer organization is located [...]
In Florence, August 10 is celebrated as the feast of San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence), which is a trademark of the characteristic neighborhood around the church of San Lorenzo near the Central Market. To kick-start the festivities, the square in front of the church will host a free concert by the Città di Grosseto Symphonic Orchestra on August 9 at 8:30 pm. The actual feast day, August 10, will start with a parade of [...]
Until June 24: “The Codex Atlanticus.” Sala dei Gigli, Palazzo Vecchio. Open 9 am – 7 pm until March 31; 9 am – 11 pm daily except Thursday when hours are 9 am – 2 pm from April 1 – June 24. Entrance included in the ticket to Palazzo Vecchio, which has been temporarily increased to €16.50 for the duration of the show. An exhibition dedicated to the Codex Atlanticus, specifically 12 sheets of [...]
