Thurs. 7: RIFICOLONA (Paper Lantern Festival) History underlies Florence’s annual Rificolona festivities which take place annually on September 7. Before the 21st century, Tuscan farmers and shepherds would arrive in Florence on the evening of Sept. 7 from the Casentino and Pistoia mountains in addition to San Piero in Campo (Elba). Often traveling from the countryside and mountains at night, lanterns provided visibility for their path. The pilgrims would congregate in Piazza Santissima Annunziata (Holy [...]
Tues. 4: INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS. Great Cloister of Santa Maria Novella; access from Piazza Santa Maria Novella 18. 6:30 – 11 pm. The 4th of July celebration, starting at 6:30 pm, offers an opportunity to commemorate the American Independence Day in an unexpected setting. Visitors can enjoy a diverse line-up of entertainment, including musical performances and a dance show. The evening’s program features two musical acts: The Railroad Acoustic Duo will take the stage at [...]
Conservation work on the tabernacle of Santa Rosa, located near to Porta San Frediano in the Oltrarno district, has recently been completed under the direction of the Fine Arts Department of the Municipality of Florence, and overseen by the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the city of Florence. Built in 1856, the tabernacle – a canopied niche – is situated within the city’s fortification walls, which date back to the 14th century. [...]
Restoration work at San Miniato al Monte (11th c.), the Florentine basilica near to Piazzale Michelangelo, has just been completed. The project, which began in 2017, was funded by the Friends of Florence, an American association founded in 1998 with the vision of preserving Florentine and Tuscan heritage; continual support and donations from its members across the world have seen this project through to the end. Restorations were overseen by the Superintendency [...]
Friday, 5 and Saturday, 6: EVENTS FOR THE CORONATION OF CHARLES III The coronation of Charles III is fast approaching, scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 6. The Royal Family has always occupied a central place in British life and news about their public and private lives (recently increasingly indistinguishable) is commonly front-page news. For those who do want to engage in the King’s coronation while here, there are a [...]
Women around the world are celebrated every year on March 8 for International Women’s Day. Named La Festa della Donna in Italy, the day honors women for their political, economic and social accomplishments which have brought females around the world to where they are now. On Wednesday, March 1 at 6 pm, The British Institute of Florence will be hosting a lecture focused on female artists featured in Florentine museums through the 18th [...]
The Arnolfo Tower of Palazzo Vecchio will once again host a spumante champagne toast and celebration of love on the most romantic day of the year, Valentine’s Day. Hosted by the Municipality of Florence, the Metropolitan City, and MUS.E, on Feb. 14 the toast will be made in honor of the love couples have for each other. A well-liked and popular Florentine Valentine’s Day tradition, this will be the first Valentine’s Day toast [...]
Looking for the perfect gift is perhaps the most stressful choice to make during the Christmas season. Everyone has unique interests and tastes, so shopping to find something that suits every person in your life can be difficult. Find a perfect gift for any family member at Antica Erboristeria San Simone Perfume and Herbalist Shop. The tradition of medicinal herbs began in the 1700 inside the Oblate Convent and has now transformed into [...]
Florence has long been heralded as a city so rich in cultural value that it can be likened to a living, breathing museum. A new project affirms this assertion — the city’s historical defense system, consisting of towers, gates, and fortresses, is now open for tours and visits. The network of structures was born a very long time ago, around 1284, under the instruction of the Signoria di Firenze, the council that called [...]
Until July 2, 2022: PINOCCHIO HAS GREEN EYES. C.A. Ciampi exhibition space, Via dè Pucci 16/r. Open daily 10 am – 12 pm and 3 pm – 6 pm, and 10 am – 1 pm on Saturdays. Admission is free. Florentines and visitors have a few days left to experience an artist’s interpretation of the classic fable in Pinocchio Has Green Eyes by Graziano Guiso. Curated by Claudio Giannini and Paola Galeotti, the [...]
