Festivities, Free Music & Food for Florence’s San Lorenzo Celebration 2025

 

Sunday 10: THE FEAST OF SAN LORENZO. Piazza San Lorenzo, Florence.

Piazza San Lorenzo hosts an all-day celebration on August 10.  The date is the feast day of San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence), which is a trademark of the characteristic neighborhood around the church of San Lorenzo near the Central  Market. 

Festivities will start with a parade of Florentines in traditional medieval dress walking from  the Palagio di Parte Guelfa to Piazza Signoria (9:45 am), where they will be joined by flag bearers as they continue to via Calzaiuoli, piazza San Giovanni, and via Martelli before arriving in Piazza San Lorenzo. A Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Gherardo Gambelli beginning  at 11:15 am in the basilica of San Lorenzo, with the offering of candles (ceri) by city officials. 

Afterwards, the historical procession will wind its way down city streets back to the Palagio di Parte Guelfa, where it started. Vespers are scheduled for 6 pm in San Lorenzo, which was once the Medici family parish church. 

Nearby Palazzo Medici Riccardi will offer evening hours (7 – 10 pm; last admission: 9 pm) allowing guests to visit the former Medici palace which is also currently hosting a show paying tribute to the artistic genius of Giovan Battista Foggini (1652 – 1725), 300 years after his death. Entrance is free to residents of the greater Florence metropolitan area which includes: Bagno a Ripoli, Calenzano, Campi Bisenzio, Fiesole, Firenze (Florence), Impruneta, Lastra a Signa, Scandicci, Sesto Fiorentino and Signa and other towns located in the former province of Florence. Non-residents can purchase tickets for €15 or at a reduced price of €10.

The exhibition celebrates Foggini’s artistic legacy with over 80 works, spanning sculpture, design, and architectural drafts. Visitors will find marble, bronze, and terracotta sculptures, along with intricate designs in semi-precious stones and precious metals.

Accompanied by live music, a free dinner—penne pasta with ragù (tomato-meat sauce), as well as a choice of  yogurt or slices of watermelon for dessert – will be offered to the public in and around Piazza San Lorenzo starting at 9 pm by Conad and the local businesses in the Central Market. The free meal on the feast of San Lorenzo is a Florentine tradition spanning centuries — in medieval times, guests were treated to pieces of grilled steak. (rosanna cirigliano)