Summer Events at the Conventino Literary Café
The 2024 Florence Summer Festival is well underway, and the city of Florence is once again hosting an array of cultural events bridging the disciplines of music, theatre, cinema and art. Il Conventino Caffè Letterario (literary café) on via Giana della Bella near Porta Romana is hosting its own Estate Sotto Casa (Summer at Home) festival with a rich calendar of events which aim to enhance and promote the historic complex of ‘’Conventino fuori le Mura,’ a former convent that closed in 1917.
Until September, Il Conventino will host a variety of public events, including book presentations, literary meetings, workshops and music evenings. These events will take place both in the literary cafe and within the historic complex, renowned for its cultivation of fine and heritage arts.
Curated by Con-Vento Sonoro, the summer music program will feature live sets of classical, jazz, and ambient music, spotlighting young artists who embrace and celebrate the city’s rich history. Il Conventino also offers yoga courses, craft workshops, chess tournaments, free English conversation classess
The third edition of the Film Festival ‘’Nuovo Cinema Universale al Conventino’’ will also be held at Il Conventino. Screenings will take place from Tuesday to Friday in August, beginning at 9 pm every night. Films showing include “Harold and Maude” and “Young Frankenstein” as well as Italian films such as “Il pap’occhio” and “Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina.” Olivia Turchi describes the programme as ‘’a sort of homage to the Cinema Universale, which was “an iconic movie house in the area’’ once located in the San Frediano neighborhood.
Live music evenings will be returning to Il Conventino this summer, every Saturday there will be shows dedicated to Live Jazz from 7:30 pm. Additionally, the Songwriting Festival will take place on August 2 and September 12, with the latter event also celebrating the fifth anniversary of Il Conventino Caffè Letterario.
Conventino Caffè Letterario Arte – Artigianato, conceived and curated by Olivia Turchi of Associazione Città Sostenibile, aims to safeguard and promote the historic complex, reviving its history and significance for the local community and Florentines as a collective. The literary café enjoys the patronage of the City of Florence and collaborates with Artex’s Officina Creativa, a creative space for craftspeople, designers and students.
The entire complex, renovated and inaugurated in April 2009, now hosts the Officina Creativa Lab by Artex. This has transformed Il Conventino into a multipurpose space of over 3500 square metres, home to 30 artist ateliers and artisan workshops.
The organisers of the programme believe that they view the book presentations as an opportunity to welcome important authors, including emerging authors and those local to Florence, offering an equal opportunity to all kinds of writers. They take pride in Il Conventino’s reputation as a ‘’place of real culture, not the culture of the big names.” For details of the book presentations coming up, visit the events section of Il Conventino website.
The Florence Summer Festival at Il Conventino Caffè Letterario promises a season of entertainment, blending historical appreciation with contemporary creativity. From captivating cinema to soulful music and inspiring art, this summer’s programme offers something for everyone, inviting both locals and visitors to immerse them
The 2024 Florence Summer Festival is well underway, and the city of Florence is once again hosting an array of cultural events bridging the disciplines of music, theatre, cinema and art. Il Conventino Caffè Letterario (literary café) on via Giana della Bella near Porta Romana is hosting its own Estate Sotto Casa (Summer at Home) festival with a rich calendar of events which aim to enhance and promote the historic complex of ‘’Conventino fuori le Mura,’ which is how the former convent (closed in 1917).
Until September, Il Conventino will host a variety of public events, including book presentations, literary meetings, workshops and music evenings. These events will take place both in the literary cafe and within the historic complex, renowned for its cultivation of fine and heritage arts.
Curated by Con-Vento Sonoro, the summer music program will feature live sets of classical, jazz, and ambient music, spotlighting young artists who embrace and celebrate the city’s rich history. Il Conventino also offers yoga courses, craft workshops, chess tournaments, free English conversation classes.
The third edition of the Film Festival ‘’Nuovo Cinema Universale al Conventino’’ will also be held at Il Conventino. Screenings will take place from Tuesday to Friday in August, beginning at 9 pm every night. Films showing include “Harold and Maude” and “Young Frankenstein” as well as Italian films such as “Il pap’occhio” and “Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina.” Olivia Turchi describes the programme as ‘’a sort of homage to the Cinema Universale, which was “an iconic movie house in the area’’ once located in the San Frediano neighborhood.
Live music evenings will be returning to Il Conventino this summer, every Saturday there will be shows dedicated to Live Jazz from 7:30 pm. Additionally, the Songwriting Festival will take place on August 2 and September 12, with the latter event also celebrating the fifth anniversary of Il Conventino Caffè Letterario.
Conventino Caffè Letterario Arte – Artigianato, conceived and curated by Olivia Turchi of Associazione Città Sostenibile, aims to safeguard and promote the historic complex, reviving its history and significance for the local community and Florentines as a collective. The literary café enjoys the patronage of the City of Florence and collaborates with Artex’s Officina Creativa, a creative space for craftspeople, designers and students.
The entire complex, renovated and inaugurated in April 2009, now hosts the Officina Creativa Lab by Artex. This has transformed Il Conventino into a multipurpose space of over 3500 square metres, home to 30 artist ateliers and artisan workshops.
The organisers of the programme believe that they view the book presentations as an opportunity to welcome important authors, including emerging authors and those local to Florence, offering an equal opportunity to all kinds of writers. They take pride in Il Conventino’s reputation as a ‘’place of real culture, not the culture of the big names.” For details of the book presentations coming up, visit the events section of Il Conventino website.
The Florence Summer Festival at Il Conventino Caffè Letterario promises a season of entertainment, blending historical appreciation with contemporary creativity. From captivating cinema to soulful music and inspiring art, this summer’s programme offers something for everyone, inviting both locals and visitors to immerse them themselves in Florence’s cultural landscape. (Lucy Turner)
