The Season 2025: NYU ’s Annual Cultural Festival
NYU Florence’s annual artistic festival, The Season, is returning for the 19th year between May 20 and July 1. Hosted at the stunning Villa la Pietra (via Bolognese 120), study abroad campus home of New York University, a multitude of cultural and creative events will take place in English.
The Season will showcase original theatre productions, engaging book talks and classical and jazz performances in the three venues: its indoor Limonaia, open-air Continuum Theatre and Teatrino.
Admission to all events is free but requires reservation. Click on this link to find out more and register for The Season’s events:
Villa la Pietra is tucked in the hills above Florence and is accessible by taking Autolinee Toscane bus no. 25 in piazza della Libertà.
The programme will run as follows:
May 20, 6 pm: Continuum Theatre
The Greatest Hits – Inaugural Concert
The Accademia degli Assetati string orchestra, directed by Maestro Pacini and accompanied by the lead vocalist Yaser and the Killer Queen band, will perform interpretations of music by contemporary composers such as David Bowie.
May 29, 6 pm: Limonaia
A Commonwealth of Hope: Augustine’s Political Thought
Michael Lamb will present his award-winning book that challenges prevailing interpretations of St Augustine’s philosophy, namely the human tendency towards evil.
June 17, 6 pm: Limonaia
Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion
Wendy Suzuki, leading neuroscientist and NYU’s Dean of Arts & Sciences, will discuss her ground-breaking guidebook, described by the New York Journal of Books as “erudite, practical, reader-friendly, deeply personal, and sure to help even the most anxious among us.”
June 18, 8 pm Limonaia.
The Quantum Leapers
Yemane Demissie, Filmmaker and NYU Tisch Grad Film Department professor, will present his deeply moving multimedia work-in-progress. The Quantum Leapers is an anthology re-examination of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, which will be screened and followed by a discussion.
June 19, 7 pm: Continuum Theatre.
Sam Farthing & Friends
Maryland-based musician Sam Farthing, along with a specially assembled all-star band, will perform his lively, haunting evocations of Django Reinhardt-style music. The performance celebrates the release of Farthing’s debut CD, Swing 25.
June 25, 9 pm: Teatrino.
The Doctor in Spite of Himself
Student-organised group NYU Tisch Commedia dell’Arte will perform a variation of Molière’s Le Médecin malgré lui.
June 27, 8 pm: Limonaia
Annunciation
The European première of award-winning American playwright Rajiv Joseph’s new play. Annunciation will feature NYU Tisch Continuum Company actors Maggie Siff and Stephen Stocking.
July 1, 6:30 pm: Limonaia.
Candide
The Hong Kong-based Ima Collab Company will be putting on a contemporary theatrical adaptation of Voltaire’s Candide.
Villa la Pietra has been New York University’s study abroad campus for over three decades, however NYU has run up against many legal issues in keeping the villa and its art collection, originally bequeathed by Sir Harold Acton upon his death in 1994. The case was finally resolved in May last year. Read all about it in our article here. (Keziah McCann)
