With February, Carnival season 2012 comes alive and Tuscany prepares to celebrate with big masked parades and events dedicated to Carnival.

Have you already prepared your fancy costume and bought some confetti and streamers?

If you answered “Yes”, then you have only to choose the destination to celebrate! Otherwise, do not worry, you still have a few days to find a pretty carnival costume .

In the coming weeks in Tuscany you will find many fun Carnival events, both in small towns and larger cities.

If you are still deciding where to celebrate this Carnival 2012, here are some ideas:

The Carnevale di Viareggio, is without a doubt, one of the most famous masked parades in Italy.

These are the official dates of the parades:
Sunday 5, 12, 19, 26 of February (starting at 3 pm)
Thursday 21st of February (starting at 230 pm)
Saturday 3rd of March (from 7 pm)
Entry tickets: adults €15, free entry for children under 10 years old.

Every year along the seaside avenues of Viareggio, visitors are involved in the big event with music, a beautiful parade and lots of fun.
The protagonists of this Carnival are certainly the allegorical papier-mache floats, mainly inspired to topical and political facts, competing for the final prize decided by the jury.

Here’s a little sample of the Carnival of Viareggio, with a video from a past edition: look at the Carnival video.

In Foiano della Chiana (in the province of Arezzo), the oldest Carnival of Italy takes place every year.

Fancy costumes, music and a whole series of events will involve visitors in a big party on the 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th of February.
Price: regular ticket €8, children under 12 year old have free entry.

The masked parades will start at 3 pm. More details (in Italian only), on the official website.

In the historical center of Arezzo on February 12th, 19th and 21st the “Carnevale Aretino dell’Orciolaia” will take place with float parades and attractions from all around Italy.
More information in Italian are available on the official website of the Arezzo Carnival.

The villages in the Mugello, a beautiful area located on north of Florence, offer many nice events during the Carnival period.
In the center of Borgo San Lorenzo (Piazza Dante) the appointment is on the 5th, 12th, 19th and 21st of February, from the 2:30 pm. Free entry.

Saturday, February 11th will be the turn of the “Carnevalino” around the streets of Vicchio , while on Saturday February 18th, the village of San Piero a Sieve will host the carnival event “San Piero in Maschera” with music and performances from 2 pm onwards.

In Florence you can find some of initiatives related to Carnival on the weekends of the 11th-12th and 18th-19th of February during the Chocolate Fair, organized in Piazza della Repubblica, in the historical city center.

At the moment there are no clear news about the date of the traditional colorful multiethnic Carnival parade usually organized in the Florence city center but we’ll keep you posted on any news.

We wish you an amazing Carnival 2012 in Tuscany!

Photo by brasilnaitalia

Starting January 17, the Vasari Corridor will once again be open for special visits. This is a wonderful opportunity to get into and view the special art collection along the corridor, as well as experience the view of Florence as the Medici saw it! The special visits are offered directly by the Superintendance of the Florence State museums several times a week up until April 27 at a very low rate of € 10,50 per person.

The visits are for small groups of less than 5 and are perfect for couples. They are, unfortunately, only in Italian, but if you don’t mind this or know a bit of Italian, this is the best way to get into the Corridor as it isn’t open all of the time nor to everyone. The only way to generally see the inside of the Corridor is with tour groups that cost from € 80-100 per person, so this opportunity is really good for this reason.

To reserve your spot (better do so quickly as they often get booked quickly), you need to call +39-055-294-883. Days for the visits are: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9am and 11:30am; Wednesdays and Fridays at 2pm and 4:30pm.

Learn a little more about the Vasari Corridor here.

Where: Poste Reali Hall at the Uffizi complex
When: up until January 29

If you’re in Florence this January, take the opportunity to visit this free exhibit in the Poste Reali Hall which is right across from the main entrance into the Uffizi Gallery. In its eleventh edition, the Friends of the Uffizi have delved into the Uffizi’s storage rooms and present works hardly ever seen by the public in a temporary exhibit through the end of January.

This year, the exhibit entitled “Unveiled Faces” brings together 45 Roman marble busts and sculptures of emperors, empresses and unknown private individuals that were at the very beginning of the Medici’s art collecting acquisitions in the 15th century.

While the Uffizi’s second floor continues to be home to the Medici’s large collection of Roman and classic sculptures and busts, the present display in the corridors displays works according to an 18th century setup. Many portraits and busts from the villas were put into storage in the late 1990s. The exhibit is a wonderful chance to see some of these “forgotten” works of art as well as highlight how important they were between the 16th to 18th centuries in Europe when there was a passion for all of Classical civilization and ancient cultures. It’s definitely a chance to see some beautiful pieces of art not normally seen by anyone! Enjoy!

While you’re there, visit the Uffizi Gallery without waiting in line! Book your ticket ahead of time through Uffizi.org!

From left: Portrait of a young main, Second half of 2nd cent. AD, Portrait of Domizia, Roman art from 1st cent. AD, Portrait of unknown, Roman art from start of 3rd cent AD.

Cristoforo Terzi (?), Portrait of a Sculptor, 1720-1730, Galleria degli Uffizi

The Cavalcata dei Magi – Cavalcade of the Magi
from Palazzo Pitti to the Duomo
Parade starts at 14.30 from Piazza Pitti

This Friday, January 6, Florence celebrates the Epiphany with the great cavalcade of the Magi! The Three Kings bringing their gifts to a baby Jesus in the manger where he was born is set up in front of the Duomo and their symbolic arrival into Bethlehem is accompanied with a large parade in historical costume paying tribute, with over 500 participants from all over Tuscany and Italy. There are ladies and lords, knights, country folk, soldiers and much more! The Sbandieratori or flag-throwing company of the Uffizi enchants the public with their skills in throwing and waving their flags along the way and in Piazza della Signoria.

We’d like to share some of our pictures from last year’s Cavalcade… the day had started with some rain but luckily had stopped in time for the parade!

If you’re in Florence – or in Tuscany, then head to Florence – to see the Cavalcade. Let us hope for a bit of clear skies!

Hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve and that 2012 is off to a great start!

Here are some of our pictures from some of the piazzas and musical concerts in downtown Florence. It was a bit chaotic – it was fun and great to see so many people out on the streets celebrating!

So once again this weekend we have another holiday coming up: New Year’s Day! Practically everything will be closed on Sunday, even those museums usually open on that day.

Like last weekend, on New Year’s Eve most everything will be open but closing about an hour earlier than usual. This includes the Uffizi and Accademia.

So after your late-night celebration on New Year’s Eve (see our post from yesterday offering suggestions of what to do), you might want to sleep in a bit on Sunday. No problem at all! But eventually you’ll get hungry and then after a meal you might want to do something in the afternoon, like see a little more of Florence .

Don’t despair – not everything is closed!

In particular, you’ll find the Capella Brancacci open in the afternoon, from 13-16.30 and Palazzo Vecchio from 14-19. If you’ve never seen the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, we highly recommend to go just so you can see the beautiful frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli (open from 11-19). What else is open? Here is a quick list: Casa Dante, the churches of San Miniato, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Trinità and Santo Spirito. If you’re in for a little trek to Fiesole, we highly recommend visiting the archeological area there which will be open .

On Monday, January 2, most museums that are usually closed on Mondays will remain closed, including the Medici Chapels and the Pitti Palace museums. However, very important since it is a last minute news: the Uffizi and Accademia Gallery will be open!!

January 6 – Epiphany

Yep, right on the heels of Christmas and New Year’s, we have another national holiday on January 6 when we celebrate the Epiphany. In Florence, there is a beautiful Cavalcade of the Three Magi with parade in 16th century costume in the afternoon that crosses the historical center, from Piazza Pitti to the Duomo. The magi deliver their gifts to the baby Jesus, part of the living crèche (nativity scene) set up in the Duomo. The procession starts around 2.30pm – don’t miss this spectacular procession if you’re in Florence!

As for what is open, on January 6 the Duomo will be closed since there will services throughout the day. The same goes for many other churches, such as San Lorenzo and Santa Felicita. The cupola will be closed, but the bell tower and baptistery will be open in morning. The Uffizi and Accademia and other main state museums will be open following their regular hours, including the Bargello, the Pitti museums and the Medici Chapels. Here is a complete list of museum hours: notice that the Uffizi and Accademia are marked as being closed on January 2, but a very recent notice by the museums say they will be having a special opening. Remember to buy your tickets to the Uffizi online to avoid any lines!

We wish you have a spectacular start to 2012!!

Will you be welcoming 2012 in Tuscany? Many restaurants, discos and pubs organize special dinners or events (at fixed prices, where you need to reserve ahead of time) but there are also events planned for spending New Year’s Eve at the opera, watching a play or listening to music in the the main squares of the main Tuscan cities!

To help you plan exactly where you’ll be on the stroke of midnight December 31st, here are some ideas:

In Florence

If you prefer to join the crowds outdoors, the city of Florence selects five squares across the city to stage 5 different types of musical concerts. You can head to Piazza della Stazione in front of the Santa Maria Novella train station for rock/pop music which turns out into the main New Year’s Eve event in Florence. This year, starting at 9pm, dance to the Street Clerks then enjoy Pippo and his Polar Penguins and then dance to the beat of the Brunori Sas. At midnight, Italian rapper and big bill Caparezza takes the stage to make the city dance!

If you’d like a more classical atmosphere, head to Piazza della Signoria where Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi are the perfect backdrop for the Ukraine Philharmonic Symphony of Donetsk directed by Giuseppe Lanzetta. The concert is set to start around 11pm.

Another option is to go to Piazza della Repubblica for electro-swing and ethnic beats by the Les Italians Orchestra starting at 22.30 and after midnight by The Sweet Life Society.

Head to Piazza della SS Annuniziata for gospel music to listen to the Golden Voices of Gospel or head to Largo Annigoni to dance to deejay set before midnight and continue with the DJ beat of Strange D(J)ays starting at 1am.

If you prefer an indoor celebration, you can go to the big classical musical gala at the new Teatro dell’Opera di Firenze with a rousing ringing in of the the new year as orchestra director Zubin Mehta conducts pieces by Beethoven, Ravel and Rimskij-Korsakov. Cost: €110 for concert, dinner can beforehand at €80 additional (you can buy tickets at this link.

Another great musical gala will be held at St. Mark’s Anglican Church: the Operetta Gala will feature selected acts from Verdi’s La Traviata, Bizet’s Carmen, Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss and others, as well as buffet dinner and champagne along the Arno around midnight (www.concertoclassico.info) Cost: € 96.

In Siena

If you’ll be in Siena or close by, the celebration to welcome the new year in the stunningly beautiful Piazza del Campo should be unforgettable. The first part of the evening (from 10:30pm to midnight) Danny Rose Paris will present video projections celebrating 150 years of Italian unity. After midnight, the square will turn into a time machine going through all the famous night clubs worldwide over the last two centuries. If you want to continue the party after half past mdnight, head over to the Fortezza Medicea where the New Year’s party will continue on to 5am . Entry fee requested.

In Pisa

Lots of music in Pisa as well. In Piazza Carrara, starting at 6pm, the stage will host the Betta Blues Society, Alex Britti, Manu PHL e Working Vibes. Music of all types, but especially to make you dance – funk-rap show, reggae rock, funk and hip hop.

In Piazza Garibaldi, the hard-fold Tuscan group I Matti dell Giuncaie will entertain the public while in Piazza Gambacorti you’ll find a live band and later on a DJ set.

The evening will end with the fireworks show from Ponte di Mezzo.

Elsewhere in Tuscany

In Arezzo, Pienza, Chiusi, Montepulciano – to name just a few - just head to the main piazza to celebrate with the locals with music, a large bonfire and lots of cheer to say good-bye to the old year, and welcome in the new!

Wishing you a happy and prosperous 2012!!

Many of you will be celebrating Christmas in Florence and seeing your questions on our forum, we know you want to know what to do – and what you can do – particularly on December 25 when all museums will be closed. Did you know that December 26 is also a national Italian holiday?

If your time is limited in Florence and you were set to visit some museums, definitely fit those in on Christmas Eve.  All museums will be open, although most of the state museums will be closing about an hour earlier than usual, including the Uffizi and Accademia.

All museums will be closed on Christmas Day except for the Palazzo Medici Riccardi – if you’ve never been inside the small Chapel of the Magi to see the frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli, we highly recommend a visit – its a beauty!

Just because the museums and shops are closed doesn’t mean there is nothing to do – Florence is truly an open-air museum! Take advantage of this day to stroll around the entire historical center. Here is a suggested itinerary: start from the north from Piazza San Marco heading down to Piazza San Lorenzo, then to Piazza del Duomo, down Via Calzaiuoli to Piazza della Signoria. Continue down past the Uffizi Gallery to Ponte Vecchio and to Palazzo Pitti. If you still have energy, climb up to Piazzale Michelangelo to enjoy the extraordinary view of Florence you can have from here.

What else will be open on Christmas day? A few churches will be open for visits for a few hours in the afternoon (since most of the day will consist of religious services): you can head to San Miniato al Monte, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Trinità and Santo Spirito. Of course, you can go into any of the churches during the day but only if you want to stay and listen to the service, they won’t allow anyone interested in visiting to roam about (this particularly applies for the cathedral which is closed for visits).

Monday December 26 is Boxing Day, or Santo Stefano as it is known in Italy. State museums that are usually open on Mondays will be open on this day, including the Accademia and Uffizi, the Medici Chapels, Palazzo Vecchio and Santa Maria Novella museum. Also open: the Opera del Duomo museum, San Lorenzo church and museum and all of the monuments in Piazza Duomo (tower, cupola, baptistery, cathedral).

Here is the PDF from the Florence tourism board with a table that clearly shows what is open and their times that you can use to decide where to go and when this upcoming Christmas weekend. Happy holidays to everyone!

The next few days will see Florence under some very special lighting! The Firenze Light Festival, or F-LIGHT for short, will run from December 8-11 and will see the monuments in Piazza Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza Pitti, Ponte Santa Trinita’, the Santa Maria Novella Piazza and Piazza della Repubblica all lit up in various ways. From highlighting their geometric shapes to artistic installations, make sure to walk around after dark and take the city in a whole different light! We’ll try to go out and take some pictures to share with you in the next few days

Additionally, tomorrow December 8 the Christmas tree in Piazza Duomo will be officially lit up by Florence’s major, Matteo Renzi. It will be a magical night to walk around the city and enjoy your holiday shopping or just the season!

Christmas markets are everywhere in Tuscany! Continuing after our post from last week about Christmas in Florence, we’d like to point out a few markets in the region.

SIENA
From December 1, you’ll find a Christmas village and skating rink at La Lizza gardens.

VIAREGGIO
Starting December 8, you’ll find the Christmas market in Piazza Mazzini with lots of fun activities for the kids and for the family. Runs through December 26.

MARRADI
On December 11 and 18, live the holiday cheer in the historical center of Marradi, high in the Appenines betwene Florence and Bologna. Handmade items perfect for gifts and Christmas decorations and more, music and shows for the little ones make these Sundays before Christmas special.

PALAZZUOLO SUL SENIO
On December 8, 11 and 18 Palazzuolo celebrates Advent Magic, a market in the small mountain town to celebrate the holiday season. Beautifully decorated streets with many gift ideas, you’ll follow each street surrounded with Christmas songs while admiring the various Crepe/Nativity scenes. Santa Clause will be present for the little ones. Taste traditional winter dishes and enjoy the street entertainment and lights.

FIESOLE
On Tuesday and Wednesday December 13 and 14, the medieval cloister of the Badia Fiesolona within the European Union Institute in San Domenico di Fiesole opens up its doors to showcase Christmas items, from handmade Christmas decorations to many gift ideas and jewelry. Many stands will showcase the craftsmanship of artisans from across Tuscany. A Christmas concert will take place Tuesday afternoon.  From 3-9pm Tuesday, and 10am-6pm on Wednesday at Via dei Roccettini, 9 – Fiesole.

FLORENCE
Another two Christmas markets to point out in Florence, whose proceeds will go to charity:

AILO Christmas Bazaar: In the Pagliere near Porta Romana, the American-International League organizes a bazaar and lottery with all funds going to local non-profit organizations. Gifts, toys, house items, baked homemade cookies and other treats, books, Christmas decorations and so much more will be available. From 10am to 5pm.

Mercatino di Natale di Chicco: From December 8-11, the Caricentro organizes this market where you’ll find clothes, toys, books, house items, Christmas decorations and much more. Saturday afternoon entertainment will be available for the little ones. All proceeds go to the A.Ma.R.T.I. ONLUS (association dedicated to helping children with liver disease in Tuscany). At the Caricentro, Lungarno Generale dalla Chiesa, 13

Hope you find all your Christmas gifts soon!!

Photo credit: ComunicaTI