The Blue Night of Florence takes place this upcoming weekend on May 12-13, 2012 and offers a varied program rich in surprises, activities, exhibitions and much more.
The Blue Night is a manifestation which lasts 27 hours of non-stop events, most of them dedicated to games and sports as Florence has been declared European City of Sports for  2012.
Also known as the Feast of Europe, it celebrates the “Schuman Declaration” which ratified the birth of the European Union on May 9, 1950.
For this reason, many of the initiatives are dedicated to the Old World and aim to reinforce the identity, integration and tolerance between people and different cultures in Italy!

In the squares you’ll find music, concerts and shows dedicated to dance and to the theater, exhibitions, meetings, debates, and sports everywhere: at the sport centers, on the streets, at the Cascine Park and in the squares many organized activities will be open to the public to try new sports – a special occasion to try less well-known disciplines.
The public but kids in particular will be entertained by a series of fun games including chess without frontiers, kites at Piazzale Michelangelo, a workshop for kids and parents about ancient sports and many others.
Participate in the Blue Night and celebrate today’s Europe too!

View complete program of the Blue Night

For the first time after 25 years, 17 masterpieces of tapestries chosen among 8 collections have returned to their place of origin for an exhibition at the Uffizi Gallery.

In 1987, the Uffizi lost a part of its most important collections due to problems with the conservation of the tapestries: the light, dust and tensile stress deteriorate those artworks rapidly and the colors fade day after day. For this reason the collection has been kept for many years in a room appropriate for its conservation, waiting for the opening of dedicated rooms equipped with ideal lighting and air-conditioning systems on the ground floor of the Gallery.

In this temporary exhibition, you can admire a series of works which illustrate and recount, better than any history book, the opulence and magnificence of the European courts during the Renaissance and about the story of the Passion of Christ.

Displayed are several tapestries produced by the Flemish as well as some realized by the Florentine School, to better compare and illustrate traditions and cultures through:
- Episodes of the stories of Jacob, of the Parties at the Court of Valois and the Battles of Hannival, Flemish artists (from the 1500s).
- A devotional cycle by Salviati, another of hunting episodes (by Vasari), the Passion of Christ (by Alessandro Allori) and of Christ in front of Herod (by Ludovico Cigoli, Florentine School (1500-1600s).

Tapestries in the past were almost considered objects to worship, shown during important ceremonies in court life. A strong tradition and passion passed down through noble families such as the Medici, who had an important collection and really cared about it.

Through this journey through the past, you can also discover the ancient techniques through which the tapestries were made and at the same time, admire the complex art of restoration carried out by the Florentine school, considered one of the most important in the world today.
An educational part of the exhibition will illustrate several restored works alongside ones that have not been restored to contrast the old, but still bright original colors with the pieces having gone through restoration.

The exhibition is at the Uffizi Gallery up to June 3, 2012. Tickets costs 11 € full price and 5,50€ for those that qualify for reduced tickets. It is also free on Saturdays from April 14th up through June 2nd, at the following times: 9.30; 11.30; 14.30; 16.30.
We highly recommend you buy your tickets ahead of time for the Uffizi to avoid lines!

Enjoy the exhibition!

Every year Florence selects a spring night as a “Notte Bianca“, literally meaning a “white night” when the city organizes cultural programs all through the night. A sleepless night for many in Florence who want to take advantage of all of the free events taking place, including visits to several museums and music concerts throughout the city. This year, the “white night” will be taking place this upcoming Monday, April 30th, with most events starting at 7pm and continuing on until 6am of May 1.

This year participants and events will be dressed in white! From the participating artists to Florence’s mayor, Matteo Renzi, all will dress in white, while the bridges over the Arno will have white paper lanterns which will float down the river at midnight and Piazza della Signoria adorned with hundreds of white balloons.

In Piazza Duomo, starting at 7pm, there will be music by street bands while at 9pm head into the Duomo to enjoy a special concert inside the cathedral by the Maggio Musical Fiorentino orchestra directed by Zubin Mehta. Then head outdoors to enjoy live music in Piazza della Repubblica, in Largo Annigoni, in Piazza della Signoria. Head to Piazza Santa Croce for tango and milonga lessons starting at 9:30pm and just enjoy the sound of the streets of Florence as they come alive with music.

Head back indoors to enjoy artwork in all of Florence’s main museums open through the night for free: from the Uffizi and Accademia open until midnight to the Orsanmichele church and museum. At 10:30pm at Orsanmichele enjoy a special concert called “Homage to Vespucci: A Trip Toward America” by the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina that will play music by Morricone, Rota, Gershwin, Bernstein, Armstrong and Carmichael. In the Loggia dei Lanzi in Piazza della Signoria, a piano will accompany the various musical and vocal concerts held throughout the night. From 9pm until 4am, enjoy a picnic in Piazza Pitti.

There are several events that take place between 6pm and midnight thought for children so that they can also participate in this magical evening. At 6pm, in Piazza Santa Croce, a choir made up of 600 children all dressed in white will kick of the evening performing Richard Strauss’s “The Knight of the Rose”. Shows, music and performances in Piazza del Cestello and along the Arno in the form of street bands will keep them entertained while in Piazza Strozzi they can construct their own musical concerts which they’ll then use to perform a final concert. Head to Palazzo Medici Riccardi to see master puppeteers put on their shows. At 9pm, head to the side of Palazzo Vecchio on Via de Gondi for a treasure hunt for both kids and adults. At midnight, the paper lanterns from the bridges will be thrown into the river, signaling the time for the kids to head off to bed.

These are the museums that will be open on the Notte Bianca:

Uffizi and Accademia Gallery – 6pm-midnight
Cathedral (Duomo) – from 7.30 to 11pm
Palazzo Vecchio Museum – 6pm-6am
Civic Museums: Bardini Museum, Santa Maria Novella Museum, Fondazione Salvatore Romano, Orsanmichele Museum and Marino Marini Museum: 6pm-midnight
Natural History Museum: Anthropology and Ethnology Section – 8pm-midnight
National Alinari Photography Museum – 8pm-11pm
Casa Siviero Museum – 9pm-midnight
Villa Bardini and Roberto Capucci Museum – 7pm-10:30pm (last entrance at 9:30pm)

After midnight, events will continue in the heart of the city in the areas between Piazza della Repubblica, Loggia del Porcellino, Piazza San Lorenzo, Piazza Strozzi, jazz in Piazza Santa Maria Novella until 2am and in Piazza della Passera until 3am, tango in Piazza Santa Croce also until 3am, music in Piazza San Firenze until 5am. Piazza Santa Maria Novella will have a Slow Market throughout the night with food products from across all of Italy available for tastings and to purchase.

Every half hour, enjoy climbing up to the patrol ramparts of Palazzo Vecchio (no reservations required between 2-5am but before then do reserve at info.museoragazzi@comune.fi.it) and end the night with breakfast in Palazzo Vecchio at 6am offered by Caffe Corsini.

For full program you can download, head here: http://www.insonniacreativa.it/#!/?page_id=9 and click on “qui” in the phrase above the map. You can also see the events organized by location on the map. As you can see, they are spread wide throughout the entire center.

NOTE: The Uffizi and Accademia are normally closed on Mondays but will be open all of Monday April 30th (at normal cost). It is only after 6pm that they will have free entrance. Note also that both will be closed on May 1.

What is open May 1st?

Palazzo Vecchio will remain open on May 1st, following its normal hours from 9am to midnight. You can also head to Palazzo Strozzi and visit the current exhibition dedicated to “Americans in Florence: Sargent and the Impressionists of the New World” between 9am and 8pm.

Special openings on this day will include the following museums at the symbolic cost of 1 euro:
Bargello Museum (8.15-13.50)
Palazzo Davanzati Museum (8.15-13.50)
Boboli Gardens (8.15-18.30 – the Palazzo Pitti museums will remain closed)

Outside of Florence, I recommend visiting one of the several beautiful Medici villas found in the surroundings, particularly the Villa della Petraia (8.15-18.30) and the Garden of Villa di Castello (8.15-18.30) which are really close to each other and reachable with ATAF bus #2 and #28. Another beautiful one is the Villa di Poggio a Caiano (8.15-18.30) while the Villa di Cerreto Guidi (ore 8.15-19) is closer to Vinci. All of the villas will be accessible with free entry.

Then of course you can also climb to the top of the Duomo (cupola) or to the top of Giotto’s tower, visit the cathedral and baptistry, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Santa Croce Church and museum and Santa Maria Novella Church. All these will be open on May 1st – and are all recommended sites to visit to get to know Florence better.

So much to do over the course of two days – you’ll definitely need the rest on May 1, international Labor Day! Lots of shops and restaurants will be open, but most everything will be closed. Enjoy!!

Would you like to enjoy a very special aperitivo in Florence this spring with your friends?

Called “Aperitivo ad Arte“, the Uffizi Gallery is offering special evening openings of the museum on Thursdays starting this April 26 (and continuing through the end of June) that allows you to enjoy an aperitivo on the Uffizi terrace over Loggia dei Lanzi enjoying an amazing view of Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio together with a visit to the new Blue Rooms of the Uffizi dedicated to foreign artists inaugurated last December.

Visits to the the Blue Rooms will be at your leisure throughout the evening – the combination of the visit and the particular setting makes this a truly unique occasion to enjoy art together with an evening out with friends in a very particular setting not generally offered.

The aperitif starts at 7pm and continues through 9:30pm. Entrance is through the new stairs located to the right of the Uffizi, right behind the Loggia dei Lanzi.

It is possible (and recommended) you reserve either through the call center at the following numbers: 800.424.500 or 055.294.883 if you’re calling from a land line phone, or 199-104245 if you’re calling from a cellphone.

At the beginning of last century, Pescia was considered one of the most important capitals of flowers in Europe; thanks to that, this little city gained a world reputation and, consequently, its inhabitants lots of work possibilities: Pescia, City of Flowers, as it was usually referred to, till some years ago…

Tourists, specialists and keen on flower growing used to crowd the little city of Valdinievole during the first weeks of September to take part to one of the most interesting and important flower expositions in Europe: the Biennale del Fiore. Unfortunately, as years passed by, the exhibition, as well as flower commerce, seemed to get less and less importance and ended up leaving way only to tradition and exhibits which only rarely were attractive and innovative, as the original spirit of the Biennale required.

In 2004, about 50 years after, the Biennale del Fiore shut up shop: it seemed to all of us, who were proud of being its inhabitants, that the soul of Pescia had got buried in the ground.

Fortunately, 4 years ago Pescia decided to spring up again literally, giving birth once more to what had been its fortune and strong point: the colour and smell of flowers, from which has arisen Floraviva. It’s a new market exhibition, still not so world renowned as the Biennale was (but it will, believe me!), whose core is that spirit of innovation that had been left out during the last years of the past exposition. Floraviva exhibits not only flowers, but also local handicrafts and wine-and-food typical products from Valdinievole, project, ideas and eco-sustainable proposals working towards a greener future. It’s a nice walk along gardens and tiny streets bordering the XVIth century villa (which is now house to the Istituto Tecnico Agrario – an agricultural secondary school) designed to acquaint people with the past (and future) story of this areas which still have a lot to offer.

And last, but not least, Floraviva gives also space to conferences and meetings dedicated to the economic development and discovery of the territory, to projects aimed at introducing youth to the job world, and much else besides.

Floraviva will take place on April 14th and 15th at Istituto Tecnico Agrario in Pescia, as said before, and the entrance is free.

How to get to Pescia

By train: there’s a train station in Pescia for everyone coming from Lucca,  Viareggio and Florence, just check Trenitalia timetable and find out the best combination for your rail journey, starting from your depart train station.

By bus: Pescia is well reachable by bus also from Lucca, Montecatini and Florence.

By car: from the A-11 highway, take exit ‘Chiesina Uzzanese’ and follow the signs to Pescia or to Floraviva directly, there’s a lot along the way!

A week end for discovering colors, culture and traditions of the city that had been, and will be, Pescia, City of Flowers!

In fact, all of the events and museums participating open its doors for free during these 9 days. Anyone, whether Italian or not, can enter for free or have reductions into museums and expositions as well as attend conferences, guided tours and workshops.

A whole week in the footsteps of art, culture, creativity and sharing. It is also a special occasion for kids who will be able to approach the cultural universe, who might still find it mysterious up to now, attending amusing and exciting workshops and visits dedicated especially for them.

Cultural Week in Tuscany

The events, museums and expositions which adhere to Cultural Week are many in Tuscany, these are just a few we’ve selected that seem particularly interesting:

Florence:

Boboli Gardens – Communicating Art: free guided tour through the gorgeous gardens of Boboli. Available in French, English and Italian.

Palazzo Vecchio
Discover one of the most beautiful buildings in the world from a modern point of view, with technological narrations and 3D reconstructions, on April 14-15 and April 21-22.
For kids (for anyone over 8 years old): tour around the new rooms of Palazzo Vecchio to learn more about the history of city, April 14 and 22.

Cappella Ruccellai – Guided tour to the Cappella Ruccellai and the Tempietto of Leon Battista,  April 17,  free but needs reservation within April 12.

Fiesole - Archeological Site - free for all from April 14 to 22.
From April 15-22, Fiesole’s museums organize activities for kids and adults, free entry (need reservation).

Reggello – Restoration of Masaccio’s Trittico: a perfect opportunity to learn the history of this particular artwork by Masaccio. April 22 at the Pieve di San Pietro.

Lucca:

National Museums - in Palazzo Mansi and Villa Guinisi , free entrance and guided tours.

Viareggio – Free visits to Civic Museums during the whole Cultural Week at Villa Paolina.

Pietra Santa - Special opening of Giosuè Carducci’s house with guided visits, April 21-22.

Pisa:

Guided visits to the National Museum at Palazzo Reale, free entrance, April 19 and to National Museum of San Matteo on April 20.

There are many, many other events, too many to list here so we’re including the link to the full list for Cultural Week in Tuscany. Check the list as well to get details for those that request reservations.

We hope you enjoy your week immersed in Italy’s immense cultural heritage and art!

The “Scoppio del Carro” celebration with a few changes this year

This Easter Sunday in Florence the centuries old tradition of the “Scoppio del Carro” will take place with a few changes from past years, changes just announced a few days ago.

The main change concerns the lighting of the “sacred fire” which will be moved from Sunday morning to Saturday evening to be present already at the wake that takes place in the cathedral as we await the arrival of Easter.

The change is intended to “restore the most profound significance of the rite and its symbolic and spiritual meaning” that over time might have changed the event into a bit too much folkloristic ritual”, according to the auxiliary bishop Claudio Maniago.

Another slight change will take place within the cathedral: the lustral waters will be spread at the start of eucharist on Easter morning instead of at the end before the cart is lit. Slight changes but we thought they would be useful to know about. The parade in historical costume that accompanies the cart on Sunday morning will continue as it always has, with Mayor Matteo Renzi taking part.

So if you’re in Florence on Saturday night, starting at 9.30pm, a parade will take place from the Church of the Santi Apostoli e Biagio to the Duomo where the three flints will be used to light the sacred fire and blessed by the Cardinal Archbishop in front of the cathedral. The flints and fire will remain in the cathedral throughout the wake that takes place all night.

Easter Sunday and Monday: Are museums open?

We have confirmation that the following state museums will be open on Easter Sunday:
Uffizi Gallery (where there’s crurrently an exhibition dedicated to beautiful tapestries), Accademia Gallery, Palatine Gallery, Museum of San Marco, Bargello Museum, Silver Museum and the Boboli Gardens, the Medici villas, the Last Suppers of Andrea del Sarto and of Sant’Apollonia.

On Easter Monday, visitors can also enjoy: Uffizi Gallery , Accademia Gallery, the Medici Chapels, the Orsanmichele church and museum, the Boboli Gardens, the Palazzo Davanzati Museum, the Last Super of Ghirlandaio in Ognissanti, the Cloister of the Scalzo and the Medici villas at Castello, Petraia, Poggio a Caiano and Cerreto Guidi.

Not a state museum but definitely also worth visiting for the current “Americans in Florence” exhibition: Palazzo Strozzi will be open on both days!

Spending Easter in Mugello

If the weather permits, Easter Sunday and Monday is a great time to go out and about and explore Tuscany. In particular, we have a list of museums and places in Mugello that will be open so that you know you can enjoy this weekend!

Museums that will be open:

MUSEO DELLA CIVILTÀ CONTADINA DI CASA D’ERCI
Loc. Grezzano – Borgo San Lorenzo
Sundays and holidays: 15 – 19

MUSEO DEL PAESAGGIO STORICO DELL’APPENNINO
BADIA DI MOSCHETA
Loc. Moscheta – Firenzuola
Friday, Saturday, Sundays and holidays: 10-13/14-18

MUSEO DEI FERRI TAGLIENTI – BOTTEGA DEL COLTELLINAIO
PALAZZO DEI VICARI
Piazza dei Vicari – Scarperia
Wednesday-Friday 10-13; Saturday-Sundays and holidays 10-13 and 15-18.30

MOSTRA DI VITA ARTIGIANA E CONTADINA CON PERSONAGGI IN MOVIMENTO di
Leprino
CENTRO POLIVALENTE – SANT’AGATA
Sundays and holidays 15,30 – 18,30

MUSEO DI ARTE SACRA E RELIGIOSITA’ POPOLARE BEATO ANGELICO
Viale Beato Angelico, 2 – Vicchio
Saturdays-Sundays 10 -13 / 15-19
CLOSED ON EASTER; OPEN EASTER MONDAY 15-19

CASA DI GIOTTO
Colle di Vespignano – Vicchio
Saturdays-Sundays 10 -13 / 15-19
CLOSED ON EASTER; OPEN EASTER MONDAY 15-19

HAPPY EASTER!!!

This spring a very special collaboration sprung up between the Tuscany wine estate Villa Dianella Fuccini near Vinci and the Polimoda fashion school in Florence – a contest open to second year students in the Marketing Management, Marketing Communication and Masters in Fashion Communication programs to design the new label for the estate’s rosé wine, All’Aria Aperta. Yesterday at the estate the 3 finalists met to present their designs so that the panel could decide on the contest winner!

A wine label design is not just a summary of the wine or its contents – it must communicate the essence of the wine and the passion put into its production. For the great majority of us who are not wine experts, labels are pretty important and can be a deciding factor between one bottle or the next. The fashion school students’ participation is thus a very important chance for students in the marketing sector to put their studies into practical application while giving the wine estate the chance to offer a new and innovative design not usual for wine labels.

Villa Dianella is a 15th century Medici villa that today produces Chianti wine and liquors such as grappa and vinsanto and extra virgin olive oil. The estate also has several delightful elegant rooms where guests can enjoy a stay in the elegant estate and participate in cooking classes, wine tastings and a tour of the winery’s cellars.

Polimoda is one of the top fashion marketing and design schools in Italy and offers both undergraduate as well as masters programs to students specializing in various aspects of the fashion world: marketing, communication, branding, management and much more.

The last several days have seen the media and the population focusing their attention to the developments concerning the hunt for the lost mural La battaglia di Anghiari or Battle of Anghiari by Leonardo da Vinci in the Salone dei Cinquecento in Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio.
The work done by Maurizio Seracini, an Italian engineer, and his team, confirm the thesis of the alleged presence of the painting hidden behind the fresco by Giorgio Vasari “The Battle of Marciano”.
Reading the works of Vasari, it would seem that he may have preserved the da Vinci painting and that it may be on the eastern wall, since in the other one there were four big windows at the time of Da Vinci’s work.

The history begins when Leonardo was commissioned by the gonfaloniere Pier Soderini to paint the Battle of Anghiari (1440), celebrating the pride at the important victory of the Florentine troops against Milan which at that time made Florence the most powerful city in central Italy.
The work, dating back to 1503, was never completed by Leonardo who experimented with new fresco methods and materials; not turning out as he expected, he later abandoned the project completely.
Sixty years later, Giorgio Vasari was commissioned to repaint the whole Salone dei Cinquecento, and records say he preserved “The Leonardo” either by building a new wall on which he started his new work or by hiding it below a plastering. He was a really intelligent artist and a big admirer of the Leonardo the Genius.

“The Battle of Anghiari”, by Rubens copying Leonardo’s drawings, Louvre, Paris

Researchers drilled small holes in the Vasari painting and with the help of micro-cameras discovered a black pigment which seems to be the same used by Leonardo on both the Mona Lisa and St. John the Baptist.
They also found red flakes and a beige material applied on the wall with a paintbrush.
Moreover, a gap was also discovered between the wall on which Vasari painted his fresco and the original one. So is it possible that the lost mural is really there?
The hunt is still in progress with approval of Matteo Renzi, Florence’s mayor, who assures the public that Vasari’s work will be preserved.

If the lost Battle of Anghiari was really behind the Vasari fresco, it would happen to be the most important cultural event of these years which would reconfirm Florence as the richest city of the world in terms of its history. Is there anyplace else that can offer such excitement?

Don’t forget we are talking about Leonardo da Vinci, the genius of geni, known all over the world and incomparable in terms of fame. Don’t you think?

If you are visiting Tuscany and you make your way to Siena, don’t miss the exclusive exhibition in the Cathedral of Siena running from March 1st through to August 31 which hosts the sublime masterpiece by Tiziano “The Baptism of Christ” .

To celebrate the 500th anniversary of its creation, the painting for the first time in history travels out of its permanent exhibition space at the museum Pinacoteca Capitolina in Rome to Siena to mingle with the works present in the Crypt of the Dome.

This latter works were only discovered in 1999 during the restoration of the Cathedral, found below the altar in a crypt of 180 sq.m. The fresco paintings which depict the history of the Old and New Testament have been dated back to the 13th century. These are really valuable works attributed to Diotisalvi di Speme, Guido di Graziano and Rinaldo da Siena, artists that lived in Siena during the 13th century. We highly recommend visiting the crypt just to see these works, with the added Tiziano it becomes a must stop when you’re in Siena!

The “Baptism of Christ” by Tiziano represents Jesus Christ in the act of being baptized by John the Baptist. In the painting, Giovanni Juan Ram, the Spanish man who commissioned the work, is also depicted in the lower right. Details on his person allude to his life: the second wedding ring on his little finger symbolizes the death of his wife, while the woodpecker probably represents recovered health after the bubonic plague that passed through Venice in 1510.

Because of its similarity with other important works by Tiziano, The Three Ages of Man, Sacred and Profane Love and Noli Me Tangere, the Baptism of Christ has been dated back to 1511-1513.

The exhibition is open every day from 7.30 am to 7 pm (last entry at 6.30 pm), with entry ticket costing € 8 while the visit is free for residents.

We highly recommend you visit this gorgeous itinerary through art and religious faith, hosted in one of the most beautiful cities in Tuscany.

To get more information about the Crypt and the Exhibition, see the Duomo of Siena’s official web site.