Discover Tuscany’s Blog: exploring Tuscany and all its hidden corners…

The night between April 30 and May 1, 2011 in Florence will be a fun “notte bianca”, a “white” all-night arts festival all around the city.
This year, the city of Michelangelo’s David will live a long sleepless night with special opening of several museums until midnight and entertaining events lasting until the early hours of the morning.

Palazzo Vecchio will be open all night until 6am with guided visits to the walkway of the Tower of Arnolfo available.

The Uffizi Gallery, Palazzo Strozzi (where the exhibition dedicated to Picasso, Mirò and Dalì is currently taking place), the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, the Marino Marini Museum, the Castle of Acciaioli in Scandicci (with an ongoing exhibition to the Ghirlandaio artistic family) and many other art sites will be open until midnight with free admission.

See a map of all the Florence museums and sites with special opening: Open museums – Map

Read about open air events »

Just a few days to Easter and Easter celebrations throughout Tuscany start tomorrow, Holy Friday.

Friday 22 and Saturday, April 23

According to Christian tradition, the Friday before Easter, called Holy Friday, commemorates the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. For the occasion, many Tuscan cities organize processions and small religious celebrations.
In Castiglion Fiorentino (Arezzo), tomorrow night (Friday), more than one hundred people will recreate the main scenes of the last days of Christ until his crucifixion. On the following day, a statue of Jesus will be rushed in a procession to the Collegiata Church for the midnight mass.
In San Gimignano, Chianciano Terme, Seravezza, Grassina and Montespertoli – just to mention some of main events – the streets will be the backdrop to the religious processions and celebrations organized by the inhabitants.

In Florence, in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, on Friday at 5.30pm the Passion of Christ and Adoration of the Cross will be commemorated. On Saturday at 10.30pm there will be a vigil of the holy night for Easter.

Continue reading more about Easter celebrations and museum openings »

We’re talking of Michelangelo’s David here: how many of them are spread out throughout the world?

It seems that as the most famous statue in the world, the likeness of the marble David appears not only in small plaster statues, but as lamps, aprons and even in the Simpsons! Of course there are also official copies in marble and bronze in Florence and in other countries given as gifts by the city but we’re talking of any David seen in a store, a t-shirt, a souvenir taken home from a visit to Florence.

The project was just launched yesterday by the city of Florence to see how many Davids can be found across the globe. The project is calling for everyone to take a picture of any semblance of the David they find and to share it on www.whereisthedavid.com. Your pictures will be shared with everyone on the website and eventually a selection will be made to be part of an exhibition at Le Murate in Florence.

Take part in this unique project: Find it, take a picture and share it!

The upcoming 13th edition of European Culture Week looks very promising thanks in large part to the success of previous editions with the public.

From the 9th to the 17th of April 2011, Europe will be the protagonist of important cultural events, and so will Italy and Tuscany.

Read more »

A very successful project last fall, the series of “Tuesdays in Art” is back across Italy for all of 2011!

Today and every last Tuesday of the month, you can visit the following museums from 7pm and 11pm with free entry.

If you’re in Florence tonight, take advantage and visit one of the following:

- Uffizi Gallery
- Accademia Gallery
- Medici Chapels
- Gallery of Modern Art and the Palatine Gallery in Palazzo Pitti
- Bargello Museum
- San Marco Museum
- Davanzati Palace

A long time in the planning, it is finally here: a museum pass to visit Florence! Valid for 72 hours, the city pass gives access to over 30 of Florence’s top state museums including the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia, which houses Michelangelo’s famous David, as well as city museums such as Palazzo Vecchio.

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Trees are in bloom, the sun is shining bright and temperatures are very pleasant: Spring has finally arrived in Tuscany!

Take a look at all the events organized in Tuscany for this first weekend of Spring, the calendar is full of many various types of proposals.

It starts with VerdeMura, an exhibition of plants, flowers, garden furniture and products organized within the town-walls of Lucca. The exhibition starts today and continues until Sunday 27.

Then several events dedicated to sweets or flea markets and antiques. While sports fans, particularly motorbike-lovers, will have the chance to participate in the Mugello Motor Fest at the Mugello International Circuit in Scarperia. On Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 visitors can also have the chance to test bikes by the most famous worldwild motorcycle manufacturers. You’ll find all the information on the official website of event.

Read full article >>

Every March 25, Florence celebrates the Florentine New Year. On this day, the Catholic Church celebrates the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and, in honor of the Virgin, from the Middle Ages up until 1750 this date decreed the beginning of the civil year in Florence.

To celebrate Florence’s New Year, several events takes place in the city historical center.
As in the past, the celebrations center around the majestic Basilica of the Santissima Annunziata, facing the square of the same name. Inside the church, a famous fresco of the mid-1200s representing the Annunciation is venerated. According to tradition, every year on the occasion of the Florentine New Year the inhabitants of Florence and surroundings come to visit and venerate it.

Tomorrow starting from 3:45pm the parade in historical costume of the Florentine Republic will go through the streets of the historic center of Florence, from the Piazzetta di Parte Guelfa to reach the Basilica of SS. Annunziata, accompanying municipal authorities. At 4:30pm, the authorities will pay tribute to the ancient fresco of the Annunciation, preserved in the Chapel of the Holy Effigy. Throughout the day, a small fair with candy stalls and stands selling small craft items will take place in Piazza SS. Annunziata.

The Association Centro Guide Turismo organizes guided tours in the morning and early afternoon, reservation required, to the Church of Santa Maria Novella, the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella and of the Duomo. The visits will be held in Italian. For information and reservations, call 055.2616056.

Happy New Year Florence!

We’d like to share some of our pictures of Florence all lit up for the celebration of Italy’s 150 years of unification! Here you can see Ponte Vecchio all lit up in green, white and red!

You can see more pictures on Facebook!

Here is a view of Piazza della Repubblica, full of people – we were fortunate and the rain had stopped and lots of people were about.

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Here is a more detailed program of what is going on in Florence tonight in celebration of 150 years since the unification of Italy, called Notte Tricolore, or Tricolor Night in honor of the Italian flag!

Piazza Signoria
19.00 Concert by the Orchestra a Plettro Ottocento Toscano
19.30/22.00 Artistic exhibit by the Accademia delle Belle Arti di Firenze
20.30 Concert by the Orchestra Filarmonica Gioacchino Rossini
21.00 Show “Viva l’Italia” by Aldo Cazzullo inside the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio, in collaboration with the Teatro Stabile di Verona
21.30 Parade in historical costume by the Florentine Republic with flag throwing exhibition by the Bandierai degli Uffizi
22.00 Performance by the MaggioDanza
00.30 Fireworks from Palazzo Vecchio

Piazza Duomo
19.00/02.00 The song of the Elements. Florentine artisan for the Italian flag – high quality workshops and lab workshops will be hosted in the square by the Fondazione di Firenze per l’Artigianato Artistico in collaboration with CNA Firenze, Confederazione Nazionale Artigianato Piccola e Media Impresa, Confartigianato Imprese Firenze.

Piazza S. Croce
19.00 Gira l’Italia: activities for families with children by the Laboratorio d’arte of the Palazzo delle Esposizioni e Scuderie from the Quirinale in Rome
19.00/00.00 Là dove ‘l sì suona. Azioni sulla Divina Commedia will be readings from the Divine Comedy by All’improvviso Dante – 100 verses for Florence
19.30/22.00 “Alla ricerca del fiorentino d’oggi” by the dell’Accademia della Crusca
20.30 Gira l’Italia: activities for families with children by the Laboratorio d’arte of the Palazzo delle Esposizioni e Scuderie from the Quirinale in Rome
21.00 Lo stravizzo delle parole. Linguistic games with Emanuele Baldi by the dell’Accademia della Crusca
23.00 Music concert by Funk Off and Sound Street Band

More events
Both the Museum in Palazzo Vecchio and all of the State museums (including Uffizi and Accademia) will be open until 1.00 a.m.
Show “Notte italiana” by Maurizio Scaparro at the Teatro della Pergola at 21.00
Organ concert by the Conservatorio di Musica L. Cherubini in Basilica S. Croce at 21.00
Concert by the military corps of the Italian Red Cross at the Conservatorio di Musica L. Cherubini at 21.00
Palazzo Aperto: exhibits and music by the Tuscany Regional Council in Palazzo Panciatichi e Bastogi from 20.00/01.00
Fanfare by the Associazione Nazionale Bersaglieri-Sezione Aldo Marzi of Florence at 21.30
Film on the Italian unification by Regione Toscana and Fondazione Sistema Toscana

Enjoy the celebrations! And remember March 17 is a holiday but State museums will be open and the following will have special exhibits: Bargello, Costume Gallery, Modern Art Gallery, Petraia Medici Villa, Poggio a Caiano Medici Villa, Castello Medici Villa garden and the Orsanmichele museum (generally closed).