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

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.
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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!
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Grapes and wine are the stars of many events planned these last few days of September in Tuscany.
The grape harvest is almost complete throughout the region, so it now the moment to celebrate the end of the harvest and taste the new, good wine from this harvest, but not only.

The Bacco Artigiano and the Carro Matto

In the village of Rufina, just 20km from Florence, the traditional Bacco Artigiano, an event dedicated to wine and local crafts, will be taking place from today Sept. 22 through Sunday the 25th. There will be music, wine tastings and local food products.

On Saturday 24 the “Carro Matto” (literally Crazy Cart) leaves from Rufina to reach Florence. At 3pm, accompanied by a historical procession, the cart will start from Piazza Duomo and arrive in Piazza della Signoria. Here, with a symbolic cerimony, the new wine will be presented to the government of Palazzo Vecchio.
The cart, pulled by 2 powerful oxen, carries an original pyramid built with over 1500 stacked flasks of wine.

Look at some nice pictures of the carro matto !

Read more about the events dedicated to grapes and wine>>

Livorno is preparing to live “Effetto Venezia“, a traditional big event organized in the characteristic city district named “Venice” and which comes this year to its 26th edition, completely inspired to France.

For ten days, from July 29 to August 7, 2011, will take place all kinds of events, from special guided tours, theater performances,concerts, exhibitions and street performances played in the Venice neighborhood, transformed for the occasion on this year in a large district of Paris.

Saturday, July 30 will be a “Notte Bianca” or “White Night” and main museums, churches and shops are open till late at night. At the Darsena Nuova in the port of Livorno at 1030pm you can also assist to the “Palio dell’ Antenna”, an exciting race of the four rowing boats representing the main city neighborhoods.

“Effetto Venezia” is with no doubt a wonderful opportunity to visit Livorno and appreciate one of his most characteristic districts!

The complete event program is available on the official website of the Effetto Venezia (only in Italian).

The first edition of the Renaissance Fair at Colle Val d’Elsa! Our impressions

Anyone who has read our blog for a while probably has already understood we love to go to medieval festivals and that we often return to the ones held in Monteriggioni, Volterra and Roccatederighi in Tuscany. When we found out there would be a similar festival in Colle Val d’Elsa this year, right away we marked it on our calendars. This past Sunday, July 3, the entire Discover Tuscany made their way to Colle to go to “The Renaissance of Colle between 1479 and 1592”.

The dates the event’s official title refers to are important for Colle: the first marks the year Florence conceeded Colle citizenship in exchange for their fedelty against the Sienese enemy (1479) and the other was when Colle was proclaimed a diocese, marking it a city to all effects (1592).

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Did you participate in the recent White Night in Florence? It was a really special night for the city, full of events and performances that accompanied both Florentines and tourists until late into the early hours of the morning.

This weekend Florence is going to dress in a new color: it’s time for BLUE! On May 7 and 8, in fact, Florence is preparing to live a “Blue Night”, 27 hours of events and exhibitions starting from the afternoon of Saturday 7th.

Piazza della Repubblica, in the historical city center, will host some of the most interesting events. Saturday starting at 4pm, the square will be the setting for a set of different short concerts that should have something for all tastes. From the tango music of the Alma Migrante group at 4pm to the rock music of Dinamo at 9pm to the pop-swing of the female trio of The Sixters at late night.

Saturday starting at 5pm up to 6:30pm at the Old Bridge and in the surrounding area you’ll find a curious performance of street theater on bicycle.

Saturday starting at 5:30pm, you can enter with free entrance at the Alinari National Museum of Photography, which will remain open until 11pm.

Read about the events on Sunday 8 »

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 »

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.

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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!