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

From now until May 3, head towards Florence’s Horticulture Garden to witness spring’s bounty in the shape of plants and flowers at the Mostra dei Fiori, or Flower Fair. Open from 8.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, the fair is located in the external area of the horticulture garden (one of the entrances is on Via Bolognese 17). Among the fair’s exhibitors we even saw noted nursery breeders in Tuscany such as “Rose Barni” from Pistoia.

Entrance is free but we warn you that it will be difficult to resist the temptation of purchasing something…

Also up until May 20, the Iris Garden just below the Piazzale Michelangelo is open (open every day from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m.). This beautiful garden is completely dedicated to the iris, the symbol of Florence, which is presented here in many sweet-smelling varieties from all over the world. Between May 4 and 9, the annual International Competition will elect the most beautiful iris hybrid for the year. Entrance to this garden is also free so, weather permitting, take a stroll up the Piazzale and enjoy the blooms.

It is still quite cold in Florence and wet. At least this past Saturday there was a little bit of weak sunshine in between the rainy days as I made my way south of Florence towards Galluzzo. This small town on the outskirts of southern Florence is well-known for its “Certosa” which also gives its name to the “Firenze-Certosa” exit off the A1 road that passes really close by. Just imagine, though, that when this monastery was built in the early 13th century on a hill between two rivers, this was countryside and quite isolated from the city of Florence.

Continue reading about the Certosa monastery »

Christmas in always is a very festive affair! This year, however, the holiday season in Florence seems a bit less bright, a tad less colorful than it usually is. It might be due to the current international economic crisis that discourages too much gift shopping on everyone’s part, as many worry about losing their jobs and what the new year will bring. This also seems to be the case for tourists, as there seems to be less people in general in the historical center when this period generally means lots of crowds.

Continue reading about Christmas in Florence »

If you were in downtown Florence in the area around the Duomo or Piazza della Signoria this past Saturday afternoon, you likely encountered a parade in historical costume, drums, flag throwers and even a cannon! This procession went from the Palagio di Parte Guelfa to the Duomo to meet a large cart full of wine bottles before continuing on to Piazza della Signoria. If you saw all of this you might also have wondered what exactly was going on. What you witnessed is the welcome by Florence of the “carro matto” (crazy cart) from the nearby wine producing town of Rufina!

Continue reading about the Carro Matto in Florence »

Last night we joined over 35,000 Fiorentina fans at the Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence to cheer the Viola team as they battled the Slavia Prague in the first leg of the Champion’s League qualifier. It was a good match, Fiorentina dominated the field throughout the entire game and won the match 2-0 which places the team in a favorable position to win the tie match on the 27th of August and move forward into the exciting group stages of the European contest.

Read more details of the Fiorentina-Slavia match »

The pop visionary David La Chapelle opened his photographic exhibit last week at the Forte Belvedere and the evening was unfortunately marked by a tragic event: Veronica Locatelli, 37 years old, suffered a fatal 8 meter fall from one of the bastions of the fortress. A tragic incident for which we wish to express condolences to the Locatelli family. The fortress was closed for a few days after the accident.

If you will be in Florence between now and October 16, you can visit the extraordinary exhibit of over 100 photographs that present and critique a consumerist, individualist America. A student of Andy Warhol, La Chapelle worked for magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and the New York Times Magazine. He has also been sought after for provocative portraits by celebrities, including Madonna, Naomi Campbell, David Bowie and Paris Hilton.

The exhibit illustrates La Chapelle’s decision to turn his work into art. You can read more at www.davidlachapelle.it. The entrance fee to the exhibit is 8 euros.