For a more Easter-focused guide to the weekend, head here!
TRADITION/Scoppio del Carro
April 16, 10am
Piazza del Duomo, Florence
The beloved “Brindellone” returns to piazza del Duomo every year on Easter Sunday. Housed 364 days of the year in via il Prato, this cart filled with fireworks is paraded through the city streets, arriving in front of Santa Maria del Fiore at around 10am. After the cathedral’s morning mass, much pomp and circumstance ensues before the festivities end in a pyrotechnic spectacle: a dove-shaped rocket called the colombina sets off the sparks. Arrive early to stake out a spot in the square—this ritual is one of the Renaissance city’s most famous! See our full guide to Easter-related events and religious services here.
THEATRE/Godspell
April 14-15
St. Mark’s English Church, via Maggio 18, Florence
Come and see Stephen Schwartz’s beloved musical brought to life by FESTA, Florence’s English language theatre group! With its colorful costumes and a cast made up of Florence community faces, Godspell is fun for all ages. The show is an on-and-off-Broadway hit based primarily on the Gospel of Matthew, featuring a series of parables interspersed with modern music. Two chances to see it remain: April 14 (7pm) and April 15 (2.30pm), with both performances held at St. Mark’s English Church. Admission is free, although donations are encouraged. For more information, see FESTA’s Facebook page.
FILM/The Fate of the Furious
April 13-17, 22-24
Odeon Cinema, piazza Strozzi, Florence
The Fast and the Furious just keep getting faster and, well, more furious. The eighth film in the mega-franchise arrives at the Odeon in time for Easter weekend: Vin Diesel, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Tyrese Gibson and other cast mainstays are back in action, though this is the first movie in the blockbuster series since Tokyo Drift not to star the late Paul Walker. The movie brings a new character into the picture, a woman named Cipher (Charlize Theron) who lures Dom (Vin Diesel) into a massive betrayal. We’re not sure what kind of betrayal it is, but let’s be honest, you’re not going to see this movie for the riveting storyline. The action comes to the Odeon screen beginning Thursday, April 13; for detailed showtimes, see the website.
PERFORMANCE/Justin Randolph Thompson
April 18, 8.30pm
The Goose, via delle Oche 15r, Florence
Florence-based singer-songwriter Patti DeRosa recently teamed up with gastropub The Goose to showcase original work by Florence’s community of musicians, writers and artists. Shows are set for the first and third Tuesday of each month through June 20, and this week’s performer is Justin Randolph Thompson, new media artist, musician and academic instructor, as well as the co-founder of the Black History Month Florence initiative. The frontman for Blip Trio, Thompson has been performing internationally for two decades and fuses his gritty blues sound with poetic lyrics. For more information and for the complete lineup for the coming months, see the Facebook event.