BLOSSOM/Gardens, flower markets and more
Throughout April and May
Various venues in Florence
Florence gets flowery with the reopening of the Iris Garden, a seasonal spectacle open April 25 to May 20 (access it from viale Michelangelo 82). Got a green thumb or just looking to up your garden game? Head to the customary spring flower and plant showcase at the Giardino dell’Orticultura (April 25-May 1). How about wandering through a wisteria wonderland? Villa Bardini’s vines are in bloom, and the venue is hosting a full-blown festival complete with family-friendly activities and 25 guided visits – seven of them in English – and an art gallery showcasing wisteria depicted in a range of media. Get details in TF’s article or book your visit directly through BeeMyGuide.
COOL/Gelato Festival
April 20-22
Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence
Preliminary rounds of the 2018 Gelato Festival, a traveling (and competitive) affair spotlighting Europe’s top gelato m̶a̶g̶i̶c̶i̶a̶n̶s̶ makers, will get underway in Florence first (where else?) Participants will then move on to successive rounds in Rome, Turin, Milan and around Europe before returning to the Renaissance city (believed to be the birthplace of gelato) in September for the finals.
CRAFTS/International Handicrafts Fair
April 21-May 1
Fortezza da Basso, viale Filippo Strozzi, Florence
A long-running showcase of artisan traditions from Florence, greater Italy and around the world, the Mostra Internazionale dell’Artigianato (International Handicrafts Trade Fair) is now in its 82nd edition and this year’s spotlight will shine particularly bright on guest of honor Vietnam. The Spadolini Pavilion will host a mini “Vietnamese village” with a range of regional crafts as well as entertainment and traditional products to try. B2B opportunities abound, but the fair is not just for trade professionals: collectibles, clothing, home furnishings, jewelry, wine and food from over 50 countries will be up for sale. Visit daily from 10am to 10.30pm with free admission after 7pm; get more information here.
SLIDE/The Florence Experiment
April 19-August 26
Palazzo Strozzi, piazza Strozzi, Florence
Palazzo Strozzi is bringing new meaning to that tongue-in-cheek term “Renaissance playground.” The courtyard is preparing to host two towering slides taken straight from our childhood fantasies. But The Florence Experiment, title of the exhibition, is far from child’s play: it’s an innovative research project carried out by German artist Carsten Höller and plant neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso. Visitors will have the chance to slide down the structure from a height of 20 metres; their emotional reactions will be recorded and compared with those of plants to examine the empathetic possibilities between humans and plant organisms. The project won’t be confined to the courtyard: the undercroft will host a cinema component, still related to Stefano Mancuso’s studies on plant intelligence. For more information, see Palazzo Strozzi’s website and TF’s preview.
PLUS
Festa Kids: Free to Be You and Me/April 22, 3pm/Tasso Hostel, via Villani 15, Florence
Watch the small wunderkinds of Florence English Speaking Theatre Artists (FESTA) Kids put on an affirming, family-friendly and free-admission show on April 22. The production is based on Marlo Thomas’ book of the same name.
Fashion Revolution Fair/April 21-22, 10am-7pm/Lottozero / textile laboratories, via Arno 10, Prato
Fashion type? Fancy a weekend day trip? Pop over to Prato’s dynamic textiles hub Lottozero for a showroom-exhibition intent on reconnecting the public with the textile production process. Fashion Revolution Fair will spotlight the city’s principal textile stockists, tailors and dressmakers.
