For many years, la trattoria Quattro Leoni, tucked away in a small corner of the Oltrarno, in Piazza della Passera, was a family-run affair that catered mainly to locals and impoverished students. Then in 1995, the family having decided to call it a day, along came Stefano di Puccio, a man with a vision born of a difficult past and self-belief coupled with hard work and boundless optimism. While maintaining the artigiano tradition, Stefano broadened the scope to create a non-traditional, innovative menu, still rooted in Tuscan genuineness, with appeal to both locals and tourists.
But, not satisfied with being a mere restaurateur—‘Il ristorante non è solo cibo’, he says (A restaurant isn’t just food)—Stefano initiated what was to become a series of events held in the piazza. Initially associated with the Festa della Rificolona, the range of activities has included dance, music, photographic exhibitions and more. Publicity is by word of mouth and everything is free, including the occasional aperitivo and buffet offered by the restaurant. Much appreciated are the sit-down al fresco dinners offered by Quattro Leoni twice a year (in August and at Christmas) to the homeless of Florence. Stefano sees this as a personal thank you, a gesture of sharing the success of the restaurant with those less privileged, as well as a kind of homage to providence for the turnaround in his life.
Behind this extension of the idea of ristoro into the piazza is the belief in the need to revitalize the area, to eliminate traffic as far as possible, to get away from the commercial obsessions of modern Florentine life, and provide a healthy antidote to the bustle and frenzy of the daily grind.
And so for the next event, a musical evening in the piazza on Thursday, July 5th, the area will be silenced, traffic will be diverted and the necessary atmosphere of quiet and concentration will be created. An all-woman group of 14 musicians from the Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale, Cassiopea Womensemble, will play a selection of works by Vivaldi (appropriately ‘Summer’ from the Four Seasons), Bach and Mozart (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik). Local actress Laura Martelli will also give a poetry recital in Italian. The evening with Cassiopea Womensemble begins at 9.00 p.m. outside Trattoria Quattro Leoni, Piazza della Passera.
Other events are planned for September, including art exhibitions, a video festival, and performance art, in an attempt to make the vita in piazza a fixed tradition (it has already been going for eight years) and draw a public as interested in soul food as new Tuscan cuisine.
