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The Florentine
Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi (Christmas with your family, Easter with whoever you like) is how the great Italian saying goes, but when you are like me and have spent more than half your life in places other than home, the word ‘family’ gains a
The logo for Expo 2015 has been revealed.A three-colour "sprout" represents the idea of growth and confidence in the future and young people. It represents "the whole of Italy in its many forms," commented Diana Bracco, President of Expo 2015 Spa. "It is a youthful and fresh logo,
Bob Nordvall, who, among other pursuits, wrote for The Florentine,passed away on January 2 in Pistoia, Italy. Especially appreciated for their caustic wit, Bob’s articles and conversations always featured a unique mix of insiders’ advice and expat perspective. Readers of his much-awaited newsletter ‘This
Tuscany recently paid tribute to the memory of the 32 people who lost their lives in the Costa Concordia shipwreck that occurred on January 13, 2012. A laurel wreath bearing the words Comune Isola del Giglio (Municipality of Giglio Island) was placed in the sea in front of the
1989 was the last year in which an Italian film (Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso) won a Golden Globe. Now Paolo Sorrentino’s La grande bellezza has put an end to the 25-year drought. It has also been nominated for Best Foreign Film at the upcoming Oscars. &
Pitti Immagine is the only international fashion event in Florence. Twice a year, the city attracts fashion and media personalities on a par with the fashion weeks of Milan, Paris or New York. And twice a year, I go over to the Fortezza da Basso, do some street fashion photography,
50 miniature Davids with a not so miniature male member placed in key locations around the city are a provocatory art project, not just a souvenir gone wrong. The artist Pep Marchegiani is challenging the status of contemporary art in Florence, which he claims "is stagnant, and should
Ever wondered what life in Italy is really like? Is it really all just good food, wine and sunshine? If you’ve lived here for any length of time, you’ll have your own memories of 'La Patria', many fond, others perhaps less so. If you’re
The Florentine has gone digital-only FOR ONE ISSUE ONLY, returning on paper on January 30. As a New Year's treat, we've doubled the pages and maximised the content. TFdigital is packed with videos, photos and interactive links. Plus, we've even made it into a
If you are in Florence on January 6, 2014 for Epifania (Epiphany), there are a number of cultural activities available to you on this very special Monday. FREE MUSEUMS Although state museums are usually closed on Mondays, this year you can visit the following museums on Monday Jan 6
Last winter was my first time having cioccolata calda in Italy, and I just fell in love with it. Italian hot chocolate is nothing like the American version. It is very thick, rich and not terribly sweet. In fact, it is usually served with a pack of sugar on the
Here is a wrap up of the exhibits you might have missed, many of which are closing in January. So why not shelter from the biting wind in the warmth of a museum and catch these gems before they finish? The Renaissance from Florence to Paris Until December
IN FLORENCE To celebrate New Year’s Eve 2013 in Florence, five squares will be holding five free concerts ranging in genre. In piazza della Stazione, if pop’s your thing, Max Pezzali will be performing, accompanied by other Florentine bands and artists throughout the night.
The Florentine has received a request from a reader and we'd really like to be able to help. Steve, from East Victoria Park in Western Australia, has happy memories of his visit to Pisa and Tuscany. Soon after this trip, he became paralyzed. Now his favourite souvenir from Pisa
When evening has come, I return to my house and go into my study. At the door I take off my clothes of the day, covered with mud and mire, and I put on my regal and courtly garments; and decently reclothed, I enter the ancient courts of
With all the twinkling lights, the delicious smells and the bustle of the people walking by, the Santa Croce German Christmas market had me experiencing sensory overload. As I bit into my delicious Nutella crepe, I realized that for the first time this year, it felt like, well, Christmas. For
Before being installed in the Vasari Corridor, a recent addition to the Uffizi’s unrivalled collection of artists’ self-portraits is about to go on view at San Pier Scheraggio, the former church enclosed within Palazzo Vecchio. The subject of the work is American video artist Bill Viola,
Betty Soldi’s mother was sure of one thing: her little girls were not going into the family business of making fireworks. Not just any old family company, the Pirotecnica Soldi had been producing handmade fireworks since 1869, even the display for the Scoppio del Carro, Florence’s
A feeling of togetherness and tranquillity pervades Palazzo Tornabuoni the moment you step inside off the busy thoroughfare of via degli Strozzi. I spoke with Riccardo Maccolini, who recently became the president of private residence Club Tornabuoni, returning home to Florence after a long spell working in fashion and retail
Ponte Vecchio, piazzale Michelangelo, Oltrarno: Florence is a city of light, of the past and the present, of the Renaissance and the contemporary, home to Florentines and foreigners. Florence offers so much, but how much of her do we truly experience? As 2014 draws near, our readers and staff reveal
