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The Florentine
Anyone who has witnessed the passage from summer to autumn in Italy knows that here the seasons are defined by dates, not weather. On September 1, the beaches empty and people put on their light piumini and scarves no matter what the temperature. As the supposedly cooler season progresses into
Florence never ceases to surprise and delight me. As many times as I?ve passed the Palazzo dell?Arte dei Beccai on via Orsanmichele, I had never ventured inside until Linda Falcone and I were invited there in October to speak about our new book, When the World Answered: Florence,
With almost 40 years of charitable activity, the American International League of Florence (AILO) has recently welcomed a new president, Blandina Steinhauslin. Steinhauslin granted The Florentine one of her first interviews since taking the new position, describing the reasons why she became involved in AILO and her hopes for the
Humanism encompassed that particular time in history, in the fifteenth century, which placed people at the centre of the world. Even the art of writing boasts humanist characters: letters that were invented with the idea of recovering a style from the past to breathe new life into it in the
In winter, Florence sparkles as the city gets ‘dressed up’ for the season. Lights, trees and ribbons line the streets, while stores call to us with irresistibly glittering window displays. The holidays are a time for friends and family, but also to dress more formally and pull out
Our events listing keeps you up to date on the latest and greatest in culture, music and other English-friendly entertainment. This is a selection of the best events in Florence and Tuscany for December—and beyond. CINEMA/Winter screen December 18–31 Odeon Cinema, piazza Strozzi
*****= unmissable ****= excellent ***= good/average **= poor *= avoid ODEON Cinema piazza Strozzi 2, tel. 055/295051 www.odeonfirenze.com December 18–26 JIMMY’S HALL **** County Leitrim, 1932. Returning ...
With a unanimous vote, UNESCO recently added to its prestigious World Heritage list a grape cultivation technique used on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria. Pantelleria growers employ the ‘vite ad alberello’ technique, which dates back at least 1,000 years, to grow their prized Zibibbo or Alexandrian
Perhaps it is fitting that Italy, which gave the world navigators such as Christopher Columbus, Giovanni da Verrazzano, and Amerigo Vespucci, is now the most active non-English-speaking nation on the international tourist forum TripAdvisor. Its third-place global standing may be due to the efforts of TripAdvisor&
Rome’s historic Ponte Sisto, the pedestrian bridge connecting the Campo de’ Fiori neighbourhood with Trastevere, will have a featured role in the next 007 film when it is the site of a parachute landing by James Bond, played by Daniel Craig. The script calls for Bond
When visitors arrive at Milan’s central railway station during Expo 2015, which begins in May, they will find a work in progress. The project, expected to take 6 years and cost 40 to 50 million euro, addresses the entire station, including the Rilevati Ferroviari, which cover 1.
This year, Tutto il Natale di Siena, an extensive offering of local seasonal events, includes InCONTRADA, tours through some of the most culturally significant spaces in Siena’s 17 contrade. These 17 small city wards were first delineated in the Middle Ages, primarily for military-based purposes; their borders
For the tenth consecutive year, the travelling World Press Photo exhibition makes a stop in Lucca. The church of San Cristoforo (via Fillungo) is the venue for the renowned photojournalism event, which closes December 14. The exhibition features 143 works by 53 photographers from 25 different countries. Among the
As part of Terre di Presepi, roughly translated as the Way of the Manger, numerous nativity scenes will not only be on display in churches but also line the streets of the Valdarno and Valdelsa. More than 100,000 visitors are expected to tour the route before it closes on
Armchair travellers around the world can now visit one of Florence’s historic and best-loved theatres, Teatro della Pergola. As of November 27, the theatre’s ornate auditorium, foyer and stage can be seen on both Google Maps and the Google Cultural Institute (see theflr.net/
Last year, via Romana’s Christmas decorations featured umbrella lights; this year the spotlight is on the bicycle. Festive and charming, the holiday lights, which are annually chosen by business owners along via Romana, generally have a political agenda, too. Antonella Ciullo, a representative of the Boboli
In 1992, the international Global Greeter Network movement was started in New York as a way to debunk the myth of a dangerous and chaotic Big Apple. Volunteers escort visitors around their city for free, sharing their insight as well as hidden aspects and everyday life. Now Florence has
