HIDDEN/Secret Garden June 5–7Villa Bardini, Costa San Giorgio 2, Florence
Kick off the month with family fun for a great cause! Secret Garden is the season’s top charity event, taking place in the storybook setting of Villa Bardini. Funds will be raised for Noi Per Voi per il Meyer Onlus, supporting the oncology department at Florence’s pediatric hospital. Events range from yoga lessons and live music to children’s activities and a hidden marketplace. Get your fill of organic food at themed aperitivi, or let the kids learn the kitchen ropes at cooking workshops. For the full program, visit secret-garden.it.
VILLA/PalmerinOPEN Until June 7 Il Palmerino, via del Palmerino 10, Florence
Enigmatic English writer Vernon Lee owned Villa Il Palmerino in its early-20th century heyday as an intellectual hub. Its long tradition as a center of culture and conversation continues today. This week, the villa will host an array of events and talks to inaugurate a new exhibition space. On Saturday at 5pm, listen to a lively discussion (in English) on women artists who have been associated with Il Palmerino over the years: Linda Falcone of the Advancing Women Artists Foundation will be part of the panel. Check out more highlights in the agenda section, and for the full PalmerinOPEN program, visit the villa’s website.
STORYTELLING/Light & Spirit June 10, 3.30pm Odeon Cinehall, piazza Strozzi, Florence
The chaos of piazza del Duomo is no match for the spiritual calm of Don Alessandro Pacchia, the modest sacristan who celebrates daily mass at Florence Cathedral. Despite his ailing health, Don Alessandro remains dedicated to his duties and even maintains a blog. He is the subject of Light and Spirit: The Spiritual Life of Don Alessandro Pacchia, the latest production by award-winning filmmaker David Battistella, a longtime TF contributor. ‘I’m interested in the lives of ordinary people who persevere and do extraordinary things,’ Battistella explained. Shown in Italian with English subtitles, the film is free and TF is a proud media partner. Watch the trailer on Battistella’s website.
ART/Blue Magic June 9–October 11 Silver Museum, Palazzo Pitti, Florence
‘Feeling blue’ takes on new meaning this week when La Magia del Blu opens at the Silver Museum. This exhibition shines the spotlight on lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone first exported to Europe toward the end of the Middle Ages. Famous for its bold hue, the stone was frequently ground into powder and used in the priciest pigment of many revered painters. For more information, head here.
WANDERLUST/Festival del Viaggio June 9–13 Various venues in Florence
Let this travel-themed festival take you around the globe–right here in town! Now in its tenth edition, the Festival del Viaggio has rural China, Russian architecture and Palestinian ‘pop cuisine’ all making an appearance on the map. Peruse photography exhibitions at Fondazione Studio Marangoni and Spazio Alfieri, catch presentations in the Sala Pegaso of Palazzo Sacrati Strozzi, the Tuscan Region headquarters, and chat with Lonely Planet editors at the Mercato Centrale. For the full program, visit festivaldelviaggio.it.
