photo by Flickr user cmozzSAN GIOVANNI/Summer sparks June 24, 10pm Show from piazzale Michelangelo, Florence
Seeing the sky lit up for the Feast Day of San Giovanni is one of Florence’s reliably awe-inspiring summer traditions. Fireworks are shot from piazzale Michelangelo to celebrate the city’s patron saint. The Lungarno will be lined with the better part of the local population, so we recommend arriving early to avoid shoving and standing on your tiptoes! For maximum comfort, head to Easy Living on the Arno beach (lungarno Serristori/piazza Poggi) to enjoy burgers, beers and one of the best views of the show.
BATTLE/Football ‘alla fiorentina’June 24, 5pm Piazza Santa Croce, Florence More info
The grand finale of this year’s calcio storico battles is upon us, and the Whites of Santo Spirito will face off against the Greens of San Giovanni. As anticipation for the afternoon match builds, a procession will leave piazza Santa Maria Novella at 3.30pm, winding its way to the pitch in piazza Santa Croce. Tickets can be purchased via boxofficetoscana.it. Need more calcio convincing before buying? Get background on the game at calciostoricofiorentino.it.
CINEMA/Roma Termini June 22, 9pm Odeon Cinehall, piazza Strozzi, Florence More info
Roma Termini is the meeting point for the Eternal City’s metro lines, the capolinea for countless buses and a hub for international travelers in transit. Being Italy’s busiest train station, it sees some 480,000 passengers walk down its platforms daily. But there’s a particular group of people that often gets overlooked: the homeless men and women who have taken up residence inside. Bartolomeo Pampaloni’s eye-opening film highlights ‘four stories of men in a free fall, finding themselves on the edges of society.’ The film is in Italian with English subtitles, and Pampaloni will be present at the screening.
photo by Keila Marques, whose work will be on display
FASHION/Viva Vintage! June 21, 10am–midnight Ippodromo del Visarno in the Cascine, viale del Visarno 14, Florence More info
Soak up the first official day of Florentine summer with a lively vintage market hosted by MID Firenze. The racetrack fun goes far beyond fashion–think performances, pop-up art and photography exhibits and even pony rides for the little ones. Enjoy refreshments provided by the recently reopened Oltrarno favorite Caffè Notte, or dance to DJ Pito Wilson from 6pm and live music from Love Beats at 8.30pm. For more information, see the Facebook event ‘A Cavallo dell’Estate.’
TUNES/Tiziano Ferro June 23, 9.15pm Artemio Franchi stadium, viale Manfredo Fanti 4, Florence More info
Card-carrying music snobs, take cover: the undisputed king of Italian pop is coming to Florence! The iconic Tiziano Ferro takes the stage for his first-ever stadium tour, celebrating the release of his greatest hits album. Warm up those vocal cords and get ready to belt out the ballads: tickets are still available via TicketOne.
