WINE/ The Wine Talks
7:30pm, July 3
#RuffinoCares Wine Talks at Serre Torrigiani in Piazzetta
#WineTalks are back every #WineWednesday! An events showcase in Italian and English celebrating the culture of wine every Wednesday in late June and July. An alleyway of the uber-popular Serre Torrigiani in Piazzetta is taken over by Ruffino and The Florentine with some fantastic guests. This week’s edition explores Wine in Literature: Shakespeare and Dante with Editor-in-Chief of The Florentine, Helen Farrell, and Ruffino’s Communications Manager, Francesco Sorelli.
Serre Torrigiani in piazzetta, piazza dei Tre Re, Florence
JULY 4/ Independence Day
7.30pm – late, July 4
Tuscan American Association 4th July Celebration
An evening of food, music and speeches to celebrate the best of America in Florence hosted by the Tuscan American Association. Includes a concert by “Vocal Blue Trains”, speeches by American authorities as well as delectable American and Italian treats from Fratelli Cuore. A performance by FloDANCE 2.0 is the contemporary and emblematic highlight of the night when dancers bring Marga Nativo’s choreography to life. For more information, visit taaonlus.org.
Santa Maria Novella cloister, piazza Santa Maria Novella 18, Florence
CONTEMPORARY/ The Fairest Heritage – Uriel Orlow at Villa Romana
Tuesday–Friday, 2–6pm by appointment, June 27 – August 23
Uriel Orlow
In films, photographs, sound works and installations, Uriel Orlow, a London-based contemporary artist, concentrates on the question of how plants became the witnesses and actors of history and of how they can contribute to critical post-colonial narratives today. The Fairest Heritage is also the title of a 2016 film in which the artist interprets forgotten film material from 1963 South Africa where the apartheid regime commissioned films to celebrate Cape Town’s Botanical Garden’s 50th anniversary. The film probes into the concept of botanical nationalism and the role of the natural world in post-colonial realities. For more information, visit villaromana.org.
Villa Romana, via Senese 68, Florence
FESTIVAL/ Flood Bilancino Festival
June 27 – 29
Flood Bilancino Festival
Four days on the shores of Bilancino Lake in the Mugello brings a full calendar of music, theatre, art and creativity as well as delicious culinary bites. Each day will have an individual theme, ranging from hip hop and trap music, to theatre, street art and graphic art. A children’s area with organized workshops will keep the younger ones busy and a selection of street food means that there’s something for everyone. June 29 sees Florence’s coolest clubbing stronghold, Lattex Plus, take over when they welcome the DJ duo Stump Valley to the stage to play summery disco and house beats. Two euro entry per evening or 3 euro for the duration of the festival. For more information, visit comunebarberino.it.
Lago di Barberino, Barberino di Mugello FI
CONTEMPORARY/ Gerold Miller at Eduardo Secci Gallery
June 29 – September 14
Gerold Miller
German artist Gerold Miller brings a group of new wall-related three-dimensional and colourful objects to Eduardo Secci Gallery. Working between minimal and concept art, he has always dedicated himself to the study of pictorial quality in the border areas of sculpture, three-dimensional objects and two-dimensional representations in art. His work doesn’t want to trigger associations but instead sensations and perceptions of space that are accentuated by the use of extreme contrasts in colour and tone. For more information, visit eduardosecci.com.
Eduardo Secci Gallery, piazza Carlo Goldoni 2, Florence
ESTATE FIORENTINA/ San Niccolò tower
Until September 30
View from San Niccolò tower
The San Niccolò tower opens for the summer with guided visits every half-hour, every day between 5pm and 7.30pm. Take in stunning views of the city while exploring one of the lesser-known former entrance points to the historical city centre. It’s also a great opportunity to take in the restoration campaign on the Rampe del Poggi. Keep an eye out for the other towers, gates and forts in the city that open with their own programme of visits and events. Information at estatefiorentina.it. Booking required at info@muse.comune.fi.it or T 552768224.
Torre di San Niccolò, piazza Giuseppe Poggi
OUT OF TOWN/ Siena Palio
3pm–8pm, July 2
Siena Palio
The first date of the famous Siena Palio, an adrenaline-filled and, at times, terror-inducing horse race through one of the most enchanting cities in Tuscany for its unchanged-since-medieval-times feel. The districts of the city race to compete for the Drappellone, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In the days preceding the event, the narrow streets host celebratory dinners normally reserved for members of the city’s districts. A historical procession happens in the town before the horse race begins, ending in piazza del Campo.
Siena city centre
