SCIENCE/BRIGHT Researchers’ festival
September 26-28
Intellectuals take to the streets on September 26 for speaker’s corners in piazza San Giovanni and piazza Strozzi: catch a talk about the city on an evening stroll and wake up your mind to the ground-breaking research undertaken by Florentine scholars. Look to the stars with a tour of the Arcetri Observatory and visit intriguing museums for free on Friday 27. Finish off the festivities on September 28 with La Ricerca all’Opera, a researchers’ night at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (piazzale Vittorio Gui), which will comprise talks by professors and researchers, exhibitions, experiments, apps, games and drones. Don’t miss the thrilling performance of a modern multimedia moral operetta, titled Gone with Time, Travelling on Threads of Memory. All events are free. The full programme is detailed at www.unifi.it/bright
Various venues
GREEN/The Botany of Leonardo
September 13-December 15
The attention-grabbing dodecahedron and mulberry tree in piazza della Signoria is a taste of what’s to come at this audacious exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s botanical studies. Focusing on the relationship between science, art and nature, interactive installations and natural elements are seamlessly woven with the Renaissance genius’s original writings and illustrations. The exhibition is curated by leading Florentine plant neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso (see the interview on pages 18-19), physicist Fritjof Capra and Valentino Mercati, founder and chairman of Aboca pharmaceutical company in Sansepolcro, Tuscany. The show invites discourse on scientific evolution and ecological sustainability, and completes the year of Leonardo-themed events. Further details at www.leonardodavincibotany.com.
Santa Maria Novella Museum
PHILANTHROPY/Il Cuore di Firenze Charity Dinner
September 10
Held in the new setting of piazza Santissima Annunziata, this charity dinner ties in with the 600th anniversary celebrations of the Istituto degli Innocenti, which has defended children and young people since 1419. The evening’s proceeds will be donated to Casa Bambini, a shelter ran by the institute that houses children and mothers in need. Guaranteed to attract local celebrities and be a night full of surprises, this year’s dinner will pay tribute to Franco Zeffirelli, the award-winning Florentine director who died in June. The event is organized by the Arciconfraternita della Misericordia of Florence and Montedomini Foundation, with institutional support from the Santa Maria Nuova Foundation, Istituto degli Innocenti and La Compagnia del Bigallo. Feeling philanthropic? Book your place for the fun-filled evening. See www.ilcuoredifirenze.org.
Piazza della Santissima Annunziata
EXHIBITION/Natalia Goncharova
September 28-January 12, 2020
A leading female artist of the 20th century, Natalia Goncharova was a woman of the avant-garde, in the same league as Gauguin, Matisse and Picasso, whose art is shown alongside hers in this major retrospective. The artist’s unconventional life and career are detailed as visitors take a journey from the Russian countryside to Moscow and Paris, two of the most important cities to Goncharova. The unique fusion of east and west is evident in the exhibition that features 130 artworks. Intrigued art lovers have until January to see the latest Strozzi offering;
see www.palazzostrozzi.org.
Palazzo Strozzi
piazza degli Strozzi
FOOD/Cookstock in Pontassieve
September 6-8
Gourmet lovers rejoice. The picturesque town of Pontassieve is gearing up to host its much-anticipated food and wine festival. A short train or car ride from Florence will deliver you to this foodie heaven that boasts activities for all the family. Take a free winery tour of the world-famous Ruffino headquarters, which only opens to the public during Cookstock (September 7 and 8, 3-8pm). Head to the impressive Medici bridge for cookery demonstrations and stock up on snacks from the region’s top food trucks. The Florentine’s Helen Farrell will be heading up a cooking class in the town library at 11am on September 8. For the full programme, see www.cookstock.it.
Pontassieve town centre
ENVIRONMENT/God is Green at Manifattura Tabacchi
September 7-14
A thought-provoking mix of art, performances, DJ sets, markets, talks and films come together for eight days to engage with the theme of the environment. Take a guided bike tour to explore Florence’s little-known West Side. The impressive line-up of events includes creative workshops for adults and children to learn how to reduce environmental damage, vintage markets and an array of artistic displays that are sure to deepen our affinity with the world we live in. Plus, The Florentine’s editors and sister communications company Flod (www.flod.it) will be moving to Manifattura Tabacchi for a breath of fresh air during the God is Green week: drop by for a chat with our team. More information at www.manifatturatabacchi.com.
B9 – Manifattura Tabacchi
via delle Cascine