A way to bring us together during lockdown and beyond

If there’s one positive thing to come out of the Coronavirus lockdown, it’s the outpouring of creativity and sense of community that it’s generating. The number of online seminars, exercise routines and social events is mind-boggling. For English speakers in Italy, however, there are fewer options. That’s why we at The Florentine launched TF Together, our regular online moment to meet up and share activities and interests. We've evolved throughout this period to bring you top notch encounters that keep you close to Florence.

Events are held on Facebook live and also streamed on our YouTube channel.

The schedule below will be added to regularly so bookmark this page! Also sign up to our newsletter to receive future communications.

All events are free, though if you’d like to contribute something to help us ensure our programming at this time, donations are welcome by clicking through to our support page.

November 27, 6pm / Arturo Galansino, Director General of the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation

Arturo Galansino, Director General of the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation, chats with Alexandra Korey about Florence’s foremost centre for contemporary culture, upcoming installations, digital activities and resilience in the face of the pandemic.

Watch online: Facebook live or YouTube channel.

December 2, 5pm / St Marks English Church

Artistic director, choir director and organist from St Marks English Church reveal their packed programme of cultural and community events.

Watch online: Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

December 4, 5pm / The Florentine in 2021

Helen Farrell, editor in chief of The Florentine, talks with Kamin Mohammadi, writer, journalist and broadcaster, about the challenges of running a magazine in 2020 and the year ahead.

Watch online: Facebook live or YouTube channel. Links available shortly.

December 11, 6pm / Chianti Rùfina wine tasting

Four Chianti Rùfina wine producers chat about their fine bottlings with wine educator Emily O’Hare and TF’s Helen Farrell. In partnership with Consorzio Chianti Rùfina. Order your wine (we’ll be tasting the differences between wineries on the left and right banks of the River Sieve!). www.chiantirufina.com/winebox/

Watch online: Facebook live or YouTube channel. Links available shortly.

December 18, 6pm / A Christmas message with the Mayor of Florence

Dario Nardella speaks about administering Florence in 2020, practical ways to help the city and the months ahead.

Watch online: Facebook live or YouTube channel. Links available shortly.

Additional events are updated regularly.

Past TF Together Events

Did you miss one? Some - not all - of our events are recorded on video, others are turned into helpful articles. Here's our post-event replay section!

March 18 / Sommelier to the stars Filippo Bartolotta (see this article by him about wine and personality) of Le Baccanti Tours talks about drinking wine during coronavirus lockdown and leads a wine tasting in his inimitable style. Click to see see the video replay

March 19 / TF's music editor Michelle Davis speaks with Oxford-born singer-songwriter LMNL aka Simon Batten (here's her 2015 interview with him), who's on the verge of releasing his new album. He'll perform one song for us - an exclusive preview! - as well as a few items from his repertoire. Click to see the video replay

March 20 / TF's deputy editor Jane Farrell spoke with Paolo Molino, a Florentine psychotherapist and psychologist, about the emotions experienced in quarantine and how we can process them. Read the article produced from this chat: 5 tips for good mental health during coronavirus lockdown.

March 23 / Steve Brenner, co-owner of The Beehive Rome, home-chef extraordinaire and leader of cooking classes and culinary getaways, lead us in a simple act of cooking together and we made quiche from leftovers - a cheap and easy recipe. Click to see the video & read the quiche recipe 

March 24/ We held our usual TF Breakfast Drop-in (online) at 10am as the TF team greeted locked down readers in Milan, Florence and throughout Tuscany for a casual chat about current news.

March 25 / A BYOB participatory "drinking together" event in which we asked everyone to open a bottle of Sangiovese-led wine and talk about it. Helen Farrell moderated a discussion with an all-star panel of winemakers and sommeliers. Watch the video.

March 28 / Storytellers (Rome and Florence) online edition was held, and as per our tradition, no online record can be left of this oral storytelling event. Over 70 people were in attendance and it was a huge success that we will repeat.

March 31/ Memoir and diary writing workshop with Kamin Mohammadi. Watch the video.

April 1 / Wine Together with Filiippo Bartolotta - Italian whites part I: from Tuscany to Alto Adige. Watch the video.

April 3 / Hairdressing at home with Fabio Colucci. See the Facebook Live.

April 7 / Legal advice during the Covid-19 pandemic in Italy. See the Facebook Live.

April 8 / Drinking Together - with Filippo Bartolotta - White Wines part II. See the Facebook Live.

April 10 / Q&A about life in lockdown Florence with Travel Blogger Georgette Jupe - Girl in Florence. See the Facebook Live and on our YouTube channel.

April 17/ Charity in Florence: Fondazione CR Firenze - Communication consultant for the Fondazione CR Firenze and the Andrea Bocelli Foundation Daniel Hernández Lyon speaks about the Florentine charitable foundation's latest projects.  See the video.

April 20/ Wellbeing with Kamin Mohammadi guides us through tips for mindfulness and how to arrive at a sense of calm in these tumultuous times. See the Facebook Live. 

April 21/ Lungarno Chats hosted by Morgan Fiumi in conversation with Rod Christie: 'Industry, Global Economy, and Geopolitics in unprecedented times'. See the Facebook Live and on our YouTube channel. 

April 25/ Storytellers online hosted by Linda and Steve of The Beehive Rome (no recording).

April 29/ 'A Royal Tourist in Florence' with Simon Gammell, Director of The British Institute of Florence, telling the fascinating story of the three holiday visits Queen Victoria made to Florence between 1889 and 1893. See the Facebook live  and on our Youtube channel.

May 5/ Lungarno Chats hosted by Morgan Fiumi in conversation with David Bach, financial expert and 10x New York Times bestselling author in a talk titled 'Prospering in challenging times'. See the facebook live and on our YouTube channel.

May 8/ The Florentine welcomed The New York Times bestselling author Frances Mayes (Under the Tuscan Sun, Bella Tuscany, and Every Day in Tuscany and many more) in conversation with Alexandra Korey, speaking about travel in Italy and her new book Always Italy (published by National Geographic, with Ondine Cohane). Watch the replay: Facebook live or YouTube.

May 12/ Stylist, producer, cook-book author and style guru Annette Joseph spoke about "how to live the Tuscan dream lifestyle" with TF's Alexandra Korey. Watch the replay: Facebook live and stream on YouTube

May 15/ Salvatore Ferragamo, CEO of Il Borro Relais & Chateaux and organic winery in Tuscany discussed innovation in wine. Watch the replay: Facebook live and YouTube. 

May 19/ Simonetta Brandolini d'Adda, president and founder of the Friends of Florence non-profit organization, presented the association's latest and upcoming cultural projects.

Watch the replay: Facebook live and YouTube. 

May 22/ Experienced Tour guides Alexandra Lawrence, Elaine Ruffolo and Paola Vojnovic discussed the future of tourism in Florence. Watch the replay:  Facebook live and YouTube.

May 26/ Dottore Commercialista Dr. Tommaso Francalanci of the SBF Consulting tax and law firm explains the financial assistance and bonuses available during the Covid-19 crisis and answers your questions. Watch the replay: Facebook live and YouTube. 

Jun 1/ Artistic director and founder of the River to River Florence Indian Film Festival, Selvaggia Velo, speaks to The Florentine about their 20th anniversary celebrations and ongoing cultural projects. Watch the replay:Facebook live and YouTube. 

Jun 3/ Valeriano Antonioli, CEO of the hospitality brand Lungarno Collection discussed staycations as a short- to mid-term tourism strategy for Florence with TF’s Helen Farrell.

Watch the replay: Facebook live and YouTube. 

Jun 5/ Cristiano Brizzi chats about 14th-century monastery turned boutique hotel Certosa di Maggiano in Siena.

Watch the replay:  Facebook live and YouTube. 

Jun 10/ A chat about wine hospitality from Ruffino’s Tuscan agriresort. Watch the replay: Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Jun 15/ Advancing Women Artists director, Linda Falcone, and AWA advocate and artist, Rea Stavropoulos, discuss the non-profit organization's current projects dedicated to restoring artwork by women. Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Jun 16/ TF Together is joined by Justin Randolph Thompson, director and co-founder of Black History Month Florence, to discuss BHMF's ongoing projects. Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel.

Jun 19/ Art historian Allison Levy is an expert on early modern Italian visual and material culture. Joining TF Together, she chatted about her latest book, House of Secrets: The Many Lives of a Florentine Palazzo, focusing on the remarkable Palazzo Rucellai. Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Jun 24/ Eric Veroliemeulen, the managing director of Villa Medicea di Lilliano, chats about joys of vacationing at a Medici villa with a Duomo view. Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Jun 25/ Renaissance art historian Paola Vojnovic presented a talk on the extraordinary and little known history of Renaissance portrait medals. A must for any Malatesta, Alberti and Michelangelo fan! Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Jun 29/ TF Together is joined by therapist Elizabeth Connolly in a conversation about mental health during this time of many challenges. Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Jun 30/ Lungarno Chats hosted by Morgan Fiumi in conversation with Benjamin V. Wohlauer, Consul General of the United States in Florence, talking about diplomatic life in the Renaissance city. Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

July 17 /  Teachers Sheila Corwin and Tatiana Speri of the Europass Italian Language School joined TF Together to chat about their lives as teachers in Florence. Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Aug 28 / Author Christobel Kent chats about her latest novel "The Viper", the sixth installment in the Sandro Cellini Florentine detective series, with fellow author and friend Kamin Mohammadi. Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Sept 21 / Dr Alessio Assonitis, director of the Medici Archive Project, discussed their current projects and upcoming webinar series, ‘Tuesday Ten Talks’, that aims to bring scholarly archives to a broader audience. Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Sept 24 / Ahead of his performance at Villa Medicea di Lilliano on September 26, an exclusive interview with world-famous violinist Dan Zhu.

Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Oct 2 / Art historian Paola Vojnovic in conversation with Karole Vail, the director of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.

Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Oct 5 / Senior Italian Immigration Attorney, Pietro Pennisi, of Davies & Associates Law Firm discusses how to prepare for Brexit, Americans seeking visas to move to Italy, and how to achieve Italian citizenship.

Watch the replay  See our Facebook live or YouTube channel.

Oct 9 / Founders of the cultural association Creative People in Florence Sara Amrhein and Anna Rose discuss their ongoing projects. Watch the replay: See our Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Oct 12 / Food writer and founder Coral Sisk of Curious Appetite Travel chats about about the city's food & drink scene, favorite Florentine foods, and her food tour pivots, Florentine gourmet club and food boxes. 

Watch the replay: Facebook live or YouTube

Oct 27 / The British Ambassador to Italy, Jill Morris, discusses the future relationship between the UK and the EU and answers your questions.

Watch the replay: Facebook live or YouTube.

Nov 6 / Award-winning author Andrew Cotto discusses his Florence-based novel Cucina Tipica and its forthcoming sequel. Watch the replay: Facebook live or our YouTube channel. 

Nov 16 / Julia Bolton Holloway, librarian, archivist and custodian of Florence's English Cemetery, discusses their ongoing and upcoming projects. Watch the replay: Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Nov 20 / US Consul General Ragini Gupta joins TF Together to discuss the consulate’s priorities and the role that Americans residing in Tuscany play in advancing bilateral ties. Watch the replay: Facebook live or YouTube channel.

Nov 23 / Allyson Volpe and Laura Shadden chat about Lady Ripple and their principles of sustainability, circular prosperity and their work in support of the local community including their craftsmanship initiatives and efforts to encourage more abundant bee populations. Watch the replay: Facebook live or YouTube channel. 

Would you like to be a sponsor of TF Together?

Reach a highly engaged public and promote your activity with our sponsorship packages. If interested, please each out to Giacomo: [email protected]