CONCERTS/ Amici della Musica at Teatro della Pergola
May 9 – June 6
Galilei Orchestra
Teatro della Pergola reopens with its first live concert performed by Amici della Musica. From May 9 to June 6, eight concerts take place in the magnificent setting, featuring both well-known names and newer talent. At 6pm on May 9, the Galilei Orchestra sees Edoardo Rosadini as conductor, performing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in collaboration with the Fiesole Music School. Tickets are available via TicketOne and the ticket office of Teatro della Pergola. For the full calendar, see here.
Teatro della Pergola,
via della Pergola, 12/32, Florence
EXHIBITION/ Neo Skēnḕ
May 12 – June 13
Posters as art
From May 12 to June 13, the exhibition titled Neo Skēnḕ – Manifesti d’artista at the Rifredi Theater conceived by director of the La Fonderia art gallery, Niccolò Mannini, together with the Rifredi Theater and curated by Simone Teschioni Gallo will be shown in the exhibition rooms of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno. With many theater programmes erased in light of restrictions, theaters remained active behind the scenes. Posters from cancelled shows were given new life when placed in the hands of five artists who transformed them into works of art. Skēnḕ, in Greek, means the stage, creating a bridge between visual art and the art of acting. The young artists are Irene Bulletti, Leopoldo Innocenti, Rossella Liccione, Leonardo Moretti and Skim. Each of them has chosen a series of posters to work with and transformed them into unique works. Free admission.
Exhibition space of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, via Ricasoli 68,
Piazza San Marco, Florence
CONTEMPORARY/ Resisting the Trouble – Moving Images in Times of Crisis
May 4 – June 4
Contemporary works fill the former industrial space
Curated by Leonardo Bigazzi, contemporary works fill spaces at Manifattura Tabacchi in collaboration with Lo Schermo dell’Arte and NAM – Not A Museum. The former factory that is now the center of a notable urban regeneration project sees works by 12 international artists who are participating in the 9th edition of VISION -European Program on Artists’ Moving Images, a research and residency project dedicated to artists under 35. Twelve films, videos and installations form the display that rethink the present and propose the future. Free entry.
Manifattura Tabacchi,
via delle Cascine 33, Florence
TALK/ Women’s International Network Monthly Meeting with speaker Sylvia Poggioli
8pm, May 12
The May meeting of the Women’s International Network hosts US reporter Sylvia Poggioli as speaker. The senior European correspondent for National Public Radio’s International Desk, Sylvia covers political, economic, and cultural news in Italy, the Vatican, Western Europe, and the Balkans. The event takes place via Zoom from 8-10pm on May 12 with a cost of 10 euro. Register here.
FLORA/ Iris Garden reopening + spring plant and flower show at Giardino dell’Orticoltura
Blooms are bound to give joy this month as we immerse ourselves in the purple blanket at the Iris Garden from May 2 to 20 with its annual offering of regal colours. Savour the scents of the award-winning blossoms with the 63rd Annual International Iris Competition held from May 3 to 8, ensuring show-stopping specimens. Open every day from 10am to 6pm, access is from viale Michelangelo 82 and viale G. Poggi 3/C. Not to be missed is the Olfactory Perfume Photographic Exhibition, a travelling multisensory show created on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Accademia del Profumo in Florence, in collaboratoin with the Italian Iris Society. It will be on display from May 8-9, where you can deep dive into 30 years of scents with photographs by Antonella Pizzamiglio, open from 10am to 6pm, with free admission. There’s more blossoming loveliness at Giardino dell’Orticoltura with the spring plant and flower show from May 28 to June 2. The idyllic gardens at via Vittorio Emanuelle II (entrance also from via Bolognese 17) fill with flora as exhibitors display the best of their blooms. Organized by the Tuscan Horticultural Society, the event appeals to gardening enthusiasts and the curious.
LITERARY/ Honourable and Ancient Citizen of Florence: The Bargello for Dante
May 11 to August 8
Forming part of the line-up to honour Dante Alighieri on the 700th anniversary of his death, this exhibition at the Bargello Museum looks at the relationship between Dante and his Florence, as well as the years following the death of the Supreme Poet pieced together through manuscripts and works of art. Part of the display will be set up inside the Podestà Chapel in a suitable setting for one of the world’s greatest literary figures. Free workshops for children and families are dedicated to the discovery of Dante and 14th-century Florence.
Bargello Museum,
via del Proconsolo 4, Florence
CHARITY/ Florence Vintage Market
May 12-16
Fashion for a good cause
Florence Vintage Market, the fundraising market organized by FILE, makes its highly anticipated return. The third edition of the initiative will take place at Palazzo Corsini from May 12 to May 16, open from 11 am to 4 pm on weekdays and from 11am to 6pm at the weekend. Free admission access is from Lungarno Corsini 8, with a wide selection of high quality vintage clothes and accessories for women, men and children. The funds raised support the FILE (Fondazione Italiana di Leniterapia) assistance service for the seriously ill and their families. The initiative is supported by Banca Intesa Sanpaolo. For more information, T: 055 200 1212, or email s.groppa@leniterapia.it
Palazzo Corsini,
via del Parione 11, Florence
