Imagine a summer that lasts for four months… that’s exactly the situation in Florence, where the council has allocated a maxi budget of nearly 1.9 million euro from European funding and the city’s coffers, plus the financial backing of Toscana Energia, to make the Estate Fiorentina summer events showcase bigger and better than ever.
The fun will see the involvement of 132 organizers; 111 projects; six special themed events, including a retrospective on Italian singer-songwriter Giorgio Gaber 20 years after his death and another on priest Don Milani, an educator of poor children and an advocate of conscientious objection, a century after his birth; 15 big festivals; and 12 summer venues. The City of Florence’s official Estate Fiorentina events showcase is back from June 2 to September 21, and will delight locals and internationals of all ages with a smorgasbord of art, music, theatre, literature, poetry and cinema.
“This edition of Estate Fiorentina will involve every corner of the city with two main characters: Don Milani during the centenary of his birth and Giorgio Gaber 20 years after his death,” explains Mayor Dario Nardella. “The theme and title come from Gaber’s own lyrics, Com’è viva la città, meaning Florence is more alive than ever and the line-up is proof of this. We made the decision not to go with big names, but to focus on local artists, small associations and cultural institutions, which provide real energy in Florence.”
Estate Fiorentina begins this June with a cultural showcase dedicated to Italian National Day and Republic Day on June 2. Promoted by Fondazione Teatro della Toscana and titled Anatomy of a Republic. A Journey into the History of Republican Italy, readings will be held all day long in the city’s libraries, followed by a free concert at the beloved Teatro della Pergola, which will bring together artists and actors from Florentine theatre companies to remember Italy’s Republican past from 1946 to the present day with readings from novels by great 20th-century Italian authors. Head for the city’s main parks from June 26 to 30 for Poetry Gardens, organized by Compagnia Lombardi, for readings and performances. Le piazze dei libri 2023, organized by Confartigianato Imprese Firenze, aimed at encourage reading and involving local libraries, will be held in 11 piazzas across five neighbourhoods from June 27 to July 2. I CARE. Don Milani 100 is the name of the events series organized by Chille de la Balanza between June 1 and August 13 to commemorate Don Lorenzo Milani to remember this fundamental figure and his important teachings. These events will all be held in Italian.
Summer festivals continue to be all the rage in 2023. Mark your diaries: La Città dei Lettori literature festival (June 7-11, Villa Bardini); Secret Florence (June 4-16, various locations); Florence Dance Festival (June 18-20, Santa Maria Novella cloister); Festival au Dèsert (June 28, 29 + 30, preview June 15, Cascine park + amphitheatre); Lattexplus Festival (June 9, Manifattura Tabacchi + more dates to be announced); Musart Festival (July 16-26, piazza Santissima Annunziata); Firenze Jazz Festival (September 5-10, 13-17, Oltrarno); Copula Mundi (August 31-September 3, L.U. MEN, Mensola park); Genius Loci (September 28, 29+30, Santa Croce Basilica); Sagrati in Musica sotto le Stelle (June 9-September 15, various churches); Italian Brass Week (July 23+28, various locations); Cirk Fantastik! (September 7-17, Cascine park); Firenze dall’Alto (June 22-September 14, various locations); Apriti Cinema! (June 26-August 6, piazzale degli Uffizi); and Florence Folks Festival (September 7-9, Manifattura Tabacchi).
Parco dell’Anconella (Anconella Garden); piazza Tasso (Circolo Aurora); Ponte San Niccolò (Il Fiorino + Habana 500); the Rose Garden; lungarno del Tempio (Il Molo + La Toraia); Le Murate Caffè Letterario; Fortezza da Basso (Off Bar); Giardino dell’Orticoltura; Anfiteatro delle Cascine (Ultravox); Giardino Niccolò Galli (Light); and piazza dei Tre Re are the 12 summer spaces that have received Estate Fiorentina backing.
This year’s branding has been curated by illustrator Claudia Bessi, managed by Flod, The Florentine’s sister company, in partnership with PR specialists Chiarello, Puliti & Partners.
Find out everything you need to know about Estate Fiorentina
#estatefiorentina
