Helen Farrell

    Helen Farrell is editor-in-chief of The Florentine, a role she has held since 2013. She is also a freelance contributor to Decanter and runs the magazine's translation and copywriting department.

    Articles by the author

    THINGS TO DO

    2025 in Florence: the year ahead

    From the Jubilee to big concerts and major cultural events both new and returning, 2025 is sure to be buzzing.

    ART + CULTURE

    Feathers from Florence: Mazzanti Piume

    Duccio and his team design feathered items for renowned fashion houses and A-lister celebrities.

    ART + CULTURE

    Impressionists in Normandy exhibition at Museo degli Innocenti

    70-plus works provide insight on the unbreakable bond between the artistic movement and the northern French region.

    COMMUNITY

    Learning to fly in Florence

    The city continues its winged tradition, from Leonardo to the Lindbergh Flying School and the Istituto di Scienze Militari Aeronautiche.

    COMMUNITY

    A conversation with podcaster Fosca D’Acierno

    A travel consultant's thoughts on overtourism and Italian reality TV.

    ART + CULTURE

    Giunti Odeon celebrates a year of success

    Everyone who visits the cultural centre on November 4 will receive a free book.

    FOOD + WINE

    Onde: making waves at the Four Seasons

    Seafood classics with a stylish contemporary twist

    COMMUNITY

    Power of perspective: Editor’s letter

    Giving back and education are just two of the themes in the November issue of The Florentine.

    THINGS TO DO

    Remembering the Maharaja in Florence

    A conversation with Nandita Ghatge

    THINGS TO DO

    Fall essentials

    Tuscan cashmere, hot chocolate and pumpkin patches

    THINGS TO DO

    Wellness + fine dining at The Club House

    Unwinding in the world-class Wellness Sanctuary spa, tasting wine at Vallepicciola and fine dining at one-Michelin-star Il Visibilio.

    ART + CULTURE

    Talking about Helen Frankenthaler

    Ahead of the opening of the 20th-century American artist’s exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi, we sat down with Douglas Dreishpoon, the show’s curator and director of the Helen Frankenthaler Catalogue Raisonné, ...

    THINGS TO DO

    One-man musical play I Found My Horn comes to Florence

    A conversation with journalist Jasper Rees, actor Jonathan Guy Lewis and director Harry Burton ahead of the show at Teatro Niccolini on October 6 + 7

    FOOD + WINE

    Where to eat in via Palazzuolo

    Veneto victuals, grilled Tuscan meat feasts and Japanese home cooking entice us down this Florentine backstreet.

    COMMUNITY

    La Petraia: A Tuscan garden with an English feel

    English head gardener Will Smithson shows us around the "garden rooms" at this Chianti property.

    NEWS

    Re-focus on Florence: Editor’s letter

    It's time to re-focus on Florence as September gets underway and the new administration grapples with pressing issues such as overtourism.

    THINGS TO DO

    Oziare: recreating outdoor movie nights at home

    Loungers, cocktails and TV screens in your own garden

    THINGS TO DO

    Fashion Museum reopens at Palazzo Pitti

    A style encyclopedia from the 18th to the 21st century

    THINGS TO DO

    Casa Newton: a home away from home

    Mid-century furniture, purpose-woven wallpaper and hand-stitched bedheads contrast and compliment.

    FOOD + WINE

    Val d’Orcia: wines with a sense of place

    Expect Sangiovese-driven wines made in an awe-inspiring setting.

    THINGS TO DO

    Pros and cons of the Italian “bagno”

    Snippets from a lively lunchtime conversation at The Florentine

    COMMUNITY

    The fullness of summer: Editor’s letter

    This issue is your comprehensive guide to summer in Florence: rooftops, riversides, alfresco cinema, pools, events and much more.

    FOOD + WINE

    Palazzo Tiglio: gourmet restaurant with rooms in the Valdarno

    John Werich has renovated a 17th-century palazzo as a boutique hotel in a quintessentially classic Tuscan style.

    FOOD + WINE

    Ottone: Italian cooking in the neighbourhood

    A word of advice to restaurant goers: head outside the city centre and into the residential neighbourhoods for some quality nosh. Ottone is just around the corner from piazza Beccaria ...

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