After five years studying literature, film, and classical civilisation, Jane moved from Ireland to Sicily for what was intended to be a brief stint teaching English, travel writing, and learning Italian. The love affair with Italy was unbreakable and led to making a permanent home in Florence. Always journalistically inclined, she is eager to share her ever-deepening love for Tuscany.
CONCERT/ Walt Disney Fantasy 9pm, July 30 Soundtracks of the most loved Disney classics such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Snow White and Mulan – with a whirl through Star Wars and Harry Potter as well – will be performed by the renowned Orchestra della Toscana, conducted by Giuseppe Lanzetta. Tickets […]
MUSIC/ Incontri in Terra di Siena July 23-31 Ph/ Antonio Lysy The 33rd edition of the chamber music festival opens at the Teatro Verdi in Florence with a concert featuring the Orchestra della Toscana, conductor Andrew Litton and a line-up of stellar soloists. Audiences will be treated to Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in […]
Six hundred-plus women all over the world are connected by their shared love for the Latin language and invested in their goal “to close the gendered gap in Latinitas”. Established by Skye Shirley in 2019, the women’s Latin reading group Lupercal is testament to the founder’s passion for driving studies of the language forward. Having […]
CULTURE/ Appuntamenti Spensierati di Cultura 7.30pm, July 20 An hour of theatre and music inspired by ideas of openness, diversity and cultural investigation focus on the theme of love. Actors Stefania Rocca, Jacob Olesen, Marco Gambino and Véronique Nah will read various works including texts by Plato and Lou Andreas-Salomé, poems by […]
FESTIVAL/ Musart July 14-27 Summer truly takes off in the city when Musart is here. The music and dance festival in piazza della Santissima Annunziata is an enchanting experience that mesmerizes audiences year after year. This year, the line-up includes Roberto Bolle and Friends, Stefano Bollani, Fiorella Mannoia and Vinicio Capossela. Afternoon […]
If beach days seem eternal and you’re craving culture this summer, then take a deep dive into Dante as celebrations for the Supreme Poet continue with top-class exhibitions and even a historic train that takes you through the poet’s places in Tuscany. SHOW + TOUR / Casentino in the Commedia July 16 to […]
Summer is finally here and we’ve never been in more need of sun and fun. While it might be tempting to loll about with buckets of ice and savour the sweet salvation of the air con, there are far too many cool happenings to miss out on. PHOTOGRAPHY/ Italiae: From Alinari to […]
MOVEMENT/ 32nd Florence Dance Performing Arts Festival June 26-July 29 Future Perfect 2: la potenza in atto is the title of the 32nd edition of the festival focused on the graceful and dramatic movements of some of Florence’s best dancers. The remarkable choreography is enhanced by the centuries of cultural heritage surrounding […]
CONTEMPORARY/ Simone Forti: Senza Fretta June 19-August 29 Works completed during lockdown, using shopping bags Senza Fretta (Without Hurry) is the first major Italian exhibition by American-Italian multidisciplinary artist Simone Forti, whose family was originally from Prato. Curated by Luca Lo Pinto and Elena Magini, the show was developed in close collaboration […]
Stephanie Martin left Belfast in Northern Ireland for Siena, travelling with an Englishman. Together they sold olive oil on an idyllic 12 acres of land, living the Tuscan dream. A trip to the university where her partner wanted to study Italian was to change all of that. “He found an ad on the university noticeboard, […]
