Sam Lawley is on his year abroad from the University of Cambridge. He has lived in Madrid and Paris, but prefers Florence. As well as writing, Sam enjoys pottery and cycling the Ligurian Apennines. His email address is samlawley@hotmail.com.
While the 2012/13 Serie A season may have finished, and the Viola players are taking a well-earned rest after their successful campaign, ACF Fiorentina’s board members have been busy reinforcing the squad ahead of the 2013/14 season, which will include games at a European level.
As the 2013 Giro d’Italia draws to a close on May 26, 2013, many have remembered Marco Pantani, the last cyclist to win both the Italian national road-race and the Tour de France in the same year (1998). For several years, Italy’s Pantani catapulted the
ACF Fiorentina were within minutes of qualifying for the Champions League until results elsewhere in Serie A conspired against them, leaving them with a place in the Europa League as a consolation. ACF Fiorentina won both of their last two games, capping their successful season with victories against Palermo and
The Chianti area in central Tuscany is synonymous across the world with characteristic undulating countryside, slow-cooked foods and delicate red wines. Indeed, the recent lavish wedding ceremony between Kevin Sharma and Aradhana Lohia, daughter of Indian business magnate Aloke Lohia, which took place at Villa Le Corti in April,
ACF Fiorentina may have extended their run of good form with victories over Atalanta and Torino, but the final five games of the 2012–2013 Serie A season will be decisive, determining whether Fiorentina achieve their goal of qualification for European football. Qualification into the Champions League or Europa
Italy is known the world over as the land of strong espressos, steaming percolators, and open-air cafés. The sound of milk being frothed for a cappuccino heralds the morning on ...
ACF Fiorentina recorded a fortunate 3-2 victory against 10-man Genoa at Florence’s Artemio Franchi Stadium on March 17, taking them up to fourth place in Serie A and four points clear of rivals Inter Milan heading into the international break. Creative midfielder Alberto Aquilani put
Half hidden amongst the vineyards and olive trees of the Chianti countryside and boasting panoramic views from the commanding summit of a grassy hill, La Tenuta di Sticciano resort offers ...
On February 17, ACF Fiorentina produced a scintillating performance at Florence’s Artemio Franchi Stadium, beating Internazionale 4-1. It was the first time Fiorentina had the upper hand over Inter Milan since 2006. The victory ensured that the Viola remain within touching distance of the European qualification places.
Stendhal, nom-de-plume of Marie-Henri Beyle, was a nineteenth-century French novelist who, as a young man and budding art connoisseur, travelled through Italy in 1817. His travel journal provides a familiar account of a visit to Florence, but also records Stendhal's distinctive reaction to the literally
ACF Fiorentina's season continued its rollercoaster path after the Viola signed off a comfortable 2-0 win against Parma and a disappointing 2-0 defeat away to archrivals Juventus. Resting in sixth spot in Serie A, Fiorentina have dropped out of Champions League and Europa League qualification places, but
While the annual Carnival festivities originally marked the start of Lent and a period of abstinence from meat, nowadays it is much more than a ‘ciao for now' to protein-rich foods. In Tuscany, the festival has become synonymous with colourful street parties, Bacchanalian excess and unbridled fun. Indeed,
Nestled peacefully in the rolling countryside and better known as the birthplace of Giovanni Boccaccio, Certaldo seems an unlikely springboard for a twenty-first-century artistic revolution. And yet, for the last 15 years, it has been the home of Terry Davies, the place where he has set up his
ACF Fiorentina have slipped to fifth placed in Serie A, after 0-2 loss at home to Pescara and a 3-1 away defeat to Udinese, leaving them five points adrift of ...
With ACF Fiorentina having established themselves as serious contenders for a Champions League place this season, the January transfer window could be a crucial period, both to reinforce the Viola squad and to avoid any big-name exits. Here is a look at the reported transfers that could shape the
Football on the wider European stage beckons for ACF Fiorentina, who have made it five wins from five, and now sit third in Serie A. The Viola have lost striker Stevan Jovetic to a soleus muscle tear over the last fortnight, but midfielder Alberto Aquilani has returned from a long-
Florence's Artemio Franchi stadium will host the Italian rugby team this November. At 3pm on Saturday, November 24, Italy will take on Australia in the third of their autumn friendly matches. By match day, Italy will have played Tonga and New Zealand in Brescia and Rome, but the Australians