Here’s our round-up for March, 2023.
Should I stay or should I go? Outside, that is: make way for March with its confusing weather forecasts. If you’re staying inside or embracing the last of the chill, there’s fun to be found both in and outdoors this month.
Palazzo Strozzi reopens its doors for the impressive new exhibition titled Reaching for the Stars. From Maurizio Cattelan to Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, which showcases major works by international contemporary artists such as Maurizio Cattelan, Sarah Lucas, Damien Hirst, Lara Favaretto, Cindy Sherman, William Kentridge, Berlinde De Bruyckere, Josh Kline, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye and Rudolf Stingel to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Turin-based Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection, one of the most prestigious collections of contemporary art in Italy.
The tenth edition of this contemporary theater festival is back with a new program. Known for bringing international artists, award-winning actors and emerging young performers to the stage, this festival nurtures the relationship between theater and community. Performances will be held throughout the city with the primary language being Italian.
Tickets
A double exhibition presents the art of Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti and Argentine-Italian painter Lucio Fontana. These works will create an important dialogue between two international powerhouses of 20th-century art in the stunning Sala delle Udienze and Sala dei Gigli at the Palazzo Vecchio, while the Museo Novecento will host a continuation of Lucio Fontana’s works through September 13.
A cocktail of international and Italian jazz musicians will take the stage for a weekend of performances to tap your feet to in Sesto Fiorentino. A medley of brass players, percussionists and piano players come together for this festival celebrating all things jazz. Tickets costs 15 euro for full price and 13 euro for reduced prices.
Extend your International Women’s Day celebrations throughout the month at the Hard Rock Cafe. Kicking March off with a live music performance are Serena Carradori and Davide Gobello on March 3. This musical duo will play covers of both Italian and international songs for everyone to enjoy. Next in the lineup, the Hard Rock will celebrate March 8 with a performance by Italian Women Tribute. This trio is the first and only rock tribute band that is dedicated to great Italian women’s voices. Segue to March 10 with a performance from the 1980s cover band 80Voglia.
March 6 marks Michelangelo Buonarroti’s birthday back in 1475. The Accademia hosts a double celebration for the artist’s special day and the sixth anniversary of the Friends of the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze Association. The festa will include an exclusive visit to the ongoing exhibitions with musical accompaniment by students of the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory.
March brings a new program of performances by Orchestra della Toscana, welcoming several international musicians to the Teatro Verdi stage for the first time. On March 8, conductor Michele Spotti performs Mendelssohn, Benjamin Britten and Haydn with Irish tenor Robin Tritschler, first horn of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Martin Owen and ORT’s first viola, Stefano Zanobini. Closing out the month, on March 29, New York City Ballet music director Andrew Litton will be joined by Venetian pianist Alessandro Taverna in a rendition of Concerto No. 1 by Brahms.
In celebration of the Autentica 10th anniversary party, Manchester-based producer, cartoonist and DJ Mr. Scruff joins Combo Social Club for an eclectic DJ set. Spinning since the ‘80s, Mr. Scruff loves combining anything from deep soul, funk and reggae to afro, new wave and house. With his unpredictable mixes and expert sound engineering, this set will promise a night that has a little something for everyone.
“Omigod, you guys!” Elle Woods and her canine companion, Bruiser, are enrolling at Teatro Verdi’s take on the Harvard campus. Watch her blossom as she battles the trials of law school while making a few faithful friends along the way. Bend and snap your way to your seat for a night of musical fun. All performances are in Italian and ticket prices range from 25 to 37 euro.
A classic tale comes to life on stage. Follow as Belle’s provincial life takes a turn in the hallowed halls of the beast’s castle. Finding a few fun furniture friends along the way, this performance of the enchanting story is one not to miss. Ticket prices range from 17 to 28 euros and the performance is in Italian.
UK-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Dialect visits Florence for a performance blend of chamber music, electro-acoustics and improvisation. A “musical collage” of sorts, Dialect will feature much of his newest album Under Between during the set. The price for presale tickets is 13 euro with the full price being 20 euro at the door. Reduced price tickets are also available at a price of 16 euro for anyone under 25 and students of the Fiesole Music School.
Needing no introduction, the biggest Italian band in contemporary music is stopping home for part of their world tour. Coming to Florence for two nights, audiences can sing and dance (or scream and cry) to their chart-topping hits. A global sensation, this Rome-born glam-rock band promises unforgettable performances.
New York-based band GIFT takes their tour global with a date in Florence. Combo Social Club hosts the psychedelic rock band for a concert of good tunes and even better hair.
For one of the cutest ways to welcome in the spring, visit this pick-your-own-flower farm with 300,000 tulips from more than 100 different varieties to choose from. We can’t think of a better way to get outside and spruce up your living room with a fresh handpicked bouquet.
Academy Award-winning director Bong Joon-Ho visits Florence for the Florence Korea Film Fest. Mastermind behind thrillers such as Parasite, Mother and other noteworthy films, this is Bong Joon-Ho’s first trip back to Florence since 2011. Events will welcome a lineup of other directors, actors and film powerhouses to participate in this fest dedicated to contemporary South Korean cinematography.
Firenze Suona is a music competition for young Italian groups and soloists. Throughout the month, emerging musicians compete against one another live every Sunday night at Le Murate Caffè Letterario, while fine tuning their skills. First prize includes studio recording time, publication of an EP or album, radio broadcasts, national exposure and more.
One of the most prolific Japanese filmmakers of the 20th century, Akira Kurosawa makes a splash at Cinema La Compagnia with a retracing of his filmography on the big screen. Check out 10 screenings of his movies shown in the original language with Italian subtitles. The cost for a single ticket is 6 euro with the opportunity for a 28 euro eight-show ticket; reduced price tickets are also available.
Until September 24
Iranian-American artist Y.Z. Kami presents a multi-venue exhibition of 24 works throughout some of the city’s most important locations, including Museo Novecento, the Palazzo Vecchio Museum, Museo degli Innocenti and the basilica of San Miniato al Monte. Some of his portraits, which were his original claim to fame, will also be on display.
An exhibition dedicated to the Turin-born antifascist Carlo Levi who spent a year in Florence between 1941-1945 during Nazi occupation. Thirty four works will be featured including a replica of the famous Luciana-61. Many of these other works were portraits of the important people in his life such as his mother and companions but others also portray some of what he witnessed during his trips to southern Italy and the atrocities people faced there.
Artist couple Valeria Ornaghi and Claudio Prestinari explore the relationship between man and woman and its link to the history materials, design, industrial production, and consumption in their new exhibition. ‘Sbilenco’ meaning lopsided, and gives way to a concept of transforming normal, everyday objects into things that are distorted and imperfect, which is a major theme seen throughout the exhibition.
An homage to the German expressionist painter Rudolf Levy. Levy was a student of Henri Matisse before fighting in WW1 and eventually travelling his way to Florence where he stayed and painted as a Jew in exile until the German Occupation. From then, he was arrested and deported to Auschwitz. An exhibition dedicated to his life and work, guests have the opportunity to witness 47 of his works that follow his early years in exile all the way to his last years in Florence.
Pitti Palace honors sixteenth century Duchess of Florence Eleanora di Toledo with a grand exhibition at Pitti Palace. Among her many achievements, she was known for her trendsetting fashion sense and excellent managerial skills. She also played a fundamental role in the Medici court and dedicated much of her patronage to the Boboli Gardens.
An exhibition of sculpture and paintings, Bulgarian-born artist Rudi Ninov explores the translation of sound and shape into shape and colour. Splattered with bits of familiarity, Ninov’s work features music references, comic strips, collected objects, and written fables. Mostly showcased in artificial light, the exhibition is partly spaced out throughout the space intended by Ninov to best experience the works broken up into small episodes, rather than all at once.
Spring weather creates the perfect excuse for a movie night. Starting on March 2+14, Cinema Astra screens Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes’ film Empire of Light starring Olivia Colman, Michael Ward and Colin Firth. The screenings will be in English with Italian subtitles. Also screening this month is the silent documentary Amante Sponde, which was presented at the Rome and Turin film festivals. The film presents striking geophysical imagery of various parts of Europe backlit by a dreamlike soundtrack.
Two sustainability institutions in Florence come together for an exciting event surrounding artisans, apiculturists and world healing. On March 26, Lady Ripple teams up with BioRitmo sound specialists who create music that harmonizes both humans and wildlife for an educational event about bee communities and their importance in ecosystems. This event at Chalet Fontana will also entail an interactive seed-planting activity where participants can plant flower seeds that will attract bees.
The British Institute of Florence
Revamping the Meet the Author series, renowned British writer Tim Parks joins The British Institute on March 6 for a presentation of his book The Hero’s Way: Walking with Garibaldi from Rome to Ravenna. Joining director Simon Gammell, this book club-style discussion will allow Parks to elaborate on his insights of life in Italy during the summer of 1849 and more.
Médousa calligraphy inksperience
Rooted in classical mythology, the session on March 11. is an invitation to let go in a meaningful return to one’s origins through the recovery of an action as simple as forgotten handwriting, a primordial activity that concerns one’s feelings. Through observation, experimentation, reflection and listening, Betty Soldi’s “inksperience” (150 euro) starts a process of self-discovery. The result is to restore a more human way of doing things, lingering on what you took for granted and noticing what you could not see before. Book your spot at theflr.net/inksperience.
On March 18, grab your favorite dancing partner for a flamenco course. This is a great event for anyone looking to learn a new skill and have some fun at the FAF studio in Borgo San Frediano.
The Italian League for the Fight against Cancer organizes meetings throughout the month aimed at individuals who are looking to quit smoking. Led by psychologist and psychotherapist Claudia Bricci, participants will have the opportunity to learn about the many risk factors associated with smoking as well as coping mechanisms to quit the habit. In Italian. Meetings are on March 17, 21, 24, 28+31 at the LILT headquarters on Viale Donato Giannotti.
Kicking off their spring season with a 2-part reflection in Palazzo San Niccolo on how art and society reacts in times of crisis, and how we find hope, inspiration and a new way forward. The first reflection on March 14 will center around Art and the Black Death: Disaster, Despair, and Hope. Elaine Ruffolo walks participants through a discussion on how communities grappled with an invisible enemy, and artists trying to make sense of the random destruction brought by plagues. Their interpretation of the horrors they witnessed has changed radically over time, but what has remained constant is the artists’ desire to capture the essence of an epidemic. The second on March 21 is titled The Milk of Dreams: Curating Contemporary Art in the Face of a Pandemic. This lecture explores last year’s Venice Biennale, The Milk of Dreams with a view toward understanding how the pandemic affected both the process and product of mounting the latest edition of this large-scale, contemporary art exhibition. The cost for each event is 20 euros and includes a drink.
Join the Children’s Lending Library on via Rucellai 9 on April 1 for a special Easter party. While you wait for Peter Cottontail, enjoy easter egg coloring, crafts, shadow puppets, snacks, and more. The cost for the event is 3 euros for members and 5 euros for non-members.
TF Walks
Sunday, March 26, 10am-4.30pm: The Medici villas: Petraia + Villa Castello gardens
Meeting point: in front of the Villa Medici di Castello, having taken the T1 tram from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Rifredi or the bus #28 to Castello. Our walk begins with a tour of the stunning Villa Medici di Castello gardens before continuing up the hill for a picnic lunch (bring your own panino!) with views over the Florentine countryside. We’ll visit some Etruscan tombs dating to the 7th century BCE, admiring several beautiful villas before arriving at Villa Medici Petraia, the residence that King Vittorio Emanuele’s wife, Rosa Vercellana, fell in love with. We will walk around the secret garden and visit the inside of the villa with an Italian-speaking guide. Bring good walking shoes, something for lunch and a bottle of water. Book your spot: jennifer@meama.it
Distance 7km / Climb 350m / Cost 25 euro, villa tours included