Here’s our round-up for April 4-11, 2024.
Runners take to the streets for the Firenze Half Marathon while there’s a more leisurely affair at the Primavera Fiesolana festival.
Don’t forget there’s free entry to many museums this Sunday as part of the Domenica Metropolitana initiative!
Share your events with The Florentine: events@theflorentine.net
The exhibition reunites items from the Alberto Della Ragione Collection with Modigliani's masterpiece on show until September 15.
Starting at 8pm, this weekly series of special dinner shows is bringing evenings alive in Florence.
25 large-scale works engage with themes of memory, history and war.
At 9pm on April 11, literary lovers make their way to Libreria Alice at The Social Hub (viale Spartaco Lavagnini) for a discussion of Donatella Di Pietrantoni’s A Girl Returned, winner of the Campiello Prize. The heartfelt novel explores the life of a young teenager abandoned by her adoptive mother. Forced to live with her biological family, she faces abuse and navigates complex familial and personal challenges. Settle into Alice’s cozy atmosphere with a glass of wine while sharing your thoughts on the book club’s latest selection. Although Di Pietrantoni originally wrote the novel in Italian, Alice is opening its doors to both English and Italian readers. The club will be discussing the translated version of A Girl Returned by Ann Goldstein. Free event, no reservation required. hello.alicelibreria@gmail.com
Author and presenter Linda Falcone speaks with lead co-curator Peter Trippi, on location at ‘Pre-Raphaelites: Modern Renaissance’, an exhibition comprising over 350 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, and decorative artworks. Hosted at San Domenico Civic Museum in Forli, Italy, this ‘Restoration Conversations’ broadcast is sponsored and organised by the Calliope Arts Foundation. It spotlights women artists featured in the exhibition who modelled for, worked with, or responded to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. From the Botticelli-inspired paintings of Marie Spartali Stillman to the dramatic mythological depictions of Evelyn Pickering De Morgan, enjoy the art that built upon the movement founded by the original rule-breaking Pre-Raphaelites, whilst discovering the women artists who honed their own talents, as they explored Italy’s Old Masters, Britain’s best-loved stories and their admiration for Florence’s idyllic Primavera, on and off canvas.
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The first edition of a new indoor festival of music, theatre, cinema and more at the cultural centre in Fiesole sees a wide-ranging offering that includes storytelling, jazz, classical and contemporary multidisciplinary performances. Italian jazz pianist and composer Francesco Maccianti performs on April 9, while the Fiesole Music School, marking their 50th anniversary, gives a free concert by the Camerata Strumentale Fiesolana on April 21, with music by Mozart, Bach and Haydn.
See the full programme
Fondazione Mascarade Opera brings the most loved arias and duets from the classical and bel canto repertoire of Rossini, Donizetti and Mozart, inspired by the bloom of spring. The artists involved are Luiza Willert (soprano), Sarah Hakobyan (mezzosoprano), Yuchen Pan (tenor) and William Desbiens (baritone), with access to the gardens and a glass of wine creating a perfect pre-performance experience.
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Whether you’re cheering from the sidelines or get, set, go yourself, the occasion when runners come together to undertake 21,097 km through the streets and squares of Florence is always worth witnessing.
Get runningThe Davidson High School Choir and Orchestra from Georgia, USA perform a free concert at 9pm on April 8 at Chiesa dei Santi Michele e Gaetano (piazza degli Antinori), with pieces by Ernesto Herrera, Jeffery Ames, Carold Nunez, Norman Luboff and more. performancesbooking@gmail.com
Giuseppe Verdi’s opera in an immersive and semi-scenic vision will be held every Thursday from April 4 to September 26. Sixty minutes put together the most memorable moments of Verdi’s masterpiece, with the story revealing Alfredo Germont’s unfortunate love for the courtesan Violetta Valéry. A narrator will accompany the audience (in English) during this unmissable journey through immersive images.
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The Social Hub holds ‘Rewind’ from April 5-7, a three-day festival on reducing, reusing and recycling. With quizzes and games for kids, talks, workshops on things like cuttings and upcycling jeans, and even a movie night with The Lorax – The Guardian of the Forest, entrance is free for all events and activities.
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The historic car race gets fans revved up for the iconic GTS, sports cars, prototypes, touring cars and models from the 1950s to the 2000s, as well as a line-up of events to add to the sense of occasion.
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Avail of the up to 70% off outlet price offers on brands like Karl Lagerfeld, Lacoste, Bialetti, Vans, Tommy Hilfiger, and many more. Situated just 30 km from Florence in the Mugello valley, you’ll find over 120 shops gathered together in an idyllic setting, reachable via shuttle bus.
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As part of the Tipo Festival in Prato, a free-entry photography exhibition titled Città, Industria, Natura curated by The Florentine‘s photo editor Marco Badiani is on show at Prismalab in Prato from April 10 until May 26. The works by members of the Il Bacchino Fotoclub explore urban reconnaissance, with the inauguration at 6.30pm on April 10 including an aperitivo and DJ set.
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A new programme of walks is proposed as part of the Firenze Forma Continua project, with the aim of spreading knowledge of the city’s history. The various itineraries lead participants through the lesser-known sites of the UNESCO awarded historic centre, as well as exploring the architecture, history and landscapes of the surroundings, taking in the gates, towers and fortresses that have stood strong for centuries. A number of events will be held in English. The free events are aimed at young people and adults, and last two hours.
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The history of medical and surgical training in Florence is the subject of a special display to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the University of Florence and the founding of the Careggi Hospital, explored through documents dating to the ninth century, finds from private collections and multimedia installations.
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Eighty photographs taken between 1964 and 2011 trace key features of Italian photography during this period, with subjects such as modern cities and culture, and reflections on the interweaving of the ancient and the contemporary. Jodice’s work, which will be on display in Florence for the first time, focuses on personal memories and experiences, particularly in his native city of Naples, and its rapport with ancient art and civilizations.
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17th- and 18th-century Italian crucifixes are crafted into sculptures by Irish artist Jean O’Reilly Barlow. Rare minerals and gems dramatically alter the artifacts, representing messages of redemption and transformation.
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Tenuta Vignamaggio nestled in the Chianti hills host everything from Christmas card making to wreath workshops, with the chance to craft your own festive centrepiece and even cyanotype botanical workshops ...
Are you a small business or team looking for the perfect way to celebrate the festive season? At Hard Rock Cafe Florence, in the spirit of ‘All is One’ and ...
The Art of Style, created by Lady Kendra, is a space where art, fashion, wellness, and personal transformation come together. The gallery is designed as an immersive experience, from rotating ...
A 6km (2 hour) walk in the footsteps of the early 20th century Anglo-Florentines takes you to discover the Edwardian community of Florence when it was “more English than England”. ...
