Here’s our round-up for December 8-15
We are officially peeling back the treats in our second week of advent calendars which means the holidays are fast approaching. Here’s a summary of this week’s best events December 8-15.
Until January 8
Florence gets a festive makeover each year, with projections, video mapping and art installations adorning the city’s best-known monuments. One of the most significant artistic light festivals in Europe, the magical displays are promoted by the City of Florence, bringing the centuries-old settings to life with striking exhibits that spread smiles throughout the city. This year, the title is ‘Green Line’, under the artistic direction of Sergio Risaliti.
The Lucia Festival is an international festival is dedicated to podcasts, radio, and other forms of audio entertainment. As a celebration of storytelling without imagery, the calendar will include live performances, presentations with authors and audio editors, and listening sessions that are subtitled both in Italian and English.
The Advanced Painting students of Lorenzo de’ Medici will host an exhibition showcasing their work for the end of the semester. The students have covered a 500-year span in terms of both learning and practical techniques.
On Sunday morning, piazzale Michelangelo will pack with biker-Santas in celebration of Babbonatalata, hosted by Classic Special Firenze. The charity group brings their passion for motorcycles and care for the community, dressing up as jolly-old Saint Nick and heading up the high-point in the city on their motorized reindeer to give presents to children with disabilities.
Dedicated to heightening emerging artists and creating a relationship between them and the creative spaces throughout the city, the program of events promises music, dance, theater, and more, with the aim of the second edition of this festival being to form a connection between students, families, and artists in the local community.
The Canadian singer/songwriter takes to the Italian stage with his three-part tour making a stop in the Tuscan capital, playing songs from his newest album as well as some of his chart topping classics from over the last 40 years.
From December 3-18, visit the Le meraviglie della Natività exhibition at Museo degli Innocenti and follow the journey of the restoration of the Basilica of the Nativity of Bethlehem. The exhibition acts as a thread through the restoration process as well as the historical roots of the Nativity scene.
On December 7 and 9, Polimoda’s Villa Favard headquarters is hosting the striking Relative Thinking show. Focused on the theme of curatorship in contemporary fashion through magazines uniquely designed by four woman students attending the school’s Master’s in Fashion Writing and Curation, the exhibition is open to the public.
Embrace the holiday season with an evening at the theatre on the occasion of the inauguration of the modern Teatro di Fiesole. Canadian pianist Hershey Felder will play the role of Beethoven in his original portrait of the German composer. Performances on December 6, 7, 10 + 11 are in Italian, with the English version on December 9 when you can join The Florentine for a welcome drink at 7.45pm, followed by the show at 8.45pm. Special price for The Florentine newsletter subscribers: 20 euro (instead of 28.75 euro).
As part of the Green Line Festival celebrations, Museo Novencento presents the third edition of WONDERFUL!, a project platforming a new generation of artists. Linked to the themes of climate change and sustainability, works by Camilla Alberti (Milan, 1994) and Anouk Chambaz (Lausanne, 1993), can be found at the Sala d’Arme of Palazzo Vecchio and Museo Novecento.
The holiday spirit is in the air (or maybe that’s just the smell of gingerbread cookies in the oven). If you’re in town or planning to come into the city for a walk along the sparkly light-soaked streets, be sure not to miss these amazing Christmas markets for all kinds of delicious treats and unique holiday treasures.
The doors of Palazzo Corsini in via il Prato open on December 8 for a grand Christmas concert, with the Mascarade Emerging Artists performing with a warm Yuletide spirit under the direction of Julia Lynch, the programme’s head of music.
Teatro Verdi hosts the famous American choir on December 9, with a tribute to Nina Simone a highlight of their extraordinary Christmas show. Founded in 1986 for celebrations in honour of Martin Luther King, they are among the most well-known gospel choirs, coming to Florence to spread messages of love, peace and harmony.