Here’s our round-up for July 7-14
Summer serate are sorted with a wide array of cultural offerings in Florence and surroundings this week, from a wheat threshing festival at Borgo Petriolo to outdoor cinema screenings at the Synagogue. Here’s your best events of the week line-up for July 7-14.
On July 9 and 10, there’s fun for the whole family at Borgo Petriolo as the wheat threshing festival gets underway. The day’s events begin at 10am with children’s workshops to make ceramics and sustainable magnets, followed by talks about ancient grains, ottava rima poetry readings, pony rides and puppet making. Expect some of the best bread in the region, artisan gelato and watermelon by the slice! At 6pm, kids, big and small, will be enthralled by the powering up of the steam engine as wheat is separated from the chaff like in the olden days.
The Balagàn Cafè turns 10, with music, cultural events, drinks, tastings and guided tours every Thursday until September 1 in the garden of the Synagogue. Forming part of the Estate Fiorentina programming, this year’s edition, titled Tuscany: Crossroads of cultures, sees international guests such as Diana Matut, Simchat HaNefesh and filmmaker Tamar Tal who will head the cinema sector in this year’s new addition, the Balagàn Outdoor Cinema, taking place on July 21, 28 and August 4. Musical performances and guided tours of the Synagogue and the Jewish Museum add to the offering, with tastings of delicious dishes and aperitivi. Reservations can be made here.
Soundtracks and great classics will be performed by the Magister Harmoniae Orchestra and the New York MET Youth Choir and Orchestra at 8.30pm on July 9 and 10. Piazza della Signoria will host the two youth groups as part of the FOG festival, with music by the likes of Hans Zimmer, Céline Dion, Leonard Cohen, Edward Grieg, Johann Strauss, Edward Elgar, and Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana filling the square. At 8.30pm on July 11, the Loggia dei Lanzi hosts the Austrian group, Jugend Sinfonie Orchester Dornbirn, conducted by Ivo Warenitsch, with performances of Afro-Cuban and Mexican folk music, followed by Vienbese classics by Fran von Suppé, Strauss, and Franz Zelwecher, and finally a piece by Czech composer Julius Fučìk. At the same time on July 12, the Twents Juegdorkester from the Netherlands comes to the stage, with Puccini, Howard Blake, Dragonetti, William Gomez, Chuck Mangione and more, even including the theme from James Bond. The concerts are open to all and free to attend. Read the full programme.
Female Arts in Florence continue their contemporary art series with the inauguration of works by Cristie Boff on July 7. Situated in San Frediano, the multipurpose space will show ‘Magma’ by the Brazilian-born artist who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts and established her contemporary art studio in the Oltrarno. The works reflect on the horizon, borders and the landscape, with a preference for red and its strong visual impact. At the launch, there will be a musical performance by Cristina Italiani and a wine tasting offered by First Glass. Book the free event here.
At 11.30pm on July 7, Irene Bistrò’s Chef Fulvio Pierangelini’s will cook his unforgettable “Sciuè Sciuè” spaghetti right before guests’ eyes, accompanied by a signature cocktail. The gloriously gluttonous moment will be in the cool hours of a late summer’s eve, with the pasta, sorbet and drink costing 30 euros per person, or 50 euros per couple. Limited number of seats. Reserve by calling T: 055 2735 891, or by emailing irenefirenze@roccofortehotels.com.
Oltre Ogni Confine dagli Allori is a free event series as part of Estate Fiorentina, created by Casa Museo Schlatter and the Amici degli Allori. Held at the Cimitero Evangelico degli Allori, the theatrical show is performed by Alessandro Calonaci and the MALD’ESTRO theatre company, and the KULT ROSES 659 company, exploring five characters buried at the cemetery, with alternating AGIMUS musicians on the various dates. The libretto for the performance will be printed in Italian and English, and freely distributed to viewers. The series launches with flautist Francesca Sofia Presentini from 6.45pm on July 10, cellist Luca Provenzani plays at 6.45pm on August 2. At 6.30pm on August 30, harpist Elena Castini will perform, while violinist Andrea Farolfi is at 6pm on September 24. As part of the programme, it will be possible to book guided tours of Il Palmerino, the Florentine home of Vernon Lee; the Schlatter House Museum, the studio of the theosophist painter C.A. Schlatter, and the Cimitero degli Allori, in Russian and English as well as Italian. The Luzi Library hosts talks and readings at 5pm on July 7 and at 6pm on July 28, while Villa Arrivabene hosts a theatrical reading at 9pm on July 15.
From 6.30pm on July 8, Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, hosts an evening with Filippo Bartolotta, explorer of the wine world and a passionate storyteller. Held in English, enjoy an exquisite wine tasting in the charming gardens, costing 40 euro per person. Wines that will be discovered include 1701 Franciacorta Surnat 2020, Cocciuto di Fontuccia 2021, Cignano Superbo Ancestrale 2018, Bianchello del Metauro superiore, Tassi Bruno IGT Toscana 2019, L’Inclassable Medoc 2016 Francia, Tenuta Fontana Asprinio Aversa Vigneti ad Alberata 2019 and Sassotondo Ciliegiolo 2019.
MusArt fills Santissima Annunziata and the Istituto degli Innocenti from July 12-26 with big names like Roberto Bolle, LP, Goran Bregovic and Rock The Opera in the majestic setting a short distance from the Duomo. Enjoy the unique experience of a concert at dawn with Dado Moroni performing at 4.45am on July 26 at the Istituto degli Innocenti, or check out one of the many evening performances that see high-calibre performances throughout the month of July as part of Estate Fiorentina.
Lailac, the Japanese cultural association in Florence, have organized this free festival as part of Estate Fiorentina, focused on Tanabata, the Japanese celebration of wishes. Based on the legendary love story between Princess Orihime (the Vega star) and the shepherd Kengu (the Altair star), the festival features martial arts, dances by the Hanafuji group, Japanese folk music with taiko drums and shinobue flute, and also a small market with handcrafted creations and street food. Participants can hang their wishes on bamboo branches, in keeping with tradition, and enjoy traditional games, calligraphy, shiatsu and bonodori dance.
The Belvedere terrace of Villa Bardini is the stunning setting for film screenings of all sorts over the summer, with 5-euro entry and free films for families on Thursdays. Reservations required via Villa Bardini and Cinema in Villa. The third edition of the series seats 200 and features a packed programme with films in original language with subtitles in Italian and/or English. Curated by the Niels Stensen Cultural Foundation, screenings begin at 9.15pm and range from Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita to Disney’s Encanto.
