Soccer games, live music, nightlife, oh my! Get summertime fine this week as the activities keep rolling in. With plenty of events to choose from throughout the city there is a bit of fun for everyone.
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Here’s our round-up for June 8-15 2023.
Soccer games, live music, nightlife, oh my! Get summertime fine this week as the activities keep rolling in. With plenty of events to choose from throughout the city there is a bit of fun for everyone.
Pitti Piano Festival returns to the Pitti Palace’s majestic Sala Bianca for five concerts featuring Italian and international artists André Gallo (June 7, 4pm), Shunta Morimoto (June 8, 4pm), Massimo Urban (June 9, 4pm), Xing Chang (June 10, 11am) and Cesare Picco (June 10, 4pm).
Arizona-born artist Rachel Feinstein opens an exhibition of her works in a tripartite show at Museo Stefano Bardini, Palazzo Medici Riccardi and Museo Marino Marini. Ranging from painting to sculpture inspired by classical and Renaissance art as much as from modern cartoons and fairytales, the works contrast with the masterpieces in situ by Donatello, Michelozzo and Marino Marini.
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Summer nights are perfect for “clubbing differently”, which is the tagline of Lattexplus. Head to Manifattura Tabacchi B11 for electronic beats from Courtesy, Gabrielle Kwartend and Speaking Minds.
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Busoni Competition winner pianist Chloe Jiyeong Mun will perform a piano recital at The British Institute of Florence. Her repertoire is comprised of the eight Schubert Impromptus.
Calligrapher Betty Soldi hosts an “inksperience” at Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel. Guests can enjoy a first-hand experience of the art of calligraphy and create something beautiful. Inspired by the blooming gardens and stunning views of Florence, the workshop will be inspired by the surrounding botanicals. 70 euro per person and subject to availability; held in both English and Italian. To reserve your spot, send an email to concierge.vsm@belmond.com or call +39 055 5678200.
The Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina performs a medley of Disney classics. Go under the sea and let it go as the orchestra takes audiences on a journey through some of Disney’s most beloved soundtracks. This is a concert for all ages as the repertoire will follow melodies starting from Disney’s 20th-century golden age and follows all the way through to songs from today’s blockbuster hits. To top things off, the program is completed with songs from the Harry Potter and Star Wars film franchises.
13 award-winning Tuscan craft breweries will come for the occasion of tastings, live music and expertise insights. Beer connoisseurs rejoice for this brewing festival in Cascine Park. On June 9, folk band Train de Vie will perform followed by La casa del vento on June 10 and Auge on June 11.
There’s no better way to bid farewell to another successful school year than with a train ride through the park. On Friday June 9 at 4pm and 6pm and Saturday June 10 at 10am and 12 noon, children can take a train ride through Cascine Park while enjoying a history lesson onboard. Participation is free, but registration is required and subject to availability.
Luckily none of the artefacts will come to life at this wonderful event. Guests will be able to tour the museum before rolling out their sleeping bags and spending the night in the Salone dei Cinquecento where they can gaze up at the ceiling and admire the fabulous artworks of the Medici family. Admission is free and all children must be accompanied by an adult.
Book your spotThe Italian Youth Orchestra takes the stage at the 85th Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Festival. Under the direction of Daniele Giorgi and in collaboration with the Fiesole Music School, these young musicians perform an impressive repertoire of classical music. The price for a ticket is 15 euro.
Book lovers can expect a packed program of events, presentations and readings from some of the biggest names in contemporary literature. With events dedicated to children’s books, this is the perfect festival for all ages. Throughout the program, three English-speaking authors are invited onto the stage. On June 7, the first woman with Black heritage to win the Booker Prize, Bernardine Evaristo will kick off the events. Over the weekend, Sheena Patel, author of I’m a Fan and Sally Bayley, author of No Boys Play Here, will join.
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June 12
The Various Voices Florence Tour is a show of international queer choir groups being held at Teatro Verdi on June 12. The lineup includes the London Gay Men’s Chorus, Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus and Qwerty Queer from Odessa, Ukraine.
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LoudLift LIVE is curating a lineup of top indie Americana and folk artists at Manifattura Tabacchi. Kicking off the events is English singer-songwriter Piers Faccini. With the release of his seventh studio album Shapes of the Fall, he continues his passion for intercultural dialogue through his music.
On Tuesday, June 13 at 4.30pm Italy time, join organizers Calliope Arts for Restoration Conversations streamed live from the Opificio delle Pietre Dure paper restoration laboratory. During the visit, expect a conversation with paper conservator Simona Calza, as she uncovers the secrets and challenges of restoring works on paper and parchment. During the conversation, participants will have a chance to view restored tempera-on-paper works from Prato’s Museo di Palazzo Pretorio by Maria Luisa Raggi (1742-1813), a little-known nun-painter from a Genoese family of high-standing.
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The summer edition of Florence’s trend-setting men’s trade fair might not be open to the public at Fortezza da Basso (Fendi is special guest at Pitti Uomo 104, presenting their Men’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection), but you can play your game as the looks spread onto the city streets. LuisaViaRoma will be holding a fashion show (away from prying eyes!) at piazzale Michelangelo on June 14, hence all the scaffolding.
On June 14 at 7:30pm, head to Ostello Bello Firenze on via Faenza for Poliritmo, a poetry slam performance with and by Olympia about polyamory, non-monogamy and relational orientations involving the LGBTQ+ community. Admission is free and there will be English and French translations throughout, so everyone can enjoy the show.
The British Institute of Florence hosts a lecture with Margaret Zaho on the Paliotti of Santo Spirito. “Paliotti”, or antependiums in English, are painted wooden altar frontals. Margaret’s lecture explores the the function, meaning and significance of these objects as works of art and examples of Florentine civic pride. The registration fee is 10 euro and can be attended both online and in person.
Book your spotWIN holds a Summer Party in the gardens of Chalet Fontana on June 14 at 8pm. Members and guests are welcome for this sit-down dinner with live music from Mary Loscerbo and The Bit Band. Members 40 euro; guests 45 euro. Register by June 7.
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Preview June 15, June 28, 29 + 30
This multicultural music festival is in collaboration with the Festival au Désert that originated in Mali. The band Tinariwen will perform in the June 15 preview, playing tracks from their latest album Amatssou, inspired by the music and culture of the Tuareg people of Mali.
The Scuola di Musica di Fiesole is welcomed to the gardens of Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, for a classical concert featuring the Arcadius String Quartet. The concert will be followed by an aperitivo and the cost is 50 euro, subject to availability. To book your spot, send an email to concierge.vsm@belmond.com or call +39 055 5678200.
Sant’Ambrogio legend Fabio Picchi is commemorated with four days of wholesome community-orientated events. Picchi was a local legend in Florence after he expanded his culinary businesses over the years. Picchi passed away in 2022, but his memory lives on. The first edition of SALE – Sant’Ambrogio in Festival, focuses on celebrating the identity of the neighbourhood and giving back to the local community.
Calentamiento is an art presentation at Manifattura Tabacchi combining visual and audio elements to create an impactful experience. The reggaeton song Calentamiento uses lyrics from the Glasgow Climate Treaty and fire-like sounds. Entrance is free and the presentation begins at 9pm.
Author Louisa Young joins The British Institute of Florence on a discussion on her acclaimed novel My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You. The book was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award and was a Richard and Judy Book Club choice. The registration fee is 10 euro per person and can be joined both in person and online.
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This exciting festival combines art, cinema, dance and music. Many of the events are internationally leaning, such as a film series about American composer John Zorn directed by Frenchman Mathieu Amalric (June 5, Cinema La Compagnia); a concert by Dutch cellist Ernst Reijseger (June 6, cloister at the Convent of Carmine); and experimental open-air concerts at Piazzale del Torrino (June 14-15, Villa Strozzi Park) with German composer Heiner Goebbels. The festival ends at Tenax on June 16 with the Still Lives: Florence performance/installation by Singaporean Daniel Kok and Australian Luke George inspired by Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabines.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Kent State University Florence program, KSU-Florence is hosting a special speaker series with Hollywood legend Don Reo, creator of Netflix’s The Ranch, Two and a Half Men, Everybody Hates Chris, M*A*S*H and The Golden Girls. During these eight seminars, guests will learn about the craft of storytelling, screenwriting for TV, working with actors, showbusiness, and how to pitch ideas for American TV streaming services. Several guests will be joining Reo for these events, including Mayim Bialik, host of Jeopardy and Big Bang Theory star. Everyone is welcome to attend these free seminars every Monday and Wednesday from May 29 to June 21 (6-7:30 pm) in the main lecture hall at Palazzo Vettori (via Cavour 26). Advanced registration is required and seating is limited, so register now for all events: Miriam Daquino mdaquino@kent.edu
New York University Florence (via Bolognese 120) is planning a busy program for the 17th edition of The Season. The events at Villa La Pietra will explore the wider currents of history, art, literature and music. Guests can enjoy lectures from artists, theatrical performances and concerts. To RSVP, please send an email to lapietra.reply@nyu.edu, or call +39 055 5007210.
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Beyond the Walls of Sant’Orsola is the inaugural exhibition of the future Museo Sant’Orsola as the long-derelict former religious complex reopens temporarily. Believed to be the final resting place of Lisa Gherardini, supposedly Leonardo da Vinci’s model for his Mona Lisa, the 14th-century nunnery welcomes site-specific art by London-born Sophia Kisielewska-Dunbar, the first artist-in-residence at Sant’Orsola, and Alberto Ruce, a Sicilian urban artist living in Marseille. French company Artex is investing over 30 million euro to develop Sant’Orsola and the urban renewal project is expected to be completed in 2025.
More than 50 works connected to the Gallery of Mirrors and Biblioteca Riccardiana will make up this major exhibition at Palazzo Medici Riccardi on Baroque master Luca Giordano (1634-1705). Expect a series of sketches on loan from the National Gallery in London as well as other important artworks from private collections in Europe and the United States, the Uffizi and the Opera del Duomo Museum in Siena, among others.
Exhibition info