Here’s our round-up for September 28-October 5, 2023.
Art lovers flock to museums and galleries for Florence Art Week while experimental music festivals get fans raving. Don’t forget there’s free entry to many museums on Sunday, October 1, as part of Domenica Metropolitana!
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From 9am to 7.30pm, Giardino dell’Orticoltura hosts the autumn edition of the popular plants and flowers market-exhibition. With workshops, talks, book presentations and performances, the free-entry event brings gardeners and those with budding green-fingers to the gardens at the edge of the city.
The fourth edition of the festival dedicated to solo piano performances features international talents Yaron Herman, Nik Bärtsch and Isfar Sarabski playing in atmospheric settings.
Workshops, demonstrations, guided tours, shows and more form Bright Night – European Reseachers’ Night, that sees various venues in the city pack with enlightened minds.
The master of Futurism, Fortunato Depero (1892-1960), gets a dedicated display for the first time in Florence. Curated by Sergio Risaliti and Eva Francioli, pieces such as Nitrito in velocità will be on loan from the Museo Novecento, alongside around 50 other works. 20th-century paintings and drawings are displayed, as is the magnificent tapestry depicting the Cavalcata Fantastica, evoking Florence’s rich Renaissance tradition of textile art.
Four Seasons Hotel Firenze transforms the Gherardesca Garden into a spectacular Drive In, giving guests the amazing opportunity to enjoy an aperitivo aboard one of the twenty convertibles provided by Canossa Events. The unique occasion sees a screening of Il Sorpasso by Dino Risi, starring Vittorio Gassman and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Starting at 7.30pm, the aperitivo costs 55 euro per person. For more information and reservations, T: 0552626450, Email: ilpalagio@fourseasons.com.
At 7pm on September 28, the Trio Interval, currently completing their training at Hochschule für Musik Theater und Medien Hannover, will be playing an exciting programme at the Fondazione Mascarade Opera. The trio created in October 2022 is composed by Mariia Kostogryz (violin), Anvar Nasriddinov-Bitson (cello) and pianist Oleksandra Kiktenko. The musicians will perform A. Mozart Piano Trio C-dur K.548, Bridge Miniatures for Piano Trio: Set 1: Minuet, Gavotte, Allegretto, Mendelssohn Piano Trio c-Moll and Kreisler Viennese Miniature March. The concert lasts 60 minutes, with tickets purchasable at www.classictic.com.
20th-century avant-garde masterpieces from the Philadelphia Museum come to Palazzo Blu, with the likes of Chagall, Dalì, Duchamp, Kandinsky, Mirò and Picasso alongside Matisse, Mondrian, Klee, Ernst and Gris. The dazzling display spans from the Belle Époque through to the outbreak of the Second World War.
32 venues host 44 events involving 29 cultural institutions as the city’s museums, galleries and more pack with an incredible array of displays. With venues such as the Uffizi Galleries, Museo Novecento, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Istituto degli Innocenti and MAD Murate Art District included in the intriguing calendar, high-calibre exhibitions spread across Florence, with rare opportunities such as the Ferragamo Archives opening up to the public.
Two Tuscan artists, Sigfrido Bartolini and Venturino Venturi, portray Carlo Collodi’s iconic Pinocchio, with the exhibition marking the 140th anniversary of the serial publication of Pinocchio, whose first 15 chapters appeared in the children’s magazine Giornale per i Bambini.
Concerts, talks and performances are in dialogue with the serene setting. This year’s theme is hospitality, with the likes of rapper Ghemon, geologist Mario Tozzi, Japanese band Taiko Drummers and American singer-songwriter Zola Jesus allowing audiences to discover the beautiful basilica in a whole new way. With workshops, performances, tours, and lectures, all events are free of charge with reservations required.
Admire over 30 works partly inspired by the Temptations of Saint Anthony on the ground floor of the Museo Novecento. The London-born artist resident in New York reinvents the relationship between contemporary art and the great figurative art of past centuries, with the exhibition continuing in Palazzo Vecchio with the exhibition of a new work inside Bianca Cappello’s Camerino, one of the most charming and least-known places in the palace.
The spectacular venue is filled with high-calibre music performed by musicians from the Fiesole Music School, Chiara Giommetti and Rayan Kamagoda, from 6.30pm on September 28. Playing music by the likes of Jacques Ibert, Mauro Giuliani, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Astor Piazzola, a welcome drink adds to the experience, with an aperitivo overlooking the glorious gardens forming part of the unforgettable experience. Cost: 50 euro. To book, email: concierge.vsm@belmond.com or call 055 5678200.
Bordering between cinema and visual arts, the works by Marcon investigate the relationship between reality and moving images, with the title chosen to reflect a combination of confectionary sweetness and ice-cold.
Welcome the incoming Mascarade artists at Palazzo Corsini al Prato with a Meet the Artists Opera Recital on October 5. The varied programme spans traditional music to much-loved arias, with tickets giving access to the foundation and the spectacular Corsini Gardens from 6pm, with a glass of wine. Starting at 7pm, the concert lasts 60 minutes, with tickets purchasable at www.classictic.com. The artists performing are: Luiza Willert, soprano (Brazil), Sarah Hakobyan, mezzo soprano (Armenia), Yuchen Pan, tenor (China), Daniils Kuzmins, baritone (Latvia), Gabriel Klitzing, bass baritone (Germany), Hovhannes Karaketyan, bass (Armenia), Avishka Ederisinghe, piano (UK/Sri Lanka) and Megumi Hata, piano (Japan).
The third edition of the fest features varied activities and workshops, from tai chi to tea ceremonies, with participation in Confucius Institute Day on September 30. The title means varieties of blooming flowers, giving rise to screenings of everything from Chinese science fiction to animation by Liu Jian.
22 September 2023 - 28 January 2024
From September 22 to January 28, the Renaissance courtyard of the palazzo housing the Roberto Casamonti Collection will see a site-specific creation by Felice Limosani, titled Pezzi di Pace (Pieces of Peace). The historical architecture will be contrasted by a dramatic obelisk rising up to the height of the arches, pointing towards the sky while suspended above a body of water.
Classical music and contemporary art combine at the venue in piazza del Carmine, with special guests Salvatore Sciarrino, Pier Narciso Masi and Enrico Dindo. Under the artistic direction of the internationally renowned flautist, Mario Ancillotti, concerts, shows, and meetings with the musicians bring young people closer to classical music with 5-euro entry for students.
Experimental music and a plurality of places and themes makes this music fest one not to miss, with a tribute this year to Cathy Berberian. Listening sessions are held in venues such as the Cascine, the Misericordia park in Borgo San Lorenzo, the Gabinetto Vieusseux and Villa Favard.
To celebrate Dreoni toy store’s 100-year anniversary, the store on via Cavour displays an exhibition on vintage toys, with a free admission party from 10am to 7pm on October 7-8, at via the Carrozze Gallery, with play activities, challenges, shows and workshops to entertain all ages.
The third edition of the theatre festival for both children and adults features ghouls, ghosts, wolves, witches and more in the line-up packed with shows, workshops, talks and street theatre across various venues in the city such as Libreria Alice, Le Murate complex, Gada Playhouse and the Rifredi Theatre.
The lyrical melodies of Mozart, Rachmaninov, Chopin, Scarlatti and Esdì can be heard throughout the city and beyond as skilled musicians mesmerize audiences in locations like the Murate Art District, Institut Français Firenze and the Cherubini Conservatory of Florence.
9pm on September 29 will see Drones perform a Muse tribute on the stage of Hard Rock Cafe Florence. The Tuscan tribute band was formed in Cutigliano in 2015, with a set list ranging from ‘Showbiz’ to ‘Simulation Theory’. See what else is lined up this September.
Urban regeneration and climate activism are the themes of the fifth edition, taking place from September 28-30 and curated by LAMA Impresa Sociale. Created with the aim of building an open and diverse space for dialogue and thought on urban transformation and the related challenges, the free-entry talks (in Italian) are bound to stimulate interesting discussion around the topical themes. With 64 national and international speakers, there will be talks, workshops, children’s workshops, an exhibition and DJ sets.
Supercar lovers are in for a treat this October 11 to 13 as five-star luxury hotel Villa La Massa holds a car event like no other. Villa La Massa Excellence ...
The Sensory Bar offers a 90-minute exclusive experience for coffee enthusiasts at the Scuola del Caffè, located within Ditta Artigianale in Piazza Sant’Ambrogio. Set in a historic venue, small groups ...
Un incontro ad alba avanzata, nel centro di Firenze. Passeggeremo per le stradine ed i vicoli con la brezza mattutina, con i colori magnifici del primo mattino (portate una macchina fotografica!) e i...
Experience a unique adventure while discovering Florence and its surroundings, all while comfortably seated in a sidecar (there’s space for two!), accompanied by a professional English-speaking driver. There are several ...