Best events in Florence this week

Festa della Liberazione

Florence marks the 79th anniversary of the Italian liberation with a ceremony in which a laurel wreath will be laid in remembrance of the fallen at 10am in piazza dell’Unità Italiana. A procession will continue to the Palazzo Vecchio with a ceremony outside the seat of civic power with speeches by the Mayor of Florence, three secondary school students who are studying the Italian resistance and a monologue by Antonio Scurati voiced by local author Stefano Massini.

Free entry to many museums to mark Liberation Day

On April 25, there will be free access to state museums in honour of Festa della Liberazione, including Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. The Uffizi, the Accademia Gallery and the Medici Chapels also open their doors with free admission, on a first come first served basis. Details can be found via the Ministry of Culture website.

French Regional Market

French scents, flavours and colours come to piazza Santa Croce, where you can shop the many items on offer. Choose among the 80 types of cheeses, pairing them with a selection of wines, exploring the chocolates, spices, baguettes, croissants, lavender and soaps and more. From 9am to 9pm.

St Mark's Day

A special event celebrates St. Mark’s Day on April 25, with American sculptor, art historian, podcaster and author Jason Arkles sharing the story of the life-size statue of St Mark he created for outside the church. Free entry, from 7pm.

MIDA International Handicraft Exhibition in Florence

MIDA brings together the arts and crafts of different cultures, with this year featuring the ninth edition of the Salone dell’Arte e del Restauro at the same time. Food trucks and the chance to purchase directly from the artisanal producers bring foodies to the fair as well.

Festa dei Lavoratori

Wednesday, May 1, Italians will be able to enjoy another public holiday for Labour Day (Festa del lavoro or Festa dei lavoratori), in which Tuscany played a part. As soon as news of the 1886 Chicago Haymarket Riot made its way across the ocean, when thousands of workers took to the streets to demand an eight-hour work day, the people of Livorno revolted against the US ships anchored in the port before marching on the police headquarters. However, the decision to introduce Labour Day was a European-wide decree, first decided in Paris in 1889 and ratified in Italy two years later. On May 1, make the most of free entrance to the Medici villas of Castello, Petraia and Cerreto Guidi as well as complimentary viewing of the last supper frescoes at the Cenacolo di Sant’Apollonia (via XXVII Aprile 1, 8.15am-1.50pm) and Cenacolo di Andrea del Sarto (via San Salvi 16, 8.15am-1.50pm).

Plants and flowers fair

All kinds of plants and flowers come to the picturesque gardens, with book presentations, workshops and various events adding to the sense of occasion.

A Taste of India

St. Regis Florence hosts the second edition of the Indian Festival, a journey to celebrate scents and holistic experiences, highlighting the key ingredients that each Indian region has to offer. The dishes will be curated by the internationally renowned Celebrity Chef Ritu Dalmia of Cittamani Milan and Atrangi Dubai, with the elegant rooms of the Winter Garden Restaurant seeing meals inspired by the signature dishes of Cittamani Milano and Atrangi Dubai and lesser-known traditional Indian recipes with a contemporary twist. A tea ritual will be led by the hotel’s tea sommelier Elena Matei, ending with an Indian themed spa treatment in the Spa Suites at The St.Regis Florence. To inaugurate the week of events will be a special event from 7pm on April 22, with ‘Journey through India’ street food stalls in local market style, four cooking demonstration stations and a special cooking show by Executive Chef Gentian Shehi and Celebrity Chef Ritu Dalmia. Beyond the delicious dishes will be performances by the MeYoTai dancers, henna tattoo stations and other themed entertainment.

Quando il segno incontra il colore

Walter Sarfatti, an Anglo-Italian “citizen of the world”, with Jewish roots and a strong connection with Japanese culture, has chosen the Tuscan countryside to live in and work. Etching, aquatint and sugarlift are the principal media he uses for his work. He is often inspired by the search for harmony and balance guided by a reinterpretation of familiar elements which can be perceived in a decomposed leaf, a rusty nail, a shaft of light.

Brunch and music

Passeggiate Patrimoniali - Heritage walks

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.

Lediesis – Corpus Dominae

The famous (anonymous) street artists display a new work, A timeless struggle, created specifically for the exhibition along with other works exploring bodies in all varieties, expressed through both real and imaginary figures. The art show is presented on the occasion of the Women – A timeless struggle exhibition, 70 years after the first national conference for women who work, in addition to talks and concerts at the Caffè Letterario at Le Murate.