COMMUNITY EVENTS
St Mark’s English Church (via Maggio 16) hosts Italian for Travellers, language learning sessions costing 15 euro per session, plus a small donation to the church, at 7pm on July 4, 6, 25 + 27. Yoga (entry by donation) will be held at 9am on July 2 + 16, and meditation takes place at 10am on July 2 + 16. At 7pm on July 28, Lisa Brancatisano (@thistuscanlife) speaks about her lifestyle magazine and myriad other projects; entry by donation. Choral Evensong with the Choir of Jesus College, Oxford, is at 6pm on July 1, with Choral Eucharist at 10.30am on July 3. A choral concert will be performed by the Exonian Choir in the Basilica of San Lorenzo from 9.15pm on July 9, with music by Vaughan Williams, Howells and their Tudor forebears. Finally, the Exonian Choir will sing Choral Eucharist at 10.30am on July 10. For more information, email events@stmarksitaly.com.
Women Latinists is a course from July 17-31 in Florence to hone your Latin reading skills and expand knowledge of Latin texts written by women throughout history. Anyone with an intermediate-advanced level of Latin is invited to take part in the salon-style morning lessons, creative workshops and cultural programme, with optional evening events. See www.forte-academy.co.uk.
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.
The Festa della Battitura at Borgo Petriolo near Bagno a Ripoli on July 9-10 is a fun-filled festival to celebrate the threshing of wheat with a packed programme of workshops for children, artisanal gelato, games, poetry, and much more. Free entry. For info and booking call +39 055 294458, email info@borgopetriolo.it.
Female Arts in Florence inaugurate ‘Magma’ on July 7, an exhibition by Cristina Boff (on display until August 27) with a sound performance by Cristina Italiani and wine tasting offered by Firstglass. A watercolour course led by Marianna Piccini is from 6.30-8pm on July 13. Get in touch at gruppofaf@gmail.com or see @femaleartsinflorence on FB and IG.