COMMUNITY EVENTS
The British Institute of Florence hold their Wednesday Lecture Series at 6pm at the Harold Acton Library (lungarno Guicciardini 9) both in person and online. Director of the Medici Archive Project Alessio Assonitis speaks on June 1 about ‘The Melancholy of Grand Duke Cosimo III’ with Marcello Simonetta speaking about ‘Machiavelli’s Florence, seen through the letters to his friends and foes’ on June 8, and Margaret Zaho gives a lecture titled ‘David in Florence’ on June 22. The Music al British series continues at 6.30pm on June 16 with scenes from Pagliacci and Il Barbiere di Siviglia, music by Ruggero Leoncavallo and Gioachino Rossini, in collaboration with Mascarade Opera Studio, and Salvador Sanchez gives a piano recital from 6.30pm on June 30. Tishani Doshi, author of A God at the Door and Small Days and Nights comes to the library from 6.30pm on June 28.
Sotto al British (lungarno Guicciardini 15) have a packed programme, with an enriching line-up of locals. This month, the Talk Tuesdays series looks at ‘Queer Dating in Florence’ at 6pm on June 7, with Kali Swaid, Nina Peci and Vincenzo D’Angelo in conversation with Marisa Garreffa. June 21 explores ‘Projecting Florence’ with digital artist David Hartono, and author Annette Joseph speaks on June 28, presenting her latest book My Italian Guestbook: Delicious Stories of Love, Laughs, Lies, and Limoncello in the Tuscan Countryside. Social life drawing takes place with Tom Byrne every Monday from 6.30-8.30pm, while the Songwriters Circle is held from 8pm on June 7. ‘Freedom to Think’ by Susie Alegre will be presented at 6.30pm on June 8, and Placehold Open Mic Night is held from 8.30-10.30pm on June 8 and 22. The Oltrarno Gaze exhibition is on show from June 9-16, and brainstorming for writers is held at 8pm on June 14. Contact sotto@britishinstitute.it.
Speakeasy Multilingual hold their happy hour from 7.30pm on June 1 at Circolo Rondinella’s “secret garden” (lungarno Soderini 2). 15 euro for non-members, 13 euro for Speakeasy members, 2-euro one-time annual membership fee to Rondinella.
Female Arts in Florence (borgo San Lorenzo 131) hold an artistic embroidery course led by Ginevra Consoli from 10.30am to 12.30pm on June 4, and a holistics course at the FAF garden in Porta Romana in collaboration with Holistic Gaia, covering meditation, yoga, music and butoh dance on June 7 (7-10pm) and June 11 (9.30-11.30am). On June 9, there’s the inauguration and sound performance of The Big Egg: Make your Choice by Sabina Vallazza. A course on natural dyes by Mariana Piccini will be held on June 11. Get in touch at gruppofaf@gmail.com or see the @fafcraftwomen Facebook page and @femaleartsinflorence on Instagram.
The Mascarade Concert Series (Palazzo Corsini al Prato, via il Prato 56) brings The Bear to the stage from 7.30pm on June 9, with a staging of the one-act extravaganza by William Walton starring artists of the Mascarade Opera Studio, directed by Marie Lambert-Le Bihan, and musical direction by Kristina Yorgova. Drinks by Manifattura and cabaret precede the show, set to start at 9pm. Book your ticket.
Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel presents an artistic immersion with Galleria Continua, Viewing the world by Leandro Erlich, from May 17 to November 7 in the gorgeous gardens. On June 23, dialogues about fragrances with Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica will be held from 6.30-7.30pm followed by an aperitivo (40 euro) and a mixology night with a guest barman will be held from 6pm on June 29.
Sotto le Stelle at Tenuta Poggio Casciano, via Poggio al Mandorlo 1, Bagno a Ripoli, is a stellar summer events line-up with The Florentine and Ruffino. Every Wednesday at 6.30pm, a guest speaker joins our editor Helen Farrell in conversation. Guests include Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos on June 8, John Hooper on June 15, Frances Mayes on June 22, and Kim Campbell on June 29. See page 16 for more info. All events are free, though you’ll be fancying some wines and nibbles. Email hospitality@ruffino.it or call +39 378 3050220.
Storytellers Florence returned for their first event in two years on May 27, and is set to hold their next meet-up on June 30 at Palazzo San Niccolò (via di San Niccolò 79). Share personal stories (notes allowed!) between 5 and 10 minutes long in the casual, non-professional setting. Tickets cost 10 euro (they must be purchased in advance via Eventbrite) and include a glass of wine, beer, juice or sparkling water. See Facebook @storytellersflorence for more.
Tiche Atelier at via San Zanobi 122r hold zero-waste creative workshops accompanied by an aperitivo. From 6-8pm on June 7 and 2.30-4.30pm on June 12, learn how to create beautiful bouquets and ceramic-effect vases taking your creations home, in collaboration with Sonja of @funkybirdfirenze. Price 25 euro. info@ticheclothing.com.
Serre Torrigiani (via Gusciana 21) hold the second edition of ‘Appuntamenti Spensierati di Cultura’ from 7pm on June 1, with actors Marco Gambino, Maria Cassi and Riccardo Naldini reading texts by Voltaire, Claude Monet, Horace Walpole, Hermann Hesse and more, with cellist Michael Cotton. Free admission, donation requested for Busajo Onlus dedicated to education projects in Ethiopia. Reserve your place by emailing info@tristanamedia.com.
Oltrarno Gaze put together a pop-up photography exhibition titled Cameras Capture in collaboration with the Il Cupolone photography group, on display at Sotto al British (lungarno Guicciardini 115) from June 9-16. Featuring 13 women photographers, the works document the highlights of art production and artisanship created during the Oltrarno Gaze 2022 cultural programme.
St Mark’s English Church (via Maggio 16) gather their armchair drama group together at 7pm on June 9. At the same time on June 9, an evening with Elena Bellini will be held, owner of the Solo A Firenze gallery and The Florence Studio, featuring a pop-up art display. A choral Eucharist to mark the feast of Pentecost and to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee takes place at 10.30am on June 5, followed by refreshments. ‘Italian for Travellers’ is a new Italian language class designed for those travelling in Italy led by Laura Vinti, held from 7 to 8.30pm on June 6 and 8, with a cost of 15 euro per student per session, plus a small donation to the church. For more information, email events@stmarksitaly.com.
The Oblate Library holds the Ideeranti book club in English at 5pm on June 7, led by the Ideerranti Association once a month in the meeting room of the library, also streamed on Zoom. For info and reservations, contact info@ideerranti.it or bibliotecadelleoblate@comune.fi.it.
NYU Florence at Villa La Pietra (via Bolognese 120) hold the Sir Harold Acton Concert at 8.30pm on June 7 titled ‘Verdi, Spanish Theatre, and the Verdian Voice: Young singers from the Accademia Verdiana in Parma’, preceded by a pre-concert discussion with young singers, moderated by Francesco Izzo and Larry Wolff. At 5pm on June 8, an evening on Renaissance architecture and sculpture takes place with an expert panel. A film screening of The Fiddler of Florence, the 1926 silent movie by Paul Czinner partly filmed in the garden of Villa La Pietra will be shown at 9pm on June 20 on the terrace, with the original score performed by pianist Jörg Joachim Riehle. A three-person version of Macbeth is acted from 9pm on June 23 by the Continuum Company, while Molierè’s early work Dr. Cupid is adapted at 9pm on June 27. Finally, A Sweet Silence in Cremona is a one-act opera buffa by Roberto Scarcella Perino, performed at 9pm on June 29. Reservation required by emailing lapietra.reply@nyu.edu or calling 055 5007 210.