Here’s our round-up for the month of April, 2022.
April sees flora galore at the Firenze Flower Show, contemporary creativity during Preziosa Makers and Florence Jewellery Week, and the Florence Korea Film Fest brings famous stars to the city.
This edition marks 20 years of the noted Italian festival dedicated to the best of contemporary South Korean cinema. To celebrate the occasion, 80 films and documentaries, plus many movie stars come to Florence with a vast and varied programme exploring all facets of South Korean culture. The festival is launched by the Italian premiere of Heaven: To the Land of Happiness by director Im Sang-soo (who is attending the festival) and closed by Ryoo Seung-wan’s Escape from Mogadishu, a true story set during the civil war. Sections focus on digital comics designed to be read on smartphones, a new addition to the line-up given that one in three Koreans are said to regularly read webtoons. All fans of Netflix’ Squid Game will be excited to learn that both the protagonist and director will be present at a masterclass on April 9: Lee Jung-jae and Hwang Dong-hyuk are the special guests for this 20th edition of the festival.
28 April 2022 - 2 May 2022
The first edition of Preziosa Makers forms part of the programming for Florence Jewellery Week, launched by LAO Le Arti Orafe and Artigianato e Palazzo, held at the Scuderie of Palazzo Corsini al Prato, with free admission. The days dedicated to designers and artisans also takes place as part of Fuori MIDA International Handicraft Exhibition at Fortezza da Basso from April 23 to May 1. Many museums and galleries take part with exhibitions, meetings and events dedicated to contemporary jewellery, design and new technologies.
The renowned Italian artist was firmly rooted in Tuscany, yet closely connected to European artistic developments at the time: the Novecento Italiano artistic movement evolved around the figure of Margherita Sarfatti in the name of a “return to order”, to which Ghiglia gave his personal interpretation, creating many memorable works; 50 will be on display as part of this exhibition. Born and raised in Livorno, Oscar Ghiglia (1876-1945) chose Florence as the site of his artistic endeavours, particularly influenced by Giovanni Fattori and innovations from across the Alps, include the oeuvre of Cézanne.
The fourth edition of the floral affair brings together exceptional plants for the popular market exhibition. Roam through the dreamy gardens of the historic Palazzo Corsini al Prato and admire botanical rarities, with sections dedicated to workshops, furnishings, craftsmanship, food, wine and wellness always linked to the bounties of nature.
At the Cinema Odeon Firenze (piazza degli Strozzi), the highly anticipated Fantastic Beasts 3: The Secrets of Dumbledore arrives to the screen from April 13. Directed by David Yates, the third chapter of the Harry Potter prequel saga sees Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) embark on a new adventure to stop the dark wizard, Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen), shown in original language with Italian subtitles. Cinema La Compagnia (via Cavour 50) features a series of evenings on the topic of feminism until May, with the next installment titled Prendere parola per rifare il mondo on April 21. The 25hours Hotel (piazza San Paolino) screens free-entry films every Sunday at 6pm, with this month’s programming including Walk the Line on April 10, Dreamgirls on April 17 and The Big Lebowski on April 25.
The uniquely Florentine Scoppio del Carro (Explosion of the Cart) spectacle in front of the Duomo is the traditional celebration to mark Easter Sunday. Loaded with fireworks, the dove-shaped rocket symbolizing the Holy Spirit flies out of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore to ignite the cart, known as the Brindellone. Easter services at St. James’ Church (Episcopalian) take place at 11am on Palm Sunday (April 10), 7pm on Maundy Thursday (April 14), 12pm and 7pm on Good Friday (April 15), and 11am on Easter Sunday (April 17), with an Easter egg hunt in the garden at via Rucellai (055 294417). The Children’s Lending Library host their annual fundraiser Easter Egg decorating party in the undercroft of the St James’ church from 4-6pm on April 9. St Mark’s English Church (Anglican) have their Palm Sunday Choral Eucharist and ceremony at 10.30am on April 10, Maundy Thursday Choral Eucharist at 6.30pm on April 14, a Good Friday Concert on April 15, and Easter Sunday Choral Eucharist at 10.30am on April 17 (via Maggio 16). Information on services held at the Mosaico Church (Evangelical), with services in English and Italian at Spazio Alfieri, via dell’Ulivo 8. Santi Apostoli Roman Catholic Church (piazza del Limbo 1) will celebrate Good Friday (April 15), Holy Saturday (April 16) and Easter Sunday with some services in English.
The great romantic painter Giuseppe Bezzuoli (1784-1855) is at the centre of a display in the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti until June 5, exploring some of his most poignant works. The neoclassical painter studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, with many of his masterpieces homed in the city. Voices of Liberty: Allied Servicemembers of Italian Descent in WWII, curated by Matteo Pretelli and Francesco Fusi, launches on April 5 in the C.A. Ciampi exhibit hall at Palazzo del Pegaso on via de’ Pucci 16. On display until April 22, the bilingual show is free to visit. The NAM – Not A Museum space at Manifattura Tabacchi (B9, entrance by via delle Cascine 35) displays The Vernal Age of Miry Mirrors by Michele Gabriele, curated by Treti Galaxie, with free entry from April 7 to May 7. A series of sculptures dialogue with videos showing geometric landscapes and dreamlike environments, with abstraction and figuration used as tools to trigger and confuse mental mechanisms.
A Welcome Day for students will be held in the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio at 5.30pm on April 5. Study abroad students will be invited to celebrate their new community in Florence, with Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella, Consul General of the United States of America Ragini Gupta, and the president of AACUPI, Fabrizio Ricciardelli, in attendance.
The Oltrarno Gaze 2022 exhibition and events series hosts an exhibition titled Portrait Dialogues with works by painters Sam Bordley, Lydia Chapman and Emily Rogers on display at La Colonica del Palermino (via del Palmerino 6) until April 22. Springtime walks at Il Palmerino, Where Garden Paths Lead to Paintings, are led by art historian Monica Shenouda on April 2 and 3, in Italian and/or English, exploring the “English Colony” connection to the estate that was home to British writer Vernon Lee. At 6pm on April 21, a virtual visit to three bottegas will be streamed online by Creative People in Florence, with founders Sara Amrhein and Anna Rose leading the live-streamed tour. From 10am to 12pm on April 30, SOTTO al British (lungarno Guicciardini 15) will be the site of a handmade paper workshop curated by Creative People in Florence (email sotto@britishinstitute.it).
The British Institute of Florence hold their Wednesday lecture series at the Harold Acton Library (lungarno Guicciardini 9) both in person and online via Zoom at 6pm. Henry James and John Singer Sargent in Florence will be the subject of Mark Roberts’ talk on April 6, with Lynn Catterson giving a lecture titled Stefano Bardini, Wilhelm Bode & the Madonna Pazzi Puzzle on April 13. Lapo Mazzei speaks about I Mazzei: a great winemaking tradition on April 20 following by wine tasting, and Jeremy Boudreau lectures on Bunkered, buried, bricked and bandaged: Florentine art during the liberation of Italy on April 27. Meet the author Charmaine Wilkerson at 6pm on April 5, as she discusses her novel Black Cake. Finally, Thomas Kelly gives a piano recital at 6.30pm on April 21. See www.britishinstitute.it for more details.
The SOTTO al British space on the ground floor of the Harold Acton Library (lungarno Guicciardini 15) inaugurates the new space dedicated to contemporary creativity at 7.30pm on April 2 with a musical and artistic experience titled Undon3 by the musician and sound engineer Nicola Pedroni, and illustrator Federico Bria, in partnership with ON.irica. At 6pm on April 4 and 11, Tom Byrne leads life drawing sessions followed by wine refreshments. The Talk Tuesdays series kicks off at 6pm on April 5 with Martina Bartolozzi (@mementomartina) in conversation with Marisa Garreffa on the topic of influencing Florence, with Michelle Davis and Antonio Putrino Gallo on April 12. Patti de Rosa and Lauren Mouat look at Dating Florence on April 26. Lori Hetherington organizes a brainstorming for writers at 8pm on April 11 and Marisa Garreffa and Lauren Mouat host a Placehold Open Mic Night from 8.30-10.30pm on April 20. Lauren Mouat then launches the new edition of The Open Doors Review at 6pm on April 27. Entrance prices and more info can be found via the events section of www.britishinstitute.it or contact sotto@britishinstitute.it.
Alice & Co. (first floor of Palazzo Pucci on via de Pucci 4) hold workshops in both English and Italian as well as a book club in English. This month, Costanza Ciattini leads a collage course called Lo strano racconta, and Elena Borghi hosts Carta che ti passa dedicated to kirigami, while Di-Segno looks at the basics of design. Facebook @alicestorytellerfirenze, Instagram @alice_storyteller and website www.alicestoryteller.it.
St Mark’s English Church (via Maggio 16 / www.stmarksitaly.com) get people chatting at their Language Café at 7pm on April 7. An evening with Deirdre Pirro to discuss her latest book, Royals in Florence, published by The Florentine Press, will be held at 7pm on April 21. At 8.30pm on April 19 and 26, there will be performances of music from the Florentine Renaissance for voice, lute and harpsichord.
Female Arts in Florence hold yin yoga with live music at 8pm on April 6, porcelain jewellery from 3.30 to 6pm on April 9, a book presentation of June Rose Yadana Bellamy’s autobiography on April 21, a calligraphy course on April 30, and chakra dance on April 30. All events take place at the FAF space in borgo San Frediano 131. Get in touch at gruppofaf@gmail.com or see the @fafcraftwomen Facebook page and @femaleartsinflorence on Instagram.
Speakeasy Multilingual visit several contemporary art galleries in the Oltrarno with the April Art Crawl from 6-9pm April 9, accompanied by wine, beer and snacks. A self-defense seminar is organized for 7.30-9pm on April 11. Both events are free for members, 10 euro for non-members. See the Facebook (@speakeasymultilingual) and website (www.speakeasymultilingual.com).
