Description
At The Florentine, we’ve been choosing our favourite rooms out of the revamped Royal Apartments at the Pitti Palace. Jane likes the Queen’s Bedroom, Giacomo prefers the Green Room, while I have a penchant for Florence’s take on the Oval Office in these new presidential times. Pictured on this month’s cover, however, is the King’s Study, where we can envisage Umberto I of Savoy making unpopular pro-colonial military decisions at the writing desk once owned by Louise Elisabeth, Duchess of Parma. Whatever your preference or political leaning, revisiting the Appartamenti Reali is an absolute must this month and beyond. More on page 4.
February brings a panoply of dazzling events to get you out of the house this winter. Throughout the month, Black History Month Florence marks its tenth edition with insightful exhibitions about American writer, actor and art collector William Demby and Cameroonian artist George Zogo, among others. Gourmands can savour the very best of Italian food and Tuscan wines, including Taste (February 8-10) and the Chianti Classico and Chianti previews (February 18-19). Then there’s dance galore during international fair Danzainfiera (February 21-23) and the country’s publishing scene on full display during TESTO (February 28-March 2)—turn to pages 18 and 19 for an overview of Florence’s astonishing wealth of independent publishing houses. The urban cultural offering this month includes a display of Guido Cozzi’s detail-oriented photographs of Florentine artisan workshops in the winsome surroundings of Istituto de’ Bardi (page 16), the hard-hitting Senzatomica exhibition against nuclear weapons in the Refectory of Santa Maria Novella (page 13) and a creative show inspired by Antonio Meucci, next door to where the Florentine inventor of the telephone was born in via dei Serragli (page 14). In the perfect connection, Deirdre Pirro looks into Meucci’s life and legacy on page 31.
What makes Italy so appealing, generally speaking, in February is the carnival season, which is why we bring you a round-up of Tuscany’s favourite Carnevale locations in partnership with public bus service at – autolinee toscane – on page 11, while Chinese New Year in Prato is a big draw event as dragon and lion dances make way for the Year of the Snake (page 10).
Lauren Mouat makes her debut with new column Ink + Stone as the co-founder of the Florence Literary Society makes connections between Niccolò Machiavelli and the second chancery, the diplomat’s office within the Palazzo Vecchio (page 20). Annika Bereny shares her first impressions as an American student in Florence (page 9), Danielle Leite considers love across borders ahead of Valentine’s Day and we publish the first of our anonymous hook- up, dating and relationship stories (page 24).
Two special mentions…A special benvenuto goes to the Tauck family and their 700-plus employees as they celebrate the 100th anniversary of their global travel business in Florence from February 3 to 6. All the delegates will receive a complimentary copy of this month’s magazine as a guide to the city as they enjoy seeing the sights and give back to Florence through volunteering. Plus, we welcome representatives from Visit Monaco Convention Bureau for the networking event we’re organizing with Genius Eventi at Cibrèo Helvetia & Bristol on February 6.
