Florence News & Events October 2014 by FLORENCENEWSEVENTS

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Italian Fashion Returns to the ‘70s

Restoration on Da Vinci’s Magi Continues

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WineFest Cork pops on the wine season LUCY DAVID The Tuscan wine harvest is underway, and wine-makers are optimistic that the 2014 yield will prove fruitful after all, despite predictions that it would be the worst in more than 60 years. It appears that Bacchus has been heeding wine-makers’ appeals for an improvement in weather conditions after a damp and rainy year

gave rise to fungal growth on the vines but wine lovers will be able to make up their own minds when the season’s first pickings hit the market in early November as vino novello. Originally used to gauge the maturation process shortly after harvest, vino novello (“new wine”) entered the Italian market in 1999 and is now produced as a wine in its own right. Known as la vendemmia, the grape

PICASSO AND SPANISH MODERNITY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

harvest traditionally takes place during September and October, and in Tuscany dates back to the Etruscan era more than 2500 years ago. While Romans experimented with wine production – exposing containers to heat or smoke, adding seawater to increase sweetness, and tossing flavors into the mix ranging from violets to cedar – today the harvest is highly regulated. Indeed, the recent seizure

of 160,000 liters of fake Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino in Siena amounting to €1 million in market value indicates the stringent measures in place, which recently saw Regione Toscana permit the use of concentrated grape must in the production of 2014 wine to address the anticipated shortfall brought on by the weather. Unfortunately there are no such provisions for la raccolta

GALLERIE IN-CONTEMPORANEA CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

or the olive harvest; an insect-borne bacterium xylella fastidiosa has blighted 23,000 hectares of olive trees in the south of Italy and forced Tuscan growers to abandon their 2014 crop. Despite this, autumn festivities continue, with Italy’s flagship wine event, Merano WineFestival, drawing more than 500 wine-makers from around the world for four days of industrious wine-tasting from November 7–10.

EUROCHOCOLATE OCTOBER 17-26 CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

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FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

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Picasso and Spanish Modernity

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The much-anticipated Picasso and Spanish Modernity exhibit is due to arrive at the Palazzo Strozzi on September 20. With 90 of the great master’s works on display, this exhibition celebrates Pablo Picasso’s career and the profound influence he had on other 20th-century artists in Spain, including Joan Miro, Salvador Dalí, Juan Gris, Marie Blanchard and Julio González. The exhibit is divided into nine sections, taking visitors on an artistic journey covering the period from 1910 through 1963. The range of works on display consist of paintings, drawings, sculptures, engravings, and a film by José Val del Omar. Coming from a collection at Madrid’s Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, many of the works on display have never been shown outside of Picasso’s homeland. The exhibition features a variety of famous works including: Woman’s Head (1910), Portrait of Dora Maar (1939) and The Painter and the Model (1963) by Picasso, Miró’s Siurana, the Path (1917) and Figure and Bird in the Night (1945) and Dalí’s Arlequin (1927). The sixth and seventh sections form the highlight of the exhibition, comprising a selection of preparatory

Flowers on Display

The Pergamene Fiorite exhibit is run- to wild plants and are usually porning until December 14 at the Still Life trayed in grand bouquets, sometimes Museum in Poggio a Caiano is show- accompanied by fruit or poultry. ing a series of floral paintings which As a result of extensive research date from the early seventeenth cen- carried out by Paolo Luzzi from the tury to early eighteenth century. Botanical Garden of Florence, there The paintings were all done on parch- are images explaining the different ment, or ‘sheep paper’ as the mate- species of flower alongside each of rial was traditionally called. As well the works. Due to the need for propas achieving artistic precision, these er preservation, many of the scrolls parchments boast a texture and den- on show have been held in museums sity which could not have been pre- and, until now, never been exposed served using ordinary paper. to the public. Ancient parchments were used to One of the most important miniature represent not only still life, but also painters of the seventeenth century, landscapes, portraits and religious Florentine Giovanna Garzoni helped figures. In the sixteenth-century, Flo- create the analytical method of obdrawings of the famous Guernica rentine artists began to adopt this serving natural species through art. (1937). In these sections, the visitor artistic style and it became apparent may extract a greater understanding Pergamene Fiorite in the Medici inventories. Their floral of the symbolism behind Picasso’s scrolls, displayed in the exhibition, The Still Life Museum, work and reflect on the artistic jourare painted onto miniature squares Poggio a Caiano ney which led him towards one of his Until December 14 with such detail that it is possible to most celebrated masterpieces. Every day from 9 a.m.-5p.m. depict the species of each plant. The With his experimental style and inFree entrance flowers range from cultivated species novative approach to art, Picasso produced a range of radical works which are found in the Variations section. Another theme explored in the exhibition is that of Surrealism, an artistic form to which Picasso and Dali made great contributions. The relationship th th between nature and culture is also demonstrated in one of the sections, The The Pure, Simple and Natural in Art affection, the evidence of everyday through the works of Alberto Sán- in Florence Between the 16-17th Centu- objects, and the noble simplicity of chez, Óscar Domínguez, and Eduar- ries is running until the beginning of holy events. The exhibit offers the opthe November at the Uffizi. Primarily portunity to undermine the cliché of do Chillida. dedicated to painters Andrea del Sar- a very conservative Florentine civic to and Santi di Tito, the exhibit dis- culture, revealing semantic changes Picasso and Spanish plays approximately 80 works of art and shedding light on the “novelty of Modernity and 35 artists and explores the iden- tradition.” tity of Florentine art through a rich Sept. 20 - Jan. 25, 2015 The Pure, Simple and cross-reference of painting and sculpPalazzo Strozzi ture. Alongside Andrea del Sarto and Natural 055 264 51 55 Santi di Tito, works by painters such Reservations : Sigma CSC Art in Florence between as Della Robbia, Sansovino, FranMon. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.; XVI and XVII Century ciabigio, Bugiardini and Sogliani are 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Until November 2 also showcased. A portion of the exTickets €10; €8.50 reduced Uffizi Gallery hibit features a comparison centered prenotazioni@palazzostrozzi.org Tickets €11; €5.50 reduced upon three themes: expressions of

The Pure, Simple and Natural Exhibit showcases Florentine art from the 16 and 17 centuries

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FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

Restoration of Magi Continues On September 23, the first phase of the restoration of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Adoration of the Magi was unveiled at a press conference at the Uffizi Gallery. The work, which was made possible by a €170,000 donation by the Friends of the Uffizi Association, began in November 2011. “Two years have passed since the start of restoration, long and extremely delicate operation that the Opificio Delle Pietra Dure of Florence is conducting with the utmost professionalism and expertise that led him to be one of the points of reference for the restoration to the world,” said Maria Vittoria Rimbotti, President of the Friends of the Uffizi. “From its beginnings the Friends of the Uffizi were close to this intervention. In 2012, to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of our founding, we have incurred the cost of diagnostic tests. There seemed therefore only right that the Association, of which I have the honor to preside, to continue to fund the continuation of work.” The Opificio has spent much of its initial time with the painting running diagnostic tests on the wood frame

and paint surface of Da Vinci’s work. It has now moved onto the actual restoration of the painting, which workers anticipate will be finished by next summer. “We now see clearly and irrefutably that the cleaning operation, by means of a slight, gradual and differentiated thinning of the various materials superimposed over the centuries by various maintainers and restorers of the galleries on the surface, it was absolutely proper and technically possible,” said the Superintendent Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Marco Ciatti. The plan is to return the painting to the its place in the Uffizi by the end of 2015. When the restoration is complete, there is a hope that the work will bring a whole new level of beauty to it. “What the cleanup is proving, in the parts where it is now accomplished, allows to appreciate what before could only guess by reading the infrared reports,” said the Director of the Uffizi Gallery, Antonio Natali. “And so our aspiration is even more concrete to make the museum a place of education rather than wonder.”

NEWS

Accademia Most Visited Museum in Italy

The most-adored museum in Italy. nowned travel website, as being ItaThe second-best cultural attraction ly’s number one treasure and one of in Europe. And the fifth most popu- the top top ten Traveler’s Choice Mular museum in the world. Florence’s seum Attractions 2014. Accademia Gallery charms millions The Accademia gallery beat its Floof travellers across the globe, arriving rentine rival the Uffizi on Trip Advisor in their numbers each year to marvel charts, as well as the Vatican Museat Michelangelo’s statue of David and um and the Peggy Guggenheim Colother masterpieces. lection. Spokeswoman for TripAdviNow the museum has been rec- sor Italy Valentina Four said, “Some ognised on Trip Advisor, the re- of the most important cultural insti-

tutions in the world are represented in the Travelers’ Choice Museums, thanks to feedback shared by millions of international travelers. These top attractions, which include some of the best works of art, scientific discoveries and historical events in the world, offer educational experiences and add value to travelling.” The Travelers’ Choice awards recognize the top travel spots worldwide, based on millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travelers. The winners were determined using an algorithm that considered both the quantity and quality of museum reviews over the last 12 months. Gaining fifth place in the world rankings (won by the Art Institute of Chicago) is a great achievement for the Florentine museum. In the European chart, the Accademia was second only to the Winter Palace and Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. Florence also tied with Turin as the most prize-winning city in Italy, with three museums hitting the ranks: the Accademia, the Uffizi and the Bargello.

Hailstorm Forces Museum Closures On September 19, inclement weather ed major damage. forced several museums to close amid The Uffizi Gallery was able to reopen fears of damage to some of the art as the next day. Palzzo Pitti, the former well as the buildings themselves. estate of the Medici, received some The massive hail storm caused flood- damage to its facade, mostly to wining, knocking down trees and created dows, which was quickly repaired fears of damage to the monuments allowing the public to return the muof the city. The storm forced the Pitti seums. Palace, Uffizi Gallery, the Museum of The palace’s Boboli Gardens susSan Marco, and the Boboli Gardens to tained damage from several fallen close. Fortunately, monuments avoid- trees and plans to reopen October 4.

The Museum of San Marco remained closed following the storm for restorations due to a fallen ancient cedar tree in the St. Anthony cloister. In addition, a couple works by Fra Angelico will need extensive restoration. Lesser damage was sustained by other monuments that have mostly since reopened. The city estimates that overall €1.5 million in damage was caused.

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FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

NEWS

Bargello Appoints New Director

Art historian Ilaria Ciseri became the new director of the Bargello National Museum last month, replacing Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi. Ciseri started work at the museum in April 2009 and was appointed deputy manager a year later. Her career began when she graduated from the University of Florence with a History of Art honors, before going on to write a monographic thesis on Archaeology and Art History in the 1800s at the University of Siena. From January 2000 until March 2002, Ciseri became the official art superintendent for the Artistic and Historical Heritage of Venice.

Exhibit Reveals Alfredo Serri’s Intimate Universe

less took a discreet artistic route, selling artworks to the American market through the limited number of galleries he aligned himself with, and hosting few exhibitions. The Universe Composes Itself in Silence is a tribute to Serri’s quiet study of the initimate sphere, largely produced from his Florentine studio in Via Guelfa. Open to the public free of charge with a preview on Wednesday, October 24 at 5 p.m., the exhibition is curated by Stefano De Rosa and hosted by Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze in Florence in collaboration with Galleria Open Art of Prato.

After a brief period of deputy manager at l’Opificio delle Pietre Dure di Firenze (Florence’s Semiprecious Stone Factory), Cesari joined the managerial staff for artistic heritage of the provinces of Florence Pistoia and Prato. There, she was the official art historian responsible for protecting many works of art, as well as director of the National Museum of Giustìs House in Monsummano Terme. Throughout her long, successful career, the art historian has participated in numerous conferences, lectured at several universities and written approximately eighty scientific publications.

Sponsors Wanted for Art in Expo 2015 In the hope of creating an exhibition Florentine artisans Giambologna and for the Expo 2015, the directorate of Pietro Tacca created sugar-coated the Palatine Gallery is looking for masterpieces including sculptures sponsorship. of folded napkins and the precious ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’ is Medici vessels which were proudly on the theme of the universal exhibition display. which Milan will be hosting next year. By supporting the project, sponsors Florence hopes to mark the occasion have the opportunity to be linked to with a sweet event that would depict, a large, cultural event which will be in the form of sugar sculptures, the closely linked to the issues of food wedding of Maria de ’Medici to Henry and nutrition explored at the Expo IV of France. 2015. If the museum succeeds in finding Cristina Acidini, superintendent of a sponsor for the event, it would be the Polo Museale Fiorentino (State held in the Sala di Bona in Palazzo Museums in Florence) said, “We Pitti from 10 March to 14 June 2015. are confident that this initiative, in The exhibition would reenact the keeping with the theme of the Expo wedding banquet which took place Milan, will find sponsors to assist it.” at Palazzo Vecchio on the evening of The exhibition also hopes to attract a October 5, 1600. high influx of tourists to Palazzo Pitti For this special occasion, the great during the spring months.

The Universe Composes Itself in Silence: Alfredo Serri

The first exhibition dedicated to Alfre- Serri was an active member of the do Serri, The Universe Composes Itself “Modern Painters of Reality” movein Silence: Alfredo Serri, opens on Oc- ment, which presented exhibitions tober 25. to the public gaze for judgement beEighty of the artist’s works are on dis- tween 1947 and 1949, and published play, showcasing Serri’s intuitive use a journal in Florence entitled Arte in of light and shade in his study of still 1949. Renowned for his masterful use life and human form. of illusory techniques, Serri neverthe-

Oct 25 – Jan 18 Exhibition space, Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze Via Bufalini, 6 Mon–Fri: 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Sat & Sun: 10 a.m.–1 p.m.; 3–7 p.m. Free entrance 055 53 84 001 www.entecarifirenze.it

A Spectrum of Paul Jenkins on Display This autumn, the Museo di Pittura Murale in San Domenico and Galleria Open Art in Prato showcase American artist Paul Jenkins’ life-long adoration of Italy with the exhibition The Spectrum of Light. Widely considered an influential figure in twentieth-century art, Jenkins sought expression through the merging and alignment of color. Two years after his death in 2012, Jenkins’ legacy is celebrated with 70 of his works on canvas and paper inspired

by Pompeii, Goya, Vermeer, Bellini, Rembrandt, Velazquez, and studies by Moreau. The exhibition ties New York, France and Italy together through artworks rich in color and movement, revealing surprising facets of Jenkins’ early work and his relationships with Rothko, Pollock and Martha Jackson. The Spectrum of Light is held in Piazza San Domenico, 8 and Viale della Repubblica, 24, Prato and runs until November 30.

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

Sacred Splendour

Art and Politics

Presenting the Electress Palatine and the Final Season of the Medici Patronage An exhibition dedicated to the many contributions to art and politics that Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, Electress Palatine, made following the death of the last Medici Grand Duke Gian Gastone is on at the Museum of Medici Chapels until November 2. The show is divided into four different sections, beginning with the Electress’s early years through to her death in 1743. Firstly, the show explores her education at the Medici Villa of Poggio Imperiale with her brothers, uncle, and grandmother, in a section called Childhood and the Adolescent Years. The exhibit then moves on to Anna Maria Luisa’s life in Germany upon her marriage to the Elector Palatine of the Rhien, Johann Wilhelm, in 1691. The third section covers the signif-

icant period in which the Electress returned to Florence following the death of her brother Gian Gastone. Art and Politics concludes with a section dedicated to Anna Maria Luisa’s death, with a display of various engravings and publications which mark the event, as well as a three-dimensional cast of her head.

Art and Politics Museum of Medici Chapels Until November 2, 2014 8:15 a.m. - 4:50 p.m. Closed on the 2nd and 4th Sunday and 1st, 3rd and 5th Monday of each month 055 294 883 Tickets: €8; €4 reduced uffizi.firenze.it

Certosa Monastery Vandalized with Graffiti Vandals have smeared the walls of the Florence Charterhouse with writing in yellow-green paint rising up to four meters high. Coordinators of Fratelli d’Italia Giovanni Donzelli and Francesco Torselli posted photos on social media which reveal the large writing on the monastery walls, and said that they hope the vandals receive exemplary punishment. They also said that security should use surveillance cameras in the area to track down those responsible for the damage and denounce them. Donzelli and Torselli added that this incident comes in the midst of several attacks to Florentine monuments,

showing a serious lack of respect for the city’s rich cultural heritage. They recalled similar episodes of vandalism earlier this year which took place at Piazza Savonarola and Piazza Goldoni. The Charterhouse, which lies on the summit of a hill in the suburb of Galluzzo, was built in 1341 as a religious and educational center. It soon became one of Europe’s most powerful monasteries and, since it received numerous donations, exhibited 500 works of art. The historical site is made up of various buildings including a church, chapter house, sacristy, refectory, cloisters and dwellings in which the monks used to live.

Treasure of the “Chapel of Relics” on display at Pitti Palace Maddalena and Cosimo III, including works from expert sculptures and master goldsmiths such as Massimiliano Soldani Benzi, Cosimo Merlini the Younger and Giuseppe Antonio Torricelli. The inventory of the “Chapel of the Relics” was first broken up in 1785, when grand duke Pietro Leopoldo of Lorraine took a large number of the relics that to enrich the collections of the Regia Galleria degli Uffizi. After that, many of the remaining treasures were donated to the likes of Antonio Martini, who was the archbishop of Florence, to distribute amongst churches and parishes. Sacred Splendour reconstructs the into the prestige, power and profound After extensive research and archiving, many of these reliquaries treasure of The Chapel of Relics, built devotion of the grand-ducal family. during a solemn ceremony in 1616.. Paintings from the early Baroque pe- have been recovered and returned to The exhibit showcases a collection riod, including works from Giovanni Palazzo Pitti for this exhibition. of surviving reliquaries that Maria Bilivert and Filippo Tarchiani among Sacred Splendour Maddalena of Austria, Grand Duchess others, were used to decorate some of Until November 2, 2014 of Tuscany, housed within the chapel, the cabinets found within the chapel. Museo degli Argenti, Palazzo Pitti as well as more than 400 important These cabinets, which also contained Opening hours: works collected by Maria Maddalena special cases for sacred remains and Every day except first and last and enriched by the grand duchess rare artefacts, will be on display at SaMonday of the month. Vittoria della Rovere and her son the cred Splendour. Tickets €10; reduced €5 grand duke Cosimo III. In addition, the exhibition presents a www.uffizi.firenze.it The pieces on display provide insight selection of cases commissioned by

Picasso on the Move One of Picasso’s largest paintings is hosting power-lunches for presidents being moved from the Four Seasons and royalty, from Bill Clinton to Lady Restaurant in the Seagram Building, Diana. where it has been held since 1959. Fol- The proposal to move the curtain lowing a great deal of legal dispute, came after the building owner anLe Tricorne is being relocated to the nounced the need to restore the wall New York Historical Society Museum behind it. However, preservationists and Library. disapprove of the final decision to The painted stage curtain has long make the transferal as they believe been a symbol of the Four Seasons that the work could get damaged in restaurant, which is renowned for the process.

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FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

Realizing Leonardo’s Projects Exhibit showcases working models of Leonardo da Vinci’s designs

LUCY DAVID A family of Florentine craftsmen has discovered previously unknown theorems hidden in Leonardo’s mechanical designs, shedding light on the full scope of his genius. Carlo Niccolai and his son Gabriele have spent decades constructing working models of Leonardo’s inventions through close study of his famous codices. In collaboration with a team of specialists, the Niccolai family re-creates the designs using materials such as wood, rope, fabric and metal that date back to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The rigor of practical and mechanical tests carried out on each model has given rise to a number of insights into Leonardo’s approach and surprisingly modern grasp of technology, such

as his famous ‘robot’, which was originally believed to have been designed as an armored robotic knight. However, during laboratory tests the robot was discovered to be limited in its upper body movement and instead possess flexible wrists adapted to drumming, and is now believed to have been designed for use in parades and ceremonies. In his studies for a European Commission-sponsored exhibition of the machines in Brussels earlier this year, Gabriele Niccolai noted how Leonardo appears to have deliberately scattered the mechanical components required to create his inventions over several different pages of his codices, allowing artisans to create individual elements but preventing their understanding of the machine as a whole. This may be due in part to the fact

that Leonardo’s codices have been split up and reassembled over the years – sculptor Pompeo Leoni took the liberty of cutting and dividing several of the codices into scientific and artistic categories in the seventeenth century – however such a practice would have also safeguarded his inventions during times of war. Leonardo’s catapult design in the Atlantic Codex is rendered useless without details of its ballistic adjustments, which are found in a different part of the codex as a series of self-locking mechanisms. A deeper understanding of Leonardo’s codices has revealed that many of his technological innovations rested upon those of his engineering predecessors, such as Brunelleschi, Vitruvius, Heron of Alexandria and Archimedes of Syracuse, which Leon-

ardo adapted to his own context. His Leonardo left to science. Professor modification of a mechanism based Carlo Pedretti, director of the Aron a description found in Herodotus mand Hammer Center for Leonardo and believed to have been used for Studies at the University of California, building the pyramids surpassed all says, “Carlo Niccolai is an admirable expectations when Niccolai created figure, a talented craftsman who has its working model in 2011: a 300kg developed his own way in studying concrete block was so reduced in the technological level reached by weight that a six-year-old child was Leonardo da Vinci. Moreover, he is able to lift it. a person gifted with great simplicity The Niccolai family has been recon- and humility. His work is importstructing working models of Leonar- ant to scholars because it helps our do’s designs since 1995, when Carlo theories and contributes to study inNiccolai dedicated himself to the depth Leonardo’s machines and all work full-time in a desire to realise the technological discoveries made at Leonardo’s legacy. His passion found- that time.” ed the Niccolai Collection, the largest Indeed, as Bill Gates’ $30 million private collection of Leonardo mod- purchase of the Leicester Codex indiels in the world, comprising more cates, we have much to be grateful to than 250 working models created by Leonardo for: next time your car gets himself and his sons, together with a a flat tire, you can thank Leonardo for team of artisans, engineers, histori- inventing the jack. ans and architects. Leonardo da Vinci invented or The models have been displayed at modified several of the technomore than 100 international exhibilogical designs we associate with tions throughout Europe and as far the twentieth century. Leonardo’s afield as Australia, New Zealand, Chidesigns on display include the aerial na, the US, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and screw (used in today’s helicopters), Finland. More than 50 working modhuman robot, hydraulic drill, scuels are on permanent display at The ba-diving apparatus, hang glider, Machines of Leonardo da Vinci exhibit tank, missiles, bicycle, floodlight, at Galleria Michelangiolo in Via Califebuoy and jack. vour. Here visitors have the chance to not only observe but also interact The Machines of with various prototypes, such as the aerial screw used in today’s heLeonardo da Vinci licopters, alongside a scuba-diving Michelangiolo Gallery apparatus, glider, bicycle, tank and Via Cavour, 21 missiles; and view reconstructions of Open daily: 9:30 a.m – 7:30 p.m. Leonardo’s studies of anatomy. The Cost: €7 (full price); €5 (reduced); €3 (groups of 15 or more). exhibit also displays copies of six coEntrance, snack and drink dices, in which the visitor can view promotion: €8 the sketches that reveal the workings (between 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.). of the great man’s mind. 055 295 264 The Niccolai family has been widely info@macchinedileonardo.com praised for its ongoing devotion to www.macchinedileonardo.com realising the vast inheritance that

INSIDE THE MICHELANGIOLO GALLERY, VIA CAVOUR, 21 www.macchinedileonardo.com

12x12 Gallerie In-Contemporanea The National Association of Modern and Contemporary Art Galleries hosts a 12-hour art event on Saturday, October 18 that runs from 12 p.m. until 12 a.m. and extends across 11 galleries in Florence and Prato. 12x12 Gallerie In-Contemporanea is dedicated to sharing modern and contemporary art for a day by offering art lovers and collectors the chance to visit the diverse exhibitions showcased by each gallery.

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25.09 30.12 2014

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Eduardo Secci Contemporary RICHARD DUPONT _ SELFIE www.eduardosecci.com

Armanda Gori Arte UOMINI E COSE www.armandagoriarte.com

Galleria Frediano Farsetti UMANI NON UMANI CLAUDIO ABATE/CARMELO BENE/ MARIO SCHIFANO www.galleriafredianofarsetti.it

Il Ponte RODOLFO ARICÒ GERMINATION OF AN IDEA 1964-1972 www.galleriailponte.com

Galleria Alessandro Bagnai VITTORIO CORSINI: REACHING THE LANDSCAPE www.galleriabagnai.it

Santo Ficara ALESSANDRO MENDINI FRANCESCO CABERLON STILEMI MODERNI www.santoficara.it

Frittelli Arte Contemporanea NANNI BALESTRINI FUORI TUTTO www.frittelliarte.it

Tornabuoni Arte ESPRESSIONI CONTEMPORANEE www.tornabuoniarte.it

Galleria Poggiali e Forconi LUIGI GHIRRI L’IMMAGINE IMPOSSIBILE www.poggialieforconi.it

Galleria d’Arte Mentana CONFRONTO ASTRATTISMO-REALISMO www.galleriamentana.it

OpenArt PAUL JENKINS – THE SPECTRUM OF LIGHT www.openart.it

GALLERY@EDUARDOSECCI.COM WWW.EDUARDOSECCI.COM

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Galleria Poggiali e Forconi Project Room DANILO BUCCHI -MONOCHROME www.poggialieforconi.it

October 18 From 12 p.m-12 a.m

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

NEWS

City Addresses Alcohol Abuse Mayor Dario Nardella recently introduced a new measure to put a stop to excessive alcohol consumption in Florence. Several bars have signed onto the programme in an attempt to reduce disruption to local residents and control the binge-drinking culture. The act is just one of Nardella’s plans to combat the current problem. The council has also banned the advertisement of alcohol promotions such as student discounts, the sale of takeaway alcohol and glass bottles from 22.00 to 6.00 in the center and at ca-

Celebrity Fight Night Raises One Million Dollars

sinos, the promotion of organized alcohol tours and the possession of alcohol in Casino parks. The resolution was enforced on September 19 and any locals found to violate the new rules will be charged with fines of up to €1000. However, Nardella said that the new law is not intended to prevent people from having fun but rather aims to ensure that it is done in a respectful manner. He pointed out that the new regulations are directed principally at convenience stores which have been promoting alcohol abuse for years.

New Stadium Project Revealed

Mayor Dario Nardella recently unveiled a proposal to the City Council detailing the preliminary plans of a new stadium. The first rendering was

complered by Fiorentina technicians who have been working secretly for months. The project is expected to have 40,000 seats and cost a total of €305 million. The stadium will spread across 50 acres and take up most of the area of the large Mercafir farmer’s market. This would be the second time the market was demolished and rebuilt in another area of the city. Where to move the Mercafir is a fundamental question facing the operation as it is one of the more prosperous and important in Florence. An ongoing negotiation with insurance giant Unipol had focused on finding a viable new location. “Let us not miss this opporunity. The technicians are doing and will continue to do the utmost to ensure that all the rules of construction are strictly followed,” said Nardella.

A grand total of almost one million dollars was raised at the Celebrity Fight night’s charity auction, which took place in the Salone dei Cinquecento at Palazzo Vecchio last month. Some of the top auction items included a De Grisogono watch which went for $80,000, a one-of-a-kind Fau-

Although the annual event has never left the States before, one hundred A-listers landed on Tuscan ground for this year’s grand tour, including George Clooney and his fiancé Amal Alamuddin, John Legend and Lionel Richie. Spread over five days, the fund-raising spectacular featured receptions, museum trips, a red carpet in Piazza della Signoria and, the highlight of the event, a gala at Palazzo Vecchio with the charity auction. Andrea Bocelli, who was in fact responsible for bringing the event to Italy, gave a special performance at the gala, accompanied by the Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale and directed bourg IT bag by Ermanno Scervino by the master Zubin Mehta. Among for $30,000 and a Formula One ride Italian guests were the mayor of Florfor $25,000. ence Dario Nardella, singer Laura Stars from all over the globe arrived Pausiniand the wives of Pavarotti, in Florence to participate in the char- Bocelli and Renzi, many of whom ity event which raises money for the wore Ermanno Scervino items. Lionel Andrea Bocelli Foundation and the Richie also sang his famous hit All Muhammad Ali Parkinson Centre. Night Long.

Fake Brunello Seized

The Finance Police has seized more than 160,000 liters of wine, amounting to over 220,000 bottles of fake Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino. A consultant working for two of Italy’s most prestigious wine companies used fraudulent labels to sell poor-quality wine at a false value which totalled approximately 1 million euro. Investigations by the Consortium reveal that the scam took place between 2011 and 2013, in which time the companies made an illegal profit of almost four million euros. The professional has been sued on a number

of accounts, including: commercial fraud, embezzlement, false labelling and unauthorized access to computer systems. If the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium had not discovered the hoax, the fraudster would have continued to dominate the wine production system by obtaining, together with his unlawful accomplices, original documentation to certify the DOCG wine status (‘Controlled and guaranteed denomination of origin’) and passing it off as as authentic. In addition to false labelling, the consultant is also accused of submitting false infor-

mation regarding the grape harvest, stock value and the amount of wine sold on draught. He also tried to hack into the home banking accounts of two producers in an attempt to transfer approximately 350,000 euros into his own account. The investigating judge has forbidden him to reside in Montalcino whilst his bank accounts have been seized. Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino are both red wines produced in a town near Siena. Brunello di Montalcino was in fact the first wine to achieve the DOCG status in 1980 and is one of the most expensive brands in Italy.

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FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

Italy Faces Worsening of Recession The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have released concerning statistics regarding the Italian economy, as the country is now the only Group of 7 member in recession. The OECD predicted an expansion of 0.5% in Italy this year and 1.1% in 2015. However, actual results fell short of both expectations, with a loss of 0.4% this year followed by a predicted shrinking of 0.1% next year. Despite having the third-largest economy in the eurozone, Italy slipped back into recession earlier this year and, in August, fell back into deflation for the first time since 1959. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has announced various policies, including a programme of tax cuts, investment improvements and labour markets reforms, in an attempt to revive the economy. Across the eurozone, it is predicted that gross domestic product (GDP) will expand by just 0.8%, less than the original forecast of a 1.2% growth

in spring. As Germany and France have also produced disappointing economic results this year, the OECD has encouraged the European Union to boost the economy by using more flexible budget rules. The agency said, “Continued slow growth in the euro area is the most worrying feature of the projections.” For the remainder of this year, forecasts predict a 1.5% growth in Germany and a mere 0.4% in France. In 2015, Germany is expected to expand again by 1.5% while France will reach 1.0%. If these predictions are correct, the average growth in the eurozone will only be 1.1%, compared to a large expansion of 3.1% that is expected in the United States. Italian president of the European central Bank (ECB) Mario Draghi said that significant structural reforms are imperative for European governments. He urged the EU to be more flexible with their budget rules in order to aid economic recovery, echoing the suggestions made by Rezni and the OECD.

A series of cultural events, including over 200 concerts, plays and art exhibitions, were launched in Milan last month to celebrate Italy’s semester in the European Union presidency which commenced July 1. Last month, the Mayor of Milan Giuliano Pisapia announced the inauguration of the programme which aims to highlight particular artists who have made important contributions to European identity. The series opened with an exhibition at the Palazzo Reale on September 17, showcasing 220 works by the early modernist painter Marc Chagall. In addition to his early modern paintings, Chagall received fame for his stained glass windows at the United Nations headquarters in New York and at the two French cathedrals: The Rheims and the Metz. Also at the Palazzo Reale last month,

were two exhibitions devoted to 19th-century painters Giovanni Segantini and Van Gogh. The latter show, entitled Man and the Earth, explored the Dutch master’s passion for landscape and nature through the presentation of drawings and oil canvases. This month, the Novecento Museum will continue the programme with an exhibition that investigates the relationship between painters Yves Klein (1928-1962) and Lucio Fontana (18991968), who helped ignite the Spatialist movement. Klein was a monochrome painter and leading member of the French artistic movement of New Realism, whilst Fontana was famous for his sculptures and paintings. The first of several theatrical performances will begin on December 7 at La Scala, where Daniel Barenboim

will be directing Beethoven’s Fidelio. Other venues taking part in the programme include the Piccolo Theatre, which will put on a grand total of 25 shows for the event, and the Franco Parenti, which is hosting a show devoted to Leonardo Da Vinci. This series of events is another exciting arrival in Milan, the city that is also preparing to host as the Expo 2015 between May and October next year. The universal exhibition takes place every five years and brings the the global community together share innovations, exhibitions and cultural events, whilst making progress on important international issues. Pisapia described it as an attempt to “promote dialogue between different cultures, in a semester that I hope will mark a change in the relationship between Italy and Europe.”

Augustan Villa Opened to Public

The villa in which Emperor Augustus used to visit his third wife has now been opened to the public. The reopening was part of a series of events scheduled to celebrate the 2000th anniversary of the Emperor’s death. The ancient building at the Prima Porta suburb is very significant in arni criticised the decision, describing chitectural history as it later became it as an over-ideological approach to the model of Renaissance villas, with its combination of open and enclosed deal with a sensitive subject. Reggio Emilia and Pordenone set spaces and cultivated areas. The precedent to the new decree earlier eponymous Villa of Livia features this year, as they introduced similar several rooms with sky-blue painted legislation in recent cases. Mayor of ceilings, corridors decorated in black Rome Ignazio Marino said that the and white geometric mosaics and an change of legislation was ‘long over- internal garden in which Livia once due’ and that he aims to start the grew yellow daisies, fig trees and herbs to make the Emperor’s tisanes. same process in Italy’s capital city.

Italy May Open to Gay Marriage Gay couples in Bologna can now register legally if the marriage is conducted abroad. Mayor of Bologna Virginio Merola announced the formal recognition of same-sex marriage last month, after signing a new policy which has caused controversy among the Catholic Church. The move was described as a “surprise attack” by the diocese of the city and Monsignor Giovanni Silvag-

Milan Celebrates Italy’s EU Presidency

NEWS

The villa also boasts thermal baths beak which dropped into Livia’s lap and guest rooms with Pompeian red when she was newly engaged, symbolising good fortune. frescoes. The most famous fresco, which shows a painted garden view with plants and trees flowering simultaneously, is now held in the Palazzo Massimo in Rome. A range of plant species are represented in the illusionistic fresco, amongst which umbrella pine, oleander, red fir, quince, pomegranate and myrtle have been recognised. Livia Drusilla (37 BC-14 AD) resided in the villa after marrying Augustus in 38BC, a marriage which lasted 51 years. The villa was referred to as the Villa ad Gallinas Albas, (House of the White Hens), as legend recalls a white hen holding a laurel branch in its

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FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

HALLOWEEN

Horror Between Florence’s Bloody Walls

IVANA SCATOLA With Halloween creeping (quite literally) upon us, you can’t help but wonder about Florence’s eclectic history and the sights it must have witnessed in the past. Behind the extraordinary monuments and breathtaking architecture that make up this city, it is inevitable that a few sinister and gory sights took place. The city was most likely home to some disturbing characters and eerie stories; if only the walls could talk… The Bargello National Museum, with its gothic Florentine architecture, is an ideal location for a horror film. Indeed, as one of the oldest buildings in the city (dating back to 1255), the Bargello was not always a museum. It now holds some of the city’s most precious

sculptures and treasures, including works by Donatello, Michelangelo and Cellini. However, before 1865, the building was the headquarters for the Head of the Guards, (the Italian term after which the building is named after, il bargello), whose responsibility it was to arrest, question and condemn criminals. By 1574, the building had been transformed into a prison, complete with torture chambers. The prison witnessed important historic moments: sieges, fires and executions such as that of Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli, conspirator of the infamous Pazzi plot against the Medici family. It is reported that during an execution, the bell inside the tower (the Volognana), sounded slowly until the final moment of death. Furthermore, as a warning and reminder of

the building’s purpose, apparently a tree stump would be placed outside the building displaying the victim’s head, for all to see.

maltreatment. He writes that when Cosimo de’ Medici was preparing the venom to poison Piero Strozzi, he would experiment it on condemned prisoners of the Bargello first, to ensure desired effects. Similarly, Le Murate, a notorious Florentine location for public housing, restaurants, bars and shops and a popular social and cultural hub, is in fact another converted prison and convent. It began in 1424 as the Santissima Annunziata alle Murate and Santa Caterina convent, home to the Benedictine nuns who gave the building its name. American writer Charles Godfrey Le- They were nicknamed le murate land’s reports in his Legends of Flor- (closed up, walled in) as they had choence Collected from the People, (1896) sen to lead a closed, religious life and, that prisoners of the Bargello were previous to living in this convent, had subject to horrendous cruelty and lived in cells in the walls of the Ruba-

Prisoners of the Bargello were subject to horrendous cruelty and maltreatment.

conte bridge (now Ponte alle Grazie). From 1883 to 1985 Le Murate was transformed into a male prison, and incarcerated the political prisoners and partisans of World War II that were arrested by Nazi fascists.

Dirty Deeds and Dire Deaths Celebrating Halloween IVANA SCATOLA It is said that the feast of Halloween originated from a merging of harvest festivals, pagan celebrations of the dead and most importantly, as the eve before the two day Christian feast days All Hallows’ or All Saints’ Day (November 1), and All Souls’ Day, (November 2): a feast for the dead. With this somber theme in mind, we look back at the most famous deaths Florence has produced in its civic history, and their various sinister forms. The most famous of these is undoubtedly that of Girolamo Savonarola: Dominican friar, Florentine influential political personage and preacher. Savonarola was renowned for his passionate sermons, in which he entirely condemned moral corruption and forewarned of an oncoming apocalypse. He orchestrated the so-called

‘Bonfire of the Vanities’, which was responsible for destroying thousands of Renaissance treasures: books, artworks (allegedly some by Botticelli), clothes and musical instruments, all set alight in an attempt to purge the city of materialistic goods and temptations. After denouncing Pope Alexander VI, he was naturally excommunicated by the leader of the Catholic Church, and soon the city turned against him. Savonarola was arrested and imprisoned with fellow friars Fra Domenico and Fra Silvestro Maruffi, and tortured, until he confessed that he had invented seeing prophecies and visions that he had previously claimed were divine. The three friars were publicly hanged and then (ironically) burnt in the Piazza della Signoria on May 23, 1498, precisely where a commemorative plaque in honour of the

three lies today. Other famous deaths granted by the city are those of the conspirators of the Pazzi plot against the Medici family. An attempt to overthrow the Medici family and their political hold over the city by means of the assassination of brothers Lorenzo and Giuliano de’ Medici was dramatically carried out in the Duomo, during Mass. The attempt was not entirely successful; Giuliano was killed and Lorenzo was merely wounded, and the conspirators inevitably met their fate in the most humiliating of methods. Jacopo de’ Pazzi was flung from a window, and mobs dragged his naked body through the streets and threw it in the Arno. Francesco Salviati was hanged from the walls of the Palazzo Vecchio, and Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli was publicly executed at the Bargello.

in the Medieval City

With thousands of American students pouring into Florence each fall, it’s little wonder that Florence has begun to take on some cherished American traditions. In October, of course, this means Halloween. So for those of you studying abroad with fears of not being able to celebrate an American favorite, do not fear: the clubs and bars across Florence will guarantee a haunted vibe. Expect costumes and drink specials throughout the nightlife scene, making you feel right at home. Most of the bars and clubs have some sort of Halloween party, and their advertising isn’t exactly scarce here in the city. In Italy, the holiday has been embraced more so by adults, but in recent years young children have been known to dress up and trick-or-treat

– from storefront to storefront, that is (Florence isn’t exactly your typical suburban neighborhood). Halloween conveniently falls on the day before All Saints’ Day, a national holiday in Italy. Known as Ognissanti, it was recreated in Italy by Pope Boniface IV with the intention of replacing the pagan holiday with one of Catholic roots, with the same intention of taking a day to pay respects to the deceased. Ognissanti is a time for families to bring flowers and light candles to the graves of those family members who have died, and a time to celebrate all Catholic saints and martyrs. Cities shut down on Ognissanti: museums close, store hours are cut and classes are cancelled – creating the perfect (though irreverent) excuse to deal with Halloween’s inevitable hangover.

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

FESTIVALS

Eurochocolate Returns

Special Events for “Siege of the Villa” A program of events was launched at the Still Life Museum last month, including a tour and two special itineraries for families. The occasion marked the 15th edition of the annual “Siege of the Villa”, an event at Poggio a Caiano consisting of free wine, a historical parade, food booths and the tasting of local products. The Education Department of the Polo museale Fiorentino (State Museums in Florence) launched the program, in collaboration with with the directorate of the Villa Medici, the Pro Loco Poggio a Caiano and the Siege of the Villa Committee. The two family events took place on

Masterchoc. This is the vintage theme with chocolate delicacies. By hosting of the 21st annual Perugia Eurochoc- the event inside houses, visitors will olate Festival. The event’s ironic slo- get the chance to see expert chocolatgan ‘We will not make cakes for any- iers and pastry chefs at work and inbody’ is accompanied by colourful teract directly with the raw materials illustrations, pastel tones and images used to make chocolate. of the ‘50s/60’s mother figure to evoke The highlight of the 2014 edition will a sense of family spirit. be the grand Polo Masterchoc, held This year, President of Eurochoco- in Piazza IV Novembre, with daily late, Eugenio Guarducci, wants to go courses and practical workshops rebeyond the concept of sweetness that vealing the secrets of the chocolate is associated with the event and use world. Organized in collaboration chocolate to unite families and neigh- with Perugia’s University of Flavour, bors in Perugia. That is the motive be- chefs and teachers will give live perhind the unusual location chosen for formances and cooking shows with the event. special appearances from the likes of Residents of the city have the oppor- Madalina Pometescu and Giancarlo tunity to host the spectacular presen- Polito. tation of the International Chocolate Returning once more to this year’s Festival in their own houses. Fami- festival, #Eurochocolate World will lies who nominate their kitchens to be representing major countries in be used at the event will be thanked the cocoa industry through a series

of conferences, tasting sessions and special play activities for children. Sponsored by ICCO, (International Organization CoCoa and Fair Trade Italy), this special section aims to explore the art, culture, and traditions of cocoa-producing countries across the globe. CEO of Expo Milan 2015 Giuseppe Sala has also announced that he will be working with Eurochocolate at the universal exhibition which Italy is due to host between May and October next year. The theme of Expo Milan 2015 is ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’, leading to a natural collaboration with the chocolate festival. Having recently signed the partnership agreement, Eurochocolate will now be involved in the design and organization of events at the Universal Exposition.

September 21, engaging children aged 7 to 14 through animals, plants, flowers, and vibrant colours which were painted in a room at the Villa. The programme also included a visit to Pergamene Fiorite, an exhibition at the Still Life Museum which showcases a series of floral paintings from the Medici collections. The “Siege of the Villa”, which takes place on the third weekend of every September, originated in the 16th century during Princess Giovanna of Austria’s visit to Poggio a Caiano. The celebrations are spread over three days and always include a busy programme of cultural and gastronomic events.

A Chestnut Tradition Marradi will hold its annual Chestnut Festival, Sagra della Castagna, on every Sunday of this month. Entry to the festival is free, and an authentic vintage train, pulled by a steam-powered locomotive, will link Marradi with the cities of Florence, Rimini and Bolo-

gna for the special occasion. The Sagra della Castagna is a great opportunity for foreigners living in Florence to take part in a traditional Italian festival, tasting local specialities and appreciating the architecture in the historical town.

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

FOOD & WINE

Barilla Fights Global Nutrition Challenges The chairman of Italian food company Barilla recently stated that access to healthy food is a universal right. Guido Barilla stressed the importance of finding sustainable solutions to deal with new challenges presented by the 21st century, including a rising global population and climate change. The comments were made after the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) announced that 805 million people across the globe currently suffer from hunger. According to ANSA, Barilla said, “Everyone has the right to be free from hunger and have access to a sufficient

quantity of food that is both safe and Milan, 2015. The proposals will be healthy.” Barilla is also president of presented at the universal exhibition the Barilla Center for Food and Nutri- which Italy is due to host between tion (BCFN) foundation, the organi- May and October next year. zation which aims to combat hunger “As we have sought to meet the deand obesity, promote sustainable mand for food, drinking water, fuel agriculture and food education, and and material, we have influenced reduce food waste by 50% by 2020. the ecosystems in an irreversible way, The BCFN Foundation is promoting putting them under too much stress, the Milan Protocol which aims to and today we are paying the price,” tackle future challenges relating to said Barilla. “Climate change, peoglobal nutrition. Eight drafted articles ple’s health and the earth’s capacity have been written for the Protocol to to generate raw materials and water encourage the Government and pub- in sufficient quantities depend closelic Institutions to sign an agreement ly on the management of our food on nutrition at the upcoming Expo systems.”

Dining with Dante Named after Dante Alighieri’s most famous work, The Divine Comedy, this homely, rustic restaurant fittingly lies on Via dei Cimatori, only a few meters away from Dante’s House. The venue prides itself on its innovative and creative idea of preparing solely traditional dishes based on medieval recipes. Some are adapted and revisited for the modern age but in a way that one maintains the omnipresent feeling of Florentine history and tradition – so much so that Dante himself could walk in and dine next to you. As a matter of fact, this is a regular occurrence at Taverna La Divina Commedia, as the venue regularly hosts tasting plates of assorted cheeses acrecitals from Dante’s great work by companied with fresh fruit and jams, including the taverna’s specialty hot professional costumed performers. Traditional medieval-style dishes in- red pepper jam. Also serving as a clude home-made ribbon pasta with wine bar and pizzeria, the restaurant wild boar and mushroom sauce, roast offers an eclectic selection of wines shin of pork with new potatoes and from its cellar, an outdoor summer seasonal vegetables, risotto inspired terrace, and is fittingly decorated in a by medieval Tuscan flavors, and medieval style with armour and ban-

Merano Prepares for its WineFestival

Italy’s most important wine event, which has been running for over two decades, is due to take place from November 8 to 11 this year. President Helmuth Koecher founded the Merano WineFestival which brings the highest quality wine from over 500 selected Italian and international vintners and more than 100 producers. The festival provides an opportunity for all those working in the wine industry to unite, compare ideas and learn from one another. It takes place in the ideal space of the Kurhaus, an Art Nouveau building in the heart of Merano, which is divided into various sections for specific visitors. At the heart of the program is Cult 2014, a special event dedicated to 40 winemakers that organizers believe have had the greatest impact on Italian wine history. Among these ‘pioneers of Italian wine’ are Allegrini, Biondi Santi Tenuta il Greppo, Cantine San Leonardo, Mastroberardino

and Tenuta San Guido. Cult 2014 is reserved for only 250 guests and takes places on November 7. Guided tastings are also offered. Since first-rate gastronomy is another key part of the event, the Gourmet Arena provides 300 meters of marquee with food halls running alongside the Kurhaus. Cooking shows also take place at the festival, with top chefs showing visitors how to achieve cuisine of the highest quality.

Merano WineFestival November 7 - 10 Merano www.meranowinefestival.com

Harvesting at Sting’s ners – and, of course, a mandatory bust of Dante himself.

Taverna La Divina Commedia Via dei Cimatori, 7/r 055 21 53 69 Open daily: 11.30 a.m.–12.30 a.m.

MONTAGLIARI FARMHOUSE COOKING CLASSES & WINE TASTINGS Since 1720 Fattoria Montagliari produced Chianti Classico DOCG, Chianti Classico Riserva, Brunesco di San Lorenzo IGT, Grappa, Brandy, Amaro di San Lorenzo, aged Vinsanto, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and aged Trebbiano Balsamic (20 and 28 years). Products can be purchased from the online shop as well as in the farm store and restaurant. The farm, located in the heart of Chianti, offers cooking classes and wine tastings.

Bus stop: “Cappelli” between Lamole - Panzano in Chianti. V. Montagliari, 29 Panzano in Chianti 055 85 20 14 info@fattoriamontagliari.com www.fattoriamontagliari.com

Sting is offering the public the possibility to help pick olives and grapes in his 16th century estate near Florence, which he has recently decided to use as a vineyard. According to the Telegraph online, visitors will not be paid, but rather, will be charged 262 euros per day for their stay on the property Last year, Sting and his wife Trudie Styler opened an on-site shop selling oil, wine, honey, fruit, vegetables and meat. Now, the 900 acres at Il Palagio is open to the public who are offered the chance to enjoy divine grapes and delicious wines in the green Tuscan countryside.

The experience begins with a cultivation lesson during a picnic in the fields and ends sipping a glass of Sangiovese wine. Throughout the course of the day, visitors are expected to fill their empty baskets with olives or grape bunches which Sting will later use for production. The estate, bought by Sting in 1999, is situated near the medieval town of Figline Valdarno and boasts six cottages which are available to hire for weddings and private parties. The property also features a giant chessboard, large swimming pool, beehives and a private lake.

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

FOOD & WINE

Medieval Fast Food Discover typical Florentine sandwiches at the Antico Trippaio in Piazza Cimatori high-quality yet affordable street food for more than 80 years. While this kiosk offers a variety of panini, including a delicious panino con porchetta (pork) for the less outgoing, its most popular product remains the lampredotto, which is boiled all day long, from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. This specialty attracts a wide variety of clients, with roughly 30 percent of customers being tourists, along with a large local fan base and visitors who come from as far away as Milan specifically for the famous sandwiches. Indeed, approximately 250,000 kilograms of trippa and 80,000 kilograms of lampredotto are consumed in Florence each year, which indicates that this historical curiosity is far from losing its popularity. These are panini are worth trying. The meat is incredibly tender, if a slightly disconcerting texture, and it is well-seasoned and dripping in delicious, herby gravy and topped off with salsa verde. It is fair to say that eating a cow’s stomach is not for everyone,

Your one-stop shop for a lampredotto sandwich in Piazza dei Cimatori and San Lorenzo

In true Florentine tradition, the outdoor food cart provides trippa, lampredotto, lesso, poppa, matrice, porchetta, salumi, and wild boar sausages made fresh daily. L’Antico Trippaio is the best place to enjoy excellent panini and focacce like a true local. Just steps from the Duomo, it is one of the most frequented lunch spots in the historic city city. center. LARA MAY In order to fully understand this FloThe smell of tripe cooking on the rentine meal, an explanation of what streets of Florence was once so over- tripe is and how it is cooked might be www.anticotrippaio.it whelming that Lorenzo de’ Medici useful. Trippa, or tripe, is made from banned the kiosks altogether. Howev- the cow’s pre-stomachs, and is soft, er, such was its popularity that once white, and mostly flavorless. Enjoyed the Medici lost power, tripe returned in many regions of Italy, it is cooked in force and secured its place as a in a variety of ways. Lampredotto, however, is the uniquemainstay of Florentine street food. Initially, tripe was a staple food for ly local Florentine version, made from laborers and the working classes, and the cow’s fourth stomach, called the it dates as far back as the fourteenth abomasum. The name lampredotto century. Simple wooden street carts comes, curiously, from the Italian served sandwiches stuffed with tripe, word for lamprey eels, lampreda— and this tradition continues today, al- once very abundant in the waters of beit in the more sophisticated kiosks the Arno River—as it resembles the that can be found dotted around the inside of the mouth of a lamprey in

THE ARTISAN ICE-CREAM SHOP In 1938, the idea for a shop was born based on the same question it bears as its name: Perché no! ‘why not?’. Ugo Ravaioli, founder and owner of the ice-cream shop for decades found an ideal location on Via de’ Tavolini to start the ‘sweet business.’ Ever since, Perché no! has been one of Florence’s most famous spots for refreshment. It is an authentic venue for ice-cream lovers famous for its ‘semifreddi.’ Today, the shop is run by Mrs. Paola and her daughters who rediscovered original recipes and create unique flavors while paying attention to the quality of ingredients.

Via dei Tavolini, 19/r 055 23 98 969 www.percheno.firenze.it

but it is certainly worth giving it a go, and you may be pleasantly surprised! What is more, alongside L’Antico Trippaio is the aptly named L’Angolo dei Golosi—the “Gourmand Corner”—run by the same owners. With its wide range of delicious sweets and gelati, L’Angolo can provide the perfect end to a truly authentic Florentine meal. Who needs a Big Mac and a McFlurry when medieval fast food is on the menu?

Try two Florentine traditions: trippa and lampredotto Trippa is the soft and flavorless lining of a cow’s pre-stomach, while lampredotto is made from the cow’s fourth stomach, called the abomasum. Rinsed and boiled for several hours and served up on a Tuscan bread roll with chilli oil and salsa verde, lampredotto is the street food most beloved by Florentines.

shape and color. Tuscan cooks rinse lampredotto well and boil it with tomatoes, onions, parsley and celery for two to three hours. The meat is then served in a Tuscan saltless bread roll (panino) with salt, pepper, chilli oil or salsa verde (green sauce), with the top slice of the roll dunked in the lampredotto stock. For the most authentic and delicious experience of tripe, locals recommend L’Antico Trippaio, which has a reputation for making the best panino con lampredotto in town. Located in the Piazza dei Cimatori, L’Antico Trippaio has an impressive track record; it has provided Florentines with

THE RESTAURANT OF THE FLORENTINES

HOME DELIVERED AND POURED WINE IN S. SPIRITO

MEDITERRANEAN SEAFOOD SPECIALTIES

Located in Via Ghibellina near Santa Croce, Da Que’ Ganzi offers a fresh seafood and meat menu for both lunch and dinner. Tuscan specialties include ribollita and authentic Florentine steak, and all of the cakes and sweets are homemade. A special weekday lunch menu for less than €10 makes the restaurant affordable for anyone.

Bring your bottle to be filled for less than €1.50, straight from the barrels of Il Santo Vino. Here patrons can choose from a wide range of Italian wine in bottles or barrels sourced throughout Tuscany and Italy, as well as spirits and digestives. Il Santo Vino also provides a home-delivery service alongside selected local specialty and organic products, such as truffled goods, honey, jam, coffee and a variety of Sicilian spreads.

San Carlo bar offers continental and American breakfast and brunch, simple but refined lunch, a large aperitivo buffet, and an extensive wine and cocktail list. Music and art create a warm, lively atmosphere while friendly staff members are always ready to cater to any requests. San Carlo is a bar suited to any time of day: great for a quick coffee or snack, a leisurely aperitivo or meal, or simply an after-dinner drink with friends.

Monday: 5–9 p.m. Tues. to Sun.: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; 5–9 p.m.

TUNA STEAK

Special dishes: BAKED SEA BASS & TUSCAN STEAK

Mon. to Sun.: 12–2:30 p.m. & 7–11:30 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays. Via Ghibellina, 70/r 055 22 60 010 www.daqueiganzi.it info@daqueiganzi.it

Borgo Tegolaio, 46/r 055 53 87 122 // 345 90 93 425 www.ilsantovino.jimdo.com mariella.croda@yahoo.it Skype: ilsantovino

Specialty:

Borgo Ognissanti, 32-34/r 055 21 68 79 info@sancarlofirenze.it www.sancarlofirenze.it

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

Drawing from the Wine Well

FOOD & WINE

Meet Vino Novello A short-lived introduction to the harvest season LUCY DAVID

It’s harvest time, and to wine lovers this heralds the arrival of vino novello, or ‘new wine’. Imbibed with the vigor of newly plucked grapes and designed to be drunk immediately instead of aged, vino novello is a lightweight introduction to the richer flavors of autumn and the colder months that follow. The Italian version of France’s sixweek-old Beaujolais Nouveau, vino novello was originally a type of litmus test conducted by producers to gauge the maturation of the grapes shortly after harvest. Vino novello has since come into its own as a stand-alone wine, and in 1999 it officially entered the Italian market. The 13th centuary well at Pozzo Divino While Beaujolais Nouveau is produced from Gamay grapes, in Italy Take a wine-tasting tour alongside Pozzo Divino’s 700-year-old well producers tend to use a range of vaFor a wine-tasting tour with a differ- restored it himself with the help of region’s renowned Chianti Classico rieties, such as Merlot, Sangiovese, ence, look no further than Pozzo Di- some friends. Despite its restoration, to white wines that include Char- Cabernet, Corvina and Nero d’Avola, vino on Via Ghibellina just north of Pino reveals that it was always his donnay, Sauvignon and Pinot Grigio. in the production of vino novello. principal intention to maintain a tan- The wine-tasting ends with the most According to Italian law, vino novello Santa Croce. Owned by Pino, well-known among gible sense of history when stepping exclusive reds of the cellar: Bolgheri, students as a famous local identi- into the cellar. This is something he Super Tuscan, Morellino and Monty, ‘Pozzo Divino’ is a witty play on has undoubtedly achieved; the place tepulciano. words: literally meaning ‘divine well’, is almost like a time-machine propel- Pino proudly boasts that 90 percent of it also translates as ‘wine well’ when ling you back a few centuries into a the wines he holds are of Tuscan oripart of authentic medieval Florence gin, and that his tours prove so popuread as ‘Pozzo di Vino’. The ancient well in question is now – albeit in excellent condition. lar that he often ships back boxes of part of a cellar that hosts Pozzo Divi- Pino’s sommelier training is at the the wine sampled to America in order forefront of Pozzo Divino’s wine tours. to appease impressed customers. no’s wine tours. Dating back to 1312, the well is seven He imparts his impressive knowledge Tours can be organized for tourist centuries old and was originally built while taking guests around the cel- groups, families and universities, to supply water through a vast system lar, offering a range of Italian wines and cost only €15 a head – which not of underground tunnels and pipes to sample with an appetizer of com- only makes it an experience to enjoy to the prisoners of the local prison, plementary regional cheeses, cuts of over the festive season but also an known as the Stinche (now Teatro meats, bread, olive oil and balsamic ideal Christmas gift for lovers of TusVerdi), that stretched as far as the vinegar. cany’s finest vintages. Guests are offered a spectrum of TusBargello. For bookings and more info, please Pino bought the location in 2006 and can flavors to try, from a variety of the visit: www.pozzodivino.eu

cannot be released before November 6 on the year of harvest. However, it’s not merely the relative youth of the wine that separates it from its heavyweight siblings; the manner in which it is produced differs as well. Vino novello requires manual harvesting, after which the grapes are placed intact in sealed stainless steel tanks and undergo carbonic maceration, a process in which carbon dioxide is used to trigger intracellular fermentation without the addition of yeast. The result is a light, fresh and fruity wine, low in tannins and with pronounced berry characteristics. Ideally drunk within a year of being produced, vino novello is best enjoyed with light first courses, white meat or fresh cheese, as well as that other harbinger of autumn, roasted chestnuts. Light enough to be enjoyed in draughts rather than slowly sipped by the glass, it’s the ideal wine to kick off a season of autumn harvest festivities.

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

CITY INFO TOURIST INFORMATION COOKING COURSES IN SANTO SPIRITO In Tavola aims to spread Italian food- and wine-rich regional culinary traditions, such as those of Tuscany with its variety of dishes and recipes. Cooking classes as well as individual lessons for both professionals and beginners are offered, with special deals for students.

Courses include: Market tour & cooking class, Four-course dinner, Easy dinner, Easy lunch, Home-made pasta, Pizza & gelato

Via dei Velluti, 18 055 21 76 72 www.intavola.org info@intavola.org

Firenze Turismo .... 055 29 08 32 // 055 29 08 33 Via Cavour, 1/r Mon–Sat: 8:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (Closed on Sundays and public holidays; see Commune info points below for Sunday hours.) info1@firenzeturismo.it www.firenzeturismo.it Florence Airport .................................... 055 31 58 74 Via del Termine, 1 Daily: 8:30a.m.–8:30p.m. infoaeroporto@firenzeturismo.it Commune ................................................ 055 21 22 45 Piazza Stazione, 4 Mon–Sat: 8:30a.m.–7 p.m. Sundays & public holidays: 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. turismo3@comune.fi.it www.comune.fi.it Bigallo loggia ........................................... 055 28 84 96 Piazza San Giovanni Mon–Sat: 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Sundays & public holidays: 9 a.m.–2 p.m. bigallo@comune.fi.it

EMERGENCY SERVICES

•

Sandwiches, wine & glee

4€

Lunch Sandwich + drink

• • • •

• •

Borgo degli Albizi, 20/r

Power Yoga for beginners to advanced students offered daily. Power Yoga trained instructors All classes only 60 mins Fun music and atmosphere Community philosophy which encourages and promotes health and wellness for everyone! Located in the beautiful Santo Spirito area Check out our studio and web site!

Via Della Chiesa, 36/r 345 173 70 97 www.europapoweryoga.com

HAIRDRESSING SALON IN VIA DE’ BENCI • • • • • • • • • • • •

Shampoo & dry (short) ......... €15/€16 Shampoo & dry (long) ......... €18/€20 Cut .................................................... €15 Perm ............................................... €30 Color [tips] ...................................... €24 Color [full] ....................................... €32 Toning .............................................. €17 Highlights with headset ............... €29 Highlights with spatula ................ €32 Woven highlights ........................... €41 Two-toned highlights .................. €62 Shampoo & cut (men) .................. €20

Tue. to Thurs.: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Fri. to Sat.: 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Via dei Benci, 37r 055 234 48 85

Police – emergency .................................................. 113 Police – carabinieri .................................................... 112 Police – municipal .............................. 055 32 83 333 Ambulance .................................................................... 118 Fire department .......................................................... 115 Tourist medical service ..................... 055 21 22 21 Poison Center ....................................... 055 79 47 819 Pharmacies (open) ............................... 800 42 07 07 Vehicle breakdown (ACI) .......................................... 116 Obstruction& towed vehicle ........... 055 42 24 142 Civil protection services ..................... 800 01 5 161 Child abuse hotline .................................................... 114 Emergency vet services ................ 055 72 23 683 Environmental emergency response .............. 1515 Lost & Found (Florence office) ........ 055 33 48 02

TRANSPORT BUS & COACH ATAF (www.ataf.net) ........................... 800 42 45 00 BluBlus (www.blubus.it) .................... 800 27 78 25 SITA Nord (www.fsbusitalia.it) ......... 800 37 37 60 CAP (www.capautolinee.it) ............... 055 21 46 37 Vaibus (www.vaibus.com) ............. 058 35 87 897 TRAIN Trenitalia (www.trenitalia.com) ................. 89 20 21 Italo (www.italotreno.it/en) ....................... 06 07 08 TAXI Radio Taxi Firenze ......................................... 055 42 42

Lorenzo de’ Medici

RESTAURANT & PIZZERIA

LIVE SPORTS

Lorenzo de’ Medici Restaurant and Pizzeria is an elegant yet reasonably priced spot situated right in the heart of Florence, just a few steps away from the Medici Chapel, the church of Santa Maria Novella and San Lorenzo market, and no more than 200m from the Fortezza da Basso. It is the ideal restaurant to try traditional Florentine dishes or pizza cooked in the wood-ﬁred oven. The perfect restaurant for tourist groups, business dinners, meetings or private dining.

GET 20% OFF WITH YOUR STUDENT DISCOUNT CARD Via del Giglio, 49 // 055 21 29 32 www.lorenzodemediciristorante.com

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

CITY INFO OPENING TIMES BAPTISTRY OF SAN GIOVANNI* Piazza San Giovanni 055 23 02 885 Mon–Sat: 11:15 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sun and 1st Sat of every month: 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. July 4– Sept 28: Thurs–Sat: 11:15 a.m.–11 p.m. Easter Week (Thurs, Fri, Sat before Easter & Easter Mon), April 25 & May 1: 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Closed Jan 1, Easter Sunday, Sept 8, Dec 24 & 25. BOBOLI GARDENS* 055 23 88 786 March Daily: 8:15 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. with daylight saving) April–May & Sept–Oct Daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. with standard time) June–Aug Daily: 8:15 a.m.–7:30 p.m. Nov–Feb Daily: 8:15 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Closed 1st and last Mon of each month; Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25. CATHEDRAL CUPOLA* Piazza del Duomo 055 23 02 885 Mon–Fri: 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sat: 8:30 a.m.–5:40 p.m. Closed Sun; Jan 1; Jan 6; Thurs–Fri–Sat before Easter; Easter; June 24; Aug 15; Sept 8; Nov 1; Dec 8; Mon & Tues of the first week of Advent; Dec 25 & 26. Note: 463 stairs by foot only, no lift. GIOTTO’S BELL TOWER* Piazza del Duomo 055 23 02 885 Daily: 8:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; January 6: 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Closed Jan 1, Easter, Sept 8 & Dec 25. Note: 414 stairs by foot only, no lift VASARI CORRIDOR Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6 055 29 48 83 Available to private groups only: contact Uffizi Gallery for information. MUSEUMS ACCADEMIA GALLERY* Via Ricasoli, 58/60 055 23 88 612 Tues–Sun: 8:15 a.m.–6:50 p.m. Closed Mon, Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25. PALAZZO MEDICI-RICCARDI* Via Cavour, 3 055 27 60 340

Mon–Tues & Thurs–Sun: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Closed Wed.

Closed 2 & 4 Sun, and 1 , 3 & 5 Mon of the month; Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25.

BARGELLO NATIONAL MUSEUM* Via del Proconsolo, 4 055 23 88 606 Daily: 8:15 a.m.–1.50 p.m. Closed 1st, 3rd & 5th Sun and 2nd & 4th Mon of each month; Jan 1 & Dec 25.

PALAZZO PITTI* Piazza Pitti, 1 Palatine Gallery 055 23 88 614 Tues–Sun: 8:15 a.m.–6:50 p.m. Royal Apartments closed every year during Jan for maintenance. Closed Mon, Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25. Costume Gallery 055 23 88 801 / 23 88 713 March Daily: 8:15 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. with daylight saving) April–May & Sept–Oct Daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. with standard time) June–Aug Daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Nov–Feb Daily: 8:15 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Closed 1st and last Mon of each month; Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25. Gallery of Modern Art 055 2388601 Tues–Sun: 8:15 a.m.–6:50 p.m. Closed Mon, Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25. Silverware Museum (Museo degli Argenti) Piazza Pitti, 1 055 2388709 March Daily: 8:15 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. with daylight saving) April–May & Sept–Oct Daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. with standard time) June–Aug Daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Nov–Feb Daily: 8:15 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Closed 1st and last Mon of each month; Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25. Porcelain Museum 055 2388709 March Daily: 8:15 a.m.–5:15 p.m. (6:15 p.m. with daylight saving) April–May & Sept–Oct Daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:15 p.m. (5:15 p.m. with standard time) June–Aug Daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:15 p.m. Nov–Feb Daily: 8:15 a.m.–4:15 p.m. Closed 1st and last Mon of each month; Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25.

CATHEDRAL MUSEUM (Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore)* Piazza del Duomo, 9 055 23 02 885 Mon–Sat: 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; Sun: 9 a.m.–1:45 p.m. Closed Jan 1, Easter, Sept 8 & Dec 25. DANTE HOUSE MUSEUM * Via Santa Margherita, 1 055 21 94 16 April–Sept Daily: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Oct–March Tues–Sun: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed Mon (Oct 1–March 31), Dec 24 & 25. GALILEO MUSEUM * Piazza dei Giudici, 1 055 26 53 11 Mon & Wed–Sun: 9:30 a.m.–6 p.m.; Tues: 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Closed Jan 1 & Dec 25. JEWISH MUSEUM * Via Farini, 6 055 23 46 654 June–Sept: Mon–Thurs & Sun: 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; Fri: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Oct–May: Mon–Thurs & Sun: 10 a.m.– 5:30 p.m.; Fri: 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Closed Sat, Jan 1, Dec 25 & Jewish holidays. MICHELANGELO’S HOUSE (Casa Buonarroti)* Via Ghibellina, 70 055 24 17 52 Mon & Wed–Sun: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed Tues, Jan 1, Easter & Dec 25. NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM* Piazza Santissima Annunziata, 9b 055 23 57 720 / 23 575 Tues–Fri: 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Sat–Mon: 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Closed Jan 1 & Dec 25. PALAZZO DAVANZATI * Via Porta Rossa, 13 055 23 88 610 Daily: 8:15–1:30 p.m.

Sixty museums in 72 hours with the Firenze Card Become a Friend of the Uffizi For €40 for youth under 25, €60 for an adult and €100 for a family (two adults and two children), the card offers a calendar year’s worth of free privileged entrance to the following museums: Uffizi Gallery Accademia Gallery The Pitti Palace The Palatine Gallery & Royal Apartments The Gallery of Modern Art The Costume Gallery The Medici Treasury The Porcelain Museum The Boboli Gardens The Bardini Gardens Bargello National Museum Museum of the Medici Chapels Museum of Palazzo Davanzati Museum of San Marco Garden of the Medici Villa of Castello Medici Villa of Petraia Medici Villa of Poggio a Caiano Medici Villa of Cerreto Guidi & Historical Hunting Territorial Museum Cenacolo of Ognissanti Cenacolo of Andrea del Sarto Cenacolo of Fuligno Cenacolo of Sant’Apollonia Cloister of the Scalzo

The Firenze Card is your one-stop pass to the museums, churches and gardens of Florence. For €72 it offers: • 72 hours of free access to 60 of Florence’s most popular and important museums, churches and gardens, including current exhibitions, permanent collections and museum activities; • Free use of public transport within Florence; • Immediate access to busy museums – skip long queues and pre-booking; • Your choice of start date: the clock doesn’t start ticking until you enter your first museum; • Dedicated smartphone application to help find the museums, access free wi-fi and give you updated information on exhibits and events; • Though the card can only be used once in each museum by one person, it also allows free entrance for EU citizens under 18 who are members of the same family unit of the cardholder. See the website for full details: www.firenzecard.it

www.amicidegliuffizi.it

PALAZZO STROZZI* Piazza Strozzi 055 27 76 461 Piano Nobile: Mon–Wed & Fri–Sun: 9 a.m.–8 p.m. and Thurs: 9 a.m.–11 p.m. CCC Strozzina: Tues–Wed & Fri–Sun: 10 a.m.–8p.m.; Thurs: 10 a.m.–11 p.m. Closed Mon.

SOFT DRINK R O CCO

THE BEST SUBS IN TOWN Sandwiches Salads Soups Onion Rings Fries Pasta Fresh Fruit

Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Via Sant'Egidio 22/r 347 11 88 056 theoilshoppe.it

DRINKS AND MORE ON VIA DE’ NERI Whether you want an iced coffee or a bottle of wine, a beer and crisps or a refreshing soda, Soft Drink Rocco has got you covered. It has everything that you could need at a moment’s notice, selling a wide variety of alcohol, soft drinks and foodstuffs. Snugly settled on Via de’ Neri, if you find yourself in the Santa Croce area and in need of a cold drink on a hot day, or anything for that little gathering of friends you’re having, give them a visit.

Via de’ Neri, 16/r Santa Croce 389 02 50 515 roccosal@hotmail.it

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

CITY BEAT

Pet Sitting in Florence Jazz, Blues and Rock & Roll A Florentine Dedicated to the personalized care of four-legged family members, Florence Pet Sitting offers doggie daycare and boarding, and national and international pet transport. We welcome all types of animals, including special needs pets, and are open year-round, including holidays. Discount available for monthly daycare package or multiple pets from the same home. Located in S. Spirito in the Oltrarno 345 693 6081 www.florencepetsitting.com florencepetsitting@gmail.com

Services include: • Daycare or overnights at our facilities or walks and check-ins from your location; • Two long walks per day and frequent outings; • Updates and photos of your pets during their stay; • Secured garden for urgent bathroom needs; • No cages; pets are free to roam and sleep where they like; • 24-hour companionship; • Bathing and nail-clip offered.

Halloween

Live Music at NOF Club

The NOF club will be the home of live music with special weekly events like Monday jazz nights. Tuesday nights are going to be dedicated to improvisational theatre and cabaret, whilst one Wednesday a month will host international guests. Thanks to owner Filippo Zanasi and his barmaid Camilla who have renovated the NOF club for the upcoming 2014-2015 season, the bar will be hosting bigger and better artists almost every night of the week. Bands

possibility to refresh a little and get ready for the come back. Included in the tour are: a bilingual guide, a complimentary bottle of water, helmet, and 24-speed mountain bike. At the end of the bike ride the van will return you to the city center of Florence. € 75 and € 70 for students. 328 07 14 849 // 055 28 96 81 www.tuscanycycle.com

NOF Club Borgo San Frediano, 17/r Mon. to Sat.: 8 p.m. - 3 a.m. www.facebook.com/NofGallery

Three Must-Do Things in Florence

Biking the Chianti Hills

Tuscany Cycle offers a new full day bike tour to get out of the city and see the Tuscan countryside with two wheels beneath you. The tours run every day, departing from Florence at 10 a.m. by van and taking you out of town to start the tour. After a bike in the Tuscan hills, you will enjoy an authentic Tuscan lunch as well as a wine and olive oil tasting. A stop at a swimming pool will then give you the

of upmost quality will be playing at the club, covering an array of musical genres from jazz to indie, blues to rock and roll. Admission is free and the club is situated on the southern side of the Arno which can be reached by crossing the Ponte alla Carraia.

CHIARA BECCHETTI Evoke the spirits of characters of the Santa Croce tombs. Santa Croce holds the sepulchres of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Alfieri, Foscolo, and Rossini. Check also Pio Fedi’s Liberty of Poetry Statue, which is believed to have inspired Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi to create the Statue of Liberty in New York. Take a Stroll around the Santa Maria Novella Station. Designed by Giovanni Michelucci, Florene’s train station is a master-

Your pizza & covaccino near Santo Spirito

SPECIAL OFFERS

Slice of pizza + 500ml water: €3.50 Whole margherita pizza + 500ml water: €5.50 Whole margherita pizza + Coke: €6 Maxi 19.6” pizza margherita (for 3-4 people): €15 Cover & service charge included

Piazza di San Felice, 2/r • 055 22 07 091

With 36 years of experience the two Nicla Make-up Artist Center shops, located in Via Nazionale, 67/r and in Via il Prato, 19/r, is your best option to celebrate Halloween in the light of a local tradition. At Nicla you can find all methods of aging – ranging from the pictorial, the one used in theatre, to the special effects used in cinema – masks of every kind, including the cheap ones in plastic, the professional ones made of latex, and anatomical ones that become a whole with your face, and kinds of costumes, including customizing ones. The shop in Via del Prato is specialized in costumes.

piece of modern architecture and one of the most successful examples of Italian rationalism. Discover the secrets of a James Bond apartment. The eighth-century apartment block along the Lungarno Serristori, in which Rodolfo Siviero once lived, is a hidden gem. The little-known museum tells an important tale in the history of art, uncovering a world of spies and the purloining of masterpieces. The museum can be found on the southern side of River Arno at the bottom of the flight of steps to Piazzale Michelangelo.

Beer Pioneers at BHC On Saturday, October 11, the Roman Pub Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fá is moving to Florence for a special night. Manuele Colonna and Fabio Zaniol, who opened their pub in Rome a few years ago in the area of Trastevere, will bring some of their selected beers from northern European countries, particularly from Germany, to the Beer House Club in Corso de’ Tintori, 34/r, in the area of Santa Croce. The event, which begins at 7 p.m., is a great opportunity for quality beer lovers to taste some of the best European beer.

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

ARTISANS

Modern World and Artisan Tradition Meet Paolo of Furò e Punteruolo

Discover the Art of Florentine Bigiotteria

LUCY DAVID

JULIET STEPHENSON

Stepping into Paolo Fattori’s elegant leather workshop is a surprising experience: light and airy with clean lines and a minimalist feel, it’s where the modern world meets ancient Florentine tradition. Only the lingering scent of leather and the sight of Paolo busily working at an island bench indicates that this is, in fact, a bottega producing finely crafted leather bags, belts and various articles from the hands of the man himself. Rolls of jewel-colored leather line the walls, numbered and certified by Tuscan company Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale, which practises an artisan method of vegetable-dyed leather that has its origins in the Renaissance. Although Paolo has only been working in leather full-time for six years, he’s already made a name for himself

Bigiotteria has been around since Ancient Egypt. It developed out of the need to meet the demand for jewelry when materials were costly or scarce, and artisans turned to glass and other materials to imitate precious or coveted stones such as lapis lazuli. During the Renaissance, however, the production of imitation jewelry came under fire: in Venice the false pearl trade so threatened the genuine one that production became illegal, punishable by a 10-year exile and the loss of a charlatan pearl-maker’s right hand. The tradition of bigiotteria has come full circle as a handmade art form that continues today in Florence. At L’Oro Fuggia visitors can

both in Florence and as far afield as Japan. However, manual dexterity runs in Paolo’s veins; his father and grandfather worked in wood and iron, and he credits them with his ability. “In Tuscany, manual skill is widespread and forms part of the genetic

heritage of the region,” he says. Indeed, Paolo’s workshop is named after the two principal instruments of the trade: the furò and punteruolo. Drop by and watch the craftsman at work on Via del Giglio, 29/r, tucked in between San Lorenzo and SMN train station.

A Bit of Venice Near Santa Croce

Murano glass and carnevale mask enthusiasts need not travel to Venice for quality souvenir items. Alvise Giustinian, located at Corso dei Tintori, 19 (near Santa Croce) is a gift and art store specializing in Murano-made

items and that guarantees the sale of purely Murano products, with no importation. Products include masks, jewelry, and glass objects for the home. Jewelry has proven to be the shop’s most popular item, due to the

KITCHEN BAR Brunch 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Lunch 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Dinner 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. (Tapas from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.) Via Ghibellina, 76/r (near Santa Croce) 055 38 80 062 www.levespecafe.com

ease of transport and availability of products starting at merely €5, according to owner Paola. Alvise Giustinian’s spacious space allows for an abundant selection of gifts and a comfortable shopping experience. Paola’s customers tell her that prices in this beautiful, museum-like shop are lower than those in Venice. If you’re in Florence but looking for classic Venetian crafts such as paper-mache masks and handmade glass, then Alvise Giustinian is a store worth a visit.

discover the tradition of arte povera, where owners Leonardo Bertucci and Leonora Moschitta create singular and colourful works of art using a variety of materials, including brass, copper, silver, freshwater pearls, crystals and fabric at their workshop near Santa Croce. The most frequently uttered comment by visitors is, “It’s different!”, a fact that greatly satisfies Bertucci, whose inspiration is to create unique artisan pieces that are simply not found anywhere else.

L'Oro Fuggia Via dell’Agnolo, 75/r 339 54 00 072 lamouche@fastwebnet.it

Sampling Renaissance Perfumes Dedicated to creating a sensory experience of the Renaissance for visitors through costumed photo shoots, E-Pic Photo Studio has now gone one step further and launched a range of Renaissance-inspired perfumes. Made from fresh ingredients without the use of additives or chemicals, a vast range of perfumes as they were in

the Renaissance has been recreated. To breathe the perfumes of the most glorious Florentine past just go to E-pic, near the Ponte Vecchio, on the opposite side to the Uffizi. Sampling of perfumes is free. If you like one, you can bring back home a unique perfume that will surprise those who get close to you, as they too will be able to smell the past.

Alvise Giustinian Corso Tintori, 19/r 055 246 62 95 www.alvisegiustian.com

THE BAR YOUR MOM WARNED YOU ABOUT

HAIRDRESSER AND BEAUTY SERVICES

The newly reopened Jack is ready to rock ‘n’ roll! Come by for lunch or dinner and try the revamped menu featuring traditional Italian food and American staples. Enjoy live music, DJ sets and the costume parties that Jack has become famous for, as well as two HD screens showcasing special sporting events. If all that Italian espresso just isn’t hitting the mark, drop by OneEyed Jack’s to enjoy American coffee with a free refill between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Free wifi is also available.

Located near Santa Croce, Alchimia offers a variety of women’s hair and beauty services using the finest brands. Services include:

Daily from 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.

• • • • • • • • • •

Haircuts Long-length extensions Keratin reconstruction Paul Mitchell product retailer ESSIE Gel reconstruction and permanent enamel Waxing Massage (healing and relaxation) Custom make-up Cut, color and highlight Acrylic nail care

DISCOVER RIVA LOFTS’ “SECRET KITCHEN” Take the hassle out of hosting with EAST. We cater for private and corporate events at both award-winning Riva Lofts on the Arno and from the comfort of your own home, providing vibrant multicultural flavors with innovation and care. Enjoy fireside, poolside or garden dining options at Riva Lofts and such favourite dishes as basil panna cotta with prosciutto, grilled figs and rocket salad; and crispy Chinese pork belly served with rice and a warm caramel-chili sauce.

9 a.m.– 7.30 p.m. Piazza Nazario Sauro, 2/r 055 09 44 561 www.thejackpub.com

Via dell’Agnolo, 47–49–51/r 055 24 16 04 www.alchimia-hairdesign.com

Contact Anna Bowcock: east@rivalofts.com Facebook: EastAtRivaLoftsFirenze

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

FASHION

Italian Brands Showcased at NY Fashion Week

Armani to Decide Future of His Brand

The Armani’s company will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year with the perspective of reaching by the end of 2014 a 6 percent increase in revenue. But what concerns the most his founder Giorgio Armani, who is now 80, is the generational change and the future of his brand. Armani recently said that he wants to keep the business within the family, but is looking for a new leader to replace him. He also said to be open to pos-

sible partnerships such as that with Ferrari and its parent company Fiat to create a center for luxury Italian goods. Although Armani denied having had any deep talk with the leaders of Fiat or Ferrari, he seems open to the idea of a partnership with them. The project could involve the creation of a new brand Made in Italy that includes furniture design, food, and wine. The destiny is still to define, but ideas about it, at least, are clear.

Ferragamo Conquers Japan

Versus Versace, M. Missoni, Diesel Black Bold and Liberatore all showcased spring-summer 2015 collections in New York last month. Versace’s second label Versus brought a range of short dresses and skirts with a vibrant sensuality, designed by Anthony Vaccarello who made his debut at the NYFW. Donatella Versace is renowned for seeking out young designers, having previously taken on Christopher Kane and rapper M.I.A., and the upcoming designer from Belgium is no exception. Vaccarello founded his eponymous fashion house in Paris in 2008 and is now bringing his fleshy collections to New York with cut-out dresses that ooze sex appeal. His use of breastplates, belt buckles and clasps combined glamour with sexiness in a series of simple black numbers. Bold statements were also made with the little wrap dresses which revealed

very high slits at the top of the thigh. With his innovative vision and rockchic designs, Vaccarello became the first to have his collections made immediately available for online sale. Versus had not been to the American fashion week for 11 years, but made a mighty return to the catwalk this year with their reminiscent collections bringing back fashions from the last century, spanning from 1955 until 2003. Diesel Black Gold also went back in time with their 1980s collections designed by Andreas Melbostad, as British singer Gary Numan sported the typical leather jacket. Renzo Rossi’s brand also brought back the raw denim jeans in bold red and blue, in place of their usual studded and dyed materials. Biker jackets and vest-andskirts combos also featured in their spring-summer collection. Known for their colorful knitwear,

Italian fashion house M. Missoni also appeared at the New York Fashion Week. Their colourful collections were enhanced by trademark patterns from 20th century painter Frida Kahlo, whose Mexican heritage has often been used as a source of inspiration for fashion designers. Peasant tops and skirts with rose appliqués, embroidered shifts and a denim jacket were just some of the items to show a Kahlo influence. Francesca Liberatore presented the spring lineup that made her one of the four winners of the DHL Exported contest. Her collection featured the recurring pattern of the otherworldly bird in a polluted environment, a design which featured on many items from linen skirts to sheer blouses and suede vests. Among one of the 30-year-old-designer’s most spectacular pieces was the black duster coat in the outerwear collection.

The Italian luxury fashion brand Salvatore Ferragamo has opened a popup shop at Omotesando, a tree-lined avenue in the heart of the Japanese capital. The venue is famous for being home to interesting trends in street fashion and bringing major Western brands to Asia. This pop-up was open for 10 days last month to celebrate the launch of the Vara or Varina and MTO (Made to Order) in Japan. These two projects allow customers to create their own customized footwear according to personal style. To mark the occasion, there was an exclusive party with 250 guests in-

cluding James Ferragamo, the Women’s Leather Product Director for the Florentine brand. Among other guests were Chay, Maki Tamaru, Kelly, Kouka, Iruka, Nina Ito, Rie Miyamoto, Miyamoto Ayana, Keiko Mayama and Rei Shito. At the event, Ferragamo presented a special application for iPad which allowed guests to choose the colour and material for their personalized Vara and Varina. The options ranged from Optical White, Ruby Red, Oxford blue and Black to the brand’s new pastel shades of Pink, Green, Purple, and Black and White fabric.

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

FASHION

Guccio Gucci Arrested

Guccio Gucci, the great-grandson of the founder of famous Italian fashion house Gucci, has been charged with fraudulent bankruptcy and tax evasion and was placed under house arrest last month. Gucci is accused of diverting €800,000 of assets away from his own company to pay off personal debts, as well as tax evasion amounting to € 400,000. Investigators believe that a fellow businessman helped Mr. Gucci to transfer assets to his other company based in Perugia. Mr. Gucci was

attempting to evade a large amount of debt that he had accumulated with the tax authorities, declaring bankruptcy shortly after. The Italian police seized a total of € 400,000 at the end of 2013. Gucci, owner of the fashion brand ‘To Be G’, left the family company in 1989 after working there for 12 years. The investigating magistrate of the court case in Florence said, “Gucci skilfully exploited the goodwill of some individuals with few scruples to pursue his intents.”

Italian Fashion Returns to the ‘70s

There were many new trends presented at Milan Fashion Week last month. Let’s start with the top ones to be on the lookout for in Spring/ Summer 2015. Making a blast from the past, the ‘70s were a big reference. Long maxi dresses, neck scarves and flared trousers seemed to be a popular hit along the runway. Gucci showed a return to the ‘70s with a denim and suede look, featuring A-line skirts. Aside from the

‘70s inspiration, the Milan event was characterized by sparkle in the casual look. No. 21’s skirt suit seemed to be the most interesting, along with Versace using a great color scheme throughout its look. Moschino rocked the past, featuring a version of Barbie’s dream wardrobe. If you know Barbie then you would recognize the “workout” version with her Moschino-branded weights and sweat suit, bikini, and the plastic-looking shoes and oversized accessories worn by every model. Not

every fashion look was as happy as Moschino’s; Prada seemed to get a little gloomy with its dark color palette, heavily featuring grey, brown, navy, black and tan, and presented several more coats, sweaters, leather pieces and turtlenecks than what we tend to associate with the Spring/Summer collections. Dolce & Gabbana closed Fashion Week with a tribute to the Spanish influence on Sicilian culture. The look featured embroidered jackets, high-waisted pants and short bloomers. Aside from the most popular designer names, the city bristled with events and street art. Stylists did hair in the center of the city next to a cannon photo shoot, a press box and a place to blog the things you saw. Worthy of a mention is the Sophia Loren exhibit, which featured a photo biography of her life and accomplishments, and a Rising Designer exhibit for up-andcoming designers in the industry. Artist crammed the streets with live performances of dancing, painting and music. In one sentence, once again Milan Fashion Week outdid itself to prove why Milan, here in Italy, is the capital of fashion.

closet. The Pitt children also helped In the midst of Italy’s worst recession out with their fathers outfit on the day since the Second World War, Italy’s as the broom forgot to pack a tie and textile industry is still going strong, as organizers of the Milano Unica so borrowed one from his son. The intimate ceremony, which took textile trade fair reported 7.6% proplace on August 23, was held in their duction gains in the first four months private residence Château Miravalin of 2014. The exportation of knits increased by 14.8% while wool fabric in the South of France. Inside the 1000 acre vineyard estate is exports rose by 4.1%. a small gothic style chapel in which Figures from the national statistical the couple made their vows, writ- agency Istat show that the overall Italten by their children. As the actress ian textile industry increased by 4.2% walked down the aisle, the twenty between January and February this guests all hummed the tune to Here year, while imports grew by 7.5%. Using this data, research center Sistema Comes the Bride.

Moda Italia calculated that the sectoral trade balance of Italian textiles generated revenues of 577 million euros. In a recent interview, president of the Unica fair Silvio Albini said, “The imports number could signal that internal demand is making a recovery.” Of all the export destinations, 55.3% were made up of the 28 EU member countries. Textile sales to the European Union increased by 8.2% in the first quarter of this year, while sales to the United States increased by a large 14.9%. However, export rates decreased to

countries like China (-10.2%), Turkey (-8.1%), and Hong Kong (-7%). China is still the key country supplying Italian textile firms, as figures show a 26.3% increase on on total textile imports. As the textile industry is flourishing, the government has also confirmed the contribution of two million euros towards Unica, making it the leading textile fair in Italy as well as overseas. More than 400 firms, of which 74 come from Europe, exhibit at the the trade fair in Shanghai between October 20-23.

Florence in a Bottle

Tuscan gardens, Medici memories and the strong fragrance of history are now captured within one perfume bottle. Last month, Florence released ‘Gardens of the Grand Duke’ - the perfume of the city. Produced by Sillabe, the new eau de toilette has been inspired by studies of the Medici’s historic gardens. The fragrance is now being sold in Florence’s state museums and promoted by the Florentine Board for Historic and Cultur-

al Heritage. Its scent aims to celebrate the magnificent garden legacy and the Medici Villas, which were awarded the status of a UNESCO World Heritage site last year. The perfume was also presented at the Pitti Fragrances fair at Stazione Leopalda last month. The presentation press conference included contributions from the superintendent of the Florentine Board Cristina Acidini, and the perfume creator Simonetta Giurlani Pardini.

ALEXANDRIA NASIFE

Ferragamo and Versace Italian Textile Industry Keeps on Expanding Dress Brangelina

Luigi Massi, master tailor of Versace has designed Angelina Jolie’s wedding dress. The white satin dress was clinched at the waist and embroidered with a long train, but there was something more distinguishing about this particular garment. Sown into the dress and veil was artwork by the bride’s own children. Pitt’s navy blue suit was designed by Florentine fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo. The suit was not specially-made for the occasion as Pitt chose to wear something that was already in his

A TREASURE TROVE OF CLASSIC PIECES Nestled in Santo Spirito, Celeste Vintage stands out as a vintage store focused upon elegant and sought-after objects. It offers a wide range of clothing that spans the beginning of the twentieth century through to the 1980s, with particular attention on the ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Treasures to be found include bijoux jewellery, crocodile-skin gloves and handbags, tortoiseshell items, clutch bags, fans, coats, hats and suitcases, alongside classic pieces by famous designers such as Gucci, Dior, Ferragamo, Fendi, Valentino and Cristian Lacroix.

Piazza San Felice, 1/r 055 285 540 vintageceleste@hotmail.com www.celestevintage.it

LIFESTYLE SALON & SPA Via de' Neri 53-55/r 055 23 98 553 CONCEPT SALON - without appointment Via de' Neri 49/r 055 28 28 41 CONCEPT SALON Via dei Benci 5/r 055 21 92 27

www.salonecontrasto.it

The Latin Nights of International Students Spanish & Mexican Restaurant & disco-pub The meeting point of all Latin communities and foreign students

Soccer passion, salsa, Spanish and Mexican food, and, most importantly, a true Latin atmosphere. These will be the ingredients for this fall at Salamanca, a restaurant that every night becomes a Latin Disco Pub after food has been consumed. A spot that has become the favorite of Italian and international students, who find the best opportunity to socialize here all year long. And with a Latin touch, with a Southern authenticity, that in Florence you can find just here. SPECIALTIES: QUESADILLAS, ENCHILADAS, BURRITOS AND TACOS

Tuesday: Latin Disco Wednesday: Live music with Mambo Kids Thursday: International Student Night Friday & Saturday: Latin Disco Bar

Via Ghibellina, 80/r â&#x20AC;˘ 055 23 45 452 www.salamanca.it

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

Preston Presents In Love and War

CULTURE

Vernon Lee’s Victorian Hauntings

Alex Preston will be presenting his an epic wartime journey which sees book at St. Mark’s English Church On the 20-year-old protagonist struggle October 4. The event will be followed with car chases, shootouts and assasby some 1940s cocktails and a book sination plots. signing. A novel which delves into Florence’s The story tells of Esmond Lowndes rich history and unravels a complex who, in the midst of the Florentine plot, In Love and War has been deresistance, finds himself enamoured scribed as ‘breathtaking’, ‘harrowing’ of both the city and a fellow freedom and ‘utterly compelling.’ fighter. Through a combination of diaCritical reviews can be found at: logue and narration, letters and tran- alexhmpreston.com/in-love-and-warscripts, Preston takes his readers on the-critical-response/

Main Libraries in Florence BIBLIOTECA RICCARDIANA Via Ginori, 10 055 21 25 86 // Fax: 055 211 379 IRIS Piazza Strozzi, Palazzo Strozzi www.iris.firenze.it/index_e.php

BIBLIOTECA GABINETTO G.P. VIEUSSEUX Piazza Strozzi 055 28 34 2 // Fax: 055 28 83 42 www.vieusseux.fi.it BIBLIOTECA MARUCELLIANA Via Cavour, 43 055 21 06 02 // 055 21 62 43 Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. www.maru.firenze.sbn.it BIBLIOTECA MEDICEA-LAURENZIANA Piazza S. Lorenzo, 9 055 21 07 60 www.bml.firenze.sbn.it/index_ing.htm BIBLIOTECA NAZIONALE Piazza Cavalleggeri, 1/a switch-board 055 24 91 91 // 055 24 91 91 Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. www.bncf.firenze.sbn.it

BIBLIOTECA COMUNALE CENTRALE Via S. Egidio, 21 055 26 16 512 www.comune.firenze.it/comune/biblioteche/comunale.htm BIBLIOTECA DEI RAGAZZI Via Tripoli, 34 055 24 78 551 www.comune.firenze.it/streghetta/ BIBLIOTECA PALAGIO DI PARTE GUELFA Piazza Parte Guelfa, 1 055 21 47 40 www.comune.firenze.it/comune/biblioteche/ppguelfa.htm THE UFFIZI LIBRARY Loggiato degli Uffizi, Florence 055 23 88 647 Tuesday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesday: 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. biblioteca@polomuseale.firenze.it

LEE FOUST In 1889 Violet Paget’s family rented the Villa Il Palmerino in Maiano, a hamlet in the hills north-east of Florence, between Fiesole and Settignano. She will live there, between her many travels, until her death in 1935, at the ripe old age of 70. Born in France of British parents, Florentine expatriate writer Paget is personally remarkable for her non-conformist attitudes to gender roles - she will brazenly wear men’s clothing for most of her life and adopt the nom de plume of Vernon Lee. She’s also famous for the literary society that she kept - Henry and William James, Edith Wharton, and John Singer Sargent will all visit her at Il Palmerino. Not to mention the diversity of her intellectual pursuits not only writing fiction but also history, art history, aesthetics, philosophy, and travel writing - nor the sheer volume of her production: Vernon Lee, Paget’s literary persona, left us 43 major works. Fascinatingly, and perhaps indicative of what types of books are capable of universal appeal, and which are slightly more ephemeral, what

remains in print today are Paget’s few, and rather intellectual, ghost stories. Of the first order of these is the volume of four longish supernatural narratives that she published in 1890, Hauntings, written during her first year of residence in Maiano. Appearing under her usual pen name, Hauntings has recently been reprinted in an expanded edition, featuring three additional stories from Lee’s two later collections of supernatural tales and with copious notes and appendices, by Broadview, a house that specializes in reprinting the classics and marginalia of English Gothic. Although none of the tales take place in Florence itself, Paget’s expatriate experience colors the stories insomuch as most of them recount the haunting of a protagonist who travels to a foreign place, as so many of we scholars, art historians, and students in Florence have also done, to undertake some kind of historical or art-historical research. Three of the four Hauntings deal with femme fatales who reach across the boundaries of time, logic, and particularly art, to bewitch and dominate “certain brains,” as Lee tells us in her

introduction - the imaginative and susceptible brains of intellectuals: composers, historians, and local gentry. Although the antagonistic spirit of the fourth tale, “A Wicked Voice,” is male - a Venetian castrato—he rather makes the siren motif of the collection explicit: historians fall in love with the exploits of long-dead heroines, a village is visited by a Venus-like orphan, local gentry grow morbidly obsessed with a closeted murder out of family history, and a composer hears the call of a long-dead singer - these are Lee’s various Hauntings, voices of the not yet forgotten dead or, as in the goddess’ case, out of the immortal realms. In these tales obsession conjures up the destructive specter of its object and leads our protagonists out of history, imagination, or art, and into madness. Although not quite as imagistically potent as Poe’s tales, nor as carefully crafted as her friend Henry James’s best ghost stories, Lee’s Hauntings certainly make for entertaining reading - preferably exercised under a duvet with a hot drink in hand and a gloomy rain pelting the windowpanes. The Broadview edition, edited by Catherine Maxwell and Patricia Pulham, offers a few too many footnotes for the casual reader, but an excellent introduction and plenty of useful apparatus for any student or scholar - all in all, a terrific edition. The three later tales, although perhaps a bit more leisurely in pace, are also more carefully and beautifully written that the earlier stories so, with those books being out of print, it’s nice to have them here. The Paget’s Villa Il Palmerino is now a guesthouse in Maiano, so feel free to book a stay there - but be careful, lest Violet Paget and her Victorian expatriate Florentine life lure and haunt you with its Siren’s song of the allure of a genteel, nineteenth-century past.

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

EVENTS

Exhibitions

A JOURNEY TO THE EAST. PHOTOGRAPHS FROM AFRICA TO CASA MARTELLI Until October 10 Museum of Casa Martelli 055 29 03 83 // 055 23 881 Thursday: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. Fri. to Sun.: 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. Closed on the 2nd and 4th Sunday www.polomuseale.firenze.it

TRIAL INSTALLATION FOR THE FUTURE October 28 to March 28 Pitti Palace, Gallery of Modern Art www.unannoadarte.it

Fairs & Markets

1944 I PONTI DI FIRENZE. FLORENTINE ART AND PEOPLE UNDER FIRE Until November 30 Archivio Storico, Via dell’Oriuolo, 33 ART AND POLITICS: THE ELECTRESS PALATINE AND THE FINAL SEASON OF MEDICI PATRONAGE IN SAN LORENZO Until November 2 Medici Chapels Daily: 8:15 a.m.-4:50 p.m. www.uffizi.firenze.it

CERAMICS FAIR - ORGANIC AND LOCAL HAND MADE PRODUCTS October 4 and 5 Piazza Santissima Annunziata From: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. LUNGOUNGIORNO AND FIERUCOLA October 12 SAM Space for Arts and Crafts Via Giano della Bella 20/1 From: 5 p.m. - 12 a.m. www.fondazioneartigianato.it

FORTEZZA ANTIQUARIA ANTIQUE MARKET October 18 and 19 Gardens of Fortezza da Basso From: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

EXHIBITION OF THREE SCULPTURES BY DONATELLO Until November 30 Baptistery of Saint John the Baptist Piazza San Giovanni 055 23 02 885 www.operaduomo.firenze.it

ART JEWELRY: THE TRADITION IN MODERNITY Until October 15 Exhibition Hall - Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze and Horne Museum Via Bufalini, 6 055 53 84 001 // 055 24 46 61 Mon. to Fri.: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat. and Sun.: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3 p.m.-7 p.m. www.entecarifirenze.it

GIOVANNI COLACICCHI FIGURES OF THE RHYTHM AND LIGHT IN 12TH CENTURY FLORENCE. Until October 19 Villa Bardini, Costa San Giorgio, 2 055 20 06 6206 / 055 23 88 616 www.bardinipeyron.it MYTHS AND SYMBOLS OF A MEDITERRANEAN CIVILIZATION: SARDINIA NURAGICA Until October 19 National Archaeological Museum www.archeotoscana.beniculturali.it

MICHELANGELO AND THE TWENTIETH CENTURY Until October 20 Via Ghibellina, 70 055 241752 Daily: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Closed on Tuesday www.casabuonarroti.it

SPOTLIGHT ON THE 20TH CENTURY

THE PURE SIMPLE AND NATURAL IN ART IN FLORENCE BETWEEN THE 16TH AND 17TH CENTURIES Until November 2 Uffizi Gallery 055 294883 www.unannoadarte.it

SACRED SPLENDOUR. THE TREASURE OF THE “CHAPEL OF THE RELICS” Until November 2 The Medici Treasury, Piazza Pitti, 1 www.unannoadarte.it

GIO PONTI AND RICHARD GINORI: AN UNPUBLISHED CORRESPONDENCE Until November 8 Marino Marini Museum Piazza S. Pancrazio 055 219432 Daily: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays, Sundays and public holidays www.museomarinomarini.it “UROBORO” JAMES LEE BYARS ENCOUNTERS LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI Until November 8 Marino Marini Museum 055 219432 www.museomarinomarini.it

ISLAM. WEAPONS AND ARMOUR FROM THE STIBBERT COLLECTION Until November 9 Stibbert Museum, Via F. Stibbert, 26 055 47 55 20

CASCINE IN FESTA OUTDOORS October 19 Viale Lincoln - Piazzale Kennedy From: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

FIERA DI FIRENZE 2014 SHOP & THE CITY October 16 to 19 Fortezza da Basso Weekdays: 3 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sat.: 10 a.m.11 p.m.; Sun.: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. www.fieradifirenze.com THE FORTUNES OF THE PRIMITIVES. ART TREASURES FROM ITALIAN COLLECTIONS BETWEEN THE 18TH AND 20TH CENTURY Until December 8 Accademia Gallery 055 29 08 32 www.unannoadarte.it

RIONALISSIMA October 26 Area of near stadium “Artemio Franchi” From: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. www.vetrina-toscana.it/commercio/ comuni FLORENCE CREATIVITY.IT HANDMADE IN ITALY October 30 to November 2 Fortezza da Basso From: 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. www.florencecreativity.it

AUTUMN FAIR - ORGANIC AND LOCAL HAND MADE PRODUCTS October 19 Piazza Santo Spirito From: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

FLORENCE INTERNATIONAL MARKET October 30 to November 2 Piazza Santa Croce From: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. www.confesercenti.fi.it

ANIMALIA. MEN AND THE CARE FOR THE ANIMALS IN THE MANUSCRIPTS OF THE LAURENTIAN LIBRARY Until January 10, 2015 Laurentian Library, Piazza San Lorenzo, 9 055 21 07 60 Mon. to Sat.: 9:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. Closed on Sundays www.bmlonline.it

The Cover Store

PICASSO AND SPANISH MODERNITY Until January 25, 2015 Palazzo Strozzi 055 264 5155 Mon-Friday 9am-1pm; 2pm-6pm www.palazzostrozzi.org EQUILIBRIUM Until April 12, 2015 Ferragamo Museum Palazzo Spini Feroni Piazza Santa Trinita, 5r 055 336 04 56 / 055 356 24 17 Mon. to Sun.: 10 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. www.ferragamo.com/museo/it/ita/ mostre

• • • • • • •

International & national shipping service, Packing material, Full color digital copies, Fax service, Storage service, Free pick up at school or home. Corso dei Tintori, 39/r 055 24 66 660 Fax.: 055 24 66 067 mbe345@mbe.it

• All accessories for phones • Cables • Headphones • Memory Cards • Chargers • Covers Special prices for students

Via Ghibellina, 96/r

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

ENTERTAINMENT

At the Movies

ODEON FIRENZE Piazza Strozzi, Firenze 055 214 068 Office: 055 295 051 www.odeonfirenze.com

Tickets: Regular: €7.50; Reduced: €6* *Every Wednesday; students from Mon. to Fri. and selected partnerships. Club Odeon Classic: €3

THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY DIRECTOR: Hossein Amini GENRE: Thriller STARS: Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Isaac, Daisy Bevan PLOT: Period thriller based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel. 1962. A glamorous American couple arrive in Athens. While sightseeing at the Acropolis they encounter Rydal, who is lured into their lies.

SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR DIRECTOR: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez GENRE: Crime | Thriller STARS: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Eva Green, Powers Boothe, Dennis Haysbert PLOT: Frank’s Miller’s follow-up graphic novel adaptation. Some of Sin City’s most hard-boiled citizens cross paths with a few of its more reviled inhabitants.

DATES/HOURS: Thursday, Oct. 16: 4:30 – 6:30 – 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17: 4:30 – 6:30 – 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18: 8:30–10:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19: 4:30 – 6:30 – 9 p.m.

DATES/HOURS: Thursday, Oct. 9: 4:30 – 6:30 – 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10: 4:30 – 6:30 – 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11: 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12: 8:30 – 10:30 p.m.

GUIDO REVERDITO October brings an array of unmissable events to the Odeon Cinema. On Wednesday 8, for just one night, a restored version of François Truffaut’s The 400 Blows will be showing in its original language with Italian subtitles. This poster movie, from the French New Wave movement, is one of the key titles in film history. This month will be particularly exciting for Spanish-movie enthusiasts who have the chance to watch a retrospective called Spain, Picasso, Cinema as part of the ‘Tuesdays at the cinema with Palazzo Strozzi.’ The movie retraces crucial phases of Iberian history and culture and reflects on issues arising from the Spanish Civil War, political struggles and the return to democracy after the dark years during Franco’s Dictatorship. Through Luis Buñuel’s irreverent satire in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Ken Loach’s civil commitment in Land and Freedom, anarchy reveler of Pedro Almodóvar (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) and anxieties

expressed by Fernando Arrabal and Alejandro Amenábar in The Tree of Guernica and Open Your Eyes, Spanish movie lovers can dive deep into the conflicts of a country that has long been suspended between tradition and modern pressures. Florentine screens will also be showing big titles from the U.S.A, such as the highly-anticipated sequel to Sin City which many will line up to see. David Fincher is back on the scene with Gone Girl as he transfers one of the greatest literary achievements of recent years onto the big screen. Among other thrillers this month is The Equalizer, in which Denzel Washington plays the role of a former CIA agent who becomes a killer to defend a young man abused by a pimp. Anton Corbijn brings yet another high-voltage thriller, A Most Wanted Man, based on a novel by John Le Carré. The political movie shows Philip Seymour Hoffman’s last appearance on screen before his tragic death earlier this year. There are also great expectations for The Maze Runner, the first of a new literary saga already worshiped by teenage fans.

Human Capital Italian Candidate for Oscars GONE GIRL DIRECTOR: David Fincher GENRE: Drama | Mystery | Thriller STARS: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry PLOT: With his wife’s disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it’s suspected that he may not be innocent.

MOMMY DIRECTOR: Xavier Dolan GENRE: Drama STARS: Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clément PLOT: The 25-year-old Canadian director’s latest distinctive movie. A widowed single mother, raising her violent son alone, finds new hope when a mysterious neighbor inserts herself into their household. DATES/HOURS: Monday, Oct. 13: 4:30 p.m Tuesday, Oct 14: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15: 5:30 p.m.

DATES/HOURS: Monday, Oct. 20: 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21: 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22: 5:15 – 8:30 p.m.

BEGIN AGAIN DIRECTOR: John Carney GENRE: Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance STARS: Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine PLOT: A chance encounter between a disgraced music-business executive and a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan turns into a promising collaboration between the two talents. DATES/HOURS: Thursday, Oct. 23: 4:30 – 6:30 – 9 p.m. Friday. Oct. 24: 4:30 – 6:30 – 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25: 4:30 – 6:30 – 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26: 4:30 – 6:30 – 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28: 4:30 – 6 p.m.

Tuscan director Paolo Virzì’s Human Capital could represent Italy at the Oscars next year, as it may be shortlisted for best foreign movie at the Academy Awards. At this year’s David di Donatello awards, the movie won the title for best film while Virzì received a nomination for best director. The slick murder mystery is based on an American novel by Stephen Amidon and tells the tale of two families brought together by a road accident. Set in an affluent area of Northern Italy,

the movie delves into societal issues associated with greed and a failing economy. Fabrizio Bentivoglio plays the role of capitalist and social climber Dino Ossola who believes that money is the key to happiness. Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Carla Bruni’s elder sister, won the David for best actress for her performance as Dino’s wife Roberta. The movie scored a rating of 7.5 on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Virzì will find out if his movie has been shortlisted for the award on January 15.

Sophia Loren Celebrates 80th Birthday Sophia Loren brought out a memoir last month to mark her 80th birthday. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - A Life was named after the eponymous 1963 comedy in which Loren co-starred with Marcello Mastroianni, her Italian soul mate with whom she worked with in 12 different films. Indeed, the memoir contains old pictures, letters and notes from the likes of Mastroianni, as well as Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn and Richard Burton. The book reveals secrets not only from the Italian diva’s life, but also from other Hollywood stars, many of whom pursued her, as she admits in the text. Loren even shares a love letter from English actor Cary Grant, who admitted that the pair were falling in love on set during

the production of romantic comedy Houseboat (1958), The self-confessed illegitimate ‘street urchin’ from Naples rose to fame in 1960s, after her performance in Vittorio De Sica’s Two Women lead her to become the first winner of an Academy Award in a foreign-language film, gaining the Best Actress award. She went on to star in some 80 films in an international career which has made her a national icon in Italy. She co-starred alongside such leading men as Marcello Mastroianni, Gregory Peck, Marlon Brando and actor and director Vittorio De Sica. Her memoir has been released in Italy and an English version is due to be published in the United States this December.

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

SAN GIMIGNANO

Pinturicchio on Display

Exhibit runs until January 6 GEORGIA FAY An exhibition dedicated to Umbrian painter Pinturicchio arrives at the Pinacoteca in San Gimignano’s Palazzo Comunale on September 6. The show aims to inaugurate a series of exhibitions which will take place annually, analyzing the works of significant artists that have enriched the UNESCO World Heritage site. Mayor Giacomo Bassi strongly supports the new project, which will help promote the city’s museums and move it closer to achieving the aspiring title of “a center of cultural reference,” both locally and internationally. The initiative will focus on a different master each year and explore masterpieces from their public collections. Filippino Lippi, another artist who left his mark in the medieval village, will be the focus of next year’s exhibition. The final season of Pinturicchio’s career will be showcased, including his last great altarpiece, Madonna in

Glory with Saints George and Benedict also asked him to decorate the suite of (1512). This was his last documented six rooms in the Vatican, creating the work and was painted for the Santa Borgia Apartments. Maria Assunta monastery, a few ki- He spent his final years in Siena, lometers from San Gimignano. Other where many of his works are held works on display include Virgin and in the Pinacoteca National Museum. Child with Saint John the Baptist, Holy The exhibition is sponsored by the Family and Saint John and The Nativ- Superintendence for the Historical, Artistic and Ethno-anthropological ity. Bernardino di Betto Betti came to be Heritage for the province of Siena. known by the nickname Pinturicchio because of his small stature and even Pinturicchio. used this name to sign some of his The Altarpiece of works. He is famous for his highly San Gimignano and decorative frescoes and for being one of the great masters of the 15th-centhe Siena Years tury Umbrian school, alongside PietPinacoteca, Palazzo Comunale, ro Perugino and the young Raphael. San Gimignano The Early Renaissance painter was Until January 6, 2015 born in Perugia, but he resided in Booking: 0577 286 300 Rome for much of his life on account Sept. 6 to Oct. 31, open every day: 9 of commissioned work. He was ema.m. - 7:30 p.m. From Nov. 1 to Jan. 6, open every ployed by the Della Rovere family to day: 11 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. decorate the Semi-Gods Ceiling of the Tickets: € 7,50 (regular); € 6,50 Penitenziere Palace as well as a num(reduced) ber of chapels in the Basilica of Santa www.sangimignanomusei.it Maria del Popolo. Pope Alexander VI

Le Torri

“MADE IN ITALY” LEATHER The company Le Torri was born for collecting, producing and selling high quality artisanal leather goods exclusively made in Italy leather, something that today is not so easy at it may seem to find. The three shops are located in Via San Giovanni. Products include bags for women, business bags for men, belts, wallets, as well as other goods and can be purchased both online and in store.

Daily: 9.30 a.m. - 8.30 p.m. Via San Giovanni, 22-24 Via San Giovanni, 34 Via San Giovanni, 117 San Gimignano 0577 940 851 www.letorrionline.com

BAR GELATERIA COMBATTENTI

A GUIDE TO SELECT SITES OF SAN GIMIGNANO

ROCCA DI MONTESTAFFOLI Climb the remains of an ancient fortress turret for stunning views of the area Free (outdoors)

Information Courtesy of the Pro Loco Association of San Gimignano – Tourist Information Office www.sangimignano.com

PIAZZA DELLA CISTERNA San Gimignano’s medieval water well gives its name to this piazza Free (outdoors)

PODESTA’S PALACE, TOWER AND ART COLLECTION Piazza Duomo, 2 0577 990 312 Entrance: €5; children between 6 and 17 €5; free entrance to children under 6; combined ticket good for all civic museums €7.50 Daily 11 a.m.- 5:30: after April 1: 9:30 a.m. -7 p.m.

ANCIENT CITY WALLS Walk along the 13th century walls with 15th century Medicean bastions Free (outdoors)

THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA (DUOMO) Piazza del Duomo 0577 940 152; prenotazioni@duomosangimignano.it Entrance: €4; Combined ticket with the Sacred Art Museum: €6 (Apr-Oct) Mon to Fri: 10 a.m-7 p.m.; Sat: 10 a.m - 5 p.m.; Sun/Holidays: 12:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM - SANTA FINA HERBARIUM - MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY Via Folgore, 1 0577 940 526; www.museodellatortura.it April 1: 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Entrance € 3.50; € 2.50 for children between 6 and 17; children under 6 free; combined ticket with all civic museums €7.50

CHURCH OF SANT’AGOSTINO Near Porta St. Matteo on Via Cellolese Mon 4 p.m.– 6 p.m.; Tues-Sun 10a.m.12p.m./3 p.m.-6 p.m. HOUSE OF ST. FINA Via del Castello FORMER PODESTA’S PALACE AND ROGNOSA TOWER Piazza del Duomo

MUSEO DELLA TORTURA E DELLA PENA DI MORTE - TORTURE AND DEATH PENALTY MUSEUM Via San Giovanni, 82 & 125 0577-940526, 055-940151; Daily: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. www.museodellatortura.it Info & Reservations: tortura@iol.it WINE MUSEUM 0577 941 267 Free admission 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

ENOTECA CORSI

THE BAR STARTED BY A WWI FIGHTER

TYPICAL TUSCAN PRODUCTS

Located just inside Porta San Giovanni, bar and gelateria Caffé Combattenti serves artisan-quality, homemade Tuscan ice-creams and products. The first gelateria established in town, since 1924 the Bar Combattenti offers saffron and lively wine-flavored gelatos next to traditionally prepared bruschetta, pizza, panini, and pasta, as well as Tuscan salami and pecorino cheeses. Also available are classic Tuscan treats such as ricciarelli and cantucci, grappa, extra-virgin olive oil, and local truffle products, as well as gluten-free products.

With more than 600 wines including Brunello, Vernaccia, Bolgheri and Chianti, as well as extra virgin olive oil, flavored oil, balsamic vinegar and much more, Enoteca Corsi is an ideal stop for authentic Tuscan products. Enoteca Corsi offers traditional sweets such as panforte, ricciarelli, homemade cantuccini biscuits and other delicacies such as marmalades, honey, sauces and tartufi (or Italian truffles). It also has the only DOP saffron in Italy.

Via San Giovanni, 124 San Gimignano 0577 940 391 328 06 07 267 barcombattenti@libero.it

ORNITHOLOGICAL MUSEUM Located inside the church of San Francesco on Via Quercecchio 0577 941 388 info@sangimignano.com After April 1: 11 a.m.-5:30p.m. Entrance €1.50

KEEP CALM & BUY SHOES

Via San Giovanni (near the door of San Giovanni) San Gimignano 328 06 07 267

“Cindarella is the living proof that a pair of shoes can change your life” Located in V. San Giovanni, Cindarella offers shoes, jackets, socks, belts, bags, scarves, clothing and accessories all rigorously Made in Italy and selected for clients who wish to experience a unique shopping experience, as in a fairy tale...

Daily: 9:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Via San Giovanni, 36 San Gimignano 334 397 4862

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

SAN GIMIGNANO

San Gimignano Hosts Elliott Erwitt

Wine-Tasting in a Painting Perched at the top of a hill facing the medieval town of San Gimignano, the Fattoria il Piano has a splendid view overlooking Tuscan trees, vineyards and olive groves. The converted farmhouses offer guests a comfortable stay with apartments and a panoramic swimming pool featuring sunbeds, umbrellas and a changing room. Surrounding fields, woods and stretches of agricultural can be explored on foot or mountain bikes which may be hired locally. A barbecue, utility room and washing machine are also available for use. The Fattoria il Piano’s renowned wine tasting tours begin with a stroll through the vineyards, family chapels and even the underground cellar, carved out of the earth by local workers in 1925. Accompanied with a selection of local foods, the tasting of local wines takes place on the veranda with a magnificent view of the San

Gimignano towers. Amongst the local products available, the four Carlesi Zucconi wines may be tasted on the tour as they are in fact produced at Fattoria il Piano. Other wines include the Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Vittoria, Chianti Colli Senesi and Renzano 2006. The farmland, with its combination of limestone soil and sandstone base, is the ideal location for a vineyard. The tour takes between 40 and 60 minutes and is not restricted to overnight guests but open to all members of the public upon reservation.

Fattoria Il Piano Fattoria Il Piano Loc. Montauto 53037 San Gimignano (SI) Tel. & Fax.: 0577 940 551 Info Tasting & Tour: 320 631 46 55 Other Tel.: 0573 743 084 fattoriailpiano@gmail.com www.fattoriailpiano.it

Exhibit on Display until November 2 San Gimignano’s Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art Raffaele De Grada is hosting an art exhibit through November 2 that traces the career and main themes of American photographer Elliott Erwitt. The exhibit showcases 42 photos selected by the artist as most representative of his body of work. Works on display will include some of his most famous: a heartbroken Jacqueline Kennedy at the funeral of her husband, beautiful Grace Kelly at a ball, portraits of Che Guevara and Marilyn Monroe, and two lovers in the rearview mirror of a car. The exhibit will also include nine exclusive self-portraits, which will rep-

resent a real “event within the event.” Elliott Erwitt—a documentary and advertisement photographer—was born in France in 1928, and spent his formative in Italy. His family immigrated to the United States in 1939. During high school, Erwitt began working in a commercial darkroom, starting his professional career when he returned to Italy and France in 1949, travelling and doing photography. When he was drafted in the U.S. Army in 1951, he continued to take photographs for various publications. In 1953, after being decommissioned from the Army, Erwitt was invited to join Magnum photos. In the 1970s he began directing films—

Beauty Knows no Pain (1971) and Red White and Blue Grass (1973)—and in the 1980s produced a number of television shows. In between working for magazines and other advertising clients, the artist creates books and exhibitions on his works, with over 21 books released to date. Today Erwitt remains a leading figure in the competitive field of photography; his art has been featured around the world for the past 40 years. Erwitt has had exhibits at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, The Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., The Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the Spazio Oberdan in Milan, the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, and many more.

Taste The Famous Wines of Colli Senesi Come Visit Fattoria Il Piano in the Hills of Siena

Be given a personal tour of the cellars and vineyards. Then taste our wines with typical local dishes. Read some of our reviews on TripAdvisor. Reservations necessary.

Carlesi Zucconi Premier Wines How about a Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a Colli Senesi Chianti or even our Super Tuscan!

Spend time in peace and quiet watching the autumn colours arrive. 10% off if you stay a week or more during October and November. Complimentary wine tasting included.

Fattoria Il Piano San Gimignano

LOCALITA MONTAUTO -53037 SAN GIMIGNANO ( SI ) www.Fattoriailpiano.it | FB: Il Piano wines and wine tasting WINES & WINE TASTINGS : (0039) 320 631 46 55 • fattoriailpiano@gmail.com • AGRITOURISMO : (0039) 0577 940 551 • info@fattoriailpiano.it

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

SAN GIMIGNANO

Explore the Gagliardi Contemporary Art Gallery GALLERIA GAGLIARDI Arte Contemporanea

SAN GIMIGNANO

The Galleria Gagliardi was established in 1991, in a 400-square-meter space once used as a garage and farm machinery store. Today, the Galleria bears absolutely no resemblance to the original building apart from a section of the floor made up of oak boards, covering a hole which once enabled repairs to the underside of cars and machinery in the absence of a ramp. This work of art was created by the previous owner, Dino Conforti, and has been left in his memory. Since 1991, the exhibition area of the gallery has been extended and the gallery has now become a cultural

reference for the promotion and sale of contemporary art. Every work is chosen directly from the studios of artists who constantly experiment new solutions through their research, renewing their approach and skills. The Galleria exhibits ceramic, bronze and marble sculptures; conceptual, abstract and figurative paintings as well as works in steel, iron and wood by Italian and international artists.

Galleria Gagliardi Via San Giovanni, 57 San Gimignano galleria@galleriagagliaradi.com www.galleriagagliardi.com

A Journey Through Human Cruelty The Museo della Tortura displays over 100 tools designed to torture and kill. Some of these tools are extremely rare, dating to the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. They include the notorious Iron Maiden, the Guillotine, the Rack, the Chair of Torture, and the Chastity Belt. Also on display are lesser known, more sophisticated devices, such as the Heretic’s Fork, the Noisemaker’s Fife, the Spanish Spider, and flaying instruments. Rare, original philological reconstructions from the 19th and 20th centuries can also be observed.

Via San Giovanni, 82 & 125 San Gimignano Open daily: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. 0577-940526, 055-940151 Tickets: Full € 10 Concessions: € 7 - € 5 Groups Ticket valid for free admission to the Museum of Death Penalty www.museodellatortura.it

The Art of Crafting Jewels Andrea Errera, goldsmith from the Milano School, approached his art more than 30 years ago. With his expert and skilled hands, he not only shapes gold but also combines it— with taste and skill—to various materials, such as precious woods and silks. Passion and discipline drive him to make any object a unique work of art. Errera is also a fine connoisseur and estimator of precious stones, which he uses to increase the value

of his work. Meeting the artist in his San Gimignano workshop, where he creates his exhibits, will leave a mark in your memory.

Bitta Gioielli di Andrea Errera Via Piandornella, 1A San Gimignano 0577 90 70 42 bitta@sangimignano.net

Gelato World Champion 2006/2007 - 2008/2009

SAN GIMIGNANO Piazza della Cisterna, 4 - 0577 942 244 - www.gelateriadondoli.com

FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

Porto di Mare – Eskimo Bridging cultures through live music at the club where all musicians meet

As with any port, Porto di Mare – Eskimo is synonymous with exchange, correspondence, and coming and going. Anyone is welcomed through the doors of this club, which also hosts a pizzeria and cafè. Its focus on live music and cultural exchange is one that the man who started the club, Francesco Cofone, holds close to his heart: “We never play anything recorded here,” he says with a smile. The method of bridging cultures at Porto di Mare is just getting out an instrument and beginning to play. “I’d be keen to talk to anyone who is interested in playing and sharing their

music with us,” Francesco says. rapper Jovanotti; percussionists WalThe club has also created its own big ter Paoli, ex-member of 1970s Italian band, the Eskimo Jazz Orchestra. An jazz, progressive rock and electronic all-star Tuscan jazz band born under group Area, and Piero Borri; clarinet the initiative of Francesco, it includes player Nico Gori; and guitarists Paolo some of the biggest and respected Conte, Ivano Fossati and Riccardo names on the jazz scene amongst its Galardini – to name just (a little more members. than) a few. These include trumpeter and band The band’s genre has evolved from conductor Fabio Morgera, who played classical music to a looser, improunder legendary American jazz cor- vised style: netist, composer and conductor Butch “Morris’s idea was to dissolve any sort Morris for 30 years in New York; Dario of ‘formation’ in the orchestra, and Cecchini, sax and leader of Italian for this reason, conducting isn’t unmarching band Funk Off; trumpet- dertaken in one style but acts more er Luca Marianini; trombone player like a tool for endless different styles,” Stefano Scalzi and guitarist Riccardo Fabio Morgera explains. “I conduct Onori, who both played alongside re- a group of musicians but they have nowned Italian singer-songwriter and complete freedom of the choice of notes; it’s an exchange between us. There’s no rigid music score to follow … In this way, it’s possible to create music together that has an organic quality.” The band performs live at the venue every month, and has already had many requests from specialized magazines to festival directors.

Enjoy Live Italian Music at Eskimo Club Born from the fusion of two former jazz venues, Eskimo and Jazz Club, Eskimo is a club-cafè that during the day is lived as a bookstore – the perfect place to find second-hand books – as well as a library where people meet to hang out in the afternoon. At night, the club becomes the stage where young Italian musician perform, often jamming together. The traditional Italian music that is played in this club ranges from songwriters to typical musical expressions from southern Italy such as the tarantella and others. Occasionally live jazz is played too. Eskimo is the perfect club where non-Italian musicians or non-Italian music aficionados can meet their Italian counterpart. It gives artists from all over the world the opportunity to take the stage in a familiar environment, where they can blend ideas and showcase their talents. This is indeed the place where Italian songwriters typically perform in a very relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, which is not always easy to

find in the foreign-dominated venues of Florence’s city center. Manager Sara Bonomo hopes that Eskimo will become “a theatrical workshop and a venue open to other types of arts, not just music – and focusing on bringing together a foreign audience, tourists, apericena [aperitivo dinner] and jazz.” In the small stage of this club some of the most famous Italian singers and musicians have appeared when looking for a more intimate approach with the public, far from the sports hall where they usually perform. This is why Eskimo is not just a bar but rather an ‘atmosphere’ perfect to chill out in, far from the formality of the city center’s nightlife.

Music Calendar Tuesday: Jazz Open Mic & Workshop Wednesday: Bog & Kate Live (Ft. Guests) Thursday: Rock Night Friday: Italian Southen Music Live Saturday: Francesco Cofone (Ft. Guests) Sunday: Folk, Rock & Blues

VINTAGE VINYL & NEW RELEASES

Data Records 93 is the perfect spot for music aficionados and those looking for a different take on current music or a nostalgic throwback to decades past. Born in 1977 as Contempo Records, it holds a vast collection of music, from new releases to rare pressings, and even includes recent releases on vinyl. Data Records 93’s eclectic and valuable collection attracts international DJs and it also ships all over the world.

Via de’ Neri, 15/r (near Santa Croce) 055 287 592 www.superecords.com

Porto di Mare – Eskimo Via Pisana, 128 055 71 20 34 portodimareeskimo@gmail.com

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FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

SPORT & LEISURE

Have Fun in Tuscany Urban Cyclists Hit on Horseback the Pedals

IVANA SCATOLA Having explored Tuscany on horseback, the only way this experience could compare would be experiencing it via Vespa or quad bike – two options that tour operator Fun in Tuscany offers as well. The day was jampacked with new experiences, beautiful sights and tastes, and a wonderful group of people: unquestionably one of the best I’ve had in Tuscany yet. After a hack through a beautiful Tuscan forest that weaved in and out of vineyards (where both my horse and I paused to sample some fresh Chianti grapes), we tasted the range of gorgeous homemade honey. We then went on to the ancient hilltop town of San Gimignano (built in 1300), where we experienced incredible gelato and stunning Tuscan views, before moving onto a restaurant villa in which we were given a private room and a traditional Tuscan three-course meal to accompany our wine-tasting (of which we sampled 11!). Fun In Tuscany’s success is attributed to the fact that the tour is unlike other typical, ‘supermarket tourism’ tour

organisers. All tours are undertaken in groups of maximum eight people, and cater to the interests of the group. Private time is provided so that people can explore the place themselves, yet the option is available to follow an organiser if they so wish. In this way, the group and the tour have a very intimate and personal feel, and you really gain the strong impression that the organisers are truly interested in you as people, instead of simply tourists and clients. They took us to places I would never have been able to find myself if I was organising a personal trip; such as a gelateria that has twice won the Gelato World Championships in San Gimignano. They were incredibly obliging to our requests and questions and refreshingly knowledgeable. What I loved seeing most was that they really were enjoying themselves on the tour along with us – having true, genuine Fun in Tuscany.

The bicycle is emerging as a serious force on the roadways as Italy sees a boom in urban cycling, which has more than tripled since 2001. In 2001 urban cyclists comprised 2.9 percent of the adult population; in 2013 this has leapt to 9 percent. The bicycle is the chosen mode of transport for at least five million commuters, who hit the pedals three or four times a week. The phenomenon may even rival Italy’s love affair with the car: in 2012 the number of bicycles sold outstripped cars for the first time in 48 years. An estimated 1, 748, 000 bikes were sold in comparison to 1,450,000 cars. “The desire for new mobility should be supported and encouraged,” says Erasmo D’Angelis, Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport. “Italy is ready for a cycling revolution and politics has the task of giving a just and concrete response to this strong demand for alternative mobility. “There are many other [examples of]

best practices, such as the ‘bicipolitana’ [bike-friendly center] of Pesaro, bike-sharing in Milan or the grand pedestrianization of Florence that offers safe spaces for pedestrians and cyclists along with the opportunity to take bikes onto trams in a rare example of intermodality.” Florence recently staged several bike-awareness events during its period as host to the UCI Road World Championships, which took place in September 2013. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport set up a dedicated space in Piazza San Firenze to showcase its On Track campaign and provide information and material and cycling gadgets, while the Bicycle Film Festival stopped by Florence for four days of cinema, music, art and design as part of its global tour of 30 cities. The festival aims to “celebrate the bike in 360 degrees”, and since its inauguration in 2001 has become a powerful international catalyst for the urban bike movement.

Fiorentina Home Games SERIE A Fiorentina vs Inter Milan Oct. 5 at 8:45 p.m. Fiorentina vs Lazio Oct. 19 at 12:30 p.m. Fiorentina vs Udinese Oct. 29 at 8:45 p.m. EUROPA LEAGUE Fiorentina vs POAK Salonika Nov. 6 at 9:05 p.m. Keep up to date with Fiorentina at en.violachannel.tv Tickets can be bought online at it.violachannel.tv, at the stadium and at Fiorentina Point on Viale Manfredo Fanti, 85/a.

Get your shirt with a 10% DISCOUNT when you show this paper at the FLORENCE CURIOSITY SHOP next to Pizzeria O’Vesuvio in Via De’ Cimatori, 23/r.

www.funintuscany.com

NAIMA

NEW GYM NEAR SANTA MARIA NOVELLA Brand new gym in the heart of Florence is now open. • Fully outfitted with the latest cardio & strength equipment from Technogym • Offering a wide array of classes ranging from Zumba to Pilates, every week • All-inclusive memberships with no sign-up fees • Special pricing for students • Friendly English-speaking staff • Free wi-fi

Mon. to Fri.: 8 a.m.-10 p.m, Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m, Sunday: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Via dei Fossi, 56/r 055 23 96 497

HAMBURGERS AND AWARD-WINNING ARTISAN BEER Mostodolce craft brewery was the first of its kind to open in Prato and now supplies twin pubs in Prato and Florence with its award-winning artisan beer. From pitchblack stout to honey beer and a seasonal Christmas variety made from chestnuts, Mostodolce’s range appeals to the most earthy and subtle of palates. Match your choice with complementary dishes created in the pub kitchen: from the hefty flavours of smoked ribs and tortelloni with wild boar ragout to light snacks and the intriguingly named ‘birramisu’.

Open Daily: 11–2 a.m. Via Nazionale, 114/r (near the train station) 055 23 02 928 www.mostodolce.it

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FLORENCE NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER 2014, NO. 10

STUDENT TRAVEL

Take the Eastern Loop with Bus2Alps

While you’re in Italy, take advantage of the opportunity not only to visit the rest of this beautiful country, but also surrounding European countries that are right at your doorstep. Make the most of your time here and see as much as you can – who knows when you’ll next be over in this part of the world? After all, travel broadens the mind. The west of Europe holds some incredible sights, but how about the other side? Europe’s east has emerged as one of the most chosen holiday and travelling destinations in recent years; rich in culture and stunning landscapes, it is far less-populated by tourists, and, what’s more, it is

to accompany you on your trip, you definitely easier on the wallet than largest market square. its western counterpart. Prague, Lju- In Prague you can explore the Old won’t have to worry about organising bljana, Budapest and Krakow are the Town, New Town, Jewish Quarter, anything yourself or, more imporforerunners in this new-wave Europe- John Lennon Wall, and an infamous tantly, missing out on anything! Your an tourist destination, yet reaching beer hall where you can also try a guide can provide helpful recommenthem all and travelling from one to three-course traditional Czech meal. dations for food or nightlife and help the other can be hard to organise and Your tour guide will take you on the you maximise your experience of lonavigate yourself. Clocktower Bar Crawl which ends at cal culture. Simultaneously, you are For this reason, Bus2Alps has organ- one of Prague’s biggest underground given the chance to explore the cities ised a 10-day trip through six coun- clubs - open until dawn! Take a sober- independently as well. You have the tries, with day stops in four of the ing moment to reflect on modern his- option of departing on a bus from eibiggest cities, and accommodation tory at the Auschwitz and Birkenau ther Florence or Rome, or even makand travel arranged for you. Visit camps. You will also have the chance ing your own way and meeting the Lake Bled and Bled Castle in Slovenia, to explore by yourself, shopping, rest of the group in Ljubljana, if you thermal baths and caves in Budapest, collecting souvenirs, renting bikes prefer. This trip is designed to meet experience Krakow nightlife, and go or simply taking the time to wander in Ljubljana on Thursday after 4 p.m. and depart from Prague the following on a walking tour to discover John around beautiful streets. Paul II’s home, as well as Europe’s With the benefit of a Bus2Alps guide Sunday.

Included • • • • • • •

Round-trip transportation by private luxury coach with DVD, A/C and bathroom; Top-rated accommodation with your friends; Breakfast; Walking tours in Prague, Budapest, Krakow, and Ljubljana; Exclusive Bus2alps discounts on additional tours and pub crawls; Bus2alps trip leader; Bus2alps destination guide.