April 2018 by FN

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NEWS lorence News is distributed F throughout Florence in all key reference points for the English-

speaking community, including hotels and hostels, universities and language schools, libraries, tourist information points, restaurants and cafes. Free copy.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Lorenzo Picchi

2018 Uffizi Exhibits

GR APHIC & L AYOUT DESIGN: Narine Nalbandyan, Ekaterina Chebotareva

The 18th Century. A Selection Palazzo Pitti, Sala delle Nicchie Until April 15

CONTRIBUTORS: Christine De Melo, Lee Foust, Marco Bracci, Thomas Ricciotti, Sarah Litchman, Serena Rutledge, Migle Vaisnoraite, Arcelita Martin, Caroline Rocha, Matthew Goydos, Valencia Wolf, Mercedes Carrara, Lee Foust, Cheyenne Curley, Marco Bracci, Tayler Bradford REGISTERED AT THE TRIBUNAL OF FLORENCE N. 6008, ON 9/12/2015. PUBLISHER: IAF PRINT: Rotostampa SRL, Florence

Two paintings depicting sceneries of Venice will be displayed with others depicting sceneries of Florence, Rome and Naples.

Showcases 35 works by Elisabetta Sirani, a legendary artist and personality from the city of Bologna.

www.florencenews.it Maria Lai. Thread and Infinity Palazzo Pitti, Andito degli Angiolini Until June 3 Maria Lai combines the traditions of Sardinian culture with the protocols of Contemporary Art.

Travelling in Style Palazzo Pitti, Museo della Moda e del Costume June 5-Dec. 2 Displays photos from the Locchi Archive that show the allure of cars in the 20th century, as well as travel-wear outfits borrowed from the collection of the Uffizi Gallery’s Costume and Fashion Museum. Islam and/in Florence Uffizi, Aula Magliabechiana, & the Bargello National Museum June 19-Sept. 23

The Halberdier Comes Home to Florence. Miraculous Encounters; Pontormo’s Drawings & Paintings Palazzo Pitti, Sala delle Nicchie May 8-July 29 Spain and Italy in the Renaissance Uffizi, Aula Magliabechiana Until May 27

A selection of the finest works by Jacopo da Pontormo made in the last years of the 16th century.

Showcases drawings by Spanish and Italian painters of the 16th century.

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Painting and Drawing like a True Master: The Talent of Elisabetta Sirani (Bologna 1638-1665) Uffizi, Sala Edoardo Detti e Sala del Camino Until June 10

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Explores the cultural links between Florence and the Islamic world through a display of carpets, fabrics, wooden items, ceramics, glassware, metals, ivory carvings, precious stones and manuscripts from the collections of the Tuscan Grand Duchy and other Italian and international collections.

Fritz Koenig in Florence (19242017) Uffizi, Galleria delle Statue e delle Pitture, & the Boboli Gardens June 21-Oct. 7

Homage to Carlo Levi: The Narcissist and Three Self-Portraits Palazzo Pitti, Galleria d’Arte Moderna Until April 21

Displays sketches, maquettes, as well as small and medium-sized sculptures by Fritz Koening including the models for the monument in honor of the Mauthausen Extermination Camp and other monuments that were never completed.

Commemorates the heroic role of Carlo Levi and Anna Maria Ichino in the struggle against Fascism, and the house in Piazza Pitti where Carlo Levi wrote his masterpiece Christ Stopped at Eboli.

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APRIL www.florencenews.it Leonardo da Vinci’s Leicester Codex: Water as the Microscope of Nature Uffizi, Aula Magliabechiana Oct. 29, 2018-Jan. 20, 2019 Displays the pages of the Codex and examines the illustrations and the theories of Leonardo.

Presents works by sculptor Pio Fedi, most of which stored in the Uffizi.

Showcases porcelain collections of the era of the Hapsburg-Lorraine Grand Duchy Giorgio Vasari and the Artists from Emilia-Romagna Uffizi, Sala Edoardo Detti Nov. 20, 2018-January 2019 Explores the difficult relationship that Vasari had with artists from Emilia-Romagna.

The Gilded Carriage Palazzo Pitti, Sala delle Nicchie Dec. 11, 2018 -March 17, 2019 Showcases the sumptuous miseen-scène created by Prince Giovan Battista Borghese for the Roman Carnival of 1664. Medici Tapestries Woven into the History of the City Palazzo Pitti, Sala Bianca Dec. 18, 2018-Feb. 19, 2019 Three panels representing The Consecration of the Baptistery, The Goths laying siege to Fiesole and The League between Florence and Fiesole.

ational and local media reported that Botticelli’s Birth of Venus conceals anatomical details of life as a scholar announced the findings of his research last month. The scholar, a surgeon by the name of Davide Lazzeri with an expertise in medicine in art, said that the cloak held by the goddess of spring Flora in the act of covering the nude Venus conceals a sketch of a hidden lung with a reproduction of the anatomical details and color of the organ. According to Lazzeri, who published his study in the journal Acta Biomedica, this symbol represents the allegory of the cycle of life generated by the divine breath and was inspired by neoPlatonism, the philosophy that inspired the Medici court. Made in the mid 1480s, The Birth of Venus is stored at the Uffizi Mu-

NEWS

Anatomical Botticelli

Pio Fedi’s The Rape of Polyxena Uffizi, Sala del Camino Nov. 25, 2018-Feb. 24, 2019

N The Delicate Treasures of Princes Palazzo Pitti, Sala del Fiorino Nov. 13, 2018-March 10, 2019

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seum. It depicts the goddess Venus arriving at the shore after emerging from the sea. Scholars tend to discuss the Venus with Botticelli’s other large mythological painting, the ‘Primavera’. In the center of the Venus is the newly-born goddess Venus standing nude in a giant scallop shell; to her left is the wind god Zephyr carrying a young female who are blowing at Venus to help her reach the shore. The wind is shown by lines radiating from their mouths. To her right is another female – either the Hora of Spring, a Greek minor goddess of the seasons or the flower nymph Chloris held by Zephyr – floating slightly above the ground and holding out a cloak or dress to cover her. The shore is probably one either in Cythera or Cyprus, the two Mediterranean

islands regarded by the Greeks as territories of Venus. The overall treatment of Venus standing off-center with a curved body of long flowing lines is, in many respects, inspired by Gothic art. “Her differences from antique form are not physiological, but rhythmic and structural. Her whole body follows the curve of a Gothic ivory. It is entirely without that quality so much prized in classical art, known as aplomb; that is to say, the weight of the body is not distributed evenly either side of a central plumb line. .... She is not standing but floating. ... Her shoulders, for example, instead of forming a sort of architrave to her torso, as in the antique nude, run down into her arms in the same unbroken stream of movement as her floating hair,” wrote the notorious British art historian Kenneth Clark. Lazzeri studied the body of the Venus, which is anatomically impossible with her elongated neck and torso and pose shifted too far over the left leg. “Perhaps the most beautiful example of ecstatic movement in the whole of painting. ... the suspension of our reason is achieved by the intricate rhythms of the drapery which sweep and flow irresistibly around the nude figures. Their bodies, by an endless intricacy of embrace, sustain the current of movement, which finally flickers down their legs and is dispersed like an electric charge,” Clark wrote. Just as it happens with any thesis on Botticelli, even Lazzeri’s is destined to be bitterly debated.

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Spain and Italy in the Renaissance

Exhibit explores artistic relations between the two countries

he exhibition, on display in the new rooms of the Aula Magliabechiana of the Uffizi Gallery from Feb. 27 to May 27, showcases drawings attributed to some of the most important Italian and Spanish Renaissance masters. Among the artists on display are Alonso Berruguete, Romolo Cincinnato and Pompeo Leoni, Francisco Pacheco, Patricio and Eugenio Cajés, Vicente Carducho, Alonso Berruguete, Pedro Machuca, Bartolome Ordonez and Diego de Siloe, the latter four known as the Eagles of the Spanish Renais-

sance. In the 15th century, Spain united under a monarchy first, then an empire afterward, and in the same period it began a cultural convergence between the new nation and the Italian States. “Political and intellectual trends in the Spanish kingdom and the regions of Italy began to converge around the 16th century,” says Uffizi Director Eike Schmidt. “These trends generated constant and unexpected overlaps, which included the pontificate of Alexander VI, the Borgia pope, the conquest of the Neapolitan dominions, the annexation of the Duchy of Milan and the consolidation of a stable Spanish political influence over the Italian peninsula.” Such new intercultural relations had heir effects mainly on art. “All artists and their works are invariably a product of the unceasing circulation of ideas and styles,” says Marzia Faietti, Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe. “For this reason, writing about drawing in Spain or Italy means expanding research constantly; yet, this should be done without neglecting the philological reconstruction of an area’s artistic fabric or analyzing the transmission of knowledge from workshop to workshop.” The exhibition has an introduc-

tion and eight sections. To situate each drawing in its original context and prompt a multidisciplinary approach, the exhibit also showcases sculptures, paintings of goldsmith’s, and applied arts.

Spain and Italy in the Renaissance Uffizi Gallery Tuesday-Sunday: 8:15 a.m. – 6:50 p.m. Price: €12.50 at door Feb 27-May 27

Uffizi Honors Elisabetta Sirani

n exhibition showcasing paintings by Elisabetta Pirani is on display at the Uffizi until June. The exhibit showcases 34 works donated for the event by public and private museums from all over Italy (one piece – the Self-Portrait as an Allegory Painting – was borrowed from the Pushkin Museum in Moscow). Born in Bologna in 1638, in spite of her short life (she died at 27) Sirani was one of the most influential painter of her century. Among her most famous works are the Madonna and Child with St Giovannino and The Beheading of St John the Baptist, today part of the Uffizi collection, and the St Jerome, stored at the Pinacoteca Nazionale Bologna museum. The exhibit also presents anecdotes and references drawn from multiple sources – such as prose and poetry, letters and other archive material – which testify the extent to which this painter was admired (particularly in Florence, where she became friend of Cardinal Leopoldo de Medici). “The stunning appeal of Sirani is not so much the fact that she was a female artist in a city that could boast Lavinia Fontana as one of its brightest stars, as the sheer high quality of her industrious output, which she begun when she was 17 with pretty eye-catching altar-pieces made in the manner

of Guercino, and then continued, without ever lowering the intellectual rigour of her approach, in the mould of the femmes fortes of her times,” said Uffizi director Eike Schmidt, adding that “another thing that is striking in her paintings is the rather noble, even heroic quality of the female figures: Virtuous figures who appear to be warriors – such as those painted for cardinal Leopoldo de’ Medici in 1664 – saints, virgins, mothers and Madonnas all distinguished by an intrinsic nobility and an uncompromising gravitas.”

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Palazzo Strozzi Hosts Dawn of a Nation Exhibit TAYLER BRADFORD

alazzo Strozzi is hosting the art exhibition Dawn of a Nation from March 16 to July 22. This exhibit illustrates Italy’s growing sense of national identity during the 1950s and ‘60s. Curated by Luca Massimo Barbero, Italian Art from the Postwar Reconstruction to 1968 features over 70 works by artists such as Renato Guttuso, Lucio Fontana, Alberto Burri, Emilio Vedova, Piero Manzoni, Mario Schifano, Mario Merz and Michelangelo Pistoletto. Not only were artists in Italy inspired by the wounds of World War II, but also by the successive “Eco-

nomic Miracle,” the controversial social revolution that transformed Italy from a poor nation into a global industrial powerhouse during the late 50s and early 60s. In response to this societal change, Italian artists adopted new artistic trends like Informal Art, otherwise

known as abstract art, which led to the rise of Pop Art. They also experimented with monochromatic painting, Conceptual Art and Arte Povera, better known as contemporary art, making major contributions to today’s identity-related contemporary art scene.

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NEWS “Dawn of a Nation will enable insight to a period in art that is indissolubly bound up with Italy’s development and that sucked its lifeblood from politics, current events and social change,” says Luca Barbero. “The works will be presented in contrasting juxtaposition in an effort to convey to visitors the sense of vitality typical of that moment. The energy in these years allowed the Informal artists to pursue their research, while Pop artists were busy following a diametrically opposite path. The aim is to make visitors feel that they’re encountering these artists first hand, at a point when they were defining new national art movements.” A Renaissance landmark of the 16th century, Palazzo Strozzi was first sold to the Istituto Nazionale delle Assicurazioni in 1937 and then to the state in 1999. Since 2006, the Palazzo Strozzi Founda-

tion has hosted exhibits and cultural activities by some of the most renowned Italian and international artists.

Dawn of a Nation Palazzo Strozzi March 16-July 22 Hours Daily 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Thursdays 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. Price: € 13 palazzostrozzi.org

“Dawn of a Nation will enable insight to a period in art that is indissolubly bound up with Italy’s development and that sucked its lifeblood from politics, current events and social change ”

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Showcasing Models of Leonardo’s Designs

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The Fables of Leonardo da Vinci The Fables of Leonardo da Vinci is a small collection of fables created from notations for fables and half-finished fable ideas found in the back of Leonardo’s famous notebooks. The collection teaches how little stories can drive home insightful human ironies, while displaying a bit of the literary thought-processes of the great genius. Oneof-a-kind, this book is an attempt to reveal something of da Vinci’s inner moral core, celebrating such virtues as humility, self-sacrifice and egalitarianism; and those deploring pretension, pomposity and dogmatism. Published March, 2011 by Roseheart Publishing, USA.

The Ant and the Sesame Seed

he exhibit presents working models of Leonardo’s designs that the Niccolai family has been reconstructing since 1995, when Carlo Niccolai dedicated himself to working full-time with the desire to realise Leonardo’s legacy. His passion founded the Niccolai Collection, the largest private collection of Leonardo models in the world, comprised of more than 300 working models created by himself and his sons, together with a team of artisans, engineers, historians and architects. The models have been displayed at more than 100 international exhibitions throughout Europe and as far afield as Australia, New Zea-

land, China, the US, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Finland. The exhibit also displays copies of six codices that reveal the inner workings of this great man’s mind. The Niccolai family has been widely praised for their ongoing devotion in realising the vast inheritance that Leonardo left to science.

Le Macchine di Leonardo da Vinci Via Cavour 21 www.macchinedileonardo.com

Far, far away, there was a valley wracked by drought. The small ponds and rivers dried up and became hard and crusty as stone. The land was burnt and barren. The crops were so parched that none survived, and there were no new seeds to grow. Food for all the creatures in the valley disappeared. Except for one tiny Sesame seed. A weary and hungry ant, who had been searching this valley for food for many days, came upon the very last Sesame seed to survive. The ant couldn’t believe his good fortune. Without delay, the ant lifted the Sesame seed easily to his shoulders and began the long journey back to his hill. After his six sturdy legs had taken only a few paces, the Sesame seed spoke: “Ant, can you hear me?” The ant could hear the Sesame seed very well, since it was not far from his antennae. “What could

you possibly want?” the ant asked without slowing his pace. “I want to ask a favor,” the Sesame seed said. “What favor?” the ant asked. “Please don’t trouble me. I have a long way to go, and I will need you for food for my journey.” “I am the last Sesame seed in the valley.” “Yes, and I’ve had the good fortune to discover you.” “If you leave me and don’t eat me, I can fulfil my destiny, and then you will have an abundance of food for many generations of ants to come.” “But my fellow soldiers, they are hungry now. They have sent me, who hasn’t returned with provisions for many weeks, to return with food for all.” “But how long will I last? I’m only a small Sesame seed. An army has a huge hunger.” “If I let you live, I will die out here,” the ant explained.

‘If you will do me the great favor of allowing me to fulfil my fate to germinate, I will give you of myself a hundredfold. And your army will have food for many generations to come.’ The ant had to make the most important decision of his life. Suddenly he began to cry. He cried because he knew he would never see his fellow soldiers again. And his tears watered the Sesame seed like rain. And the Sesame seed began to push out tiny roots into the dry earth. The ant could see what was happening, and he realized that his decision had been made for him. He would let the Sesame seed grow into a tall and health crop that could restore food to the ant’s army and eventually to the entire valley. And so it was that the ant, by sacrificing himself, made it possible to save many.

Author: Ed Tasca is an award-winning humor writer and novelist, and a student of da Vinci’s extraordinary life. This little book of fables is a homage to that writing genre, offering readers of every age a taste of the simplicity and clarity of one of man’s oldest and most revered forms of fiction writing. Author’s email: edtasca@gmail.com

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Santo Ficara and Il Ponte Present Mondino

he contemporary art galleries Santo Ficara and Il Ponte are presenting two exhibitions on sculptor and painter Aldo Mondino. The exhibit coincides with the inauguration of the new location for the Santo Ficara gallery. After putting together over the years has a group of works made by the artist between 1963 and 1964, Il Ponte presents a double solo exhibition in collaboration with the Archivio Aldo Mondino. In its Omaggio, Galleria Santo Ficara presents works chosen from its collection that embrace a period of time spanning from 1965/66 (Ottobre Russo) to 2004 (Applausi). Other pieces on display include Das Meer (1980), Eiffel Safariana (1989), Turcatina (2001), Pittore d’insegne (2001), Tauromachia (2003), Mosaico (2003) and Danza Sufi (2004). Il Ponte presents works made between 1963 and 1965 such as Qua-

drettature, Monocromi, Casorati and Onde, that were exhibited in 1964 at the Turin Gian Enzo Sperone Art Gallery and at the prestigious Gian Tomaso Liverani’s Galleria La Salita. These works, which display an oblique approach to Pop Art, were the Mondino’s first great revelation. “The problem is always painting: whichever move we make, Mondino is able to wrong-foot us, and this is what he has done throughout his forty-year artistic career. His is a complex game continually calling into question the conventions of art. Mondino asks himself about the hidden meaning of the image, he grasps its unconscious dimension but at the same time does not desist from creating a genuinely decorative depiction on the basis of the idea that Henri Matisse had of decoration and that western painting has often denied.

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Beyond the Stars

Fornaciai Art Gallery presents Mario Schifano Schifano in the period between the ‘70s and the ‘90s. Among the pieces on display are Coca Cola, Paesaggio TV, Televisore, Futurismo rivisitato a colori, Incidente, Albero, dittico Vittoria sul sole per Kazimir Malewic, Palme e Stelle, Paesaggi anemici. Born in Khoms, Libya, in 1934 and died in Rome in 1998, Schifano was a painter and collagist of the Postmodern tradition as well as a film-maker and rock musician. Before becoming part of the core group of the so-called Scuola Ro-

he Fornaciai Art Gallery presents the exhibition Beyond the Stars: Monotypes and Multiples showcasing the art of one of the most renowned Italian contemporary pop artists, Mario Schifano. The exhibit, which introduces the Fornaciai’s new cycle of shows dedicated to contemporary artists, runs until April 29 and is the first organized after the gallery changed its name from Galleria Tornabuoni to Fornaciai Art Gallery. The choice of an artist such as Schifano was not random, as both his style and art of perfectly embody the gallery’s desire for innovation and reinterpretation of the past. The exhibition proposes a selection of monotypes and multiples which synthesize and exemplify the themes and paths explored by

mana, his work was exhibited in the 1962 “New Realists” show at the prestigious Janis Gallery in Sydney, Australia, together with that of artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. A prolific and exuberant artist addicted to drugs, Schifano is also remembered for his late 1960’s love story with English singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull.

Beyond the Stars. Monotypes and Multiples Fornaciai Art Gallery Via Borgo San Jacopo 53/r www.fornaciaiartgallery.com Tel.: +39 055 28 47 20 Opening hours: 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.; 15:30 - 7 p.m.

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From Brooklyn to the Bargello

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Milan Tributes Italian Fashion

Della Robbia ‘returns’ to Florence CHEYENNE CURLEY

he Bargello Museum is presenting for the first time the Lunette Antinori, a masterpiece of the Renaissance by Giovanni della Robbia, until April 8. The painting has a history crossing the Atlantic. The initiator of a historical Italian wine family, Niccolò di Tommaso Antinori, commissioned Della Robbia at the beginning of the 1500s to make a portrait size depiction of him with his hands to the left of Christ and two family coats of arms at the sides of the base of the relie. Della Robbia practiced a technique characterized by the use of colored enamels applied to a terracotta base; art pieces employing this technique would later be known as Robbianas. Once ended, the work was displayed at Villa Le Rose, one of the family estates, before being donated to the Brooklyn Museum of Art in 1898 by American collector Augustus Healy, who had bought it from Antinori himself. Since then, the art piece has never left New York, making this ‘journey’ to the Bargello the first in its history. Due to the support of the Antinori family, the robbiana finds its original splendor restored for the Del-

la Robbia: Sculpting with Color in Renaissance exhibition. Still modern day patrons of art, the Antinori family have recently paid for a new commission: a work by Italian internationally recognized artist Stefano Arienti that will be displayed alongside Della Robbia’s piece. The two paintings will be showcased in two separate but adjoining rooms, creating a dialogue between Renaissance and Contemporary Art. “Supporting and enhancing the arts has always been important to our family,” said Alessia Antinori, vice president of Marchesi Antinori. “Today we are particularly proud of this beautiful lunette, which inside depicts one of our ancestors and the coat of arms of the family, is finally home and completely restored, at the exhibition at the National Museum of the Bargello, which is already a casket of many invaluable masterpieces by Della Robbia.”

Lunette Antinori, Giovanni della Robbia Bargello Museum Open from 8:15 a.m. – 1:50 p.m. Full price ticket: € 8 Until April 8

n exhibit telling the story of one of the best periods in the history of Italian fashion - the years between 1971 and 2001 - runs until May 5 at the Palazzo Reale in Milan. The exhibition, called Italiana: Italy Seen Through Fashion 19712001, is a retrospective, through the language of fashion, of a period begun with the women’s liberation movement. It was in this years that some of the most renowned Italian stylists became famous all over the world and Milan replaced Florence as the capital of Italian fashion, inaugurating a phase in which fashion

became a global phenomenon. Italy Seen Through Fashion 19712001 showcases dresses, photographies and accessories that have made this history through a thematic rather than chronological order. On display are also works of contemporary artists such as Michelangelo Pistoletto, Maurizio Cattelan and Vanessa Beecroft. The choice of ending the show with the year 2001 was not random. “The year 2001 makes us think of the Twin Towers, but also of change, because fashion is a global phenomenon and brands become the property of large foreign luxu-

ry companies: however, fashion is adapting to these changes,” said curator of the exhibit Stefano Tonchi. “We Italians created the readyto-wear style, and in so doing we produced fashion for everyone bringing together creativity, craftsmanship and industry in a one-of-a-kind system worldwide,” said Carlo Capasa, president of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion. Items on showcase were made by designers such as Armani, Gucci, Tom Ford, Gianni Versace, Max Mara, Roberto Cavalli, Krizia, and Ferrè.

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HISTORY

April in Florentine History

n the classic Florentine song ‘Mattinata Fiorentina,’ April is personified as a romantic figure who steals the hearts of young ladies at the Cascine Park. But in local traditions, April is not just the month of this well-regarded 'thief', to whom we should actually apologize for the unmasking. April also marks the death of one of the great symbols of Florence, the artist who, together with Donatello and Masaccio, is considered the 'father' of the Renaissance. Filippo Brunelleschi left us on April 16, 1446. Regarded as the father of modern architecture, Brunelleschi completed the cupola of the Dome, a work of revolutionary artistic engineering that became a symbol of the power that the city had reached; today a symbol of the magnificence of the past. Brunelleschi died at 69 and was, of course, buried inside the church. This is also the month of the Pazzi Conspiracy, which took place on April 26, 1478. It was Easter Sunday when two killers hired by the Pazzi family, rivals of the Medici, stabbed Lorenzo di Medici’s brother Giuliano to death during High Mass at the Dome. That day Giuliano had arrived at church late because he was feeling unwell and therefore did not sit next to Lorenzo as he usually did. This probably disoriented the conspirators, who were expecting him to

sit next to Lorenzo.Nevertheless they still tried to kill Lorenzo and failed. Lorenzo's assigned killer, Giovan Battista da Montesecco, refused to attack his victim at the last moment because he did not want to kill someone inside a church. Lorenzo owed his life to his best friend, Francesco Nori, who protected him with his body from the two assailants that had just killed Giuliano. Francesco died, while Lorenzo was merely wounded. After the conspiracy the Florentine population sided with the Medici, Lorenzo's vengeance was terrible, proportionate to the love he had for his brother. People who also passed away in April: Frederick Stibbert, founder of the Stibbert Museum, who died on April 10, 1906, and Filippino Lippi, who left us on April 18, 1504. A brilliant businessman and traveller, Stibbert was the father of the culture of antiques that gained momentum in the twentieth century, while Filippino Lippi was the talented artist who left us his legacy in the completion of the Brancacci Chapel, begun by Masolino and Masaccio more than 50 years earlier. Finally, on April 17, 1524, Giovanni da Verrazzano, a sailor born in Greve in Chianti, the capital of Chianti wine, wrote down on his diary the first-ever description of what the indigenous inhabitant were calling ‘Manhattan'.

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Murder in the Duomo

A short history of the Pazzi Conspiracy C. DE MELO

pril 26, 1478: Try to picture yourself as a Florentine attending Easter Mass on a bright Sunday morning. The cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is packed with worshipers. People bow their heads in respect as the priest raises the wine-filled chalice towards heaven for the holy act of transubstantiation. In that moment, Giuliano de’ Medici is viciously attacked by two assassins. Using razor-sharp daggers, they repeatedly stab the 25 year old man with such ferocity that poor Giuliano is dead even before he collapses onto the floor in a pool of blood. His older brother, Lorenzo, manages to escape the deadly blade of an assassin’s knife. He flees into the sacristy, and when the coast is clear, his guards smuggle him home. Believing they have succeeded in overthrowing the Medici, the conspirators behind this evil plot ride through the streets shouting, “The tyrants are dead!” To their surprise, the good citizens of Florence were neither pleased nor impressed with their gruesome handiwork. The loyal Florentines gather around the Palazzo Medici on

Via Larga. Who will rule the city if both Medici brothers are dead? When Lorenzo finally appears in a window, someone in the street shouts, “There he is!” and a sigh of relief echoes through the crowd. Florence’s most beloved son is alive! As if on cue, the people chant, “Palle! Palle! Palle!” in reference to the familiar balls on the Medici crest. What happens next is right out of a mafia movie. When Lorenzo learns that a rival family, the Pazzi, conspired with his enemies (Archbishop Salviati of Pisa and Pope Sixtus IV) to overthrow him, he executes a brilliant vendetta. Lorenzo and his men storm the

Signoria, taking the usurpers by surprise. The traitors were put to death in a most grizzly manner: defenestration from the highest windows. When news of this horrific spectacle reached the ears of Pazzi supporters, they tried to flee, but they were apprehended by the Medici clan and dragged back to Florence to face severe punishment. The corpses of the main perpetrators were strung up and publicly displayed outside the Signoria for several days. Their bloated, rotting bodies served as a clear warning to anyone who dared raise a hand against the Medici.

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HISTORY

Not Hitler, but a Cripple Nicknamed Burgasso Saved the Ponte Vecchio Book debunks Florentine World War II myth

THOMAS RICCIOTTI

he most recent history of the Ponte Vecchio may be quite different from the one passed down so far. According to a recent book titled Di pietra e d’oro (literally, Made of Stones and Gold) whose subject is precisely the history of this symbol of Florence, it was not the benevolence of the Nazis to save the bridge from destruction but a Florentine guy by the surname of Burgassi and the nickname of Burgasso. In the book, authored by some Florentine prominent personalities such as Claudio Paolini, Cristina Acidini, Dora Liscia, Antonio Natali, Elisabetta Nardinocchi and Marco Ferri, we read that Burgasso was cripple and gimpy because he had suffered from polio but, in spite of this, had never lost the ability to think clearly. His job, which had been offered to him by some of the richest Florentine families that owned the jewelleries on the Ponte Vecchio, was that of opening in the morning and closing in the evening the shops which, back in those days, had all old, heavy, moving windows-doors. Burgasso had been assigned the job because, thanks to his simplicity of

pure Florentine, had won the trust of the ‘gold’ families. His secret, instead, had been kept for many long years by a woman by the name of Enrichetta, who worked for the Barrocchis, one of the oldest and most important families of Florentine jewellers. Enrichetta’s job consisted of helping, both in the shop and in the housework, Lucia Barrocchi, the woman who revealed the secret to the authors of the book. At the end of last year, Lucia received a phone call by Enrichetta’s husband, Luciano, who had just had a serious surgery and had chosen her for

what perhaps he thought may have been his last will. Luciano revealed her more precise details on how the Ponte Vecchio was saved, and Lucia told her story to a journalist of the local edition of the newspaper la Repubblica. “One day of a few years ago, Enrichetta came together with her husband, Luciano, to pay a visit to me. Luciano had been hired as a sidekick by Burgasso who, in that summer of 1944, was already old. Both he and my husband were men of pristine honesty: it could not be otherwise, Burgasso would have only chosen someone like him,”

she says. The secret of Burgasso was kept for so long by Enrichetta and her husband because they were afraid that it may had backfired their poor friend. “If I think back about it now, I am amazed exactly as I was when it was revealed to me, although it was not entirely a secret as I had always suspected that it was not Hitler to make the decision to not blow up the Ponte Vecchio on the night between Aug. 3 and 4,1944. To me, as well as to few other Florentines, it has always seemed strange that a barbarian like Hitler could make such a wise decision, especially since the mines had already been prepared and fixed and the entire area evacuated,” says Lucia. Her memories become vivid as she talks of her personal experience. “I was amongst the persons displaced at Boboli. We were all awaiting, with pain, that that piece of our city and our life was blown down. The most incredible thing is that Burgasso did it because the Germans thought that he did not understand a thing: but he had seen anything, he perfectly knew where the mines had been connected,” she says. While recovering from his surgery, Luciano enriched the story with

some incredible details. From his account we cannot help to understand that Burgasso was quite the opposite than the Germans thought. According to Luciano’s tale, on that crucial night Burgasso addressed him with these words: “Luciano, are we sure that nothing has to be done for our poor Florence?” Then, together, they went to Via de’ Ramaglianti, the tiny street right behind the Ponte Vecchio and Borgo San Jacopo, and, right in front of Luciano, Burgasso pulled off the tubes of the mines. Not seen by anyone, they left with their secret. That today, thanks to Lucia and Luciano, is not a secret anymore.

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HISTORY

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A Resistant Italy Taking Back April 25

NATALIA PIOMBINO

ust a few years ago, on occasion of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Italian state, as many recalled the Risorgimento (the process that led to the unification of the nation) as

the founding myth of the nation, it became evident that the values of honor, sanctity and family that inspired this nation-building movement could not be considered anymore as the foundation of our sense of belonging. On the other hand, in the wake of Habermas’ thought, a “constitutional patriotism”, (that is, the need to identify the Republican Constitution as the source of allegiance to the nation), seems closer to our sensibilities. This constitutional pact is, therefore, that which unites us and the ethics of

anti-fascism represent a “civic religion” that in turn makes us a community. At least from the early ‘90s, when the request for pacification of national memory became stronger, anti-fascism and the Resistance were the subjects of revisionist interpretations that tried to give

equal treatment as ‘patriots’ to partisans and RSI fascist (those fighters who, after the armistice of September 1943, kept on to fight alongside Mussolini and the Nazis). This revisionism has attempted to undermine the concept of anti-fascism as the source of national identity and sentiment. Instead, anti-fascism should be emphasized as not only an integral part of the Italian Constitution, but as its fundamental feature - its bedrock. Today, Italy’s Constitution is understood as the fruits of the re-

markable visionary capacity of the Republic’s founding fathers. Within it, there are references to concepts such as “social utility” and “social purpose,” concepts proclaiming the superiority of the general interest of the public and the configuration of a state whose guiding principle is constituted by bene comune, or common good. The fundamental rights (beni comuni) indicated within the Constitution as those deserving protection include labour, health, education, equality and liberty, namely all “goods” which affect each of us. It is evident that the attacks on the Constitution and its cardinal principles impact all of us. The Constitution certainly needs to be upheld, yet not in a manner that distorts its guiding principles but in the way in which these principles are implemented. Unfortunately, the amendments to the Constitution proposed in the last few years, such as for example the hypotheses of presidentialism, tend to erode, behind a veneer of efficiency, the democratic equilibrium that the document outlined and to prefigure an authoritarian drift. In other instances, such revisions resulted in a relinquishment of sovereignty in favour of supranational entities, as has recently occurred (in the realm of control

of our public finances) with the amendment of ART.81. Revisionism and negationism have made it possible to underestimate the threat of fascism and have allowed the diffusion of a dangerous belief pertaining to the existence of a “good” or “acceptable” fascism. This has paved the way for associations like Casa Pound – a fascist, xenophobic, and sexist association – which has opened

headquarters in many Italian cities including Florence, where in 2012 a Casa Pound activist shot and killed Modou Samb and Mor Diop and wounded three other members of the city’s Senegalese community. A “constitutional patriotism” that entails inclusion without homologation can be an antidote to the anti-liberal, anti-union, and xenophobic currents that have infiltrated our society.

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Ten Days of Craftsmanship

people will impress and surprise you, that is why it is important to come to Florence and spend a day at the Fortezza da Basso.” Mostra Artigianato will be open daily from 10 a.m. until 10:30 p.m., but closes at 8 p.m. on the last day.

Tickets are available at the Fair ticket office near the main entrances. For possible variations and more information, including directions to the Fortezza da Basso, see www.mostraartigianto.it/ en/

82nd Mostra Internazionale dell’ Artigianato April 21- May 1 Florence- Fortezza Da Basso € 7 (on Saturday and Sunday) € 4 (on working days) Free entrance: Children up to 12 years if accompanied by an adult; Accompanying of people with disabilities; Accompanying groups (minimum 10 people). For more information: http://www.mostraartigianato.it/en/ HOW TO GET THERE

he Fortezza da Basso is hosting the 82nd annual fair Mostra Internazionale dell’Artigianato from April 21 to May 1. Honored guest country this year is Vietnam. The exhibit is divided in three main areas and showcases handiworks of artisans from over 50 countries around the world. The first is the “Italian Handicraft,” which displays the both traditional and innovative works from all Italian regions. Products featured include clothing, accessories, furniture design, jewelry and regional

food and wine. The “International Handicraft” section showcases exclusive food and wine recognized for its typical craftsmanship from various countries. Inaugurated in 1931, The Handicrafts Trade Fair originated as an extension of the Florence Corporations of Workers. Following the war break-out and Italian economic boom between the 50’s and 60’s, it became the center of attention in the world of high quality handicraft products. The event takes place around one of the most

important Medicean monuments of the city, the Fortezza da Basso, which was built and designed by Antonio da Sangallo for Alessandro de’ Medici in 1536 and served as the fortress for Florence. “The past may speak for us, but this edition is also set to write our future”, commented Leonardo Bassilichi, the President of Firenze Fiera. “Today our master craftsmen are many young and creative people, real representatives of change, happily combining ancient knowhow and new technologies. These

By car: the Fortezza da Basso is only 4 km away from the Al motorway (exit at Firenze Nord) By bus: Final stop at ATAF & LI-NEA and Tramway in Piazza della Stazione By train: Santa Maria Novella Central Railway Station, just a few steps away from the exhibiting area From airport: from the Amerigo Vespucci Airport (4 km distance), connected to the city centre through a shuttle bus service. Car Parking service: Fortezza Fiera Car Parking (access to the Fair from Porta Soccorso alla Campagna - Piazzale Caduti nei Lager S.M.N. Railway Station Car Parking. Facilities include self service restaurants, bar information desk, relaxation areas, meeting and convention halls, press room, bank branch, cash machine, and logistic services support.

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Florence News 15

CITY BEAT

Between Spinoza, Irony and the Stage Meet Gabriele Mori of local band I Ragazzi Scimmia

MIGLE VAISNORAITE “I wake up in the street, not at home. I feel like the streets are the rooms of my home,” says Gabriele Mori while retelling the storyline of his band’s music video “Un Pezzo in Fa,” in which he roams the streets of Florence in a fancy robe and comfortable slippers while smoking a cigarette. Gabriele is the lead singer of I Ragazzi Scimmia, a Florentine swing band that started ten years ago. In addition to Gabriele, four other musicians play in the band: guitarist Guido Masi, bass and contrabass player Piero Spitilli, drummer and percussionist Andrea Brogi and trumpeter Nicola Cellai. I Ragazzi Scimmia propose a different

approach to life and stressful everyday situations. In Gabriele’s apartment, many books cover a couch. Among them is one by Baruch Spinoza, a philosopher who believed in the reconceptualization of Judaism. In order to move toward a broader understanding of the universe, Spinoza encouraged people to avoid feelings of sorrow, guilt, shame and pity. Perhaps this is the secret to the band’s mystical optimism. “People need to...remember that they are not obliged to act in a certain way. People can do what they want. Be free,” says Gabriele, referring to his extravagant look in the “Un Pezzo in Fa” video and to his stage presence. “It is a kind of way to be a superhero,” he says. Transforming from Gabriele to

Gabriele The Superhero requires energy from the audience. “I like to play with a lot of people in front because I receive a lot of energy that I can absorb and give back.” The band sings in Italian, but even if this language is as distant to you as Spinoza’s ideas were to the Orthodox Jews, you will still be able to enjoy the concerts. According to Gabriele, the non-Italian speakers can “feel the energy.” While studying visual arts in his university, Gabriele taught himself how to sing and play the piano, guitar and flute. Instead of pursuing a career in painting, his passion for music took over. “It was annoying

for me to stay in the [art] studio. I wanted to stay with people.” In their last album “La Mistica del Bars,” the band explores the ‘spirituality’ of bars. “I have always liked a sophisticated way to use irony in art,” says Gabriele. Other themes of I Ragazzi Scimmia songs span from the Arab Spring to youth unemployment, separation and divorce. According to Gabriele, if one approaches songs in a serious manner, the music becomes too heavy for the listener. So, he suggests an alternative approach. “I like to stimulate pleasure in people, I like when people are happy therefore I need to have a bed of irony.”

200,000 Italian Songs Online for Free

he Italian government has released over 200,000 popular Italian songs online for free through a website created in partnership with the Spotify streaming service. The site, www.canzoneitaliana. it, was launched two months ago in collaboration with Italy’s biggest music event, the Sanremo Festival. The tracks come from the 20th century and are divided chronologically, geographically and thematically. Some songs are traditional, regional and political. Others are soundtracks, rock and melodic. Each section is accompanied by historical and musical content available in 8 languages. Italy’s Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said that 5,000 songs will be added each month and that the government intends to transform the site into “a sort of central state archive that will last throughout time.” The project aims to recognize the artistic and social significance of songs that form a soundtrack for the country.

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Among the movies shown at La Campagnia are Barry Lyndon and Full Metal Jacket, which will be screened on April 23. Others include The Shining, Lolita, Clockwork Orange and 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Kubrick worked on for over five years and was granted permission by NASA to observe the spacecraft used in the Ranger 9 mission. The Cinema La Compagnia is located on Via Cavour 50.

CITY BEAT

Derek James Presents his LP at One Eyed Jack Pub

Stanley Kubrik Tribute at La Compagnia Cinema

ovie theatre La Compagnia is hosting an event tributed to the famous American director Stanley Kubrik until June. All the movies will be shown in the original English language with Italian subtitles. Tickets can be bought online at www.cinemalacompagnia.it. Kubrik’s films, many of which were nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes, or BAFTA Awards, cover a wide range of genres and are noted for their realism and dark humor.

Florence News 17

merican, Florentine-based singer Derek James will present his LP Master of None at the One Eyed Jack pub on April 28. Derek released his album last year thanks to the support received from a GoFundMe fundraiser. At One Eyed Jack, he will also perform covers of bands such as Iron and Wine, Band of Horses, The Avett Brothers and the Lumineers. His music is a mix of alternative indie rock with hints of folk/pop ‘90s. The harmony, soulful guitar and thoughtful lyrics of his album,

which can be found on iTunes, Google play and Apple music, have almost 100,000 hits on Spotify so far. Derek grew up listening to his older brother’s music and classic rock bands such as Pink Floyd, Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne. After teaching himself how to play guitar, he discovered his own sound. He moved to Florence for “the food, the scenery, the art and the intimacy.” Although he found a perfect musical environment in Florence that is “extremely fascinating and also very satisfying,”

he admits that life here can also be “challenging.” Derek also helps young and talented Florentine musicians. “If I’m present and I’m aware that you are a musician, you have no choice,” he laughs. “I will make you perform.” He believes that Florence has the potential for a great music scene, but you must look for “diamonds in the rough.” He says that depending on where you look in the city, you may find something really special. “My goal is to bring musicians together from all walks of life to perform together and communicate on stage, regardless of what language they speak. I want to encourage people to take the stage,” he says. Meet the artist and listen to his music live at One Eyed Jack on April 28.

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18 Florence News

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The Freedom and Inner Power of a Shamanic Woman A mural by Carla Bru

MIGLE VAISNORAITE

redhead sits naked, squeezing her knees to her chest resting her head on them. “It is a shamanic woman. She represents freedom and inner power,” says local artist Carla Bru, she too a redhead, while standing in her studio surrounded by paintings and brushes. Carla realized the meaning behind her painting only a few years after she curated it as she attended a course in Shamanism, a practice that involves reaching altered states of consciousness to perceive and interact with a spirit world and channel these transcendental energies into this world. Carla began to paint at a very young age, as she preferred colors and brushes to playing down the street with other kids. Later, however, also because she was encouraged by her colleagues, she preferred painting in the street rather than the studio as she understood the importance of street murals, easily accessible to everyone including those not really interested in art. As the redhead in her painting is not constrained by any frame, Carla is still “looking for pure freedom.”

Takes place April 13-15 “As an artist, it is important to be myself although this can be difficult as we are all conditioned by social rules,” she says. “Even if we think we are not, we are. I live on art. So when I paint, I have to think if it will sell or not.” According to Carla, since the Renaissance – a moment in art history when feminine beauty was re-conceptualized – the standards of beauty have changed consistently. “We have lost the perception of our

inner powers because we are too busy to look outside the form. Now we have Facebook, Instagram, but it is all an appearance. We have lost the power to live our reality. What is really important is our internal beauty, not our appearance,” says Carla. And finding alternatives to contemporary appearance-based beauty ideals is precisely the reason why Carla focused her efforts on representing women’s inner powers.

eady to bike? The Florence Bike Festival returns this month with some novelties compared to previous years. This year the event will be longer. In addition to the core race De Rosa Granfondo Firenze, there will be other events including the Ebike-cross and a homage to one of the most popular Italian cyclists of all times, Gino Bartali. Honored guest will be the Israel Cycling Academy. Participants in the De Rosa Granfondo race will depart from the Piazzale Michel-

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angelo, reach Fiesole, and then enter the Mugello area knows for its tough hills and beautiful, wild scenery of the Bilancino Lake. The race will end on the slope of Via Salviati, famous for being the finish line of the 2013 Cycling World Cup. The Granfondo has two routes: a medium one of 106 kilometers, and a longer one of 144 kilometers. Both have slopes with an inclination of up to 13 percent. During the festival, shows, tests and other events will also take place at the Florence Cascine Park.

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Florence News 19

CITY BEAT

Half Marathon Returns April 15 stakeholders, such as sponsors, contractors, charities, competitors and audience, to take up sustainability initiatives. Registration costs span from €22 to €30 for the half marathon and €5 for the non-competitive run and walking course. It can all be done at the website www.halfmarathonfirenze.it. Registration for the Tommasino Run race is free and opens from 7-9 a.m. on the day of the race.

Rome Marathon 24th Anniversary Sunday, April 8, 8:40 a.m. Start and finish in Via dei Fori Imperiali

Rome Marathon Registration

Separate registration for Italian and non-Italian residents (non-Italian residents must be 20-years or older on day of race) Registration must be completed online by January 6 (fact check date) Fees vary by residency, date of purchase, and membership card status Race shirt and backpack by New Balance included in entry fee

Rome Marathon Fun-run

A non-competitive 4K run open to all and any participants 9 a.m. immediately after the competitive race Starts at Via dei Fori Imperiali and ends at Circo Massimo Open to all animals Registration is €10 and closes the day before the race

Half Marathon

GRACE KUCERA

he 35 international Half Marathon Vivicitta will take place on Sunday, April 15. With participants ranging from running enthusiasts to families with children and runners from all over the world, the Half Marathon has become one of the most important sporting events in Florence. Runners can choose between a half marathon, suggested for professional and amateur athletes, or a 10-kilometer, non-competitive run, which is open to all. Both start at Santa Croce and course through

the Oltrarno, leading back to Piazza della Signoria and the Duomo. Other options are the 5-kilometer walking course or the 1.5-kilometer Tommasino Run, a charity race for children. All of the Half Marathon Firenze Vivicitta’s courses are paved and flat. The marathon has a ‘village’, a site of various sporting events and fun activities, in Piazza Santa Croce. Participants will receive a t-shirt and gadgets. Vivicitta also hosts a charity event every year, and the organization makes efforts to be eco-friendly. It strives to minimize its environmental impact and encourage its

Sunday, April 15 Half Marathon Village, Piazza Santa Croce www.halfmarathonfirenze.it

Marathon Village

Roma Convention Center- La Nuvola April 5-7, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Includes food, vendors, health expos, and so much more For more information visit the marathon’s official website: www.maratonadiroma.it

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Made in Firenze

Meet Local Artisan Marco Cantini

TAYLER BRADFORD

earing a bright blue beanie and circular glasses, Marco Cantini polishes a silver skull ring at his desk. The wall behind him is decorated with three portraitsone of him, his wife and small dog; they all have angel wings. Next to the portraits is an actual pair of white angel wings and a mounted cheetah head wearing a red fedora. In addition to his own jewelry, a buddha, a skull and “il Giglio,” a symbol of Florence, line the perimeter of his desk. Meanwhile, a man and a woman enter the store. Their eyes widen. Scanning the showcases and shelves that feature Cantini’s edgy jewelry, they notice buddha, skull

and “il giglio” symbols incorporated into his designs. “Can you help me?” the man asks Cantini. “I f*cked up my ring.” As a former study abroad student from Boston, Derek James Mattuchio, met Cantini when he moved to Florence seven years ago. Ever since, he has been a loyal customer. “My mom has his jewelry. All my best friends have his jewelry. My girlfriends. My ex girlfriends,” says Mattuchio as he starts to laugh. Whether he is working with customers, designing jewelry at his desk or sculpting wax in his workshop, contemporary artisan Marco Cantini, 56, can be found in his jewelry store seven days a week. His customers travel from Belgium, Germany, Paris and other countries around the world to

visit his store. If they are unable to travel to Florence, they can make purchases through his website and Luisa Via Roma’s luxury clothing website. Cantini’s interest in jewelry sparked when he was 12 years old. Born and raised in Florence, he used to tell his mother, “when I’m older, I will make you a gold pair of shoes.” When he turned 14, Cantini started his jewelry practice. After months of mastering how to properly clean jewelry, Cantini was finally taught how to design. Working for seven years, Cantini was paid two euros each week. Instead of attending university, Cantini opened his first shop with a partner when he turned 21 in 1993. They handmade classic jewelry to fit their clientele of 40 to 50 year old women, all of whom wore small diamonds and pearls. In fact, Cantini used to have short hair and even wore a suit and tie to work. As a result, he got bored and decided to travel for a while. “I find inspiration through traveling,” says Cantini as he turns around and points to a map covered in thumbtacks that mark all of the places he has been to. When Cantini traveled to London in 1993, he did not speak any English. “But I could sing every Pink Floyd song from memory,” he said. After about five months of English school and a job at an Italian restaurant, Cantini started to work for David Morris, a London jeweler. In 1997, he moved to New York City for a year. For six of those months, he worked for Kieselstein. To raise his daughter with his former wife,

Florence News 21

CITY BEAT Cantini moved to Brazil in 1999 for three years. Afterward, he moved to Japan for six months and met his current wife. Because his Japanese clientele wanted perfectly detailed jewelry, Cantini challenged himself to improve his handwork. Longing for Italian food, Cantini moved back to Florence after his travel endeavors and went back to work. Traveling helped Cantini find himself. “I decided I wanted to make things I can wear,” he said. Not only did Cantini grow a beard and a mustache, but he also let his

chestnut brown hair grow down to his shoulders. Needless to say, his style changed drastically. At the time, Cantini had a partner. But he soon realized it was much easier to work alone. “It is simpler to work everyday 10 hours alone than five hours with a partner,” Cantini said. “It is very difficult to find someone who has the same philosophy as me.” Cantini enjoys building one-on-one relationships with his customers. Before design-

ing a custom piece, Cantini conducts a small interview to ensure he creates exactly what the customer wants. “You are the artist. I am the contemporary artisan,” he says. Although he has no employees, Cantini teaches interns and hosts classes in the workshop located in the basement of his shop. According to Cantini, whether a piece of jewelry is inspired by a picture, a painting or an experience, it should have a story. On Sunday’s, Cantini, his three brothers and his sister eat lunch together. After a few glasses of wine, one of his brothers tattooed a coi fish on his arm. “The coi fish represents joy, so I made a coi fish ring in wax and then in silver,” says Cantini as he admires the shiny ring. Among silver and beaded necklaces, bracelets, rings and pendants, Cantini designs jewelry for women and men. While jewelry styles are easily accessible for women, the options for men are limited. “I love when men buy their first piece of jewelry from me,” Cantini says. “I have customers who tell me, ‘Marco, you can wear this because you are a character, but I work in a bank.’” About a month after Cantini encourages them to wear his designs, they have a hand full of rings.

22 Florence News

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All Food Fiorentina Basket

To experience the Florence basketball atmosphere and to support All Food Fiorentina Basket for the last home game of the regular season, go to the San Marcellino Arena located on via Chiantigiana, 28 – bus 32 from Piazza San Marco (direction to Antella); info on the bus can be found at www.ataf.net; further information can be found at www. fiorentinabasket.it or on www. facebook.com/fiorentinabasket and www.legapallacanestro.com/ serie-b. For additional information, news and reports, visit firenzebasketblog.it also available on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.

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Sunday, April 15, 6 p.m.: All Food Fiorentina Basket VS LTC San Giorgio su Legnano

oached by former Italian National team player Andrea Niccolai, All Food Fiorentina Basket, an explosive mix of experience players and rookies, participates in the Italian third national league, Serie B, and stands in the A Conference (Girone A) second-place with a 22W-5L record, with three regular season games left (two

Info for bus travel: www.ataf.net Complete list of games: www.fiorentinabasket.it

away games and one home game – April 15). What is sure is that All Food Fiorentina Basket will play first play-off round and will compete with the seven-placed team of the B Conference, in order to try accessing the Final Four (Palaterme, Montecatini (LU), June 9-10) and be promoted to Serie A2 – the Italian Second National league.

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Via Ghibell ina

Via della Vig na Vec chi a

Via de ll’An guillara

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Piazza della Via degli Speziali Repubblica

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A Shuttle to the Barberino Designer Outlet

Located in the green heart of Tuscany, just 30 minutes from Florence, Barberino Designer Outlet is the shopping destination where you can browse items from 200 of the most luxurious designer fashion brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Furla, Trussardi, Pinko, Bluemarine and many more at 30-70% off all year round. The outlet is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can reach Barberino Designer Outlet with a comfortable shuttle bus service from Florence train station, 4 times a day. Tickets can be purchased online. Price is €13 per person, roundtrip. Take this page to the Outlet Information Office to get the FASHION PASSPORT, the discount card which will grant you an additional 10% reduction on the Outlet price. Shuttle bus to Barberino Designer Outlet departs from Florence Santa Maria Novella train station at 9.30 a.m. –11.30 a.m. –2. p.m. – 4 p.m. Meeting point 15 minutes before bus departure at Sightseeing Experience Visitor Centre on Platform 16. Return to Florence at: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. For more information and possible variations in the bus hours visit www.mcarthurglen.it/barberino. TAX FREE ON YOUR FAVORITE BRANDS

FRESH AND ORIGINAL SINCE 2004

Piazza S. Giovanni

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Piazza di S. Croce

MONDAY•YAB Smoove WEDNESDAY•Mucho Mas FRIDAY•Lovers & Friends SATURDAY•YABber Via dei Sassetti 5/r • 055 215160 • www.yab.it • yab.official@gmail.com Facebook:YAB -Official

24 Florence News

CITY BEAT

A ‘Port’ for All Musicians

s with any port, Porto di Mare-Eskimo is synonymous with exchange, correspondence, and coming and going. This year the club has an important novelty: courses of typical Italian dance Tarantella, which will be taking place on Friday night. Porto di Mare's focus on live music and cultural exchange is one that the man who started the club, Francesco Cofone, holds close to his heart.

band born under the initiative of Francesco, it includes some of the biggest and respected names on the jazz scene amongst its members. Among these are trumpeter and band conductor Fabio Morgera, who played under legendary American jazz cornetist; composer and conductor Butch Morris for 30 years in New York; Dario Cecchini, sax and leader of Italian marching band Funk Off; trumpeter Luca Marianini; trombone player Ste-

THE RESTAURANT OF THE FLORENTINES Located on 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. 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

Dine with Dante

THE PORT OPEN TO ALL MUSICIANS TUES: PALCO D’AUTORE: Music lab for emerging artists and songwriters WED: CITY LAB PROJECT: Musicians forming an orchestra will accompany the Palco D’Autore artists

FRI - SAT: Rock music or singer-songwriters fano Scalzi and guitarist Riccardo Onori, who both played alongside renowned Italian singer-songwriter and rapper Jovanotti; percussionists Walter Paoli, ex-member of 1970s Italian jazz, progressive rock and electronic group Area, and Piero Borri; clarinet player Nico Gori; and guitarists Paolo Conte, Ivano Fossati and Riccardo Galardini – to name just (a little more than) a few.

www.florencenews.it

The Week at Porto di Mare

THURS: CAM’ ON: Students from the school of music CAM exhibit their talents. Then open mic jam sessions open to all musicians

“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. The club has also created its own big band, the Eskimo Jazz Orchestra. An all-star Tuscan jazz

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SUN: TARANTA NIGHT: Popular southern Italian music and dance. Starts at 6 p.m. CONTACT FRANCESCO COFONE Via Pisana, 128 055 71 20 34 Porto di Mare

amed after Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, a homely, rustic taverna fittingly lies on Via dei Cimatori, only a few meters away from Dante’s house. The restaurant offers traditional dishes based on medieval recipes. Some are adapted and revisited for the modern age 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. Others are as they were centuries ago. Traditional medieval-style dishes include homemade ribbon pasta with wild boar and mushroom sauce, roast shin of pork with new potatoes and seasonal vegetables, risotto inspired by medieval Tus-

can flavors, and tasting plates of assorted cheeses accompanied with fresh fruit and jams, including the taverna’s specialty hot red pepper jam. Also serving as a wine bar and pizzeria, the restaurant offers an eclectic selection of wines from its cellar, an outdoor summer terrace, and is fittingly decorated in a medieval style with armour and banners.

Taverna Divina Commedia Via dei Cimatori, 7r 055 21 53 69

WINE ON TAP IN SANTO SPIRITO Bring your bottles and fill them directly from the barrels of Il Santo Vino, starting at less than €1.50. Patrons can choose from a gamut of Italian wines alongside selected local specialty and organic products

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; 5–9 p.m. Borgo Tegolaio, 46/r Tel. 055 53 87 122 , 345 90 93 425 www.ilsantovino.it Facebook: Il Santo Vino

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Gelato Festival Stops in Florence

elato lovers get ready, a long weekend of sweet delicacies awaits you! The 2018 Gelato Festival starts Friday the 20th to Sunday the 22nd at Piazzale Michelangelo. The event will move to Rome the following week where it will be hosted in the prestigious Villa Borghese. It will then continue in other Italian and European cities.

Entrance costs 10 Euros (a reduced ticket is available for kids shorter than 1 meter) and includes tasting of all gelatos on display. As is tradition, at the event some of the most prestigious artisan Gelaterias from around the nation will present their gelato. Workshops and gelato classes will also be available.

Florence News 25

CITY BEAT

A New Way to Learn Italian T

Wine, and Painting Tasting

Glass of Art combines a painting session with tuscan wine tasting. Art and food lovers will be served in a characteristic 12th century well, turned into an ideal painting studio for the occasion. Lukas, an artist and art instructor at Studio d’Arte Toscanella, will guide you through the process of creating your own artwork from life.

Pino, master sommelier and founder of Pozzo Divino and Salumeria Verdi, will hold a wine tasting accompanied with typical tuscan food. Join them on a four-hour journey of fun and learning. Delight your senses with harmonious combinations of colors and flavours, create and taste, bring back your artwork, and a memory of the experience.

A glass of art Location: Pozzo Divino Via Ghibellina 144/R, Firenze Contact for information: info@pozzodivino.com Price: €80 per person, all materials included. Reservations: Must have a minimum reservation of 4 people, or a maximum of 8 Email: studiotoscanella@gmail.com to make a reservation

he cultural association Il Logonauta offers courses on the Italian language that use a new method. Instead of being held at a school, the classes are held at a workers’ social and recreational club on San Niccolò, an Oltrarno area filled with artists and artisans who feel a strong sense of belonging to the community. The courses provide the opportunity for students to live and share experiences with Florentines as well as experience real Florentine life. In addition, workshops are organized outside the classroom to combine the learning of the language with the knowledge of the city and other fun activities. Prices are affordable. Pre-planned courses are taught by professional instructors with decades of experience who teach with passion and closely follow their students in the learning process. The lessons use a communicative approach that follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages guidelines. The courses are adapted to the exam preparation of Italian Language Certification I2. Il Logonauta • Via S. Niccolò 33 www.logonauta.it

MONDO PERÙ

Alpaca craftsmanship ORGANIC COTTON ITEMS

Cooking Classes In Tavola aims to spread the rich food and wine culinary traditions of Italy and the Tuscany region through an incredible variety of dishes and recipes to all interested in learning the secrets behind the traditional Italian kitchen. With this intent to promote their knowledge, In Tavola organizes several opportunities for professionals and beginners to participate in cooking and baking lessons with the guidance of professional Chefs in an individual or group setting.

Via dei Pilastri 22r 339 362 5372

Via dei Velluti, 18/20r 055 217672 www.intavola.org

Il Supermercato... da Gustare e deGustare HOME DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE Sapori & Dintorni is the new way to do the shopping: in the heart of Florence there is a place where Food, Culture and Territory meet. Get in and discover the Big Supermarket to test and taste! Inside you will find many typical products of the Italian food tradition. Buy your favorite product and taste it within the tasting area.

FIND YOUR LOCAL BIG SUPERMARKET IN THE CITY CENTER

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Via dei Lamberti

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Sapori V&ia Dintorni LG ori Largo Fratelli .Alinari, 6/7

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THE BIG SUPERMARKETS ARE OPEN: • Monday - Saturday: from 08.30 am to 9.00 pm • Sunday: from 09.30 am to 9.00 pm

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Florence News 27

FOOD&WINE

Sweet Wine of the Gods Discover Vin Santo

n ancient and fabled wine, Vin Santo is one of the most luxurious, albeit unknown, dessert wines on the market today. While somewhat rare and hard to find in the United States, a bottle of Vin Santo is most certainly an elegant and essential addition to any collection of Italian digestini. What perhaps makes Vin Santo most intriguing, besides its sensational flavor and its many variations, is the wine’s historical roots that date as far back as the Middle Ages. The name “Vin Santo” itself derives from Tuscan folklore passed along from generation to generation and most likely can be attributed to the use of sweet wine during masses in Catholic and Greek Orthodox faiths. The most

famous legend surrounding Vin Santo can be traced to 1348 when the Plague was rampantly devastating the whole of Europe, including Italy. According to this legend, a friar from the province of Siena began distributing Vin Santo to the sick to alleviate their pain. Out of this everyday miracle, the name Vin Santo was purportedly born. According to another variation, the legendary beginnings of the wine are thought to have come from the Ecumenical Council of Florence in 1349. After sampling a Florentine wine by the name of vin pretto (or “pure wine”) at the council dinner, Basilios Bessarion, the founder of the Greek Eastern Orthodox church, commented that the wine was similar to wine from Xanthos.

Locals mistook the Cardinal’s comment to mean “santo,” and thus began referring to the wine as Vin Santo, or “holy wine.” The vinification process for Vin Santo adheres to vini appassiti, meaning that the wine is made from naturally dried grapes with a concentrated sugar content due to the evaporation of water. Although Tuscany is the predominant producer of Vin Santo, variations of the wine can be found throughout Italy. Many regions even dry the grapes on paglia (hay), to give the wine yet another layer of complexity. In 1990 the Italian D.P.R. granted Vin Santo produced in Colli dell’Etruria Centrale that coveted D.O.C. status. Accordingly, this Tuscan variety is considered to be the king of all Vin Santo wines produced in Italy. For a Vin Santo to be compliant with the D.O.C. standard, it must contain at least 50% of Tuscan Trebbiano, up to 5% of Malvasia from Chianti and a combination of 10 to 45% of Pinot Bianco or Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon. The sugar content of the grapes must reach at least 28% while the prolonged drying of the grapes must extend to at least December 20 of a given year. All Vin Santo wines generally exude an amber to hay coloration and are intense and aromatic on the nose. Vin Santo wines generally include caramel-like flavors with hints of honey, raisin and nut. The wine lends itself well to baked goods that are crispy and toasted, such as biscotti, and with an alcohol content of 16% it makes for a delightful accompaniment to desserts or enjoyed simply as a digestivo.

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How a Cookbook Baptized Italian Cuisine The art of cooking according to Pellegrino Artusi ANNA VIOLETTA GARGIULO “To me, lentils seem more delicately flavored than beans in general, and as far as the threat of ‘bombarditis’ is concerned they are less dangerous than common beans, and about equal to the black-eyed variety.” This humorous, colloquial, amiable quote is the trademark of Pellegrino Artusi, Italy most famous gastronomy expert and author of “Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.” Although he was born in a small city called Forlimpopoli in the region of Emilia-Romagna, Artusi linked his name to the city of Florence, where he spent most of his life and where he became famous. Pushed by a passion for home food, this adopted Florentine had the idea of traveling all over Italy in search of traditional dishes, which he then codified in a book that still today can be considered as the Bible of Italian food. When Artusi published his masterpiece, Italy had recently been united into a single nation but was still divided with regard to culinary traditions, each region jealously guarding its own ones: what was eaten in one place was different from what was eaten in another, and the contrast in food

traditions between northern and southern Italy was so sharp that we could talk about two different food cultures. On top of this culinary fragmentation was the fact that Italians considered themselves inferior to the French when it came to cooking. Artusi’s book – which could also be considered as the culinary blog of his times, as in every new edition the author incorporated correspondence from its readers – changed this situation and inaugurated a new, common pattern for Italian cuisine giving chefs and cuisine lovers from different Italian regions the possibility to

understand how important it was to open to other regional experiences. In this way, Artusi gave the nation its culinary identity, one it could be proud of. Not directed at professional chefs but rather at homemakers and gastronomy lovers who wanted to improve, discover and excel in the dimension of their own kitchens, the book included recipes from the peasantry culinary traditions at a time when this type of cooking was generally looked down upon by educated people and was not very popular with people living in the cities. Today – and for this too credit should be given to Artusi – Italy’s cuisine is universally sought after for its savory taste in spite of its simplicity. And simplicity is also the epitome of local cooking: few choice, fresh, ingredients where flavor is never about spices or mélanges, but exclusively about the basic ingredients themselves. Artusi’s manual was accessible in a way that other recipe books had not been before as it was written in an amiable tone: aside from describing the variety of dishes of Italy, the author also considered important to entertain readers. For example, the recipe for tomato sauce (in the book, recipe 125), is introduced by talking about a priest from Romagna who was so ubiquitous that he was nicknamed ‘Don Pomodoro’

Florence News 29

FOOD&WINE (literally, Sir Tomato), since tomatoes always manage to get into everything. Some of the book recipes’ names mention the regions or cities they hail from and the names given by Artusi to some dishes are still today in use: for example, the risotto alla milanese (recipe n. 78), maccheroni con le sarde alla siciliana (88), or scaloppine alla livornese (399). Artusi’s manual is still regarded by Italian chefs as a fundamental reference. Gabriele Mazzanti, owner of Natalino Restaurant, one of Florence’s older restaurants (est. 1880), in a recent interview on the Italian national channel Rai3 commented on Artusi’s recipe for “sformato di verdure” (a vegetable pie). Gabriele says that Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well focused a lot on “ricette povere” (recipes of the poor) and that Artusi gave these poor dishes a grand amount of importance because Italy, back in his days, was such a poor country.

In the interview given to RAI 3 Gabriele also mentions a recipe involving Swiss chards (a leafy vegetable in the family of the spinach). “He wrote a recipe containing only the stem of the Swiss chard, and not the leaf. The stem of the Swiss chard would typically be thrown away, but his recipe involved only the stem,” says Garbiele, also adding that that this recipe book served the double purpose of teaching people how to eat and read. “When he published the book, many people still could not read Italian and learned how to read by reading his cookbook.” Next time you eat a plate of pasta with tomato sauce in northern Italy pause and think for a moment: this beloved simple plate, a dish most Italians are proud of, has made its way from the South of Italy to the North in large part due to the writing of a man who happened to see not just the value of his own regional food, but in the common roots and philosophy of the Italian nation.

Chef Gabriele Mazzanti with the staff of his restaurant Natalino. In a recent interview released to RAI television, Gabriele said Artusi’s main lesson was to give importance to the cuisine of the poor.

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12:0012- 15:00 / 19:00 a.m.-12 p.m.- 24:00 RISTORANTE PIZZERIA IL TEATRO Via Ghibellina 128/R 055 2466954 www.ristoranteilteatro.net

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Florence News 31

LITERATURE

Quads by Piazza Pitti A Spirited, Intellectual Conversation With Baret Magarian at Syracuse University in Florence Named After Carlo Levi Also thanks to Coccia’s successful book

ollowing the success of a recent publication, the quads next to the Pitti Palace were recently named after the two protagonists of the anti-fascist fight in Florence: Carlo Levi and Anna Maria Ichino. Written by Florentine journalist Nicola Coccia, L’arse Argille Consolerai is based tell the story of Carlo Levi from Florence to Aviano. The book, which won the prestigious Carlo Levi award last year and was even presented before the Italian Senate, is based on new testimonies as well as photos and documents that Coccia meticulously researched. This new evidence shines a light on facts that marked the artistic and intellectual path of Levi. The first part explores the exile period, when Levi was confined to Aliano for 10 months and was in France with Paola Olivetti for the following months. In the second part, Coccia reconstructs the months Levi spent in Florence, from the German occupation to the liberation of the city in August 1944. Written almost as a novel, the protagonists of the central chapters include both important and common people, intellectuals and artists as well as anonymous figures, united by the common cause

of the anti-fascist fight. Among all these characters, the most striking is that of Anna Maria Ichino, the woman who offered her apartment in Piazza Pitti as a refuge to Levi where, between the end of 1943 and the summer of 1944, the writer wrote his masterpiece accompanied by the noise of the bullets flying in the streets. Anna Maria Ichino also offered to type the manuscript that Levi had written with a pencil.

ast month, Syracuse University held a book presentation and conversation with author Baret Magarian about his latest novel, The Fabrications. Baret charmed the audience with his sense of humor and philosophical debates, both of which are present in his book. He expressed a calm demeanor to the intellectual and literary discussion. “My writing is about identity. Identity formed from all different sources,” best summarizes Baret’s style, book and personality. The Fabrications is a brilliant story about soul, image and identity. The novel is very much a product of Magarian’s previous life in London, where he wrote literary journalism for The Guardian (among others) and worked for avant-garde publishing maverick John Calder. The story focuses on Oscar Babel, the ‘projectionist’ of a dilapidated Camden Cinema who catapults to overnight stardom in the London

art world. He ends up becoming a media-produced guru, and ultimately a kind of new Messiah by the end of the novel. Two figures sit squarely on Oscar’s shoulders: writer Daniel Bloch and publicist Ryan Rees. Representing an angel and a demon, Bloch and Rees do not fight for Oscar’s soul, but for his image and fate. When novelist Bloch writes a fictional story about his friend, the events of the narrative begin to happen in real life, much to Oscar’s bemuse-

ment. Then, in a Mephistophelian manner, publicist Rees picks the projectionist up in mid-transformation and transforms him into a media superstar and prophet of sensuality during an alienated digital age. But, if the New Testament and Tommy teach us anything, it is that being the new Messiah is a tough gig. The Fabrications is a brilliant and complex dual between soul, image, spirituality, philosophy and satire.

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32 Florence News

CHIANTI

On Horseback in Tuscany

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Galleria Gagliardi Reopens With New Artists

ON THE ROAD

A T

his tour offered by Florence Country Life is an adventure through the lush vineyards, native woods, olive groves and rolling hills of Chianti, with a collection of breathtaking and unforgettable views in the most wonderful and romantic way: on horseback. No prior experience is needed. Before the ride, you will be given a lesson by a trained guide to become better acquainted with your horse. After the ride, you will enjoy a Tuscan meal washed down with Chianti wine and an oil tasting. If you do not want to ride a horse, you can still come and enjoy the tour with a 20% discount. So, while your friends go on the horse ride

you can enjoy snacks, wine and a nice walk around a traditional Tuscan farm. If you have never horse-whispered before, then let horses whisper to you.

Florence Country Life From € 100

(€ 80 for students) www.florencecountrylife.com info@florencecountrylife.com Tel.: +39.366.4738711 TRANSPORTATION INCLUDED

fter celebrating its 25th anni- Bologna. He taught in the Institute of Arts ‘Dosso Dossi’ until 1995. For versary last year, the Galleria Gagliardi in San Gimignano re- his research in sculpturing he utiopened last month after the win- lized backed clay and, successively, lighter material for sculptures of ter break with two new important artists: sculptor Giuseppe Bergomi, large dimensions. Zanni defines his research in arts and sculpture: and sculptor and painter Sergio Zanni. After numerous national “My job allows me to continuousand international exhibitions, Ber- ly travel in order to discover unknown sites. These sites have been gomi’s art is currently on showcase at the Venice Biennale (54th Inter- materialized in several characters: national Art Exhibition, Italian Pa- hermits, rain men, killers, war memorials, devils, attendants of the vilion, Arsenale) plains, gypsies, observers, hikers. The protagonist of his work is the Deep-sea divers, water, front-less human figure, his family having characters, pilots, cloud hunters, inspired his subjects. Bergomi’s oblomov, smokers, painters of war, realism reveals is the result of a slow and meticulous work that pu- mysterious angels, with no front, siren’s songs, and go on until to rifies the image from superfluous details. After obtaining the Diplo- the last sculptures, the equilibrists, ma at the Institute of Arts ‘Dos- Ulysses and other hikers.” The Galleria Gagliardi is locatso Dossi’ in Ferrara, Italy, Zanni ed in San Gimignano on Via San graduated from the Academy of Giovanni 57. Arts (Accademia delle Belle Arti) in

Meet Vernaccia

ante Aligheri, Giovanni Boccaccio, Pope Martin IV, Lorenzo the Magnificent, Michelangelo, just to name a few of the greats that praised the most famous wine produced in San Gimignano. A delicious white wine, that is even referenced in Dante’s legendary “Divine Comedy.” First mentioned in tax documents from 1276, Vernaccia is not only one of Italy’s most esteemed wines, but also one of its oldest. The wine boasts a bold straw-yellow color and a flavor that delicately combines floral and fruity. Perfectly suited for fish and white meats in particular, Vernaccia can be enjoyed even more when combined with complimenting cuisine.

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Wine aperitivo in Chianti (Transportation included)

From 45 euro TRUFFLE HUNTING • WINE TOUR IN A CASTLE WALKING TOUR VIA FRANCIGENA ACCOMMODATION IN SAN GIMIGNANO Via Vecchia, 3 - 53037 San Gimignano (Siena) 0577 940568 - 3393817394 www.spreadyourwings.it info@spreadyourwings.it

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Florence News 33

CHIANTI

Twenty One Must-See Places in San Gimignano W

ith its towers and palaces that made it the Manhattan of the Middle Ages, San Gimignano is an extraordinary example of the classic medieval town. Among the principal attractions are the Musei Civici, a complex made up of the Palazzo Comunale and the Torre Grossa, the town’s entirely frescoed Cathedral, the Palazzo Comunale (which houses many important pictorial cycles, such as the one inspired by chivalry inside the Sala di Dante, so-called for having hastened the great poet), and the Pinacoteca Civica, which showcases masterpieces from the Sienese and Florentine schools. Besides an exceptional series of 14th century frescoes that speak of love, the Torre Grossa, the tallest tower in the city, offers an amazing panorama of the Tuscan hills. Other attractions are the Romanesque church of San Lorenzo in Ponte, decorated with frescoes representing Hell, Purgatory and Heaven; the Museo Archeologico, which documents the origins of the city; the Spezieria di Santa Fina, with its precious pharmacy vases that still today hold the medicinal preparations made following ageold recipes; and the Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea Raffaele De Grada, a gallery named after the renowned Milanese painter

who chose San Gimignano as his home, showcasing works by 20th century artists, fuelling a ‘dialogue’ between classic and contemporary art. 1) TOWN HALL (C13th) - There is a COURTYARD with coats of arms and frescoes by Sodoma. The SALA DI DANTE contains the “Maestà”by Lippo Memmi (1317). This Palace is the home of the CIVIC MUSEUM and PICTURE GALLERY with works by Coppo di Marcovaldo, Filippino Lippi, Pinturicchio, Benozzo Gozzoli, Taddeo di Bartolo, Memmo di Filippuccio, Sebastiano Mainardi, and the “GREAT TOWER” built in 1311, 54 metres in height, can be visited as part of the Civic Museum. 2) MUSEUM OF RELIGIOUS ART: paintings, fragments of stone from churches and monasteries which are now disused, silver, coral, liturgical vestments and altar frontals. 3) DUOMO or BASILICA OF SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA: sacred in 1148. Frescoes of the Sienese School: Old and New Testament (Bartolo di Fredi and “Bottega dei Memmi”), The Last Judgement (Taddeo di Bartolo), statues in wood by Lacopo della Quercia. Works of the Florentine School: S.Sebastian (Benozzo Gozzoli), Sculptures by Benedetta and Giuliano da Maiano and, in the

CHAPEL OF S.FINA, stories from the life of S. Fina, patron saint of the city by Ghirlandaio and others. 4) Romanesque CHURCH of S.LORENZO IN PONTE (1240). 5) HOUSE OF S.FINA: in which the Saint lived from 1238 to 1253. 6) OLD PODESTA’S PALACE (C12th): it was converted into a theater (“Teatro dei Leggieri) at the end of the 18th century, above it stands the “ROGNOSA TOWER” or “CLOCK TOWER” 51 metres high. 7) PROVOST’S HOUSE: “Prunella’s Fortress” dating from the 12th century. 8) ROCCA DI MONTESTAFFOLI: fortress dating from 1353, with a wonderful view over the town and the countryside. 9) CHURCH OF S.BARTOLO: in Romanesque style, dating from 1173. 10)CHURCH OF S.AGOSTINO: (1280-1298) Romanesque-gothic Frescoes illustrating the life of S.Augustine (Benozzo Gozzoli 1464-65), along with remains of 13th century frescoes, paintings by various painters (Benozzo Gozzoli, Piero del Pollaiolo, Pier Francesco Fiorentino, Vincenzo Tamagni, Sebastiano Mainardi). 11) CHAPEL OF S.BARTOLO with the altar By Benedetto (1494). CLOISTER dating from 15th century.

12) CHURCH of S. PIETRO IN FORLIANO: in Romanesque style (12th century - 13th century) 13) CHURCH OF S. JACOPO AL TEMPIO: in Romanesque style (12th century -13th century). 14) MEDIEVAL FOUNTAINS: Lombard, Romanesque and Gothic dating from 12th century to 14th century. 15) FORMER CONVENT OF S.CHIARA home of the new MUSEUMS CENTRE, including the ARCHEOLOGICAL SECTION (classical and medieval), the SPEZIERIA DI S.FINA (Herbarium of S.Fina), and the Raffaele De Grada GALLERY OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART. 16) REMAINS of the CHURCH OF S. FRANCESCO, formerly of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. 17) ORNITHOLOGICAL MUSEUM: collection made by the Panciatichi family, from the early 20th century, inside the Church of S.

WINE TASTINGS IN SAN GIMIGNANO

A Journey Through Human Cruelty The Torture and Death Penalty Museum displays more than 100 tools designed to torture and kill. Some of these tools are extremely rare, dating to the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They include the notorious ‘iron maiden,’ the guillotine, rack, torture chair and the chastity belt. Also on display are lesser-known sophisticated devices, such as the ‘heretic’s fork,’ the ‘noisemaker’s fife,’ the ‘Spanish spider’, and flaying instruments. Via San Giovanni, 82 & 125 San Gimignano Open daily: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 0577-940526, 055-940151 Tickets: Full €10 Concessions: €7; Groups: €5 www.museodellatortura.it

Via Racciano 10 - 53037 San Gimignano 334/6399484 • 0577/943090 www.palagetto.it

Francesco (C16th), with frescoes from C17th-C18th. 18) CHURCH and CONVENT OF SAN GIROLAMO run by the close order of Vallombrosa Benedictine nuns. 19) VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO EXPERIENCE LA ROCCA: The center offers an itinerary through wine culture with multimedia demonstrations about the cultivation of vines and wine production in the territory of San Gimignano. Tasting of local wines for groups and for single visitors. 20) ANCIENT PROTECTED TREES DESIGNATED NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Celtis Australis, European Hackberry. Taxus baccata, Yew tree. 21) WALKING TOUR ALONG THE CITY WALLS TOWN WALLS (2nd circle) dating from 13th century, 2176 metres long, with Medicean Bastions (15th century- 16th century)

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Florence News 35

TRAVEL

Sun and Fun: Visiting the Amalfi Coast

Croatia’s Natural Beauty Unveiled

side town of Positano. Positano is made up of picturesque multi-colored buildings that cling to the cliff above the black sand and pebbled beaches. The Smart Trip tour includes transportation to the aforementioned areas, 3 nights of accommodation, breakfast on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday along with dinner on Friday and Saturday night. Visit smarttrip.it for more details and bookings for a memorable time at the Amalfi Coast.

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nown for its picturesque sights and serene beach atmosphere that attracts celebrities, weekend jetsetters and college students across the world, the Amalfi Coast is an Italian paradise. It’s located in the region of Campania, home to a variety of renowned destinations like Naples, Pompeii and the Island of Capri, particularly attractive in the months of March and April because of the cool weather, making a trip to Capri and the seaside towns of Positano and Sorrento ideal. The almighty Mt. Vesuvius greets Smart Trip travelers as it looms over the countryside, accompa-

nied by fantastic views of beautiful, traditional cities built into the sloping cliffs. The first day of the trip includes breakfast and a ferry ride to the Island of Capri, one of the most spectacular Italian islands. There, visitors will journey to mystical places, to the home of many ancient myths, such as the site of the infamous sirens from Homer’s Odyssey, and to the world famous Blue Grotto: an accessible sea cave with sunlight that pierces the clear water, bringing out brilliant hues of blue and green. Travelers will then visit the sea-

5 Best Views in Amalfi Mount Solaro in Capri View from Positano beach looking at all the pastel color buildings Top of Mount Vesuvius overlooking Napoli Blue Grotto Pompeii

roatia’s natural beauty makes it one of the best destinations for outdoor activities like relaxing on the beach and admiring cultural wonders. Student travel company Smart Trip offers a convenient way to reach the country and an itinerary that covers must-see locations and exciting activities. The tour focuses on the medieval port town of Split located on Croatia’s pristine Dalmatian coast. On the first day, Smart Trip organizes optional water activities such as white water rafting or canyoning on the Cetina River. Other adventures lay ahead, like spending the day laying on one of Split’s beaches, touring the Split’s historic city center, visiting the Diocletian Palace, renting a bike and riding up

Marjan Hill, or taking a day trip to the local surrounding towns, such as Omiš or the Krka Waterfalls. On the last day the group takes a trip to Krka, where a few hours are dedicated to swimming and exploring the magnificent waterfalls of the national park before heading back to Florence.

Croatia’s Five Gems Krka National park waterfalls Centa River Diocletian’s Palace Old Town Split Split’s Beaches and Coves

DIRECT TO BUS FROM PISA AIRPORT

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Florence News 37

TRAVEL

As Good as the Original: Time for the Springfest

hat’s better than spring in beautiful Florence? Spring in Munich! The city is celebrating Frühlingsfest, or Spring festival, from April 20 to May 6, and the people of Munich are gearing up to enjoy the party. This year Frühlingsfest is being held on the Theresienwiese, the same open space that hosts the legendary Oktoberfest. While both involve lots of beer, dancing on tables, and belting out merry

songs with dozens of new friends, Springfest isn’t nearly as crowded or tourist-heavy, which means shorter lines and getting even more of a chance to see real local tradition. In addition to two large beer tents, Spaten’s Hippodrome, the Augustiner tent and a Weissbier beer garden, there is a revolving Pils carousel that allows you to drink beer and go on a ride at the same time, in case you were having

trouble deciding between the two. Entrance to the tents is free, and a multitude of other rides and a Saturday flea market add to the endless entertainment options. Aside from Springfest, Munich boasts beautiful parks, museums and historical sights. A 20-minute train ride from downtown Munich is the Dachau concentration camp, a humbling experience that provides an up-close perspective on Nazi atrocities during World War II. Munich also boasts several famous beer halls and nightclubs. Kultfabrik is a playground for young adults, with more than 40 bars and clubs situated in a converted warehouse, ranging from sports bars to pubs and dance clubs, open till the early hours of the morning. SmartTrip offers a Florence to Munich Springfest getaway that includes more than just the popular festival. Travellers will call home base a comfortable hostel. The trip includes an optional bike tour of the city, an ideal way to see all of the city’s beautiful sights such as Marienplatz, Hofbrauhaus, the English Gardens, Chinese Tower, Surfer’s Bridge and Bavarian Parliament. The Munich Bike Tour, which lasts about three-and-a-half hours, has been called the best bike tour in Europe by many travelers, and is led by some of the best international guides in Europe.

5 Things you didn’t know about Munich springfest: 1. It’s highly similar to Oktoberfest- except less people and much better weather! 2. You can dress up in traditional Bavarian clothing while enjoying the festival 3. Munich is a fantastic city with giant pretzels, efficient public transportation and gorgeous parks 4. Enjoy some of the best beer IN THE WORLD in Munich 5. If you’ve had enough of the festival, you’re in luck because football is also in season, take in a game to break from the festivities

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38 Florence News

CITY GUIDE

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MUSEUMS & MONUMENTS Cappelle Medicee The Old Sacristy, the New Sacristy, with architecture and sculpture by Michelangelo, and the Chapel of the Princes, decorated with inlaid marble and hard stones. P.zza Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6 Tel: +39.055.294883 Hours: 8.15-17.00 Closed: 2nd, 4th Sunday; 1st, 2nd, 5th Monday of month

Galleria degli Uffizi Open since 1591, the Uffizi hosts one of the most important collections of art of all time, classical sculpture and 13th to 18th century paintings Loggiato degli Uffizi Tel: +39.005.294883 Hours: 8.15-18.50 Closed: Mondays

Palazzo Vecchio Quartieri Monumentali Residence of the Priors, the Signoria and the Medici. Paintings, sculpture, furniture and hangings. Piazza della Signoria Tel: +39.005.2768224 Hours: Sept: 9-24 - Thursdays 9-14 Oct: 9-19 - Thursdays 9-14.

Galleria dell’Accademia Michelangelo’s masterpieces: the David and the Slaves. Sculpture, paintings and casts by various artists. Via Ricasoli, 60 Tel: +39.005.294883 Hours: 8.15-18.50 Closed: Mondays

Museo del Bargello Residence of the Captain of the People, of Justice and ancient prison. Masterpieces of painting and sculpture, plus minor arts. Frescoes by the school of Giotto in the Chapel. Via del Proconsolo, 4 Tel: +39.005.294883 Hours: 8.15-17.00. Closed: 2nd, 4th Sunday; 1st, 3rd, 5th Monday of month.

Battistero di San Giovanni Romanesque temple dedicated to St. John the Baptist, patron saint of the city. Outside, the doors by Ghiberti. Piazza San Giovanni Tel: +39.055.2302885 Hours: 11.15-18.30 - Sundays, 1st Saturday of month 8.30-13.30.

Campanile di Giotto Famous bell tower, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture by Giotto, built between 1334 and 1359. Piazza del Duomo Tel: +39.055.2302885 Hours: 8.30-18.50. Closed: Easter.

Galleria d’Arte Moderna Paintings and sculptures related to the art in Tuscany from the late 18th century to the period between the two world wars. Temporary shows of contemporary art. Piazza Pitti Tel: +39.055 294883 Hours: 8.15-18.50. Closed: Mondays.Fri, Sat, Sun 9.00 18.00. Thur 9.00 - 14.00.

Cupola di Brunelleschi The masterpiece of Brunelleschi. Frescoes of the Last Judgement by Federico Zuccari. Suggestive itinerary to the top of the dome with breathtaking views over the city. Piazza del Duomo Tel: +39.005.2302885 Hours: 8.30-18.20 - Saturdays 8.3017.00pm. Closed: Sundays and Easter day.

Galleria Palatina e Appartamenti Reali The Palatine Gallery occupies the whole left wing of the first floor of the Pitti Palace, which was the residence of the Medici grand-dukes. In 1828, when Tuscany came under the rule of the Lorraine, the most important paintings in the Palace, most of which had been collected by the Medici. Piazza Pitti Tel: +39.055.294883 Hours: 8.15-18.50 Closed: Mondays

Giardino Bardini These beautiful gardens, recently restored, contain many rare plants and specialised areas, such as Italian and English gardens, as well as a fine Baroque staircase, statues, fountains, a small amphitheater and panoramic views. Entrances: Via dei Bardi, 1 r and Boboli Gardens. Info and reservations: Tel: +39.055.294883 Hours: 8.15-18.30 Closed: 1st and last Monday of month.

HOTEL • RESTAURANT GIOVANNI DA VERRAZZANO

Cartoleria Lory Srl P.za Frescobaldi 8r 50125 055-213246 Shop.lory.net www.digital-fineart.it www.lorycad.net Piazza Giacomo Matteotti n° 28 Greve in Chianti (Florence) 055 853189 / 055 8546098 www.albergoverrazzano.it

Museo delle Porcellane Collections of porcelain from reigning royal families. Palazziana del Cavaliere, Boboli Gardens, Piazza Pitti, 1 Tel: +39.055.294883 Hours:8.15-18.30 Closed: 1st and last Monday of month

Museo degli Argenti Summer apartments of the Grand Dukes. It contains vases in hard stone that belonged to Lorenzo the Magnificent, and the jewellery that belonged to the Electress Palatine. Piazza Pitti Tel: +39.055.294883 Hours: 8.15-18.30 Closed: 1st and last Monday of month.

Museo Novecento Italian art of the 20th century, in a journey backwards from the Nineties to the first decades of the century. Piazza Santa Maria Novella Tel: +39.055 286132 Hours: Oct to March- Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun 9.00 - 18.00. Thur 9.00 14.00.

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Fashion Passport

he Barberino McArthurGlen Designer Outlets offers the most sought-after names in luxury and designer fashion, including Furla, Trussardi, D&G, Pinko, Bluemarine, at prices reduced by up to 70% less all year round. The outlet is the perfect addition to your business and leisure programs, with cafés and restaurants, children’s playgrounds, ample parking, multilingual staff and a year-round calendar of events. All ISIC/ITIC/IYTC cardholders can take advantage of the “Fashion Passport” that offers an additional 10% Off on the outlet price (not products on sales). You can withdraw the Fashion Passport at the Information Office of the Outlet. *Fashion Passport is valid only in specific shops. The discount cannot be cumulated with other offers and with products on sales. The fashion passport is valid for the whole day and only to the cardholder.

Your Private Concierge

CITY GUIDE TOURIST INFORMATION SOS

EMERGENCIES

Emergency Phone Number: 113 Ambulance Service: 118 Carabinieri (National Military Police): 112 Environmental Emergency: 1515 Fire Department: 115

Firenze Card The Firenzecard is a way for tourists and locals alike to visit the countless museums the city has to offer. For 72€, the card includes the cost of entrance, the ticket for the exhibition, and the reservation for all the museums of the Firenzecard Circuit.The card lasts 72 hours after it is activated. Activation occurs when the card is used for the first time at a museum. Cardholders do not need to make any reservation with Firenzecard because it includes, in its price, the reservation for all the museums. With Firenzecard, cardholders can visit the museums when they choose and can access to the museums through the reserved entrance. Firenzecard can be used at 67 museums, but it can only be used once per museum. The card cannot be shared or transferred. For more information on the card or to purchase one, visit www.firenzecard.it

Florence News 39

+ HEALTH SERVICES Piazza Duomo: 055 212221 Open Pharmacies: 800 420707 Veterinary Services: 055 7223683 Poison Center: 055 7947819

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Your Private Concierge in Florence Every day problem solving - Workshops Access to treasures off the beaten path Property finding. Ask with confidence

Railway Police: 055 211012 Florence Municipal Police: 055 3283333 Local National Police Force: 055 49771 Fire and Rescue Service: 055 24901

BUSES

Ataf: 6 a.m.-9 p.m. : 800424500 Li-nea: Bus info, 055 7355742 FBUSITALIA: SITA NORD: www.fsbusitalia. it, 800 373760

TOURIST INFO POINTS

Via Cavour, 1r - 055 290833 Vespucci Airport - 055 315874 Piazza del Duomo - 055 215440 Piazza Stazione, 4 - 055 212245

ON THE ROAD Roadside Assistance for Foreigners: 800 116800 Obstruction, theft, and towed vehicles: 055 4224142

AIRPORTS A Vespucci, Firenze Peretola: www.aeroporto.firenze.it/en 055 3061300 Lost and found: 055 3061302 G. Galilei, Pisa: www.pisa-airport.com 050 849300 Lost and found: 050 849400

TAXI

TAXIS

055 4242 Night Taxi only for Women Service from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.: 334-66 22 550 (WhatsApp or SMS)