Florence News, June 2017 by FN

Florence News JUNE 2017, N 014 www.florencenews.it

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Fireworks and Style Pitti fashion shows inaugurate spectrum of summer events

lorence is dressed in the colors of fashion this summer as Pitti Immagine returns. Showcasing the latest in contemporary lifestyle trends, the series of trade fairs once again brings top designers to Florence for Pitti Uomo (June 13–16), Pitti Bimbo (June 22–24) and Pitti Filati (June 28 – June 30) located at Fortezza da Basso and throughout the city. It is one of the first in a series of similarly colorful events taking place in June. Estate al Bargello continues its spectacle of dance, music and theater in the courtyard of the Bargello National Museum, while the Roman theater at Fiesole hosts music, cinema and dance for Estate Fiesolana from June 21. The city brims with energetic celebrations to commemorate the feast day of its patron saint John the Baptist on June 24. Best known for cal-

cio storico fiorentino, a barbarous combination of football, rugby and wrestling that pits the four quarters of the city against each other, the anniversary also includes a rowing regatta on the Arno and the San Giovanni Nocturnal Run, which consists of a 10-kilometer competitive run and a four-kilometer walk that starts and finishes at the Piazza del Duomo on June 17. As night falls over the city on June 24, the legendary ‘fires of San Giovanni’, a pagan summer rite and now a modern pyrotechnic spectacle, set the sky alight over Piazzale Michelangelo. Estate Fiesolana takes place at the historical Roman theater in Fiesole, with its theater section to its lineup of music, cinema and dance, from June 21 throughout the whole summer. Opera aficionados can enjoy the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago

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from July 14 to Aug 19. Blues lovers can also relish in the Pistoia Blues Festival, while the Lucca Summer Festival returns in July with a line up of many international stars. The most important event in Florence this month is without a doubt the celebration of the city’s patron saint St. John the Baptist, whose image was spread throughout Europe on the florin, the Florentine coin introduced in 1252, and who was notably mentioned by Dante in his masterpiece The Divine Comedy. To get inside the heart of this Florentine feast day, the words of 19th century English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning are perhaps the most revealing. In a letter to her sister dated June 1847, Barrett Browning writes: “Meanwhile, here is the grand festa of San Giovanni, the patron saint of Florence, the grandest festa of the year—and there are to be chariot races in the piazza close to us, and horse races (without riders) somewhere else—games in the manner of the ancients—also fireworks at night. The fireworks I certainly shall like to see: I couldn’t help screaming out for pleasure, and surprise. I never had seen any good fireworks, but Robert, who had, declared that nothing ever met his eyes to compare with these...and then the whole scene, the river, the people, the garden & characteristic houses contrived to throw one into a fit of ecstasy—it was my turn to be child, after all my fine reflection of the hour before. [...] I cannot describe to you how marvellously beautiful it was.”

Five Foreign Museum Directors Rejected T

he Lazio regional administrative court (TAR) struck down five of the 20 appointments for top Italian museums recently put out to international selection. The ruling did not affect the director of the Uffizi Gallery, Eike Schmidt, or any other foreign director in Florence State Museums. As the decision was announced at the end of last month, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said via Twitter that he was “speechless and that’s for the best,” and that the government will appeal the verdict to the state council, the branch in charge of handling controversies between state bodies. The rejection came on the grounds that the court did not consider it necessary to open the selection to international candidates, which

had been made to attract the best possible candidates. “The world has seen Italian museums change in the past two years and now the Lazio TAR has canceled the appointment of 5 directors,” said Franceschini. Franceschini’s opinion was shared by the Italian government due to the bad impression Italy could garner internationally. On the same day Franceschini discussed these issues, the former Italian Prime Minister and Florence mayor Matteo Renzi echoed him. “I’m worried about how Italy looks to the rest of the world and about the practical consequences, because as of today some museums don’t have a director. I know that you should not comment on sentences but combat them in the right place,” said Franceschini.

The Factory of Beauty T

he Bargello National Museum is inaugurating the exhibition The Factory of Beauty. The Statues of the Ginori Manufacturer on May 18. The exhibit, divided in six parts, showcases the most important sculptures made in the first period of the manufacturer together – and in dialogue – with those perma-

nently on display at the Museum, tracing the history and the transformation of porcelain sculpture. Founded in 1735 by Marquis Carlo Ginori from Doccia, a small town nearby Florence, the Richard Ginori Porcelain manufacturer is the most ancient still operative porcelain manufacturer in Italy. The exhibition will end Oct. 1.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Lorenzo Picchi EDITOR: William French

Principal Exhibits • Maria Lassnig: Woman Power

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

Palazzo Pitti, Andito degli Angiolini March 25 – June 25

CONTRIBUTORS: William French, Christine De Melo, Thomas Ricciotti, Hannah Nagle, Alex Park.

Together with Louise Bourgeois and Joan Mitchell, Maria Lassnig (1919–2014) was one of the most important artists of the second half of the 20th century. Her painting is unique in terms of both style and content, her favourite theme being self-portraits with the external world serving as the vessel for a perception of the interior world.

REGISTERED AT THE TRIBUNAL OF FLORENCE N. 6008, ON 9/12/2015. PUBLISHER: IAF PRINT: Rotostampa SRL, Florence

• We Must Make Haste! March 2016 – 2017: Treasures Rescued and Treasures Still to Rescue Uffizi, Aula Magliabechiana March 28 – July 30 The exhibition presents masterpieces from villages, cities and towns of the Marche region struck by the recent earthquake, such as Ascoli Piceno, Fermo, and Macerata. The choice of works on display is designed to provide the visitor with an overview of the development of art in the Marche region from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. • Leonardo da Vinci’s Magic Cosmos: The Adoration of the Magi Restored

JUNE www.florencenews.it the largest of Leonardo’s surviving panel paintings (246 x 243 cm), was left unfinished after a lengthy preliminary study as Leonardo left for Milan in 1482. It was then stored in the palace of the Benci family in Florence before entering the Medici family’s collections. Its restoration did not just resolve a number of conservation issues, but also restored its unexpected colors and full readability. • Giuliano da Sangallo. Drawings from the Uffizi Uffizi, Sala Edoardo Detti and Sala del Camino May 16 – Aug. 20

Uffizi, Galleria delle Statue e delle Pitture March 28– Sept. 24

Tel: + 39 380 90 44 142 Email: fnewev@gmail.com

Each year, from 1680 and for the following 58 years, Cosimo III and his successor, his son Gian Gastone, received a precious silver plate decorated with stories illustrating the dynastic glory of their house. The memory of the St. John plates would have been lost with the Medici family’s extinction if the Ginori manufactory had not made plaster casts of the silver originals between 1746 and 1748, so as to reproduce them in porcelain. The exhibit also showcases numerous preparatory drawings by Roman artists such as Carlo Maratta and Ciro Ferri, currently held in a variety of Italian and foreign museums and collections, along with recent porcelain and silver reproductions.

Giardino di Boboli June 27 – Oct. 29

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CONTENT

Palazzo Pitti, Tesoro dei Granduchi June 24 – Nov. 5

• Helidon Xhixha: at Random

INTERN WITH US

• A Gift for the Grand Duke: silver plates for the Feast of St. John

Leonardo da Vinci’s Adoration of the Magi is returning to the Uffizi after 6-year restoration. Commissioned from Leonardo by the Austin Friars in 1481 for their church of San Donato a Scopeto, the painting,

The Uffizi’s first monographic exhibition devoted to the work of Giuliano da Sangallo (Florence, c. 1445–1516) hosts a selection of drawings from the gallery’s collection and a limited number of other artistic artefacts that illustrate the artist’s multifaceted talents, the implications of his architectural interests, and the activities of his workshop highlighting chronology, sites, and patronage of his career.

This solo show hosted in the Boboli Garden will showcase Helidon Xhixha and his study of the concepts of chaos and order based on the technique of iconic sculpture, and producing his own vision of them, drawing his inspiration from the natural world. Renowned for his floating sculptures at the most recent edition of the Venice Biennale, he was also the winner of the Somerset House Prize in London last year due to his installation, Bliss.

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Exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi Until July 23. ALEX PARK

urated by Palazzo Strozzi’s director Arturo Galansino and Bill Viola Studio’s executive director Kira Perov, Electronic Renaissance reviews Viola’s career, marked by a combination of technological research and aesthetic reflection, from his 1970’s early video experiments to his large installations of the 2010s famous for their impact on the senses. Born in New York in 1951, Viola is an unchallenged master of video art whose fame is rooted in his productions of video installation, sound environments, and performances, which offers a profound

immersion in space, image, and sound. His art explores the spirituality, experience and perception of

mankind by understanding bodies that interact with forces of nature such as water and fire, light and

“I am very happy to be returning to my Italian roots and to have this amazing opportunity to repay my debt to the great city of Florence with an offering of my work. Living and working in Florence in the 1970s, I never thought I would have the honor to show in such a distinguished institution as the Palazzo Strozzi.”

JUNE www.florencenews.it dark, and the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. The Renaissance context of Palazzo Strozzi fuels a ‘dialogue’ between the classic and the contemporary through the juxtaposition of Viola’s work with masterpieces of the past that have inspired Viola and marked the development of his style. The exhibits is also an opportunity for the artist to return to his roots. In fact, it was in Florence that Viola developed his career as a video artist at the Art/Tapes/22, a center for video production and documentation, active in Florence from 1974 to 1976 under the direction of Maria Gloria Conti Bicocchi. Palazzo Strozzi will also extend the experience of the exhibition to other locations in Florence and Tuscany thanks to partnerships with other museums and venues such as the Uffizi Gallery, the Santa Maria Novella Church Museum in Florence, the St. Andrea Church Museum in Empoli, and the Great Museum of Florence Dome Museo, where visitors can purchase a combined ticket to visit the Palazzo Strozzi exhibit together with the Baptistry of San Giovanni and the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. The latter will be hosting Bill Viola’s Observance (2002) and Acceptance (2008), on display to create a ‘dialogue’ with two of the museum’s iconic masterpieces: Donatello’s Penitent Magdalen and Michelangelo’s Bandini Pietà. Internationally recognized as one of the leading artists of our time, Viola has created a wide range of media works that are displayed in

major museums throughout the world. His ideas focus on universal human experiences–birth, death, the unfolding of consciousness– and have roots in both Eastern and Western art as well as spiritual traditions, including Zen Buddhism, Islamic Sufism, and Christian mysticism. Viola represented the US at the Venice Biennale in 1995. Other key solo exhibitions include; Bill Viola: A 25-Year Survey organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art (1997); The Passions at the J.Paul Getty Museum (2003); Hatsu- Yume (First Dream) at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo in 2006; Bill Viola, visioni interiori at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, 2008; and Bill Viola, Grand Palais, Paris 2014. Two major installations, Martyrs (Earth, Air, Fire, Water) (2014), and Mary (2016) are permanently on view at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, on loan from Tate.

Bill Viola. Electronic Renaissance Palazzo Strozzi March 10 to July 23 Exhibition opening hours Daily including holidays 10.00-20.00 Thursdays: 10.00-23.00 Reservations From Monday to Friday 9.0013.00/14.00-18.00 Tel +39 055 2469600 prenotazioni@palazzostrozzi.org

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Exhibiting Models of Leonardo’s Designs

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. 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

The Ape That Loved Too Much There once was an ape who thought no one loved him. His parents had gone off to other parts of the rainforest where it was quieter and safer. His brothers and sisters mated and moved on to higher ground where the jungle fruits were fatter and juicier. Other smaller animals were afraid of the ape, so he had very few friends. He tried to talk to the monkeys and the raccoons and the possum, but they ran away. He tried to hunt with the cats, but they were bored with him, because he was so slow. He even tried to befriend a human who lived close by. But the human thought the ape wanted to steal his food. One happy spring day, the ape

found a nest of young birds. The mother bird had been snatched out of the air and killed by a hawk. Her fledglings were so tiny and helpless that the ape could not help being overcome with feeling for them. He approached them carefully, so that he didn’t frighten them. He was filled with great joy, because he hoped to make them part of his family. But as he hid among the vines gaping at them as they tested their wings, the little birds spotted him. In an instant, without a second thought, they sensed danger and flew into the tree tops where the ape could never reach them. When the ape looked again at the nest he could see that one small

Moral:

fledgling still remained, trying desperately to flap its fragile wings and join its brothers and sisters. But it was too small and just didn’t have the power to fly. Filled with joy, the ape went from his hiding place to fetch the tiny prize and tell it that it was safe. The ape reached into the nest, and with all the love and passion he had saved up over a lifetime, grabbed the tiny bird and began to kiss it. But in his uncontrollable affection he gave it so many kisses, turning it over and over and squeezing it, that he took away its life. The ape was sad again, because he still had no one to love.

If you love unreasonably, you can bring misfortune upon the loved ones.

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

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Santo Ficara Hosts Pino Pinelli

he Santo Ficara contemporary art gallery is presenting the exhibition Painting BL.R.G. + B., showcasing the art of Pino Pinelli. The exhibit, which is on display until July 30, brings together a selection of works mostly composed with primary colors, both large and small, such as the painting BL.R.G. (2010) itself, made of 45 elements. Pinelli’s art has abandoned the traditional structures of painting, even the wall is no longer a passive recipient and becomes a part of the work itself, spreading its elements into the surrounding space. Inspired by the slightly older Zero artists, Pinelli’s work encapsulates the desire of the era to alter the existence of traditional painting. Through the creation of mixed media geometric forms, Pinelli elimi-

nates the presence of the canvas in its usual form while still hinting at the idea of a painting. His work often comprises of brightly monochromatic elements, which hang on the wall and yet give the impression of a canvas that has been melted or otherwise deconstructed. “Pinelli never intended

painting to be resilient, nostalgic, or suspended in an almost non-metaphysical time which was particularly poignant back in the ‘80s. Rather, his intention is to put into question our notion of certainties, as well as convey the ability to extract an essence from them every time, to get right to the point. Painting is always and only a mental fact. From the time of Piero della Francesca - unsurprisingly Pinelli’s theoretical point of reference - to our modern age, painting seeks to move beyond the simplistic, iconographic reading of a work and move towards a symbolic meaning that mentally attacks the structure. Ethics asks why things are,” says curator of the exhibit Luca Beatrice. In the ‘80s, Pinelli recovered the need for basic colors, gathering fragments together and giving them greater body and consistency. In subsequent decades, his work follows new orientations, aiming to investigate the essence of space as a place for color.

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Napoleon’s Watches Time is money. And in time of war, it can be also a matter of life or death. For this reason Napoleon, during his camps in Italy more than 200 years ago, decided to provide his perennially late officials with clocks. One of this clocks today is part of the Nuti collection of antique clocks and jewelries. The collection is worth a visit. In addition to the clocks that Napoleon gave to his officials during military campaigns, it features, among the others, pieces that belonged to the Florentine aristocracy (which form the core of the collection); pendulum clocks from the French Directory period; a French amphora-shaped clock from the second half of the nineteenth century; English tower clocks by John Hoger; and clocks from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century by Breguet, a company established in 1775 in Paris. All clocks and jewels are certified, making the shipping faster as it can take up to several days to ship a non-certified piece. The story of the Nuti company is interesting itself. One day in the early 1950s a young woman took her son Valerio by the hand and led him to his first day of school. She wanted him to become a dentist. As with all mothers, she wanted a safe, well-paid job for

her son. The school was one of the most renowned in Florence, offering courses in different disciplines. But this particular day proved disappointing for the woman. “The dentist school is full, but there is one place available in the watchmaking school – should we sign your son up here?” she was asked by the employee. The woman said yes. Valerio began to repair watches after school and fell in love with collecting them and in 1975 he made the move and opened his own jewelry shop, Antichi Orologi e Gioielli Nuti. The jeweller’s is now run by Valerio’s family, which keeps his spirit and story alive. Time is money. At Nuti, it is also history.

Antichi Orologi e Gioielli Nuti Via della Scala 10/r

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Unknown Pleasures Displayed

Galleria Il Ponte Presents Soonja Han

Bardini Museum hosts Glenn Brown

he exhibition Unknown Pleasures is running at the Museo Bardini from June 10 to Oct. 25, showcasing a spectrum of Glenn Brown’s work. Brown will be installing over twenty pieces including paintings, drawings and sculptures, some of which have made for this exhibition and shown for the first time. Mining art history and popular culture, Brown has created an artistic language that transcends time and pictorial conventions. His mannerist impulses stem from a desire to breathe new life into the extremities of historical form. Through reference, appropriation and investigation, he presents a contemporary reading of new and remembered images.

Borrowed figures and landscapes are subjected to a thoughtful and extended process of development in which they gradually transform into compelling, exuberant entities. Mixing Renaissance art, Impressionism and Surrealism, Brown creates a space where the abstract and the visceral, the rational and irrational, the beautiful and grotesque, churn in a dizzying amalgamation of reference and form. Placing Brown’s work alongside the renowned collection of Stefano Bardini will allow visitors to admire a leading contemporary artist as well as works of the past. Located on Via Dei Renai 37 in the Oltrarno area of Florence, the Bardini Museum houses several medieval and Renaissance masterpieces such as Charity by Tino da Camaino, the Madonna of the Cordai by Donatello, the monumental paintings of the Crucifix by Bernardo Daddi, St. Michael the Archangel by Pollaiolo, Atlas by Guercino, and series of drawings by Tiepolo and Piazzetta. Born in Hexham, England, Glenn Brown has been featured in numerous group and solo museum exhibitions. Recent solo shows include Glenn Brown,Tate Liverpool, England (2009, traveled to Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Italy; and Museum Ludwig, Bu-

dapest, through 2010); Conversation Piece V, Frans Hals Museum, The Netherlands (2013–14); Glenn Brown, Des Moines Art Center, Iowa (2016, traveled to Contemporary Arts Center, Cinncinatti, through 2017); Glenn Brown/Vincent Van Gogh, Fondation Vincent Van Gogh Arles, France (2016); and most recently Glenn Brown – Rembrandt; Afterlife, Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam (2017).

Unknown Pleasures Glenn Brown

Stefano Bardini Museum June 10-Oct. 26

alleria Il Ponte concludes its exhibition season before the summer with a solo show dedicated to Korean Soonja Han, a global artist known for her vibrant abstract painting, sculptures and installations. Eight paintings, seven sculptures, six works on paper and one digital animation will be on display. This exhibition represents Han’s challenge to conventional understandings of place. To Han, space is understood as a reality that transcends its physical parameters. Han combines, or separates, art and space along different dimensions. In this exhibition she takes Florence as an image and a millennial space and looks at it from a distinct perspective, making a connection between the light pouring through the oculus of the Pantheon and the effect of light on her bent semicircular aluminum forms. Beyond portraying overlooked cultural narratives in the urban environment, Han explores the interrelated concepts of form, color and light in her circular paintings, installations and drawings, the circle being the visual center of her work. Soonja Han was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1952 to intellectual parents who encouraged her creative pursuits.

Upon moving to Paris, she was given her first solo exhibition at JeanClaude Richard Gallery in Paris in 1988. By the early 90s Han had shifted from her abstract impasto paintings to experimenting with more spare compositions, thinner applications and smoother surfaces. These minimalist paintings and drawings attracted a new series of European galleries. Throughout her career Han continued to develop greater movement, dynamism, vitality and chromaticity in her paintings.

SOONJA HAN Enchanted Destiny Galleria Il Ponte, Via Di Mezzo 42 May 13 - July 7

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Florence News 11

CULTURE

Understanding the Roots of Fashion from the Renaissance COSTANZA MENCHI

n the early 1930s, Italian writer Gianna Manzini noted that the renowned Bronzino’s portrait of Eleanor of Toledo with her son, Don Garzia, acts as “a program, a prophecy,” the document of an epoch. It is, in fact, in the Renaissance that we can find the first manifestation of a “discourse on dress” and a ‘rhetoric’ of ‘la bella figura’ (literally: beautiful figure, meaning: giving a good impression). Thus, the Renaissance is the key moment in history for understanding the roots of Italian fashion. Fashion in the Renaissance became scientia habitus and a political and a state affair via the Sumptuary Laws. In the 16th century, numerous authors, such as Baldassar Castiglione and Cesare Vecellio, expressed an existing concern for appearance. It was in this period that the body became a vital component of identity as individuals, beginning with the members of the Medici family, began to see themselves as the ‘agents’ of their own fate. In the Renaissance, the act of “fashioning” had connotations different from modern ones. Clothes were seen as to transform the wearer, while dressing in particular, elegant clothes gave people a form.

In the mid-16th century, Cosimo de’ Medici became a duke and his wife Eleanora became a duchess by putting on the robes of state. From Eleanor’s wedding dress of 1539 to her burial dress of 1562, the Spanish-born duchess wore ceremonial to advertise both the Florentine silk industry and Duke Cosimo’s loyalty to the Spanish Emperor Charles V. Here we have identified some of the early meanings of modern fashion: dressing becomes, in this period, a way of advertising, of communicating an identity. Our primary evidence for Cosimo and Eleanor’s newly achieved ducal status is portraiture. Florentine painter Agnolo Bronzino under-

The ‘Supermodels’ of the Past

stood the importance of dress in crafting Eleanor’s public persona, and for this reason he made the virtuoso depiction of clothing and jewels (some of them attributed to Cellini) central to his four portraits of her in ceremonial dress. In these portraits, Bronzino depicts Eleanor as an icon of Spanish nobility and, together with her two eldest sons, as a symbol of a fecundity at the base of the Medicean dynastic ambitions. Thus, just as Eleonora’s public appearances in lavish dress were carefully staged, Bronzino’s images of her in this clothing were part of Duke Cosimo’s political culture, in which he presents his duchess as he wished her to be seen. Eleanor, Cosimo and the members of the Medici family represented in those portraits were not just showing off their refined style and taste, but the richness of the city of Florence. Through their wardrobe, they adopted different ways and tricks by means of which ideas, ideology and power could be conveyed through appearance. Florentine heirs of that tradition are still recognized worldwide for the superb “Made in Italy” fashion, textiles, leather goods, jewels and accessories, which still let people wearing them make aa good impression during public and private occasions.

hrough Renaissance portraits of women it is possible to understand how modern fashion began. It was during this period, in fact, that for the first time in art history, women became the object of a somewhat obsessive attention to the details of beauty. Artists began focusing intently on women’s faces, hair and clothes, and thus female portraiture took on another expressive element, beyond representing personality and social status. Simonetta Cattaneo can be considered the first “supermodel” in history, as Botticelli used her as a muse and inspiration for his paintings. Born in Genoa, she married Mario Vespucci, cousin of Amerigo Vespucci who baptized America. In 1475 she was nominated “Queen of Beauty” at the popular chivalrous tournament known as La Giostra, which that year was won by Giuliano de’ Medici, brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Giuliano and Simonetta embarked on a love story which came to a tragic end in 1476. She was only 22 when she died of tuberculosis. Giuliano died a few years later in the Pazzi Conspiracy. Simonetta’s face is believed to appear in The Birth of Venus and the Madonna of the Magnificat at the Uffizi. Hers and Giuliano’s are believed to be the faces in Botticelli’s Primavera, or

Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus (fragment)

Allegory of Spring.Another model was Lucrezia Panciatichi. In Bronzino’s portrait she appears with a “complicated” hairstyle, blue eyes and a melancholic expression; she wears a sumptuous red velvet dress and a corset trimmed with a belt made of precious stones. One of her two necklaces bears the inscription “Amour dure sans fin,” an allusion to the love of God, whilst her right hand holds a prayer book. The sleeves of the dress are big and detachable, as it was common in that period.

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CITY BEAT

Pitti Uomo Returns Fusing Australia and Vital Energy

JUNE www.florencenews.it

THE SPECIAL EVENTS AND GUESTS: The CENTRO DI FIRENZE PER LA MODA ITALIANA presents the Pitti Immagine Uomo 92 pre-opening event on Monday, June 12 in the Palazzo Pitti /Boboli Gardens complex. The evening includes a gala dinner and an event open to the public. “THE EPHEMERAL MUSEUM OF FASHION” at Palazzo Pitti On Tuesday June 13, The Ephemeral Museum of Fashion will be inaugurated at Palazzo Pitti. The exhibition, open until October 22, is the second in a three-year program promoted by the Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana and the Gallerie degli Uffizi. JW ANDERSON is the SPECIAL GUEST An internationally recognized fashion brand created by Jonathan Anderson, a designer from Northern Ireland, JW Anderson is the special guest of this summer 2017 Pitti Uomo. On the evening of Wednesday June 14, at Villa La Pietra, JW Anderson will present his SS18 men’s collection.

itti Uomo, the most important fashion event in Florence dedicated to menswear, is coming back to the Fortezza da Basso from June 13 to 19 for its 92nd fair. Within a space of about 60,000 square metres divided in 15 sections, 1,220 brands – 540 from abroad for a total of 44% of all ex-

hibitors – will showcase their new collections inspired by the theme of this year, Lucky Numbers, which focuses on the aesthetics, graphics and symbolism of numbers, both in and out of fashion. This June, the fair will have new routes, a careful redistribution of

the spaces, an expansion of the sections on experimental menswear and areas dedicated to the future of fashion. The theme of Pitti Uomo this summer is vital energy. Thus, flowers will cover the Fortezza da Basso, blossoming into artistic creations, digital icons and new ideas.

OFF-WHITE c/o VIRGIL ABLOH™, SPECIAL GUEST at Pitti Uomo 92 On the evening of Thursday June 15, OFF-WHITE c/o VIRGIL ABLOH™ will present the SS18 menswear collection together with a selection of the women’s pre-collection.

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN, SPECIAL EVENT at Pitti Uomo 92 A surprising special event on Tuesday June 13 will not only involve the fashion community but the entire city of Florence. HUGO, SPECIAL EVENT at Pitti Uomo 92 On the evening of Tuesday June 13, at the Manifattura Tabacchi, the HUGO SS18 collection will present a special fashion show featuring both menswear and womenswear. FEDERICO CURRADI, SPECIAL EVENT at Pitti Uomo 92 Federico Curradi returns to Pitti Uomo to present, with a special event on the morning of Wednesday June 14 at the Museo Bardini, the premiere of the SS18 menswear collection of the brand that carries his name. On stage will be a romantic warrior who encompasses the various souls of Florence, including craftsmanship and historical football. ALANUI, SPECIAL EVENT at Pitti Uomo 92 Alanui will unveil a special site-specific installation on the morning of Thursday 15 June in the beautiful setting of the Roster Tepidarium. SECRET FLORENCE: the special project for the Florentine Summer sponsored by the City of Florence Secret Florence will once again offer an innovative and artistic experience to an international audience interested in the contrasts

VINCENT CROCE WOMEN'S CLOTHING FASHION

GETTING BEST

Hair Therapy HAIRCUT Shatush IN FLORENCE! Hennè Nails

Via Maggio 4r/6r • 055 2398891 Borgo San Frediano 1r • 055 295129 Borgo La Croce 3c • 055 2478200 www.vincentcroce.it

JUNE www.florencenews.it between contemporary languages in art and the city’s extraordinary historical-architectural heritage with a series of performances, events and installations. GUEST NATION AUSTRALIA: The most promising names of the Australian fashion scene will be the protagonists of the GUEST NATION project. Eight young Australian designers have been selected in conjunction with the Australian Fashion Chamber to present their collections in the special Spazio Carra area (Main Pavilion - Lower Level). On display will be Chris Ran Lin, Commas, Double Rainbouu, Exinfinitas, Sener Besim, Strateas.Carlucci, P.E Nation e Ten Pieces.

PITTI UOMO HIGHLIGHTS _ PS by Paul Smith returns to Pitti Uomo in the Padiglione delle Ghiaia; _ Tommy Hilfiger will premiere the Hilfiger Edition Spring 2018 collection and take part in the fair for the second consecutive season; _ Bally, the Swiss accessories and clothing brand, will present a collection of sneakers, with a special installation in the fair’s Main Forecourt; _ Bagutta presents a project realized in collaboration with Alessandro Squarzi: 11 shirt models designed in contemporary man’s life, from the evening tuxedo to the jungle jacket; the capsule collection will be celebrated with a cocktail party at Se-Sto On Arno c/o the

Hotel Westin Excelsior, on Tuesday 13 June from 6 to 9 p.m. _D’Avenza returns with a project on elegance that marks its new course; _ With Vitale Barberis Canonico the Polveriera is transformed into a chamber of marvels. Under the spotlights are fabrics from the historical archives recounted by the same men who wore them. _ Lanerossi, the historic brand of traditional Italian textiles, celebrates 100 years at the Limonaia of Villa Vittoria with an exhibition-event. The exhibition, sponsored by Filivivi and Marzotto, will also be on display at Pitti Filati; _K-Way will showcase in the Corridoio dell’Arco alongside the historic rainproof and foldable iconic jackets, presenting a collection of jackets and coats featuring innovative models and surprising fabrics; _RRD-RobertoRicciDesigns will present a techno-sartorial collection with ‘60s inspired fluid shapes made with Holistic Technology®, a special technique that is the result of the Tuscan company’s research, in the Sala delle Colonne; _ Tretorn, the historic Scandinavian outerwear and footwear brand designed for the Nordic climate returns with a collection on display in the I-Play section; _ Belstaff presents its new collection based on technology oriented towards movement, performance and protection for modern lifestyles; _ Superdry, the British lifestyle brand, has a new space inside Urban Panorama.

Florence News 13

CITY BEAT

Lifestyle, Kidswear at Pitti Bimbo

AROUND THE CITY DURING PITTI UOMO: The Polimoda fashion show: Tell Me About You On June 15 Villa Favard will host a rendezvous with the up-and-coming talents of fashion for the Polimoda Fashion Show 2017: Tell Me About You. The twenty best collections realized by the Fashion Design graduates of Polimoda will be presented in front of an audience of insiders and an international jury. The Istituto Marangoni fashion show. On Tuesday June 13, the Fashion Show of the Istituto Marangoni “The 2017 Istituto Marangoni Best Menswear Collections” - will be held. On the catwalk will be the collections of the best students at the Istituto Marangoni in Milan, London and Paris. “Caprice and Reason. The elegances of Eighteenth century Europe”: exhibition at the Museo del Tessuto di Prato The exhibition “Caprice and Reason. The elegances of Eighteenth century Europe” will be on display from May 14 to April 29 of next year. Made in conjunction with the Museum of Fashion, the Costume of the Gallerie degli Uffizi and other public and private institutions, the exhibition is organized by the Fondazione Museo del Tessuto di Prato - “the Foundation of the Prato Museum of Fabric” - and showcases the development of style and taste in the artistic culture of the XVIII century.

he Fortezza da Basso will host the 85th Pitti Bimbo, the most important international event dedicated to kidswear, teeneagerwear and lifestyle, from June 22 to 24. Pitti Bimbo will showcase 583 collections for kids (last year 498 collections were on display), about half of which come from abroad. A total of 6,700 buyers from all over the world and 10,000 visitors attended the event last year, bringing a mix of creativity and experimentation, offering a varied representation of kids fashion. Pitti Bimbo focuses on research and across-the-board proposals, building its itinerary through worlds both autonomous and synergic. The fair presents several sections including the atelier luxury ones such as Apartment, a mixture of research and experimentation;

one of KidzFIZZ; and two entirely new projects -- Fancy Room, showcasing lifestyle brands with a pop design spirit, and The Nest, a selection of small independent “upand-coming” brands from all over the world. Main brands and leading kidswear companies, ranging from the names that have made ecology their distinctive feature (Ecoethic) to the ever-expanding microcosms such as the sportswear of Sport Generation and the myriad street inflections of SuperStreet, will also be on display.

Pitti Bimbo 85 June 22-24 Opening Hours: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (last day 5 p.m.) www.pittimmagine.com

ROBERTO UGOLINI FLORENCE

Artisan workshop. Men's Shoes made to measure

DEEP

THE ITALIAN FASHION OUTLET ON VIA DEI NERI 88R Via Michelozzi 17/r (next to Piazza Santo Spirito) • www.roberto-ugolini.com

Via Michelozzi 17r

14 Florence News

CITY BEAT

‘Son of the Heart’

JUNE www.florencenews.it

Pitti Filati Returns June 28-30

Benheart Launches Expanded Boutique

enheart opened last month a renewed shop on Via Della Vigna, the street that made Florence the capital of Italian fashion in the 60’s. The shop doubles the previous one in size and is the second important expansion that the brand ‘Benheart’ has had in the last two years, having Ishan already opened another shop on Via Cimatori, near Piazza della Signoria, just two years ago. The story of this young stylist is quite literally derived from his heart. It was after a heart transplant, in fact, that Ishan woke up with a new perspective on life, realizing that he now had the best chance to express his emotions through his hands. That’s why Benheart is synonymous to ‘son of the heart’ - the distinctive logo imprinted on all his leather goods: shoes, bags, jackets and belts. Along with his heart, Ishan takes inspiration from the American way of living, which he describes as vivacious, happy, full of hopes and fueled by dreams. “We look at quality first: quality is our brand’s identity. Then, of course, all our products have to fit and look beautiful when you wear them,” Ishan told us. The first Benheart store opened Florence six years ago. Since then, he has expanded to six stores: five of which are in Italy, and one of

which is in Tokyo. Soon, the boutiques will be seven, as a new one is about to open in San Francisco at the beginning of the next year. The clothing and accessories are crafted entirely by hand, the treatment of which is taken from the traditions of Ben’s native town. Customized pieces are also available if you visit one of their locations in Florence.

Benheart Via della Vigna Nuova, 97/r Via CImatori, 25/r www.benheart.it

itti Immagine Filati, the international fair featuring yarns for the knitting industry, is returning to Florence this month. The event will take place at Fortezza da Basso from June 28 to 30. A dynamic research lab and an authoritative global observatory that looks into lifestyle trends for the future, Pitti Filati presents worldscale excellence in yarns to international buyers and designers of the most famous fashion brands who attend the event in search for creative inspiration. The 81st Pitti Filati will feature previews of yarns for the 2018/2019 Fall/Winter season in a dynamic setting that makes visitors feel welcome and makes doing business a pleasure. In an area of about 20,000 square

VO HANDMADE SHIRTS

Via Del Corso 51/r 055 282662 www.pieropuliti.it

meters, a total of 130 brands – of which 24 are non-Italian – will be taking part in the event. A significant portion of the foreign brands are from Great Britain, Japan, Turkey, Romania, Peru, France, Germany, New Zealand and South Africa. The Pitti Filati Spazio Ricerca, the fair’s creative lab/workshop and experimental observatory where trends of the coming seasons are analyzed and launched, will be showcasing a new formula in a new location: Hall M. The theme for this season is The Human Edition: the 2018-19 FW season will in fact put man at the center of attention. The vital energy of flowers will be the inspiration for the main theme of the three Pitti summer fairs Boom, Pitti Blooms - based on the

concept of flowers blooming as new creative ideas: unlikely, effervescent, ironic and recalling inflatable flowerbeds, gigantic sculptures, or flying bouquets. The events at the Fortezza include the special catwalk show organized by the Accademia del Costume e Moda in collaboration with Fondazione Pitti Immagine Discovery. A catwalk show at the Fortezza da Basso will give a voice to the creativity of the First Level Master’s Degree students in “Maglieria, Creative Knitwear Design” at the Accademia del Costume e Moda, which has been an educational hub of excellence for over 50 years. The objective is to assist the emergence of design and knitwear talents whilst maximizing their expertise and originality.

CONTEMPORARY • CLASSIC • TIMELESS INTERIOR DESIGN &LIFESTYLE PIAZZA SCARLATTI, 2R • 055 28 33 98 • INFO@BLUKNIGHT.IT • WWW.BLUKNIGHT.IT

16 Florence News

CITY BEAT

Florence Dance Festival to Start June 27

Compagnia Zappalà Danza Naufragio con spettatore

June 29 Flamenco Tango Neapolis Italia – Spagna – Argentina VIENTO da Napoli a Siviglia… a Buenos Aires

July 4 imPerfect Dancers Company Hamlet

July 6 Aterballetto – Fondazione Nazionale della Danza hashtag#aterballetto Words and Space Rain Dogs

July 9 Compagnie Vergari Ballett Movimenti he Florence Dance Festival returns this year from June 27 to July 25 with a title – Bargello in Danza – alluding to the space where the event is hosted, the courtyard of the Bargello Museum. One of the main buildings in Florence, the Bargello offers an

intimate and dynamic experience between audience and performer that makes the atmosphere magic. Founded in 1987 by Marga Nativo and Keith Ferrone, the Festival has hosted some of the most important names in the world of dance over the years.

www.florencenews.it

THE PROGRAM OF THE EVENTS June 27

JUNE

July 11 DaCru Dance Company “theKITCHENtheory

July 14 Duet d’autore Molissa Fenley and Company Kinesis Contemporary Dance Company “eVOLUTION – sit and think

July 16 FloDance Corps - Bolero l’orchestra Antitesi - Feeling

July 18 Naturalis Labor Piazzolla Tango/Abrazame

July 22

COLLABORATIVE EVENTS: June 18-24 Florence Dance Center Florence “International dance workshop & performance” Edited by Roberto Zappalà MoDem home

June 24 - 18.30 Florence Dance Center - Florence Final workshop demonstration Omnia Corpora book presentation Moderator Silvia Poletti - free entry -

July 11-22

Toscana Dance Hub New Generation Mystes Dreamscape

Florence Dance Center - Florence Tuscany Dance Hub “International dance workshop & performance”

July 25

July

Kaos Balletto di Firenze CENERENTOLA

Florence Dance Center - Florence Ghiorgo Zafiropulo - Le Mouvement Suspendu Exhibition of the sculptor Ghiorgo Zafiropulo (1907-1993) With the presence of Marina Lafon curator of the exhibition

28th edition - 2017

Museo del Bargello June 27 - July 25

info@florencedance.org //florencedancefestival.org

The Lounge Bar on Via dei Neri 78r

JUNE www.florencenews.it

Calcio Storico Honors Patron Saint

version forbids sucker punches and kicks to the head. Players continue to play despite any injuries they may incur, as there are no substitutes. The Captain and Alfiere (flag bearer's) tent sits in the center of the goal net. They don't actively participate in the game, but act as referees along two “side judges” per

Florence News 17

CITY BEAT district, making eight total. The Maestro di Campo ensures tha the game runs smoothly, stepping in to reestablish order and maintain discipline in case of a fight on field. The team which scores the most cacce (points) wins. The victorious team wins a calf’s equivalent weight in mouth-watering bistecca fiorentina.

June 10: Verdi San Giovanni (Greens) vs. Rossi Santa Maria Novella (Reds) June 11: Azzurri Santa Croce (Blues) vs. Bianchi Santo Spirito (Whites) Final match: June 24 All matches begin at 5 p.m.

s part of a celebration of Florence’s patron saint, John the Baptist, the Calcio Storico Fiorentino is held annually in June. A tradition dating back to the 16th Century, the Historic Football puts the four districts the Romans divided Florence into head-to-head in a game that mixes football, rugby and wrestling, invented by the Romans to train their troops and conserved by Florentines, who still play it every year in the Piazza Santa Croce. Originally, Calcio Storico was reserved for aristocratic noblemen who played every night between Epiphany and Lent in front of the Basilica of Santa Croce, and the areas of Via Il Prato, Piazza della Signoria or Piazza Santa Maria Novella. Even Popes were known to play the Calcio in the Vatican, including Clement VII, Leo XI and Urban VIII. The pageant of Calcio was prohibited for a period in 1739

by the Grand Dukes of Lorraine, but was restarted by the Fascist government which came to power in the 1930s. Matches last 50 minutes and are played on a field covered in sand, doubly long as it is wide, with net goals at each end. Each team has 27 players: 4 Datori Indietro (goalkeepers), 3 Datori Innanzi (fullbacks), 5 Sconciatori (halfbacks), and 15 Innanzi or Corridori (forwards). The game starts when the "Pallaio" throws the ball to the center line, followed by the firing of a small cannon, announcing the beginning of the conflict. From this moment on, the players attempt to get the ball into the opponent's goal. The teams change sides with every point scored. Tactics such as head-butting, punching, elbowing and choking are allowed, although the modern

Tickets cost from from €20 to €45 and are available online through Boxol.it. Tickets for seated areas must be bought ahead of time; standing room only tickets available on game days.

Calcio Storico in brief Santa Maria Novella (Reds): Northwest quadrant of the city Basilica of Santa Maria Novella Banner: Golden sun Gonfalons of company: White Lion, Lion Red, Viper, Unicorn St. John (Greens): Northeast quadrant of the city Baptistery of San Giovanni Banner: Depiction of the Baptistery Gonfalons of company: Keys, Vaio, Green Dragon, Golden Lion Holy Cross (Blues): Southeast quadrant of the city Basilica of Santa Croce Banner: Golden cross Gonfalons of company: Ox, Black Lion, Wheels, Tow Holy Spirit (Whites): Southwest quadrant of the city Basilica of the Holy Spirit Banner: White dove Gonfalons of company: Shell, Ladder, Lash, Dragon

Mamagù Opens on Via dei Neri Massimo Finocchi poses with part of his crew at Mamagù. The bar opened last month on Via De’ Neri, Florence’s food street, with a totally new concept: offer products such as juices, cocktails, ice-creams, centrifuges, sweet and salty crepes with all natural ingredients from morning till late night. Mamagù is located on Via De’ Neri 78/r right next to Antico Vinaio and is recommended for its light aperitivo that barman Lorenzo has brought to Florence from Ibiza, where he previously worked. Sunset is waiting for you - Mamagù is too!

Find your customized Calcio Storico shirt at the concept store Jack in Flo in Via Ghibellina 121

In Florence there is a new pharmacy

Cavour Come to visit us. You will find a wide range of skincare products dedicated to you. Ask your pharmacist for advice.

Lloyds Farmacia Cavour Via Cavour, 59/R Firenze We are open for you: Monday to Saturday 9.00 - 20.00

HORSEBACK RIDING IN CHIANTI EASY RIDING FOR EVERYBODY

Tours include transportation, food and wine tastings and relaxation in luxury locations

FROM 100 EURO +39.366.4738711• www.florencecountrylife.com • info@florencecountrylife.com

VEGAN • BIO • GLUTEN FREE Home-made Gelato and Juice Extracts Via della Torre degli Agli, 71 0559330451

18 Florence News

CITY BEAT

JUNE www.florencenews.it

The Week at Magnificenza

The June Events at Brewdog June 3

Collaboration Beer from BREWDOG FIRENZE and GUINEU (Barcelona) June 8

Martedì Lunedì MercoledìMartedì Giovedì Mercoledì Venerdì Giovedì Sabato Pool Acoustic

DjSet

Pool DjSet

Pool Party

Monday

PoolIl Venerdì Partyè LIVE

Pool WineNot? Acoustic

• June 13 Teatro La Compagnia di Firenze | Domenica Domenica Sabato Venerdì Il Venerdì Let'sJam è LIVE

WineNot? DjSet

Friday

Domenica unedì Martedì Giovedì Venerdì Sabato ì Mercoledì Giovedì Venerdì Sabato Pool Dj Set Mercoledì Live Music Pool Acoustic WineNot?

Pool Party

ol Pool DjSet oustic

Pool Party

Il Venerdì è LIVE

Tuesday

Il Venerdì è LIVE Let'sJam

WineNot? DjSet

Saturday

Domenica Martedì oledì Giovedì Mercoledì Venerdì Giovedì VenerdìDj Set Sabato Pool Acoustic Music Sabato Pool Pool PartyAcoustic

Mercoledì Pool Party

WineNot? Pool Party

Il VenerdìWineNot? è LIVE

Wednesday

Giovedì Pool Party

WineNot?

Venerdì

DjSet Il Venerdì è LIVE

Let'sJam

DjSet

Domenica

DjSet

Let'sJam

Sunday

SabatoLet’s Domenica

Il Venerdì è LIVE

Thursday WineNot?

DjSet

Let'sJam

All events begin at 8 p.m. For more information check FB: ‘le.pavoniere.firenze’ Pavoniere Pool Viale degli Olmi, Cascine Park

Florence a film by Sanjay Leela Bhansali DjSet Let'sJam GOLIYON KI RAASLEELA RAM-LEELA 1997/2015 | cinema

Special PERUVIAN buffet, along with a beer dedicated to the country, a Pachamama Porter from TWO ROADS & EVIL TWIN

Domenica • May 14

Teatro La Compagnia di Firenze | Florence Let'sJam Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts BHINNA VINYASA | international dance

• May 15

Teatro La Compagnia di Firenze | Florence Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts BHINNA VINYASA | international dance

• May22

Teatro della Limonaia Sesto Fiorentino | Sesto Fiorentino Habillé d’eaue EUPHORIA | italian dance

June 14

BREWSKI Tap Takeover June 22

MASHUP Tap Takeover BREW DOG Via Faenza, 21/R

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 THURS: CAM’ ON: Students from the school of music CAM exhibit their talents. Then open mic jam sessions open to all musicians FRI - SAT: Rock music or singer-songwriters SUN: TARANTA NIGHT: Popular southern Italian music and dance. Starts at 6 p.m.

ORBIT Tap Takeover June 23

The Week at Porto di Mare

CONTACT FRANCESCO COFONE Via Pisana, 128 055 71 20 34 Porto di Mare

MONDO PERÙ

Alpaca craftsmanship ORGANIC COTTON ITEMS

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

Via dei Boni 5r 334 7007714 www.leftluggageflorence.com

Via dei Pilastri 22r 339 362 5372

Mon. to Fri.: 8 a.m.-10 p.m, Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m, Sunday: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Via dei Fossi, 56/r 055 23 96 497

WINE ON TAP IN SANTO SPIRITO Bring your bottle to be filled starting from less than €1.50 straight from the barrels of Il Santo Vino. Here patrons can choose from a wide range 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

♦

VIALE DEGLI OLMI ♦ CASCINE PARK 366 6330581 ◆ info@magnificenza.it ◆ EVENTS P.M. 366 6330581 ◆ info@magnificenza.it ◆ Live musicSTART beginsAT at810 p.m.

TOURIST INFORMATION

Florence News

NEWS

SOS

EMERGENCIES

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

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

ON THE ROAD

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

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, Michael Kors, Hugo Boss, Polo Ralph Lauren, Nike, Patrizia Pepe and many more at 30-70% less all year round. 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 visit www.mcarthurglen.it/barberino TAX FREE ON YOUR FAVORITE BRANDS

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Every day problem solving - Workshops Access to treasures off the beaten path Property finding. Ask with confidence Contact us at +39 055 5357527 www.florenceoncall.com

Roadside Assistance for Foreigners: 800 116800 Obstruction, theft, and towed vehicles: 055 4224142 Highways, route planning and traffic jams: www.autostrade.it/en

AIRPORTS

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

Your Private Concierge in Florence

TOURIST INFO POINTS

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

BUSES

TRAINS

Ataf: 6 a.m.-9 p.m. : 800424500 Li-nea: Bus info, 055 7355742 FBUSITALIA: SITA NORD: Via Santa Caterina da Siena 15 www.fsbusitalia. it, 800 373760 ETRURIA MOBILITA SCARL (Arezzo): www.etruriamobilita.it 0575 39881

Trenitalia: 89 2021 Interactive Voice Response System: 063000 Italo: Call center, 6 a.m.-11 p.m. 060708

30 COURSE APERITIVO

PINART BOTTEGA D’OLTRARNO

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

ARTISAN LEATHER JOURNALS & ITALIAN PENS Situated 30 meters from the Ponte Vecchio, Pinart has offered quality stationery for more than 20 years. • •

•

Books, notebooks and photo albums in artisan-worked leather with handmade paper; A large selection of writing instruments from top Italian brands, including fountain, roller and ballpoint pens; Hand-painted wooden boxes and photo frames portraying details from Florentine monuments.

Open: Mon–Sat: 10 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; Sun: 11 a.m.–7 p.m.

JUNE www.florencenews.it

Rolling Stones Complete Program of Tuscany Summer Concerts

he Rolling Stones announced last month that they will play at the 28th edition of the Lucca Summer Festival as a part of their “No filter” world tour on Saturday, September 23. For the first time, the walls surrounding Lucca will host a musical performance to the

meadows below. The Rolling Stones complete the rich program of summer concerts in Tuscany, with many big names ready to hit the scene. The English alternative band Radiohead will be playing a show at the Visarno Arena in Parco Delle Cascine June

14. The band has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and are known for their hit albums and singles including “Creep” and “Just,” while still producing new music. From June 23 to June 25 The Firenze Rocks Festival will host many classic rock legends including Aerosmith and Pearl Jam’s frontman Eddie Vedder. Aerosmith is the best-selling American hard rock band of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide, including over 70 million records in the United States alone. Vedder is concluding his solo European tour in Italy and was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pearl Jam on April 7, 2017. These rock giants will be accompanied by more modern rock bands like System of a Down, the Cranberries and Placebo, who have also reached great success internationally. Firenze Summer Festival will be taking place on July 8, 11, 18. Among the bands taking part in it are the XX, inaugurating the festival after the January release of their 3rd studio album, “I See You.” For those seeking something other than rock, Jamiroquai will be performing on July 11. The superstar indie rock band Arcade Fire will close the festival as part of their summer European tour on July 18.

Florence News 21

MUSIC

A ‘Port’ for 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-

“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

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.

22 Florence News

ART&CRAFT

Roberto Ugolini: Master Loafer

uality and elegance. This is what you can find in a small shop next to Piazza Santo Spirito that carries on the antique tradition of designing and producing handcrafted shoes, primarily for male clients who want to wear the top quality. The shop is that of Roberto Ugolini, a Florentine artisan famous in America and Japan for designing and manufacturing shoes based on the wishes of his customers and on the shape of their foot. The shop offers a wide range of solutions regarding shape, colors and materials. Entering it you can ‘breath’ the air of an old tradition that today has be-

come a rare luxury. The formula of Roberto is that of combining the best Florentine artisan traditions with the highest quality of materials. Always with the same scope: quality and elegance.

Roberto Ugolini Via Michelozzi 27/r (next to Piazza Santo Spirito) www.roberto-ugolini.com

www.florencenews.it

Mosaics Workshops, Courses, and Guided Visits

JUNE

rtisan and artist Lituana Di Sabatino offers workshops, courses and guided visits on the antique technique of assembling hard stone sections known as Mosaico Fiorentino, whose origins can be found in the Florentine Romanesque period. Participants in the course will learn about the kinds of stones used, the tools to work them, and the composition of a mosaic. Three types of courses are available: one of 12 hours (four lessons of three hours each), one of 24 hours (eight lessons), and one of 36 (12 lessons). The maximum number of participants per course is three. Guided visits of Lituana’s studio, which is located in a small town

near Florence called Figline Valdarno, are open to anyone. Participants of the courses, workshops and guided visits can be taken by car from Florence. The meeting point is Piazza Beccaria. In the Mosaico Fiorentino technique stones are selected for their colors and shades, and are then hand-cut with the combined action of a wooden arc with a wire and the use of powder to be subsequently arranged and polished. In her studio, Lituana fashions originals and reproductions of ancient mosaics works, continuing to refine her own artistry and also handing down the secrets of this technique to students and enthusiasts. For more information check the website: lanuovamusiva.com.

Sculpture Workshops

The Romanelli Studio Gallery is one of the oldest active sculpture studios in Europe. Originally a church, it became a sculpture studio in the early nineteenth century under Lorenzo Bartolini, who was then succeeded by his favorite student, Pasquale Romanelli. Five generation later, the studio is still owned and run by the Romanelli family. It offers weekly courses from Monday to Friday, as well as part-time courses or single lessons. Each class lasts three hours and takes place at the studio’s historic workshop in Borgo San Frediano in the Oltrarno district, long a haunt of Florence’s top artisans. Participants can coordinate the program and class schedule with the teacher, and classes are also open to beginners.

JUNE www.florencenews.it

Two Authentic Florentine Hands W

The story of designer Piero Puliti

Street. It’s there that I was introduced to the world of international fine jewelry,” says Marco. “I understood that, thanks to what I learned in my early ages, I could travel and work all over the world. And that’s what I did. I travelled to Brazil, Mexico, New York and connected my craftsmanship techniques and to the new ones I learned abroad.” Despite these travels, Florence has always been Marco’s real home. And it’s here that, back in the 90’s, he opened his first shop, with more on the way.

T Marco Cantini

Via del Castello D’Altafronte, 28/r, www.marcocantini.com

ART&CRAFT

From the Florentine Trecentesco to Modern Fashion

Meet Marco Cantini allets, jewelry, fragrance, handmade by a real Florentine craftsman, Marco Cantini. Marco was born and raised in Piazza della Passera, in the most ‘authentic’ neighborhood of Florence, Santo Spirito, where you can still find pure Florentines today, which seems to be an increasing rarity in this city. Since childhood, his life has been devoted to his strong passion for work. In these early years, Marco’s daily life consisted of school in the morning and working at a boutique with a craftsman in the afternoon, polishing frames and restoring small objects. He later became the apprentice of a Florentine goldsmith. “I could ‘smell’ the beauty of this noble and ancient art,” Marco says, recalling this time, “but couldn’t accede to it until I was 20, when my mentor started teaching me the medieval techniques of his job. My adventure begins here. I bought my first workbench and started creating.” But still, Marco’s curiosity was not satisfied. “I needed to know, to see, to explore. Being Florentine and a goldsmith has been really helpful in my tours and adventures. In London I worked for David Morris on Bond

Florence News 23

he Florentine Trecentesco, an antique technique for gold leaf work on furniture pieces, frames and various accessories, inspired Piero Puliti, a designer specialized in shirts and ties, to express his sensibility for the unusual composition of materials and colors. After growing up in San Frediano, one of the most popular neighborhoods in Florence, Piero’s love for everything fashion-related drove him to carve out a place for himself in this field, creating custom phenomena

for the Florentine fashion boutiques that in the 70’s were the leaders in the field. Later, Piero concentrated on the creation of prêt-a-porter fashion for both men and women. This particular field constantly needs new ideas, as products immediately undergo market testing. Therefore, it constitutes the best training ground for a creative mind. Piero’s dream, however, was still that of having a space of his own in the heart of Florence. All he wanted was a shop where he could express his creations, taste and style freely. In 1994 this dream came true and he opened a shop on Via Del Corso, the first in Florence to offer only shirts and ties with a vast selection of fabrics. Cottons come from the best mills in Italy and the ties, realized by major silk factories in the northern Italian city of Como, are designed by Piero exclusively for his shop. As he had always dreamt.

Via Del Corso 51/r 055 282662 www.pieropuliti.it

Fashion Online S

hoppingscanner is a search engine for clothes and accessories for women, men and children, cosmetics and house decor. Easy to manage, it uses tools and filters such as price range, discount percentage, color, size or name of the product, brand, keyword. One can also navigate within the categories and find a series of tips and outfits that are in the trend section. Shoppingscanner has currently four versions: Italian (.it), French (.fr), English (.uk) and American (.com) and nearly 1,000,000 products per site from over 60 of the best Italian, European and American stores. The website gets about 400,000 visitors per month. “We’ve created this search engine that can browse the best online stores and filter products according to brand, price range, discount, color and size. We want shopping online to be easier for everyone. We’re working hard to perfect it. Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening,” say Laura Cappelletti and Alessandra Massaini , co-founder s of the platform.

www.shoppingscanner.it/com/fr/uk

Design by Naz Kangal

Traditionally homemade gelato since 1939

Via Dei Tavolini 19/R 055 239 8969

JUNE www.florencenews.it

The New ‘Ferrari’

The story of Ferris Rezvani, founder of Rezvani supercar brand

SAMINA ABEDINI

ne of the designers of Vencer’s Sarthe supercar, Ferris Rezvani formerly worked with Aston Martin, Ferrari and DBC before founding his own brand, Rezvani Motors. The brand, which is based in Irvine, California, soon established itself as a leader in automotive design and the production of high-performance supercar. Rezvani garnered international recognition and fame two years ago thanks to the creation of the ‘Beast,’ a supercar whose first model was purchased by Ameri-

Florence News 25

DESIGN

car appeared in the music video of Brown’s song,”Liquor.” As a young boy, Ferris wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a fighter pilot. Thus he created a sports car that gives drivers the opportunity to experience exhilaration similar to a jet. The logo of the brand is derived from this concept, with its wings representing Ferris’ roots in aviation, and its steering wheel and racing stripes symbolizing his venture into supercars. Ferris has assembled a highly-qualified team of designers, manufacturers, racing engineers, and high-performance engine experts. Together - along with consultation from renowned and award-winning automotive designer Samir Sadikhov, known for having designed models such as the Ferrari Xezri and Aston Martin

Meet Loredana Corbo DBC - they developed and realized the Beast. From Iran to California, Ferris, who is currently working on a military SUV for the road, is ready succeed here in Italy, where his competitors have immediately recognizable names such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, and all the sort. And yet, he is ready for the challenge.

can singer Chris Brown in 2015 for a mere $200,000, a shockingly affordable price. This is the winning formula of Rezvani: the accessibility of high-performance supercars. No name could be more appropriate than the ‘Beast’ due to its stats: 0-60 MPH in 2.9 seconds with a carbon fiber body of only 1,650 lbs. In late 2015 Rezvani unveiled an even better performing model, the Beast X with 700 HP. In 2016 he launched the Beast Alpha X coupe with SideWinder doors, and subsequently the Beast Alpha in 2017. The success of the ‘Beast’ can also be attributed to the fact that the

PAINTING Short and & Longterm DRAWING Workshops on

orcelain, porcelain miniatures and porcelain jewellery are the ingredients of Loredana Corbo’s art. Born in Rome, Loredana inherited her passion for the arts from her grandfather Agostino Cappellani, a creator of furniture who also founded in Rome a Professional Training School for Inlaying, Polishing, and Carving Wood. Loredana has recently showcased her porcelain jewels made of a combination of stones, colours, and materials always new, all over the world, in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and cities such as New York, Brussels, London, Chicago, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Shanghai, Malaysia, Montecarlo, Slovenia, Luxembourg. Her art can be seen and purchased through her website arteidea.eu.

LUX TUESDAY

Painting and INTENSIVE Drawing 10 DAYS WORKSHOP

BEST HIP HOP NIGHT PARTY IN FLORENCE

DAY CLASSES

THE HOUSE OF HIP HOP

STUDIO RENTAL AVAILABLE www.facebook.com/studiotoscanella/ Via Toscanella 33R , 50123 Firenze 3407371239 340 737 1239 www.studiotoscanella.com www.studiotoscanella.com

FRIDAY

Via dei Pandolfini, 26r 340 791 3985

For the full program check our facebook page

26 Florence News

FOOD&WINE

A Guide to Tuscan Cold Cuts and Cheeses

C.D. MELO

ow that the autumn nip is in the air, people are exchanging summer salads for heartier fare. Tuscany is a mecca for excellent cold cuts and delicious cheeses. The variety offered is also just as impressive. A plate of freshly sliced meats and fine cheeses, along with some crusty bread and good wine can easily be considered a meal in itself. The following is a list of meats and cheeses that I highly recommend you try when you are visiting Tuscany. MEATS: (keep in mind that they each have a distinct flavor due to unique spices) Prosciutto Crudo: cured / smoked ham that comes from the pig. Delicious with either figs, cheeses, or in a panino. Prosciutto Cotto: baked ham that

comes from the pig. Delicious with mushrooms on pizza or in a panino with artichoke spread. Finocchiona: salami with fennel seed made from pig. Delicious with cheeses or crusty breads. I usually recommend a white wine with good acidity when eating finocchiona since the fat and fennel seeds will coat the taste buds. The acidity in the wine will “scrub” them clean and keep your palate fresh. Salami Tartufati: salami with black truffle made from pig. Delicious alone or with crusty bread. Salami di Cinghiale: salami made from Tuscan wild boar. Delicious alone or with crusty bread. Salami Toscano: salami with black pepper made from pig. Delicious with cheese, bread, or hard fruits (apple, pear). Soppressata: salami made from the snout, ears, and head of the pig. Delicious in a panino.

JUNE www.florencenews.it

Guancia: salami made from the cheeks of the pig. Delicious with cheeses or with crusty bread. Sbricciolona: artisan salami that crumbles (contains fennel seed). Delicious on crusty bread. CHEESES:(the same cheese can taste very different depending on the age) Pecorino Fresco: sheep’s milk cheese that is not very aged (4-6 months). Delicious with fresh fruits or fruit mostarda (fruit sauces infused with mustard, horseradish, or peperoncino). Pecorino Staggionato: sheep’s milk cheese that has been aged for 12 months or more). Delicious with grapes (red globe), mostarda, or drizzled with truffle honey. Stracchino: soft, mild, spreadable cheese. Delicious in a panino with prosciutto crudo or sun-dried tomatoes. Caprino: fresh goat cheese. Delicious with grilled chicken, in salads, or with roasted vegetables (like sweet bell peppers and zucchini). Why not fill a basket with these Tuscan treats and watch the breathtaking sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo while having an evening picnic? Do not forget to wash it down with some good wine!

C. De Melo Author of SABINA and other unique fiction novels www.cdemelo.com

San Gimignano Saffron Ravioli A Recipe by Casanova di Pescille For pasta: 450 grams of flour, 150 gr egg yolks, 150 gr tomato concentrate 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany, 1 pinch of salt For the stuffing 500 gr sheep’s cottage cheese, 200 gr fresh spinach bacon It sucks enough, Enough nutmeg, 50 gr of Parmesan cheese For pecorino fondue 200 gr mature pecorino cheese, 200 gr fresh cream 0,20 gr Saffron of San Gimignano Method For pasta: knead flour, egg rises, tomato concentrate, oil and salt in a planetary hook. Once ready to rest for about 30 minutes. With the help of a matematello spread the compound in rectangles. For filling: thoroughly crush the spinach and combine with the previously privately-owned ricotta of whey, then add all the other ingredients and mix the compound Once the sheet is laid out, form filling pans and close them by taking care to remove the air. For the fondue: cut the pecorino to cubes and put it in a saucepan with cream and saffron, let it soften for a few hours, then put everything to bake to bath Maria until the cheese is loose. Cook the ravioli in plenty of salted water and season with the cheese fondue www.casanovadipescille.com

I' GIRONE DE' GHIOTTI THE VINAIO NEAR PIAZZA SIGNORIA

TUSCAN PANINI, ARTISANAL BEERS, WINE TASTINGS Via dei Cimatori 23/r 055 53 26 053

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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Sapori & Dintorni Via de’ Bardi, 45/47

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

JUNE www.florencenews.it

Florence News 29

FOOD&WINE

Get Your Food Home Delivered

Dine with Dante

Burger, Pizza, Mexican, Sushi, Chinese, Thai, Typical Tuscan

FREE DELIVERY CODE FNEWS

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

FOR YOUR FIRST ORDER

et your food comfortably seating on your couch is possible donwloading the Deliveroo app. Deliveroo is an award-winning delivery service founded in 2013 by William Shu and Greg Orlowski. Deliveroo works with over 16,000 best-loved restaurants, as well as over 20,000 riders to provide the best food delivery experience in the world. Deliveroo is headquartered in London, with more than 800 employees in offices around

the globe. Deliveroo operates in over 100 cities across 12 countries, including Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. In Italy Deliveroo is active in Milan, Rome, Florence, Turin and Piacenza. Try Deliveroo for yourself by visiting the website or downloading the app, which is available on iPhone and Android. Among the restau-

LIVE MUSIC AND SPORT Via Faenza 27/r • 055 274 1571

rants that can deliver in the center of Florence are Il pizzaiuolo, Dim Sum, Gherardo, Kome Sushi, Icchetthai, Hard Rock Cafe, El Chico, The Diner, Off the Hook, Dioniso. DELIVEROO.IT (DOWNLOAD THE APP) FOOD HOME DELIVERY SERVICE

30 Florence News

JUNE www.florencenews.it

Taste Wine with Pino In a renovated 700-year-old well

‘P

ozzo Divino’ is a witty play on words: literally meaning ‘divine well’, it also translates as ‘wine well’ when read as ‘Pozzo di Vino’. The ancient well is now the cellar that hosts Pozzo Divino’s wine tours. Dating back to 1312, the well was built to supply water through a vast system of underground tunnels and pipes to the prisoners of a local prison known as ‘The Stinche’ (now Teatro Verdi) that stretched as far as the Bargello. Pino bought the location in 2006 and restored it himself with the help of some friends. Despite its

restoration, Pino reveals that it was always his principal intention to maintain a tangible sense of history when stepping into the cellar. This is something he has undoubtedly achieved; the place is almost like a time-machine propelling you back a few centuries into a part of authentic medieval Florence – albeit in excellent condition. Pino imparts his knowledge while taking guests around the cellar, offering a range of Italian wines to sample with an appetizer of complementary regional cheeses, cuts of meats, bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

OPEN EVERY DAY

12:00 - 15:00 / 19:00 - 24:00 Via Ghibellina 128/R 055 2466954 www.ristoranteilteatro.net

F Guests are offered a spectrum of Tuscan flavors to try, from a variety of the region’s renowned Chianti Classico to white wines that include Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Pinot Grigio. The wine-tasting ends with the most exclusive reds of the cellar: Bolgheri, Super Tuscan, Morellino and Montepulciano. Upon request, guests also enjoy a buffet lunch comprising fresh pasta, specialty Italian second courses, and “the best panini in the world” made by Pino himself. Pino boasts that 90 percent of the wines he holds are of Tuscan origin, and that his tours prove so popular that he often ships back boxes of the wine sampled to America in order to appease impressed customers. Those looking to take a taste of Tuscany back home can find comprehensive information on shipping zones and freight costs on the company’s website. Pozzo Divino’s wine tours can be organized for tourist groups, families and universities, and cost only €15 a head – which not only makes it an experience to enjoy over the festive season but also an ideal Christmas gift for lovers of Tuscany’s finest vintages.

Pozzo Divino Only 15 Euro! Via Ghibellina, 144/r 055 24 66 907 Open from Monday to Saturday Wine-tasting on Sundays by appointment (minimum 10 people) www.pozzodivino.it

Florence News 31

FOOD&WINE

Gelato on Wheels Il Barroncino brings back a tradition

nce upon a time ice-cream came by handcart and was made with only natural ingredients. The handcart stopped house by house, gathering large groups of happy children on its tail. That handcart was called “barroncino” in Italian, precisely the name that Lucia and Carmen, two sisters from Naples, gave their gelato shop that recently opened in the Novoli area of Florence with the mission of bringing back a long-gone tradition. The name “barroncino” bears in fact a philosophy that the two sisters intend to embrace, according to which the gelato must be made

with 100% genuine products, as clients can verify by spotting beyond the glass window of the shop. The ingredients used by “Il Barroncino” come from certified farms from Tuscany as well as the southern Italian regions: the pistachios, the chocolate, the oranges and the almonds come from Sicily; licorice from Calabria; lemons from the Amalfi Coast. Besides gelato, Il Barroncino offers Juice Extracts. The Gelateria, located on Via Torre degli Agli 71, just behind the Florence Palace of Justice, is surely worth a visit. The handcart still exists, and you are supposed to be mouth-watering at the wheels.

ON TOUR

Every Wednesday 9-11 p.m.

AT THE CORNER OF VIA NAZIONALE AND VIA GUELFA , FIRENZE -INFOLINE 328. 82.86.117 VIA FRANCESCO PETRARCA, 171, FIGLINE VALDARNO ( CHIANTI AREA)

JUNE www.florencenews.it

Florence News 33

CHIANTI

Race for Glory

On Horseback in Tuscany

Palio returns July 2

wice a year, on July 2 and Aug. 16, Siena’s bowl-shaped Piazza del Campo is covered with a thick layer of dirt for the city’s most important event of the year: il Palio. Since the first Palio in 1656, just one race was initially held each year on July 2, named Il Palio di Provenzano, in honor of the Madonna of Provenzano. The second, on Aug. 16, began in 1701 and was named Il Palio dell'Assunta, in honor of the Assumption of Mary. Coinciding with the Feast of the Assumption, it is assumed that this second palio was probably introduced spontaneously as part of the celebration of feast. Of the original 59, there are 17 contrade still in existence today; of these, only 10 are chosen to race in each year’s Palio. The seven contrade that do not take part in the previous year are automatically included, and three more are chosen by draw. Each contrada’s participant enters the square around 3:30 p.m., but the main processional does not start until nearly 5 p.m., when a pageant of flag-throwers bearing the colors and symbols of their districts perform in the piazza. Cheating is commonplace since the race has very few rules: jockeys can pull, push and hit both the horses and each other, and use their whips on other competitors

and their horses. Il Palio is won not by the jockey, but by the horse who represents his contrada, so a horse can win without its rider if it’s the first to cross the line. The loser of the race is considered to be the contrada whose horse came second, not last. The order of the line-up is decided by lot immediately before the race, and only nine of the 10 contrade initially enter the space between the two ropes that constitutes the

starting line: the 10th, called the rincorsa, waits outside, giving him yet another chance to cheat. The front rope is only dropped to start the race once the rincorsa enters the space; and as deals have invariably been made between contrade and jockeys to affect when he enters, this process can take some time, as the rincorsa waits for a particular horse to be well or badly placed. After a rapid and intense three laps around the Campo the race is over, and the celebrations, or lamentations, begin. The winning contrada is awarded the prestigious prize of a banner, called the palio or drappellone, which is thought to bring great luck to the district that wins it, and is newly designed each year by a local artist for the July Palio, or an internationally recognized artist for the August Palio.

INCLUDES: Journey by fully-fitted luxury GT Coach, English speaking guide MEET AT Bar Reale at 2 p.m., inside Santa Maria Novella Train Station (Follow platform 16 to the grassy area with palm trees) Depart from Siena around 11:30 p.m. and head back to Florence arrive in Florence at around 12:40 a.m. ONLY 25 EURO

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 www.florencecountrylife.com info@florencecountrylife.com Tel.: +39.366.4738711 TRANSPORTATION INCLUDED

A CORNER OF PARADISE BETWEEN VOLTERRA AND S. GIMIGNANO Restaurant Zafferano by Casanova di Pescille

THE LARGEST ENOTECA IN TUSCANY

WINE & TYPICAL TUSCAN PRODUCTS • INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

THE FARMHOUSE • BED AND BREAKFAST • RESTAURANT Loc. Pescille, 53037 San Gimignano (Siena) 0577 941902 • pescille@casanovadipescille.com www.casanovadipescille.com

Piazza Matteotti 18, Greve in Chianti (FI) 055853631 • chianticlassicoshop@gmail.com

34 Florence News

CHIANTI

JUNE www.florencenews.it

San Gimignano Prepares Harvest Festival

Explore the Gagliardi Contemporary Art Gallery

Fiera delle Messi returns June 16-18

A Journey Through Human Cruelty

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

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

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

modern version of the Harvest Festival of the Middles Ages, in which towns of central Italy celebrated the harvest season with music, dances and jousters, every year on the third weekend of June the festival recreates the magic atmosphere of the happiest moment of the year. Organized by the Cavalieri di Santa Fina – an association that gets its name name from Fina dei Ciardi, patron of the city, and that has the goal of celebrating the past of San Gimignano – the event begins on Friday, June 16 at 9:30 p.m. in Piazza Duomo and goes until 11 p.m. with dances, drums and knight exhibits. On Saturday festivities start at 4 p.m. with a reproduction of a mil-

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itary camp in the Rocca di Montestaffoli. A colorful costume parade will arrive in Piazza Duomo at 4:30 p.m., marking the start of other attractions and events that wil end at night with music and dancing in the piazza. The festival begins at 11 a.m. with a medieval market in the Piazza delle Erbe. In the afternoon there is a parade with more than 500 men dressed in handmade costumes, and a joust and a flag-thrower show. At 7 p.m. the Joust of Bastioni will reward with a gold blaze the knights of the best of the four borough’s contrade. The festival will end on Sunday at around 7:30 p.m. with a circle dance involving all participants and visitors.

JUNE www.florencenews.it

CRAFT BEERS

Florence News 35

CRAFT BEERS

www.airportbusexpress.it Âˇ pisa@autostradale.it Âˇ Ph. +39 050 6138469

JUNE www.florencenews.it

Florence News 37

TRAVEL

Sun and Fun: Visiting the Amalfi Coast with Smart Trip

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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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-

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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-

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 an optional whitewater rafting trip on the Cetina River, an adventurous and scenic experience through one of Croatia’s great natural landmarks. 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

38 Florence News

TRAVEL

The Top Beaches in Italy HANNAH NAGLE

he 2017 edition of an annual survey of the 15 most beautiful beaches in Italy released by travel website Skyscanner has shown that some of Italy’s most beautiful beaches are on its islands. The top four beaches on the list are on the islands of Sicily, Sardinia and Ponza. Five other Italian regions made it into the top 15: Puglia, Campania, the Marche, Abruzzo and Liguria. However, the islands dominated the list, with three Sardinian beaches, three Sicilian beaches, and the lone Lazio beach on the island of Ponza. The classification relied on tips from travelers and also took other criteria into account, including water and beach cleanliness, as well as the uniqueness of the surrounding the scenery and landscape. The top beach honour went to Tonnarella dell’Uzzo, in the Zingaro nature reserve on Sicily - a seven-kilometre stretch of beach that runs from San Vito lo Capo to Castellammare del Golfo. The island of Sardinia took second place with its Cala dei Gabbiani beach, which is still little-known because it is overshadowed by the fame of nearby Cala Mariolu beach.

In third place is the island of Ponza with its Cala Feola beach, located in the region of Lazio not far from Rome. Sicily also took fourth place with the protected marine area known as Plemmirio, which was celebrated in the epic poem Aeneid written by Virgil between 29 and 19 B.C. Nowadays it’s a favorite destination for scuba divers. The third Sicilian beach in the top 15, at number six, is Capo Graziano on the island of Filicudi, one of the eight Aeolian Islands just northeast of Sicily, which are part of Sicily’s province of Messina. Campania took the fifth place spot, with its Marina Grande beach in Positano, a town perched high on a cliff along the Amalfi Coast. The two other Sardinian beaches on the list are in eighth and 14th place: Cala Cipolla at number eight with its white sands, and Cala Luna, made famous by the 1974 Lina Wertmuller film Swept Away, at number 14. Puglia took the seventh and 10th spots with Torre di Sant’Andrea and Baia di Punta Rossa, respectively. photo: Tonnarella dell’Uzzo beach. As the summer approaches, if you have the posibility to travel off the foreign tourist beaten path, these are the right advices for you.

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JUNE CALENDAR

SAT 17 Cinque Terre, Venice Pisa & Lucca I Love Tuscany SUN 18 Cinque Terre Verona & Garda Lake

THU 1 Amalfi Coast ,Croatia Interlaken & Lake Como, Prague & Munich

FRI 9 Green Chianti SPA, Wine & Tuscan Countryside

FRI 2 Green Chianti A Day in Chiantiland SPA, Wine & Tuscan Countryside

SAT 10 Cinque Terre, Venice

SAT 3 Cinque Terre, Venice

SUN 11 Cinque Terre Verona & Garda Lake

SUN 4 Cinque Terre , Pisa

THU 15 Amalfi Coast , Croatia Busapest, Vienna & Salzburg

THU 8 Amalfi Coast, Croatia Busapest, Vienna & Salzburg

FRI 16 Green Chianti SPA, Wine & Tuscan Countryside

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JUNE

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THU 22 Amalfi Coast , Croatia Prague & Munich FRI 23 Green Chianti, Pisa SAT 24 Cinque Terre, Venice SUN 25 Cinque Terre Verona & Garda Lake THU 29 Amalfi Coast ,Croatia Interlaken & Lake, Como FRI 30 Green Chianti A Day in Chiantiland

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