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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Lorenzo Picchi EDITOR: William French GR APHIC & L AYOUT DESIGN: Narine Nalbandyan, Ekaterina Chebotareva CONTRIBUTORS: William French, Christine De Melo, Thomas Ricciotti, Grace Keers, Hannah Nagle, Alex Park. REGISTERED AT THE TRIBUNAL OF FLORENCE N. 6008, ON 9/12/2015. PUBLISHER: IAF PRINT: Rotostampa SRL, Florence

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May Flowers

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THOMAS RICCIOTTI

n Florentine culture, May has always meant happiness, regeneration and, according to a tradition called Calendimaggio, the period of trysts. Popular songs were dedicated to this magic moment of flowering and rebirth, accompanied by colored flowers and garlands in people’s dress. However, the history of Florentine May flowers also has a particular, less joyful meaning. In fact, the most important festivity of this month in Florence is the anniversary of a sad memory: the public execution of a Dominican friar, Savonarola, which took place on May 23, 1498. From his Church, San Marco, Savonarola had tried to change the Florentines' minds, and preached to improve the morality of their customs. But he drove out the Medici and accused Pope Borgia of favoring corruption within the Church, and thus the powerful people he demonized had him hanged and burned. The festivity that remembers Savonarola is meant to transform pain into resurrection. Every year on May 23 at 10:00 a.m., a celebration in his memory begins in the Piazza della Signoria. A procession accompanies city authorities from the Piazza to the Ponte Vecchio, where flowers are thrown by Florentines and tourists alike into the Arno, as Savon-

arola's faithfuls did with his ashes. Known as La Fiorita (literally, “the flowered”), this commemoration is the demonstration of an unforgotten affection for a friar whose ashes are taken, year after year, towards a faraway ocean. Another notable significance of May in Florence is the death of Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo was 67 when, on May 2, 1519, he died in Clos Lucé, Amboise, France. May is also the month of the inauguration of the Santa Croce facade. After remaining unfinished for nearly three centuries, the facade of Santa Croce was officially inaugurated on May 3, 1863. It was consecrated in 1443 but not completed until 1865, on the occasion the 600th anniversary of Dante’s birth. Spearheaded by architect Niccolò Matas, it was built in the neo-gothic style, typical of Florentine architecture, in white, yellow, green, red and black marble. May also marks the birth of Bartolomeo Cristofori, inventor of the piano, who was born on May 4, 1655. Appointed in 1688 to the Florentine court of Grand Prince Ferdinando de' Medici, Cristofori was a sophisticated innovator in the development of musical instruments and solved many technical complexities. Only three of his pianos have survived: one can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, one at the Museum of Musical Instruments in Rome, and one at the Mu-

In his later years, Botticelli became a follower of Savonarola and cast several of his works in the ‘Bonfire of the Vanities.’ seum of Musical Instruments at Leipzig University in Germany. On a May day also came the unveiling of the Dante Alighieri monument in Piazza Santa Croce. Created by Enrico Pazzi, the marble sculpture was inaugurated on May 14, 1865 after being unveiled by the first King of Italy, Vittorio Emanu-

ele II. Another anniversary of this month is that of the death of Sandro Botticelli which occurred on May 17, 1510. The youngest of five children, Botticelli was in his early year apprentice to Fra Filippo Lippi. Upon establishing himself professionally, Botticelli’s work was in high demand from the Medici family, who are often thought to be the subject of his art pieces. In 1481, he was invited to Rome to contribute in the painting of the Sistine Chapel. In his later years, Botticelli became a follower of Savonarola and cast several of his works in the ‘Bonfire of the Vanities.’ When he died he was 65. In the most recent Florentine history, May marks the tragedy of the bomb exploded by the Mafia on May 27, 1993. The explosion destroyed the Georgofili Library and damaged an estimated 25 percent of the Uffizi Gallery’s artworks and part of the Vasari Corridor. Five people died, including Caterina, the daughter of the guardian of the library, who was born just 50 days beforehand. The Mafia was attacking the government that less than one year before had passed effective laws against organized crime, including a comprehensive witness protection program and a harsh prison regime for mafiosi. The two laws had the combined effect of favoring the unprecedented phenomenon of Mafia witnesses, thus breaking the omertà, the Mafia's code of silence. This month's flowers are, above all, in the memory of the city's martyrs: Savonarola and the five victims of the Mafia.

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How the Adoration of the Magi Has Changed After Restoration L

eonardo da Vinci’s lauded masterpiece Adoration of the Magi (1481) has recovered much of its original colouring after a painstaking restoration. The artwork has returned to Florence’s Uffizi Gallery after being taken to the Opificio Delle Pietre Dure institute for restoration in 2011 due to serious deterioration of the surface. The painting has returned to the Gallerie degli Uffizi after 6 years of restoration at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure conservation center. Displayed alongside Filippino Lippi’s replacement of the Adoration of the Magi from 1496, the panel painting is the center of the exhibition entitled Leonardo da Vinci’s Magic Cosmos: the Adoration of

the Magi Restored, which was inaugurated on March 28. This curatorial choice was made for the purpose of informing the public about the political and cultural shift that happened in the span of a single decade, as well as to distinguish the stylistic differences between these two Renaissance masters. The painting, larger than twosquare meters, is a chief example of Leonardo’s early work and depicts the Virgin Mary in the foreground with the infant Jesus, arranged in the artist’s signature triangular shape, surrounded by a semicircle of visitors; while in the background one observes a battle on horseback, a ruinous pagan building,

the sketch of rocky landscape. In addition, according to some of the more controversial art historians, the young shepherd boy in the bottom right corner, facing away from the crowd, can perhaps be considered a self-portrait. Commissioned by the Augustinian monks of the church of San Donato a Scopeto to make an altarpiece, Leonardo abandoned the work when he moved from Florence to the court of Milan. Thus, the monks recruited Filippino Lippi to make a replacement. A century later, it made its way into the Medici collection. Leonardo da Vinci’s Magic Cosmos: the Adoration of the Magi Restored will run until Sept 24.

Gucci to Finance Restoration of Boboli Gardens

ucci CEO Marco Bizzarri, Uffizi director Eike Schimidt and Florence mayor Dario Nardella announced last month that the luxury fashion brand will donate two million euros to the Uffizi Gallery in order to restore and enhance the Boboli Gardens. The name given to the restoration

is “Boboli Spring.” Promoted by the Italian government, the city of Florence, and the Uffizi Gallery, “Boboli Spring” will make the greenery of the garden thrive again and restore it to its status as the Italian Versailles,” said Uffizi director Schmidt. The project reflects Gucci creative

Hidden Meanings of Michelangelo Discovered

team of Brazilian researchers announced last month that Michelangelo carved pagan symbols of sexual female body parts in the Medici Chapels in Florence. These same researchers allegedly found similar symbols in the Sistine Chapel a few months ago, and claim that they are representations of female power and sexuality, notions which the Church notoriously fought against for centuries. After a study focusing on three symbols carved beside the tombs of Giuliano and Lorenzo dei Medici, the Porto Alegre researchers said that skulls, shells and spheres evoke the shapes of the uterus and

Fallopian tubes, the organs of female reproduction. According to the researchers, Michelangelo wanted “to represent the capacity for rebirth and regeneration between life and death. The hypothesis, suggestive but perhaps a little forced, could confirm yet again Michelangelo’s great interest in human anatomy,” said the team. A plastic surgeon and art expert who has been working on medicine in art for many years, Davide Lazzeri, said that Michelangelo in his youth, “started to examine corpses surreptitiously, in the basilica of Santo Spirito, to represent the human body in the most realistic way possible.”

The Factory of Beauty

director Alessandro Michele’s “cultural and aesthetic background”, which finds “an undying source of inspiration” in Renaissance Florence said Gucci’s CEO Bizzarri. Gucci will also present its show The Gucci Cruise next year in the Palatine Gallery of the Palazzo Pitti.

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 a 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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• Maria Lassnig: Woman Power Palazzo Pitti, Andito degli Angiolini March 25 – June 25

Principal Exhibits

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.

• The Restoration of the Triptych with Nicolas Froment’s Raising of Lazarus Uffizi, Sala del Camino 7 March – April 30

• Plautilla Nelli. Art and Devotion in the Convent in Savonarola’s Footsteps Uffizi, Galleria delle Statue e delle Pitture March 9– June 4 The exhibition presents French painter Nicolas Froment’s triptych depicting the Raising of Lazarus following its restoration. Froment, of whom only a few works have survived, hailed from Picardy and worked in Provence for most of his career. Made in 1461, this painting is one of the most imposing pictures in the Gallerie degli Uffizi’s collection of work by foreign artists of the 15th century, testifying the interest that Italian art patrons had in northern European painting.

The rediscovery in Florence, Siena, Perugia and Assisi of a cycle of five paintings by painter and nun Plautilla Nelli (1522–88), all of them half-figure profile portraits of female Dominican saints, adds a new and important piece to the reconstruction of the artistic career of Nelli. The exhibit investigates the production of devotional images through various techniques, including the pouncing that nuns commonly used in their embroidery, perhaps the art form most typically and traditionally associat-

• 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 Macera-

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MAY www.florencenews.it ta. 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.

• Giuliano da Sangallo. Drawings from the Uffizi Uffizi, Sala Edoardo Detti and Sala del Camino May 16 – Aug. 20

• Leonardo da Vinci’s Magic Cosmos: The Adoration of the Magi Restored Uffizi, Galleria delle Statue e delle Pitture March 28– Sept. 24 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 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.

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; his compositional research and experimentation with types in religious, civic, and military architecture; the role played by antiquarian studies and books of drawings; his ties with his brother Antonio the Elder, his nephew Antonio the Younger and his son Francesco in codices and presentation drawings; the practice of copying and circulating architectural and antiquarian knowledge; and the function of wooden models as operational tools for design in relation to drawing.

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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.”

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NEWS 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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Awaiting the Final Moment

Galleria Il Ponte Presents Soonja Han

Siena hosts photography exhibit on death penalty

RACHEL O’DONNELL

he Santa Maria della Scala Museum in Siena is hosting the exhibit Ten Years and Eighty-Seven Days by Luisa Menazzi Moretti, one of the most famous Italian photographers, from April 13 to June 4. The exhibit, whose title refers to the average time of a prisoner from the his detention to the execution, highlights the conditions of death row prisoners in Livingston, Texas, giving insight to their emotional downfall. On display are 17 large photographs and 9 texts selected from letters or interviews of prisoners on death row in a small prison in Livingston, Texas. Menazzi Moretti chose this location because near her hometown, Hunstsville, and because of the significance Texas plays with regard to the death penalty, since Livingston prison holds the record for the highest amount of people executed among all the democratic nations of the Western world, and Texas is the state with most executions in the United States. The photographer dialogues with her subjects. “My pictures are the result of their words: I shot them also thinking about those who are left, keeping in mind the families of those who were executed. I do not want to

deny the cruelty and harshness that often reveals the crimes or highlights, in other circumstances, the absence of cruelty. In both cases, and in the countless shades of every single episode, I ask myself: what are the feelings and reasons that in the XXI Century, in the rich and advanced Texas, justify such a barbaric practice as lethal execution?” said Moretti. Menazzi Moretti transfigures the existence of those counting down minutes to their final moment. “Luisa Menazzi Moretti doesn’t document or interpret these existences, she transfigures them. She gets into them, filters them through her own

sensibility and restores them, giving shape to the thoughts, feelings and emotions that she experiences through the thoughts, feelings and emotions not of outcasts with a sell-by date but rather human beings who, despite everything, still exist,” said Daniele Pitteri, director of the Santa Maria della Scala museum. Menazzi Moretti has achieved worldwide success in Berlin at the European Month of Photography in 2016 as well as the Honorable mention Award received by the International Photography Awards in 2016. It is the first time that the exhibit is on display in Italy.

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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Exhibiting Models of Leonardo’s Designs

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The Fables of Leonardo da Vinci The Fables of Leonardo da Vinci is a small collection of fables created from notations for fables and half-finished fable ideas found in the back of Leonardo’s famous notebooks. 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 Walnut and Belltower

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

A walnut lay lazily in the forest bed, covered by the fallen leaves of the tree that dropped it, its beloved father. A crow swooped down and carried the nut high into the sky above the city. The walnut knew that it was only a matter of time before the crow would crack it open and eat it. As the crow was passing over the top of the town’s lofty belltower, bells began to ring. The walnut begged the exalted belltower for help. “Belltower,” the lowly walnut squeaked, “the housing that cradles your bells is made entirely of the wood of the walnut tree. Can you please ring out so loud that this terrible bird will drop me to safety?” The belltower heard the walnut’s appeal, and smiled at the chance of showing how easily it could outwit Nature. At the moment the crow passed overhead, the belltower bells rang out so loudly they jangled the crow’s nerves and forced it to drop the tiny walnut.

The walnut fell into a crevice of the belltower floor. The crow knew instantly that it could never reach the well-protected walnut. “Thank you,” said the walnut to the Belltower, once the bells quieted down. “Nothing can ever remove me from this spot. I will always be safe.” “Don’t thank me,” said the belltower. “You are one seed that won’t grow into wood that could be made into a another belltower that would be greater than me.” Within a short time, the belltower’s crevice became filled with dirt, which made the nut cozy and ambitious. Within a few months, the nut began to burst open and to put its roots in among the crevices of the stones, pushing the stones apart. Soon, the walnut began throwing up shoots out of the spaces in the building’s floor, and these shoots became long muscular branches that soon rose above the top of the building. When several years passed, the sapling grew into a

tree. Its roots grew thicker, twisting their way deeper into the stone walls of the building. The belltower was aghast at the betrayal. And one day while its bells were chiming, one of its walls suddenly tore open and the old stones that were once so firm and steady began to crumble. Soon, another wall would fall. And then another. The walnut tree soon found itself totally free again, growing in every direction out of the mountain of rubble left by the hapless belltower. When the walnut looked around and saw what it had done, it laughed, and the laughter peeled like bells. It marveled at its own hidden strength. But its own joy was short-lived. When the builders came to rebuild the belltower, the strong, young tree would be the first tree sacrificed for the lumber vital for the new construction. Moral: The greatest and the smallest all need one another in ways we can seldom imagine.

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Inside the House of Michelangelo Discover the Casa Buonarroti Museum

he Casa Buonarroti Museum celebrates the greatness of Michelangelo while presenting a Baroque exhibition of the art collections of the family. The museum also offers the possibility of admiring the two famous marble relief pieces sculptured by Michelangelo in his early years: the Madonna della Scala, which shows Michelangelo’s passion for Donatello, and the Battle of the Centaurs, which conveys the admiration of the art-

ist for classic art. The Buonarroti family greatly contributed to enlarge the building and embellish the museum with the aim of preserving objects from different cultures, including the recent collection of the autograph drawings by Michelangelo consisting of 205 precious sketches and the equally important Archive and Library. The exhibit showcases rare art collections including paintings, sculptures, majolicas

made for the New Sacristy. The idea of creating a building to celebrate the glory of the Buonarroti family was an initiative of Michelangelo Buonarroti the younger, a prolific promoter of cultural activities, who employed for the works of the building the most renowned Florentine artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Pietro da Cortona, Giovanni da San Giovanni, Francesco Furini and the young Jacopo Vignali. The rooms were chosen by Michelangelo the younger to exhibit the most precious objects of his colleciion, including the small cartoon of Mi-

chelangelo showing a Madonna with Child and the wooden panel representing some episodes of the Life of St. Nicholas masterpiece by Giovanni di Francesco, a disciple of Domenico Veneziano.

Casa Buonarroti Museum Via Ghibellina 70 Closed on Tuesday Opening Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. www.casabuonarroti.it

Madonna della scala, marmo

and archaeological findings that are arranged on the two floors of Michelangelo’s Casa. A specially equipped room displays on rotation a small number of the drawings of Michelangelo. Among the works exhibited are the Crucifix of Santo Spirito, which critics tend to attribute to Michelangelo, the two 16th century Noli me tangere based on the lost cartoon, the Wooden model for the façade of San Lorenzo, and the River Divinity, which was used to prepare one of the sculptures

Battaglia dei centauri, marmo

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xaminations and specialist consults without prescription At Prosperius it is possible to book a consult with a specialist and diagnostic tests without having to wait and without a prescription. Over the last few years, Prosperius has become a popular health centre among tourists and foreigners staying in the city who need health services, blood tests, and specialist consults. In addition to easy access to medical services, foreign patients can also take advantage of their health insurance and receive a regular invoice. Sports fitness certificates Whether you intend to run a marathon or join an aerobics lesson, in Italy you must have a good health and fitness certificate. Before commencing any sports activities, it is recommended to get a medical check-up to verify one’s health condition and avoid the risk of incurring minor or even serious pathologies. You need a Medical Assistance? Specialist visits as cardiology, gyne-

cology, eye care, dermatology, ENT, etc. Your tests In the clinic you can do any examinations: blood-test, X-ray, ultrasound, dopler, MRI (scanner), etc. Rehabilitation for traumatic situations and not. Where is Prosperius The address is viale Fratelli Rosselli 60-62 and is open from 7:30 AM7:30 PM Monday to Friday and Saturday 7:30 AM-12:30 AM. Call us at: 0039-055-2381634. www.prosperius.it Professionalism, quality, technology and kindness The Institute also provides medical home care services 24/7 with the following number: 0039-3388941809, from which one can make an appointment for the visit and test. The Institute offers high professionalism, quality, technology and kindness.

Studi per la testa della Leda, matita rossa

Madonna col Bambino, matita nera, matita rossa, biacca e inchiostro

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Preparing for Artigianato e Palazzo Artisan festival takes place May 12–15

he garden of the historic Corsini Palace will host the 22nd edition of Artigianato e Palazzo, the Florentine festival dedicated to Italian craftsmanship, from May 12 to 15. Promoting ‘Made in Italy’ works, mostly Florentine but also from other parts of Italy and also of Europe, the event focuses on handmade productions and consists of presentations from highly skilled craftsmen and displays of traditional guilds and age-old techniques. Artisan demonstrations allow the

public to feel as though they are in actual workshops and, in some cases, audience members can even participate as assistants. In this way, visitors have the opportunity to discover how artisans create their objects by watching them work in the small workshops in the garden and orangeries of the Corsini Palace. Ceramics, bookbinding, mosaics, printing, inlay, jewelry, footwear, perfume and hat-making are among the many artisan crafts shared with the public, as is the art of working with materials such as

bronze, iron, marble, wood and glass. Producers of fine foods are also on display. More than 9.000 visitors attended the festival last year. By inviting the public into the world of Italian and local artisans, Artigianato e Palazzo offers the chance to share crafts often at risk of dying out while helping to preserve the authenticity of Italian production. As every year, a “Mostra Principe”, or Main Exhibition, will spotlight a business or a cultural foundation that began as an artisan activity and then became successful on an

international level. Many activities are scheduled for visitors during the four-day event, including the popular “Ricette di Famiglia” (Family Recipes), now in its third year, organized in with food writer Annamaria Tossani who will involve authors of unusual cookbooks who will prepare rare recipes rediscovering the traditions of Italian culinary culture. The fair was inaugurated in 1995 with the objective to valorize contemporary artisans stressing their link with a tradition that made Florence great. The Corsini Garden

is located in the Florence city center on Via della Scala 115.

Artigianato e Palazzo May 12–15 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Corsini Gardens 115 Via della Scala, Florence www.artigianatoepalazzo.it

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.

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

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

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

BLU KNIGHT - PIAZZA SCARLATTI, 2R - FIRENZE -TEL.055283398 - INFO@BLUKNIGHT.IT BLUKNIGHT.IT

12 Florence News

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Florence Creativity Returns

reativity never ends, especially at the spring edition of the Florence Creativity festival taking place at the Fortezza da Basso May 11-13. The fair, now in its sixth year, includes events, courses and expositors presenting new ideas, techniques and materials, and is a not-to-miss event for all of those who feel passion in their hands and those who are interested in developing and investing in the art of 'do-it-yourself.’ Fabrics, buttons, paints, brushes, needles, threads, glues and paper will be the tools through which anyone will be able to stimulate his or her creativity. The courses offered include painting on silk with

all its techniques, home decor, cutting, sewing, creative sewing, crochet, knitting, repairs, weaving for children and adults alike, creative workshops for children, creating bracelets, bijoux and necklaces, processing wool, painting and so on, as infinite are the ways human creativity can express itself. One of the initiatives that was at the last edition that thrilled the most was the Creative Zoo, a panel to create a zoo following given patterns that can be downloaded from the fair website: www.florencecreativity.it. Tickets cost €10 for adults and €5 for children. A ticket for the four days of the fair cost €16. Entrance is free for children younger than 10

and for accompanies or disables. Groups of more than 10 people will pay €5, for each group bigger than 20 people, a free ticket will be given to the organizer. Those interested in becoming expositors can find a form in the fair website. Opening hours at the event are from 9.30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Florence Creativity Fortezza da Basso May 11-13 9:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. www.florencecreativity.it

Via San Gallo, 16R 055 21 78 82

on any day of the event

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Florence News 13

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Celebrate Europe with Music T

he European University Institute is joining an initiative of Italy’s Presidency of the Council of Ministers to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome with a series of cultural, academic and sporting events through 2017. Signed on March 25, 1957, the Treaties of Rome established the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). The first Treaty, signed by high representatives from Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany, brought

into existence the European Economic Community, also known as the Common Market. While its immediate objectives were to integrate trade and strengthen the economies of the area, one of its underlying political desires was to ‘lay the foundations of an ever closer union among the people of Europe’. The EURATOM treaty instead was meant to contribute to the formation and development of Europe’s nuclear industries so that all the Member States could benefit from the development of atomic ener-

gy and that the security of supply would be ensured. In 1972, representatives of these same six countries would sign the Convention establishing the European University Institute. As stated in Article 2 of the convention, ‘The aim of the Institute shall be to contribute, by its activities in the fields of higher education and research, to the development of the cultural and scientific heritage of Europe […] It shall take into account Europe’s cultural and linguistic pluralism and relations with cultures outside Europe.’

May concerts: Saturday, May 6 Villa Salviati (Via Bolognese, 156). Orchestra Cupiditas directed by Pietro Mazzetti

Thursday, May 18 Le Murate Caffè Letterario (Piazza delle Murate), 8-9:30 p.m. Datura Brass

Friday, May 26 Centro de Lengua Española (Borgo Ognissanti, 9), 8-9:30 p.m. Guitar: Gabriele Putzulu

Florentine Painters Online Villa I Tatti, the Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Study, has recently launched an online catalogue that transforms Bernard Berenson’s The Drawings of the Florentine Painters into Linked Open Data. A group of art historians and IT specialists incorporated data found in all three

versions of Berenson’s foundational text: as it was first published in 1903, revised in 1938, then revised and translated into Italian in 1961. Though many catalogues exist for individual collections and artists, Berenson’s study is the only resource that includes drawings from across Europe and the Unit-

ed States by nearly seventy Florentine painters, from Taddeo Gaddi through Bronzino. The linked catalogue makes Berenson’s invaluable catalogue information available in a machine-readable format, allowing researchers to mine the source content in ways that were hitherto difficult or impossible.

EUI to Host State of the Union Conference

he State of the Union conference is returning to the European University Institute May 4-6. Registration for the event, which revolves around European citizenship under the title Building a People’s Europe, is currently open. The program features the three Presidents of the European Institutions and the EC’s ‘Chief Brexit Negotiator’, who will discuss the most pressing issues facing Europe today. On Thursday May 4, sessions will take place at the European University Institute. The President of the Italian Senate and former anti-mafia magistrate Pietro Grasso will give the opening address. On Frida May 5, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Angelino Alfano will introduce a day of debate at the Palazzo Vecchio. The Italian Prime Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, will close the conference. The three Presidents of the European Institutions, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and European Council President Donald Tusk, will also address the conference, and European Commission ‘Chief Brexit Negotiator’ Michel Barnier will deliver his first public speech on Brexit, shortly after the UK government will trigger Article 50.Among the others speakers are European Commission Vice-President Federica Mogherini, Com-

missioners Tibor Navracsics and Vera Jourova, European Parliament Vice-President Mairead McGuinness and the President of the European Investment Bank Werner Hoyer. The Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid will talk about Estonia’s fast-approaching presidency of the Council of the European Union. ‘The annual State of the Union conference takes place at a particularly complex historical moment,’ says Renaud Dehousse, President of the European University Institute. ‘Rarely in the past has the European Union been confronted by so many pressing issues at one time. The current state of affairs renders the engagement between scholars and policy-makers, already a hallmark of The State of the Union, all the more timely.’ This year’s theme of European citizenship encompasses several issues of acute relevance for the future of Europe such as the migration crisis, referendums and their consequences, the future of European citizenship, social solidarity and the free movement of people, economic and monetary integration, and state secrecy and security in Europe. As part of the official calendar marking the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, this year’s edition of The State of the Union offers an occasion to reflect on the past and future of Europe.

NEW GYM NEAR SANTA MARIA NOVELLA Brand new gym in the heart of Florence is now open. • Fully outfitted with the latest cardio & strength equipment from Technogym • Offering a wide array of classes ranging from Zumba to Pilates, every week • All-inclusive memberships with no sign-up fees • Special pricing for students • Friendly English-speaking staff • Free wi-fi Mon. to Fri.: 8 a.m.-10 p.m, Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m, Sunday: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Via dei Fossi, 56/r 055 23 96 497

HORSEBACK RIDING IN CHIANTI

Easy riding for everybody with wine and food tasting from 100 euro

+39.366.4738711 www.florencecountrylife.com info@florencecountrylife.com

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May 19–21

he 82nd international fashion show ModaPrima returns to Florence from May 19–21 at Stazione Leopolda with some important novelties including a new format and a larger accessories section. Hosted by Pitti Immagine, ModaPrima presents readyto-wear fashion trends and accessories for men and women for spring-summer 2017, with about 150 Italian manufacturers and selected international brands showcasing their items. The fair intends to confirm its key role for international medium and large scale top quality retailers.

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A Passion for Vinyl

Stazione Leopolda Hosts ModaPrima

Florence News 15

Closing figures of the last ModaPrima event saw more than 1,700 buyers coming to Florence for the event, 800 of which were from Japan, the others from Turkey, Portugal, France, Belgium, Russia, Germany, Holland, Greece, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, South Korea, Ireland, Switzerland, Poland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Canada and Sweden. Previously held in Milan, ModaPrima relocated to Florence in 2011. Its host venue is an example of the innovation promoted by the event: once a disused nineteenth-century railway station, Stazione Leo-

polda has now become a hub for contemporary events happening in the city. Pitti Immagine also has an online exhibition project called e-Pitti that allows buyers to discover new collections and establish new contacts, offering access to digital versions of Pitti Uomo, Pitti W, Pitti Bimbo and Pitti Filati, and giving registered exhibitors the opportunity to digitalize their physical stands, prolonging the visibility of their collection. Further information is available on the Pitti Immagine website: www.pittimmagine.com

tepping into Data Records 93 on Via de’ Neri feels a little like being transported to another age, with its pink-and-purple psychedelic interior and thousands of CDs and vinyl records lining the walls. Today the shop remains a haven for music lovers and collectors of rare records alike. Its collection of valuable and eclectic records means that Data Records 93 ships all over the world, and receives visits from DJs from Milan, Paris and London, all looking for uncommon records and enticed by this small shop’s impressive reputation and vast collection.

Murano Glass in Santa Croce

Via dei Neri, 15/r www.superecords.com

urano glass and Carnevale mask enthusiasts need not travel to Venice for quality souvenir items. Alvise Giustinian is a gift and art store specializing in Murano-made items, which guarantees the sale of purely Murano products without importation. Products include masks, jewelry and glass objects for the home. Jewelry has proven to be the shop’s most popular item, due to the ease of transport and availability of products starting at merely €5, according to its owner Paola. Alvise Giustinian’s spacious interior allows for an abundant selection of gifts and a comfortable shopping experience. Paola’s customers tell her that prices in this beautiful, museum-like shop are lower than those in Venice.

Get a 20% discount showing this article

Corso Tintori, 19/r www.alvisegiustian.com

Data Records

Alvise Giustinian

A i R E G R U b M hA

A L L E A P ALLA VALENciANA e di Carn Paella e getale / c e s V e P a l i l d Pae aella Mista / P ppia e S Paella i d o con ner “Negra” Paella

. SANTANERA . . KiTchEN & bAR . . PiAZZA DELLE cURE 8R .

16 Florence News

CITY BEAT

Fabbrica Europa 2017

• May 10-14

Palazzina Ex Fabbri | Florence N.O.W New Open Working process for the performing arts HALF A HOUSE | N.O.W project

• May 10 • May 4 – 14

Isolotto and other locations in Florence Ief Spincemaille ROPE. POSSIBILITIES OF BINDING | participatory installation

• May 4

• May 5

Stazione Leopolda | Florence Electronic MATTHEW HERBERT | music

• May 6

• May 7

• May 11

• May 12

Stazione Leopolda | Florence Salvo Lombardo | Aura Dance Theatre TWISTER_FIRST STUDY | international dance Stazione Leopolda | Florence

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Santasangre GRAVURE_LE CHEVALIER_SECONDO QUADRO | italian dance Stazione Leopolda | Florence Lovely Difficult MAYRA ANDRADE | music

• May 13

Palazzina Ex Fabbri | Firenze Jacopo Jenna CHOREOGRAPHING RAPPERS | italian dance Limonaia di Villa Strozzi | Firenze Concert OREN AMBARCHI | music

• May 27

Stazione Leopolda | Florence Cristina Kristal Rizzo | CAB008 PRÉLUDE | italian dance

• May 30

Teatro Studio | Scandicci A Love, naked WILLIAM PARKER & HAMID DRAKE music Palazzina Ex Fabbri | Firenze Dehors/Audela

Palazzina Ex Fabbri Firenze Tommaso Monza SKETCHES OF FREEDOM | italian dance

• May 28

Le Murate. PAC | Florence Onorate il vile MARLENE KUNTZ | music

• May 17

• May 18

• May 20

Stazione Leopolda | Florence Electronic MAREK HEMMANN | music

• May 14

PLANIMETRIE | italian dance

Palazzina Ex Fabbri | Firenze Hamdi Dridi TU MEUR(S) DE TERRE| international dance Palazzina Ex Fabbri | Firenze Bassam Abou Diab UNDER THE FLESH | international dance

I' GIRONE DE' GHIOTTI THE VINAIO NEAR PIAZZA SIGNORIA

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.

WINE TASTINGS AND TRADITIONAL TUSCAN PRODUCTS

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

Tuscan Panini, Handmade pasta, chopping boards, Organic Products, Traditional Marmalades and Honey, Cantucci & Vin Santo, More than 100 Wines, Artisanal Beers.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; 5–9 p.m.

Via dei Cimatori 23/r

Borgo Tegolaio, 46/r Tel. 055 53 87 122 , 345 90 93 425 www.ilsantovino.it Facebook: Il Santo Vino

CHIANTI EXPERIENCE HIKING...WINE... FOOD... @MONTERINALDI

WINEMAKER FOR A DAY

Most wine lovers have taken part in cellar tours and wine tastings, but how many have had the chance to spend a few hours in the vineyard with an agronomist learning how the perfect grape is cultivated? Well here is your chance to do just that.

If you delight in hiking in the breathtaking landscape of Chianti.... If you enjoy a home made traditional Tuscan lunch.... If you love drinking great wines paired perfectly withyour food.... Then, “Hiking...Wine...Food@ Monterinaldi” is for you!

Winemaker for a Day is a wine course which will teach you how to taste a wine and discover its characteristics. Much more than a simple wine course, during Winemaker for a Day you will be able to create your own, unique, signature vintage by blending up to 5 different grapes.

Duration: about 5 hours Start time: 10am Mon-Fri Reservation: required Minimum: 2 people Maximum: 12 people

Duration: 4-5 hours Start time: 10am Mon-Fri Reservation: required Minimum: 2 people, Maximum: 12 people

Duration: 3 hours Start time: 10am Reservation: required Maximum: 8 people

OFF - ROAD IN CHIANTI

EDUCATIONAL VINEYARD

This is a unique experience that combines an exciting adventure off-road in a 4x4 to beautiful and unspoilt areas, along with a full homemade lunch accompanied by wines of Castello Monterinaldi, expertly paired to each course. Two different off-road routes are planned: the “medium” and “hard”... the choice is yours! Duration: about 5 hours Start time: 10.00am Mon-Sat Reservation: required Minimum: 4 people Maximum: 8 people

Book your own private experience NOW! Castello Monterinaldi – Società Agricola Monterinaldi s.r.l. Radda in Chianti, Siena, Italy +39 (0) 577 733533 • mail@monterinaldi.it • www.monterinaldi.it

A Week for Bob Dylan

Florence News

NEWS

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. –2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. Meeting Point 15 minutes before bus departure at Sightseeing Experience Visitor Centre on Platform 16. Return to Florence at: 1.00 p.m. – 3.00 p.m. – 6.00 p.m. – 8.00p.m. For more information visit www.mcarthurglen.it/barberino TAX FREE ON YOUR FAVORITE BRANDS

Your Private Concierge in Florence 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

he cultural associations Contemporary and Don Milani are presenting a week dedicated to Bob Dylan May 17-24. The event hits its sixth anniversary this year. Free concerts, conferences, figurative art exhibits, readings, and a show by local band Acquaraggia will act as an homage one of the most important artist of the XX

century, a songwriter and poet recently awarded with the Nobel prize for literature. Among the special guests will be one of the leading worldwide experts on Bob Dylan, American Professor Greil Marcus. Foreign artists that will perform live include Cliff Edwards (Canada), Noah Kite (Oregon Usa), Kenny Wilson (Leicester U.K.).

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. Via Guicciardini, 2/r 055 23 98 450 www.pinart.it

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Florence News 19

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Outwitting the Witty

depot. You could probably track your bike and have it back, but the cost of this and the fine is usually over 70 euro - you could buy a new bike for this price.

Former bicycle thief gives tips on how to keep your bike safe

o find out the best way to prevent your bike from being stolen we went straight to the source: a former bike pincher. Long years have passed since De Sica won the Oscar for his glorious film The Bicycle Thieves, and yet being a professional bicycle thief seems to have remained a way of life in Italy, or at least in Florence, a city quite well known for the continuous disappearance of its bicycles. So we approached a professional thief, whose identity of course we will keep secret, and asked him a few questions on this delicate subject. Not surprisingly, the tone of the conversation was the most serious one could have ever imagined: at the very end, he was telling us the very essence of his job. What is the best type of lock? Any kind of lock, except a combination lock. Avoid those like the plague, as they are the fastest way to have your bicycle stolen. An average lock has a three digit code, which means that a quick thief can try every combination in less than an hour, not counting the fact that he can interrupt the work whenever he wants and come back later to continue. The most important thing is actually the type of chain you use; and the answer is pretty simple: the

Should you decorate your bike when you buy it to distinguish it from other bikes? If it makes you feel better, why not? But be aware that it probably won’t help you find it again if it eventually gets stolen. A very special bike is more likely to be dismembered for spare parts or permanently disfigured once stolen. What’s more, “pimping” your bicycle could make it look more appealing for thieves. Remember that the parts of the bicycle you want to keep in top shape are the brakes and the wheels, because the most important thing is staying safe when using your bike. The rest can easily be neglected; let the paint coat rot away, don’t worry about any rust, and use an old saddle, then park very close to a shiny new bike. Chances are that the thief will ignore your wreck (although perfectly working) and concentrate his efforts on the rich “neighbor.”

thicker, the better. Do not forget about length either, as it is a crucial factor in using the bicycle rack properly. Is it worth spending lots of money on a very strong chain? Yes: buying a decent chain is cheaper than buying a new bicycle when the first gets stolen. Choose a steel one with a rubber tube to protect it from water. Some chains are fitted with the lock, for others you have to buy a separate lock. In short, it is worth looking after your bike properly because the police rarely have time to look for a stolen bike, especially because it happens so frequently in Florence. What type of bike is stolen most often in Florence? I would probably say that the most common theft involves the standard run of the mill bicycle, as it is the kind of bike that you can find nearly everywhere. The very expensive mountain bikes with alloy frames are stolen too but they are usually much better protected. No bike is safe in Florence! Where is the best place to leave your bike locked up? In the basement. Or, even better, under your bed. But seriously, the

best (public) place is a good bicycle rack. Avoid lamp posts, payphones, street signs, etc., because the police don’t appreciate it. When you lock up your bike be sure to chain both the frame and the front wheel to the rack. If you miss either, there could be consequences for your bike. This means that the chain should ideally be at least one meter long. Should you leave your bike locked

up in a different place every time? No, not really. But you must be sure not to leave it in the same place for a long time (i.e. more than a week): an experienced thief will eventually spot it. Besides, if you leave the cycle for several months in the same place, it will eventually deteriorate and become “urban waste”, susceptible to removal by the Police. The Polizia Municipale periodically remove old rusty bicycles and carry them to the

Any other tips for us? Yes - it might also be a good idea to buy a smaller lock to connect your seat to the frame, as some thieves annoyingly like to take just parts of your bike. If somebody really wants to steal a piece of your bicycle, they will, but this way you can at least force him to use a wrench. That’s all? Yes it is. Good luck…

20 Florence News

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A ‘Port’ for For All Awaiting Radiohead, Musicians Aerosmith, Jamiroquai and System of a Down A 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.

ALEX PARK

usic festivals and concerts are on their way to Florence this summer. Radiohead, the English alternative band, will be playing a show at the Visarno Arena in Parco Delle Cascine. 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. Rock fans will be further enthused by the Firenze Rocks Festival from June 23 to June 25 headlined by classic rock legends, 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. The grunge singer, Eddie Vedder is concluding his solo European tour in Italy, and will be 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. Last, and certainly not least, Firenze Summer Festival will be taking place in July. The English rock band, The XX, will begin the festival after the January release of their 3rd studio album, “I See You.” For those seeking something other than rock, the soulful funk, dance band Jamiroquai will be performing on July 11. To close the festival, the superstar indie rock band, “Arcade Fire” will perform as part of their summer European tour on July 18.

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-

Porto di Mare 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.

“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.

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

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

22 Florence News

HISTORY

Lorenzo il Magnifico The story behind the title

C. DE MELO

any people have probably heard the term il Magnifico (the Magnificent) in reference to Florence's 15th century ruler, Lorenzo de' Medici, but they are likely unaware of its origin. The Pazzi Conspiracy, which took place on Easter 1478, resulted in the violent assassination of Giuliano de' Medici. To avenge his brother's death, Lorenzo went on a bloody

rampage and many people were killed as a result. Pope Sixtus IV excommunicated Lorenzo for his vendetta against the Pazzi family, their supporters, and Archbishop Salviati. In addition to this, the Signoria was ordered by papal decree to surrender Lorenzo so that he could face judgement. Of course, they refused. The Tuscan Church supported the Signoria’s decision, which eventually led to its excommunication as well.

Such open rebellion against the Vatican only served to create more enemies for Florence. Lorenzo was soon faced with political threats from Milan, Urbino and Siena, but the most serious threat came from Ferdinand, King of Naples. In order to solidify Florence’s position and keep peace in Tuscany, Lorenzo set off on several campaigns to secure political alliances. He departed- alone- from Pisa to Naples on December 14, 1479, and did not return to Florence until March of the following year. He risked his life for the peace and well-being of Florence, and the risk had paid off. Not only did he manage to successfully negotiate with the King of Naples but also with the pope. In short, he made his position in Florence stronger than ever before, and (although he never held political office within the Republic) the European rulers officially recognized him as the Head of Florence. The Florentines, grateful that their ruler had successfully thwarted war, bestowed upon him the title: il Magnifico. Pallas and the Centaur was painted by Botticelli in celebration of Lorenzo's political victory in Naples. Pallas (Peace) wears a flowing gown flaunting Lorenzo's personal symbol- the diamond (semperforever) and three interlaced rings (Renaissance symbol of the arts). The Centaur (War) is being tamed by reason and logic, which Pallas possesses in abundance. The background is most likely the bay of Naples, and the composition is enriched by olive tree branches (the universal symbol of peace).

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Why May Day

The historical roots of Labor Day

n ancient northern hemisphere spring festival, May Day on May 1 is a traditional spring holiday in many cultures. Dances, singing, and cake are usually part of the celebrations of this festivity. In the late 19th century, May Day was chosen as the date for International Workers’ Day by the Socialist and Communist parties to commemorate the Hay Market affair in Chicago. Also known as the Haymarket massacre or Haymarket riot, the Haymarket affair was the aftermath of a bombing at a labor demonstration at Haymarket Square in Chicago on Tuesday, May 4, 1886. Begun as a peaceful rally in support of workers striking for an 8-hour working day and in reaction to the killing of several workers the previous day by the police, it got violent when an someone threw a dynamite bomb at police as agents were dispersing the meeting killing seven police officers and at least four civilians and wounding many others. Though International Workers’ Day may also be referred to as “May Day,” it is a different celebration from the traditional May Day. This tradition in Italy takes the name of Calendimaggio (from the Latin calenda maia) or cantar maggio, a seasonal feast to celebrate the arrival of spring.

A tradition still alive today in many regions of Italy, including Tuscany, as an allegory of the return to life and rebirth, this magical-propitiatory ritual is often performed during an almsgiving in which, in exchange for gifts (traditionally eggs, wine, food or sweets), the Maggi (or maggerini) sing auspicious verses to the inhabitants of the houses they visit. Throughout the Italian peninsula these Il Maggio couplets are very diverse, most of them being love songs that young people sang to celebrate the arrival of spring. Mentioned in the verses of the songs are the symbols of spring revival such as the trees (alder and golden rain) and flowers (violets and roses) with which the maggerini adorn themselves. In particular, the plant alder, which grows along the rivers and is considered the symbol of life, is almost in any case present in the ritual. In Tuscany, Calendimaggio is historically a mythical figure that had a predominant role and met many of the attributes of the god Belenus. It is a celebration that dates back to ancient peoples for whom the arrival of summer was of extreme importance and is very integrated with the rhythms of nature such as the Celts (celebrating Beltane), Etruscans and Ligures.

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Three Florentine Love Stories

Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici and Bianca Cappello

THOMAS RICCIOTTI 1) One of the most scandalous and debated illicit love affairs that occurred in Florence was that between the Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici and Bianca Cappello during the sixteenth century. Let’s see what happens when a rich, powerful, married man falls for a poor, beautiful girl married to another. Bianca was a noble Venetian young woman who had eloped to Florence to marry, at the age of 15, a penniless Florentine, Pietro Bonaventuri. Beautiful as she was, she soon became popular in the city and drew the attention of

many, including that of the Grand Duke himself, who appointed her husband as ‘Keeper of the Royal Wardrobe’. Of course, it was a move to keep her close to him in the palace. Let’s skip a few passages now, leaving the reader free to use his/ her imagination. Shortly after, penniless Bonaventuri was murdered in the streets of Florence. The circumstances of his death remain obscure. As it often happens when important rich people are involved, the court never came to a definitive verdict. Well, what happened after was that in 1576 Bianca gave birth to a baby who looked exactly like Francesco. There is more. Two months after

the death of Francesco’s wife, Joanna of Austria, in 1578, Francesco and Bianca were married. The timing of the event, following on the heels of the grieving period, caused widespread scandal. In addition, after Joanna’s death the existence of the illegitimate Don Antonio and his claim to the duchy were publicly acknowledged. You think the story is finished? Not at all. Francesco and Bianca died within days of each other in 1587, supposedly poisoned. On their mysterious deaths speculation followed for centuries until six years ago, when Francesco’s body was exhumed from the Medici Chapel at San Lorenzo and investigated. As evidence of a malaria-causing parasite was found in his remains, the debate was put to rest. Penniless Bonaventuri and wealthy Bianca neither revenged nor were revenged. 2) Ready for another love affair? This happened in the early nineteenth century. The protagonists are Ugo Foscolo, a man with a strong passion for writing and for political freedom, and a woman by the name of Quirina Mocenni Magiotti. In Italy, double surnames like that of Quirina imply noble descendant. The location of their affair was the now-destroyed Villa Torricelli on Florence’s Bellosguardo hill. It was precisely this place and this woman that inspired the verses of the famous, unfinished poem Le Grazie (‘The Graces’) in 1812. Those beautiful words, that Quirina was probably reading secretly from her aristocrat husband, are –

Florence News 25

CULTURE

Ugo Foscolo and Quirina Mocenni Magiotti and were – all that remain of Ugo’s love for her. Ugo was in fact exiled to Switzerland and England after Austria regained control of Italy in 1814. His tomb lies in Santa Croce alongside those of Michelangelo, Alfieri, Galileo and Machiavelli. His verses for Quirina, forever unfinished as his love for her, are still studied in Italian schools. 3) Let’s see now something about the expats. One of Florence’s most notable expat couple, Victorian poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, made the most of their lives here. Florence’s influence on their literary productions was profound, as profound was their love

for liberty: in fact, Elizabeth also became a passionate supporter of Italian liberation and unification. The couple lived at Casa Guidi in Piazza San Felice for 15 years until Elizabeth’s death in 1861, the same year that the Kingdom of Italy was established. She is buried in the Protestant English Cemetery at Piazza Donatello. After her death, Robert returned to England with the son of the woman to whom he was secretly married. The couple had in fact left England to escape Elizabeth’s oppressive father, who disapproved of the match, and had subsequently wed in Florence.

Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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26 Florence News

ART

Learn the Mosaico Fiorentino Technique

rtisan and artist Lituana Di Sabatino offers courses on the antique technique of assembling hard stone sections known as Mosaico Fiorentino, the origins of which can be found in the Florentine Romanesque period. In the Mosaico Fiorentino, stones are selected for their colors and shades and then hand-cut with the combined action of a wooden arc with a wire and the use of powder. They are subsequently arranged and polished. Participants in the course will learn the essentials of this technique: the various kinds of stones, the tools used 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). Di Sabatino’s studio is in a small town near Florence called Figline Valdarno. Participants can be taken by car from Florence after meeting at Piazza Beccaria. The maximum number of participants per course is three. In her studio, Di Sabatino fashions originals and reproductions of ancient mosaics works, continuing to refine her own techniques, and simultaneously handing down the secrets of this art to students and enthusiasts. For more information check the website: lanuovamusiva.com.

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A Portrait of a Painter Meet Lukas Braendli

cross the Arno, a few steps away from the Ponte Vecchio, there is a delightful art studio called “Studio Toscanella.” Artists of all ages come by the studio to learn how to draw and paint through academic teaching, as well as to discover traditional techniques and develop an eye towards modern and contemporary aesthetics. The studio was opened in 2014 by Lukas Braendli, a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art and a professor at the Florence Design Academy. Lukas feels that there is a need to emphasize an academic approach in art studies –– the method he learned as a young art student. He wants to continue to teach this academic approach by encouraging his students to re-

fine their technique and learn all the fundamentals from the basics, and gradually move towards more complex concepts. He claims that he “enjoys the process in art” and that it must be respected since “there is a method to drawing well.” Lukas believes that everyone is capable of learning how to draw since art is, in fact, a craft –– you learn by a combination of failure and time. Inside the studio, works of students from throughout the years are hung, including oil paintings, still lifes, charcoal and graphite portraits, demonstrating a keen understanding of form and contrast. The atmosphere is tranquil and welcoming, catching the attention of any passerby. The studio can also be rented out to artists for short or long periods and to teachers to hold seminars, courses and workshops of various kinds. Intensive short and longterm workshops are offered for groups and individual students, while the teaching is on an individual basis and provides for a personalized training with step-by-step coaching through the execution of artworks. Sessions last for two to three hours or more and students can request morning, afternoon or evening sessions. To contact Studio Toscanella, they can be reached by their website http://www.studiotoscanella.com/works-3 and their number +39 340 737 1239.

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.

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Florence News 27

LIFESTYLE

From Persian Carpets to Italian Design Meet Iranian architect and designer Taraneh Azad

araneh Azad is a high-end interior designer based in Milan, Italy with a broad and unique vision thanks to her cultural roots. She was born and raised in Tehran, the ancient capital of the Persian empire. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from Azad University, School of Art & Architecture in central Tehran, in 2010. Then she moved to Milan to strengthen her education, receiving a Masters for Interior Design from Scuola Politecnica di design (SPD) in 2013.

Taraneh Azad

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.

After graduating, she began to work with prominent Italian designers, such as Simone Micheli and Samuele Mazza. She is currently participating in several projects with Zanaboni, the world’s leading brand in high-end furniture. Iran’s rich culture helped her become a successful designer in the luxury sector. “I was born and raised on silk Persian carpets, among hand-made Italian furnitures. That’s why I can fully anticipate the needs of my clients, several of whom are Iranian celebrities. I know very well what Luxury really means. That’s why they prefer to work with me” she said. Wealthy Iranians are fond of Italian furniture, of both the classical and modern styles, which is why she is also involved in many projects in Tehran. Her style may be defined as a balanced mix of Oriental and Western cultures and tastes, a meeting point between East and West. Florence will be the stage for the next step of Azad’s career. In fact, she will hold a show of her latest creations at the prestigious Gucci Lounge, which also hosts The Gucci Museum, a sanctuary of Italian style, at Piazza della Signoria, the heart of Tuscany’s capital. One cannot find a more appropriate meeting point for Eastern and Western cultures. Stay tuned.

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28 Florence News

FOOD&WINE

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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

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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-

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

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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.

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

Wines of Liguria: Pigato and Macajolo P

igato and Macajolo wines are two undiscovered treasures of Liguria, embodying the region’s mild Mediterranean climate and fertile landscape. Perfect for accompanying typical Ligurian cuisine, such as trofie with pesto, grilled fish, seafood stews, fresh vegetables and herb inspired dishes, Pigato and Macajolo are easy drinking wines that easily satisfy the palates of both oenophiles and casual wine drinkers alike. Pigato. The word pigato means pigmented, and the varietal derives its name from the blotchy skin of the grape. Best grown on Liguria’s hillsides and terraces that overlook the sea, Pigato is an intensely flavored, dry white wine that remains smooth on the palate. The wine is produced in very small quantities with much of its production taking place in Salea di Albenga, located in Liguria’s north-eastern province of Savona. Pigato is a single varietal wine with 95% of its composition from the Pigato grape. It exudes a lightly golden hue and contains notes of almond, wildflower and intense peach. Macajolo. Macajolo is made from 100% Ormeasco grapes cultivated in Liguria’s Imperia province that borders France. Produced in very small batches, Maca-jolo is

cultivated within the winemaking zone of Ormeasco di Pornassio. Due to changes in production regula-tions, it is no longer acknowledged as a D.O.C wine like its cousin Riviera Ligure di Ponente Ormeasco. Although technically considered a red table wine, Macajolo is anything but mundane. Intensely ruby red in color, the wine is medium bodied and clean on the palate. Its flavors consists of an explosion of currant and pepper, with subtle hints of violet. The wine pairs excellently with not only pasta and meat dishes, but with spicy seafood and tomato based stews.

Il Supermercato... da Gustare e deGustare

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

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Florence News 33

CHIANTI

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-

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.

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Understanding Chianti Wine Chianti Classico

Chianti

Bottles simply labeled as Chianti are made from a mix grapes from several regions in the Chianti region. The main difference with generic Chianti and the rest, is that the minimum percentage of Sangiovese allowed is 75%, with the rules permitting white grapes to be blended in. Adding white grapes to a red wine isn’t as crazy as you might think! The French have been addingViognier to their Syrah in

the Rhone region of France for decades. The reason they do so is to soften the tannin in the Syrah, and to add what they call “aromatic complexity”. The addition of white grapes into the Sangiovese mix however, is less about romance and more about cutting costs. As with all Chianti’s, there are some minimum rules set, i.e. the minimum alcohol level in regular Chianti is 11.5%, and grape harvest yields are “restricted” to 4 tons per acre.

The Chianti Classico region is central to the region and arguably the most famous. In 1996 it was awarded DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) status, in an effort to raise its perceived quality. All Italian DOCG wines are actually tasted and analyzed in a lab in order to meet government approval. Kind of like SAT exams for wine. If the wine passes, it will receive an individually numbered governmental seal across the cap or cork. Chianti Classico bears a black rooster on the neck of the bottle. This is a conglomeration of Chianti producers whom have setup the Consorzio Chianti Classico, in a bid to improve the quality and reputation of the region. The minimum percentage of Sangiovese allowed in Chianti Classico is 80%, with only red grapes permitted to make up the rest of the blend. Producers can of course choose to make their wine up to 100% Sangiovese, but it’s the exception and not the rule. The alcohol content must also be at least 12%, and the wine must spend at least 12 months aging in oak barrels. The Chianti Classico region covers an area of around 100 square miles, and the grape harvest is restricted to no more than 3 tons per acre.

Florence News 35

CHIANTI Chianti Riserva / Classico Riserva

If you guessed that Riserva is Italian for Reserve you would be correct! Riserva on a bottle of Chianti is your first clue that the bottle of Chianti you’re holding, stands head and shoulders above the rest. Riserva is a term that can be applied not just to Chianti, but to plenty of other Italian wines such as Brunello and Barolo. Of course, just to make things difficult, it has various meanings, but Riserva on a Chianti just means that the wine spends a minimum of two years (in oak) and three months (in the bottle) aging. The alcohol content must also be at least 12.5%. Chianti Riserva is also a great candidate for additional bottle aging, depending on the producer and vintage.

Vin Santo

Vin Santo (literally meaning “holy wine”) is a style of Italian wine dessert typical of Tuscany. Vin Santo wines are often made from white grape varieties such as Trebbiano and Malvasia, though Sangiovese may be used to produce a rosè style known as “Occhio di Pernice” or eye of the partridge. Vin Santo is described as a straw wine since is often produced by drying the freshly harvested grapes on straw mats in a warm and well ventilated area of the house. However several producers dry the grapes by hanging on racks indoors. Though technically a dessert wine, the wines can vary in sweetness levels from bone dry (like a Fino Sherry) to extremely sweet.

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EDUCATIONAL VINEYARD Spend a few hours in the vineyard with an agronomist learning how grape has to be cultivated. HIKing...wine...food...@monterinaldi Hike in the breathtaking landscape of Chianti before enjoying a home made Tuscan lunch while sipping the real Chianti Classico

OFFROAD ADVENTURE IN CHIANTI Discover the Chianti hills, vineyards and lakes on a land-lover. Then enjoy a homemade lunch paired with Chianti Classico More info on: www.monterinaldi.it

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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-

E FF

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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