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the magi chapel a Christmas in FLorence Events & exhibitions Restaurants, Nightlife & Wellness
nov/dec
2012
Welcome
A Christmas in Florence
itineraries
The Magi Chapel Dante’s Florence
Exhibitions
LoveFlorence Year #10 – Issue #6 November/December 2012 Free magazine for international students also published online at www.loveflorence.it Editorial office: info@megareview.it Advertising inquiries: commerciale@megareview.it Tel. +39.055.412199 The Publisher is pleased to acknowledge the authorship and author’s rights of any photos whose source it has not been possible to trace. While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors or changes in the information provided. Published by MEGA REVIEW Tel +39.055.412199 2
The Thirties Francis Bacon A tribute to Calvino Florence in the eye of the Artist The New Frontier from Fattori to ‘900 Rucellai Chapel
Events
Heidelberg Market Florence Marathon 2012 Pontevecchio Golf Challenge Tuscany Day Classical & Pop Music
Folklore
Thanksgiving Silent Night
gourmet
Tuscan Olive Oil Christmas Delights Gourmet Reviews
nightlife
Nightlife Reviews
Wellness
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Wellness Reviews
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CIty MAP
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welcome
a Christmas in florence A Shopping Guide
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hen it comes to shopping abroad, Italy is a cut above the rest. From tailored leather to some of the world’s greatest selection of wines, you really cannot go wrong in the “boot.” The only thing one might find difficult to bring back through customs is the gelato. International students arriving in Florence during the fall semester often feel obliged to complete their Christmas shopping for loved ones, and this guide is intended to assist you in making those tough shopping decisions. At the top of any dependent student’s Christmas list should be something that represents the inseparable 4
bond between parent and child. Good gift ideas include DOCG wines, hand bags, or a new Italian-English dictionary for obvious reasons. The most important question one should ask themselves is: can you find it in America? And if not, would your parents wear it ten years from now? Grandparents are the easiest of the bunch – if you offend them you won’t see them as often. Most grandmothers enjoy leather goods or jewelry. Ask them for their glove and clothing sizes before you depart and then seek out stores dotting the Arno River and the inner city. Make sure to smile on Christmas Day when you explain to her that those gloves are 100% Italian. 5
No trip is complete without bring back a couple bottles of wine. For those under 21, sneak your bottles through customs at your discretion, for everyone else look DOCG labeled wines. DOCG stands for “Denominazione Origine Controllata e Garantita,” the highest level of grape control in Italy. – At max you will be able to bring back three bottles in your suitcase due to tight restrictions on liquids. Every girl loves a new pair of earrings. Like a purse, this can be a tough purchase without some previous knowledge of what the person on your list prefers; sterling silver, gold, etc.? This is another case of do or die shopping that is best resolved by a quick e-mail to your loved one asking them to send an image of what they would like to add to their collection. You have been taking thousands of pictures, right? Well, when you return to the States one of the best ways to “debrief” your family on your adventures and preserve your memories is a scrapbook. Invite your family to add their comments and emails. Who knows maybe in the distant future your little ones will pick it up and follow in your footsteps.
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FASHION VALLEY more at: < www.fashionvalley.it >
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ashion Valley is an innovative Contemporary Shopping Centre with more than20 shops, where all the items are byword for elegance around the world. Situated in Reggello, Incisa, in the heart of Tuscany hills, Fashion Valley is in the so called “Shopping Valley” between other famous outlet. The ideal starting point for everyone who wants to buy any stylish garment at an affordable prices. Bally, Versace, Trussardi, John Richmond, Ermanno Scervino, Santoni, Viktor&Rolf, Zagliani, I Pinco Pallino, Giuseppe Zanotti Design, Vivienne Westwood, Dsquared2, Red Valentino are only some of the brands you can find here. Together with the Jewelry Luxury Zone (Chopard, Rolex, Longines, Tag Heuer, Pippo Perez, Nanis, Audemars Piguet, Iwc, Longines, Pomellato, Bulgari) they make of Fashion Valley the exclusive destination with high quality collections and competitive prices. Open daily 10am - 7 pm. Book your shopping tour calling: +39 348.4066317 or emailing: info@fashionvalley.it.
FASHION VALLEY Ruota al Mandò, Leccio - Reggello (FI) 055.8657798
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Shopping at I Gigli more at: < www.igigli.it >
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Gigli, with its 13 million visitors a year, is definitely Tuscany’s most popular shopping destination. I Gigli Shopping Centre is truly a shopper’s paradise, featuring numerous department stores, a host of familiar favourites and hundreds of unique stores exclusive to I Gigli such as: Trussardi, Timberland, Zara, Coin, Foot Locker, Conte of Florence, and many others. No place is better than I Gigli if you enjoy shopping. With over 120 stores, a hypermarket, restaurants, you’re sure to find everything you’re looking for and more. I Gigli offers over 18 restaurants, coffee bars, pubs and bars where you can relax. I Gigli is located in Campi Bisenzio near Florence, easily accessible from the A11 freeway (exit at Prato est), or by bus (Lazzi company) which departs directly from Florence Santa Maria Novella railway station for I Gigli. Exciting entertainment shows with special events available on www.igigli.it and 16 cinemas at multiplex UCI CINEMA.
I Gigli Shopping Center Via San Quirico, 165 - Campi Bisenzio (FI) 055.8974546
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itineraries
the magi chapel Face to Face with the Magi in Palazzo Medici-Riccardi
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efinitely one of the must-see sights in Florence: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the famous Cappella dei Magi (Chapel of the Three Kings) decorated by Benozzo Gozzoli in 1459-60 as a private place of worship for the Medici family in their newly built palazzo in via Larga (now via Cavour). The chapel is on the piano nobile of the palace, and was one of the first decorations executed after the completion of the edifice by Michelozzo. Gozzoli painted his cycle over three of the walls, the subject being the Journey of the Magi to Bethlehem, a virtually never-ending train of followers surrounds the Three Wise Men on their way to Bethlehem, but the religious theme was a pretext to depict the procession of important people who arrived in Florence in occasion of the Council of Florence (1439). The Medici could boast to have favoured the reconciliation between the Catholic and the Byzantine churches. The luxury of the Byzantine dignitaries is manifest, and shows the impression they would have at the time on the Florentine population. Over a landscape depicted in incredible detail and probably influenced by Early Netherlandish artists (perhaps through tapestries), Gozzoli portrayed the members of the Medici family riding in the foreground of the fresco on the wall at the right of the altar. A young Lorenzo il Magnifico leads the procession on a white horse, followed by his father Piero the Gouty and the family founder, Cosimo. Then come Sigi10
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smondo Pandolfo Malatesta and Galeazzo Maria Sforza, respectively lord of Rimini and Milan: they did not take part in the Council, but were guests of the Medici in Florence in the time the frescoes were painted. After them is a procession of illustrious Florentines, such as the humanists Marsilio Ficino and the Pulci brothers, the members of the Art Guilds and Benozzo himself. The painter can be recognized for he is looking towards the observer and for the scroll on his red hat, reading Opus Benotii. On the following wall, the bearded character on a white horse is the Byzantine emperor John VIII Palaiologos; the three girls next to him have been identified as the three daughters of Piero deâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Medici, Nannina, Bianca and Maria. Finally, on the wall to the left of the altar are Pope Pius II, portrayed as an old man on a mule, preceded by Lorenzoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elder brother, Giuliano, carrying a leopard on his horse. In the same scene can be seen theJoseph, Patriarch of Constantinople and other Byzantine dignitaries, surrounded by exotic animals, such as a lynx and a falcon. Visitors can only enter the chapel in tiny groups that can stay there for seven minutes, during which one cannot help feeling daunted by the several
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hundred square feet of lavishly detailed frescos. But hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the good news: a unique multimedia system has just been installed to complement the visit by helping visitors learn and familiarize with the hidden meanings of the scene and characters before they proceed to the chapel itself. users can interact in a truly natural way with multimedia audio and video contents: visitors can select the language of their choice, navigate information windows, scroll presentations and enter virtual environments all without wearing or handling any kind of device, but simply by pointing their hand in the air towards buttons and spots of interest on a large screen. .The project is called Laboratorio di Lorenzo (Lorenzoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workshop) because it is located in the ground-floor room at the NW corner of the palace inner courtyard which is supposed to have been the splendid chamber of Lorenzo il Magnifico as recorded in the inventory of the property that was compiled on his death in 1492.
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MAgi Chapel palazzo MEdici RIccardi Via Cavour, 3 - 055.2760340
Open 9-19 - Closed on Wednesdays
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itineraries
danteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s florence A walk through
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he heart of medieval Florence starts from one side of Via del Corso and, more specifically, lies between the church of San Martino del Vescovo, the Badia Fiorentina and the Bargello. In the middle of this ancient triangle you can find the site of the 13th century houses of the Alighieri family, according to many documents of the time. Dante Alighieri (Florence, 1265 - Ravenna, 1321) is universally known as the author of the Divine Comedy, a poem that is acknowledged as one of the supreme masterpieces of world literature as well as the literary work that officially gave birth to the Italian language. 14
House of Dante The House of Dante is situated between the little square and Via di Santa Margherita, opposite the Tower of the Castagna and the remains of the Church of San Martino al Vescovo. Although it was built in the first decade of the 20th century, it is undoubtedly one of the most suggestive buildings in the city. Dante was in fact born under the sign of Gemini between the end of May and early June of 1265 right here in the heart of mediaeval Florence and documentary evidence tells us that this was the site of the houses of the Alighieri family. After the Poetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death, his brother Francesco sold part of the house (in 1332) 15
to the Mardolli family, while the rest of the building continued to belong for a few more years to Dante’s sons who, after all the family’s problems, had by then left Florence for some time. The division of the Alighieri houses soon led to them falling into decay. Popular tradition however always remembered and indicated the group of humble and “forgotten” buildings, near the Tower of the Castagna, as having been “the house of Dante” and the birthplace of the Poet. Santa Margherita de’ Cerchi The Church of Santa Margherita dei Cerchi is considered the church of Dante, as it was where the poet married Gemma Donati and, according to tradition, when he was only nine years old, he also met his beloved Beatrice Portinari for the first time. This is where Folco Portinari, Beatrice’s father was buried, as well as the nurse Monna Tessa, whose tombstone however can now be seen in the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova, whose foundation, according to tradition, was inspired by the nurse and then carried out by Folco in her name. In spite of the commemorative plaque, the theory that Beatrice herself was buried here is most unlikely because, as she married into the Bardi family, she was most probably laid to rest in her husband’s family tomb, situated in the Great Cloisters of Santa Croce. The interior 16
of the church contains an altarpiece of the Madonna enthroned with Sts. Lucy, Margaret, Agnes and Catherine of Alexandria by Lorenzo di Bicci above the main altar. Visitors may write letters to Beatrice to ask her to help them with their love lives and leave them in the basket next to her shrine. Badia Fiorentina This area however is dominated in particular by the monumental complex of the Badia Fiorentina. This Benedictine Abbey is the oldest monastery in the city, although much of the structure we can see today, probably built on a design by the great Arnolfo di Cambio, dates from 1285. The Badia Fiorentina was founded in 978 by the Countess Willa, the mother of the legendary Marquis Ugo of Tuscany for whom a high Mass has in fact been celebrated every December 21st from the day he died (1001). The hexagonal bell tower (1330) rises high above the city skyline and replaces its original Romanesque counterpart. Radically transformed in the Baroque period, the interior contains many Renaissance works of art: the monument to Count Ugo of Tuscany (1469-81) by Mino da Fiesole and the Apparition of the Virgin to St. Bernard by Filippino Lippi. The Cloisters of the Aranci created by Bernardo Rossellino can be reached from the sacristy. 17
Exhibitions
The Thirties The Arts in Italy beyond Fascism more at: < www.palazzostrozzi.org >
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n 1930s Italy, during the Fascist era, a very vigorous artistic battle was waged, involving every style and trend, from Classicism to Futurism, from Expressionism to Abstraction, and from monumental art to salon painting. The scene was enriched and complicated by the emergence of design and mass communication—posters, wireless, films—which espoused many ideas from the “fine” arts and conveyed them to a broad public. It was a complex and vital time of experimentation, open to the outside world, the prelude to our modern era. The exhibition will present this decade through a selection of high-quality works, which at the same time offer a historically informed narrative of the time, fully conveying its aesthetic, cul-
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tural and ideological atmosphere. The exhibited materials will include art works, photographs, models. The exhibition opens with a focus on the influential artistic centres, each characterised by a particular style or taste: the Milan group with Sironi and Carrà; Florence, with Soffici, Rosai, Lega and Viani; Bologna, Roma, Turin and Trieste. A whole section is dedicated to the Futurists and abstract avant garde younger painters and sculptors, open to European and international influences. A section focuses on manifestations of public art in its plastic and painterly (muralism) forms, presenting sketches for murals and sculptures intended for public places, reliefs, glass panels and posters. The Contrasts section reflects the clash between modernity
and tradition, culminating in the critical issue of “degenerate art” in Germany, which was reflected in some respects in Italy. Section V is dedicated Design and applied arts, the multiplication of art, mass reproduction, a variety of different household items against a backdrop of modern environments. In the final section, the opening group refers to Florence’s role as the city of the most important and dynamic cultural journals, forming connections between poetry, painting, writing, sculpture and music. On the other hand there is the contrasting, albeit complementary, theme of The Strength of the Province and its Origins, featuring works by Soffici, Rosai, Viani, Romanelli, Marini, Quinto Martini and Manzù. The Modernity Myth relates
The Thirties: The Arts in Italy beyond Fascism palazzo strozzi - Piazza Strozzi 1 055.2645155
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the developments of such an atypical Futurist as Thayaht, and his brother Ram, to ideas for the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renewal as embodied in the two architectural masterpieces
of the new Santa Maria Novella station and the Giovanni Berta stadium. Until January 27th.
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Francis Bacon More at: < www.strozzina.org >
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Francis Bacon and the Existential Condition in Contemporary Art, will be presenting work by contemporary artists who exam today’s existential state of societal mind. Their work explores the kind of questions man asks himself in his relationship with his own interior being, his body and the outside world. At the core of the exhibition are paintings by Francis Bacon (1909-1992), whose work is placed in dialogue with that of five contemporary artists of international renown: Nathalie Djurberg, Adrian Ghenie, Arcangelo Sassolino, Chiharu Shiota and Annegret Soltau. These artists share Bacon’s reflection on man’s existential condition and on the depiction of the human figure. Bacon’s paintings on display are set against a selection of photographic and hardcopy material from the artist’s
Francis Bacon the Existential Condition in Contemporary Art CCCS Strozzina - Palazzo Strozzi Piazza Strozzi 055.2645155
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archive: photo portraits, reproductions of masterpieces of the past, film stills, and pictures from books and magazines. This material, which Bacon used as a working tool when creating his art, is presented in the exhibition thanks to the CCC Strozzinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooperation with the Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, which acquired an authentic and perfectly preserved reconstruction of the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last London workshop in 1998. His mingling of the figurative and the abstract, his bodies transfigured, his reference to autobiographical elements, his use of a variety of different iconographic sources and of tension and isolation as metaphors of manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life can also be found as crucial aspects of in the work of the five contemporary artists that is arranged in a situation of dialogue with Bacon in an effort to trigger an existential reflection on contemporary living. Until January 27th 23
A tribute to Calvino More at: < www.mnaf.it >
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he exhibition proposes a matching between the Alinari photographs and MArseille Tarots, recalling the combinatorial device that Italo Calvino proposes in his collection of short stories The Castle of Crossed Destinies, using them to tell new stories through a combinatorial mechanisms able to generate always different tales. The viewer is given the freedom to build new links between images, perpetuating the same game of association between past and present that takes place in the book. The exhibition showcases original prints and vintage modern reproductions from the original negatives on glass plate that pay homage to the variety and richness of the Alinari production retracing its 160-year history.
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Until January 6th.
A tribute to Calvino Alinari and the syntax of the world MNAF- Museo Nazionale Alinari per la Fotografia Piazza S. M. Novella, 14ar 055.216310
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Florence in the eye of the Artist More at: < www.polomuseale.firenze.it >
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Florence in the eye of the Artist The Gallery of Modern Art palazzo pitti Piazza Pitti 055.2388601
he exhibition will display 49 paintings, all dedicated to views or representations of the city taken from various perspectives: the airy visions of the eighteenth century by Giuseppe Maria Terreni, the romantic works of Giovanni Signorini to the domestic shades of the nineteenth century paintings by Lorenzo Gelati or the representations of glimpses of brightly colored spots in the Old Market by Signorini. Poignant works of the twentieth century as a way to represent the city was renovated giving a starring role to a single monument. A visual path parallel to that event is given to artistic photographs by Antonio Quattrone, who has performed the subject taking in the same places proposed by the paintings, also respecting the cut and the view. Until January 6th.
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The New Frontier More at: < www.unannoadarte.it >
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he year 2012 will mark the fifth centennial of the death of Amerigo Vespucci, one of the discoverers of the American continents and, especially, the one who gave his name to the new lands. Florence commemorates the great navigator, with an exhibition dedicated to the native inhabitants of North America and, in particular, of the lands that European colonists penetrated in their advance westward from the XVII century through the XIX century. The Florence show will open in the Andito degli Angiolini with a historical section that introduces the various phases in the discovery of America and its colonisation; a map will show the locations of the settlements of the major tribes before and after the exodus from their lands. Particular attention will be devoted to the iconographic tokens of the early XX century by great American photographer
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and ethnologist, Edward Curtis who dedicated himself to documenting the civilisation of the Native Americans who were by then risking extinction. The exhibition finds one of its most suggestive locations in the Galleria del Costumeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sala della Meridiana, this location will host the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important section which will have an anthropological perspective, and exhibit artefacts by the various indigenous Nations, both commonly-used and ceremonial objects: the well-known plumed headdresses, pottery, weapons, jewellery of the most varied forms, typologies and materials, splendid clothing made from animal hides and with lively decorations consisting, for the most part, of brightly coloured glass beads, and other articles. This section is accompanied by a rich iconographic apparatus consisting of paintings, sculpture and photography from the XIX century to the early XX century, executed by artists who entered into close contact with the Native Americans, and depicted their everyday life. Until December 9th
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The New Frontier - Culture of the Native Americans Palazzo Pitti - Andito degli Angiolini Galleria del Costume - Piazza Pitti 1 055.2645155
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from Fattori to ‘900 More at: < www.bardinipeyron.it >
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large and valuable collection is on display at Villa Bardini with over 100 paintings by famous authors including Fattori, Signorini, Abbati, Cecconi, D’Ancona, Ghiglia, Ulvi Liege, Llewelyn Lloyd. From the first painting of the Macchiaioli group up to the late from the first half of the twentieth century. The collection, begun by del Greco, and increased significantly by Alexander Olschki Roster, today boasts beautiful works through which you can recall a fascinating journey through the Tuscan of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A fascinating journey tracing the fervor of the battles of the Risorgimento, and walking the landscape and streets of a distant Florence. Until January 6th
da fattori al novecento villa bardini Costa S. Giorgio, 2 055.22638599
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rucellai chapel More at: < www.museomarinomarini.it>
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rucellai chapel special opening museo marino marini Piazza S. Pancrazio - 055 219432
ucellai Chapel the undisputed jewel of the Italian Renaissance will be open as a special event during the whole month of December. The Rucellai Chapel hosted inside the church of S. Pancrazio in Florence, contains the shrine of the Holy Sepulchre designed by Leon Battista Alberti. The small monument was built for the rich merchant Giovanni Rucellai, the shape of the temple is inspired by that of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, reinterpreted in a strictly classical manner. The external decoration of the marble inlays are based on traditional Florentine Romanesque. Now, after the restoration with the support of the Foundation Marini, this important monument will be visible through the opening of a door in the nave of the Marine Museum.
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Heidelberg Market The Weihnachtsmarkt in Florence
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eidelberg, one of Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most charming towns, is once again lending its 500-year-old Heidelberger Weihnachtsmarkt or Christmas market to Florence and, with it, the culture and traditions of its people. This delightful German Christmas market is composed of about forty small wooden huts that host the stalls themselves and enlivened by merry-go-rounds that add a special charm to the beautiful square of Santa Croce. The stalls sell Christmas tree decorations, Nativity Scene figurines, hand-made toys and Christmas pyramid merry-go-rounds, traditional ceramics, typical food products such as spiced wines, beers, wurst and strudel, as well as German Christmas confectionary like Pfefferkuchen, the special Heidelberg honey biscuits and Dresdner Stollen. So... Happy Christmas, or Frohe Weihnacht! November 28th - December 16th.
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Christmas Market in Santa Croce Piazza Santa Croce
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commemoration of ugo di toscana badia fiorentina Via Dante Alighieri, 12
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Hugh the Great or Ugo di Toscana (c.950–December 21st 1001) was Margrave of Tuscany. He is considered the founder of Tuscany and the story of his life is shrouded in legends. A very moral and pious prince, he endowed many religious institutions. He died under rather mysterious circumstances in Pistoia and was secretly brought to Florence to be buried in the Badia Fiorentina. A mass is held here in his memory every year since his death. December 21st.
primo conti’s XX century more at: < www.fondazioneprimoconti.org >
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he exhibition displays thirteen paintings that the Master Primo Conti, one of the biggest names in Italian painting of the XX century, produced between 1915 and 1984, all the works coming from the Foundation Primo Conti. Primo Conti’s XX Century is accompanied by a documentary section and is specifically dedicated to art and design students who will be able to book free guided tours (in hours 10-15). November 13th - 27th
primo conti’s XX Century Palazzo medici-riccardi Via Cavour, 1 - 055.597095
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florence marathon 2012 more at: < www.firenzemarathon.it >
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ign on for the 29th Florence Marathon on Sunday November 25th. It is an international event that involves the entire city! Its fascination lies in its route through the city centre, a route covering 42,195 km surrounded by centuries of art, history and culture. A unique event for the thousands of sportsmen who take part in it every year from all over the world. The event has grown exponentially in recent years, so much that on the past edition has hit a new record of members, with 10,200 runners from 62 countries. Impressive numbers witnessing a growth that is also qualitative, making the Florence Marathon the second Italian marathon, just behind Rome. The race this year will start from Lungarno Pecori Giraldi, goes towards the wide boulevards and soon move to the Cascine Park before crossing the center of the town to head for the triumphant arrival in Piazza Santa Croce. November 25th.
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29th florence marathon Start at Lungarno Pecori Giraldi
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Golf Challenge more at: < www.pontevecchiochallenge.it >
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or the last ten years the most famous golf approach championships have been staged, during the week before Christmas, in the extraordinary setting of the Ponte Vecchio and its river in Florence. The event was first held in 1997 but, since 2006, the Approach Championship of the Ponte Vecchio has effectively became an official sport, with fifteen professionals from as many countries. This year the most exclusive golf course in the world opens again in Florence from December 14th to 16th and its tees on the Ponte Vecchio will be hosting world famous professionals who will all try to beat each other by putting onto the four floating islands on the Arno. December 14th-16th.
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ponte vecchio golf challenge Ponte Vecchio
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Bartolomeo Ammannati
Tuscany Day More at: < www.regione.toscana.it >
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he Feast of the Tuscany is a recent festivity that has been officially held on November 30th since the year 2000. It was introduced to celebrate the ideals of peace, justice and liberty and marks the anniversary of the important Penal Reform Bill or Leopoldine Code, created by Pietro Leopoldo of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany between 1765 and 1790. Among other things, the code, inspired by the theories of Cesare Beccaria, abolished the death penalty for the very first time (November 30th 1786) and ordered that all the gallows in Tuscany be immediately dismantled and destroyed. It was soon copied elsewhere in Europe. Celebrations start in the afternoon with the historic pageant of the Florentine Republic from Palagio di Parte Guelfa to the Tuscan Regional Council in Via Cavour. Here it is joined by the authorities before returning to Piazza Signoria where a bonfire is lit to symbolise death at the stake. Then, at 5pm, all the church bells throughout Tuscany are rung and band music played in the squares. November 30th.
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Classical Music ORT OPENING CONCERT Daniel Kawka direttore, Rachel Kolly D’Alba violino with Orchestra della Toscana. The lyricism of the Second Symphony of Brahms signs the ORT Inauguration Concert, introduced by Third costruction for 4 percussionists by John Cage, the American musician manufacturer of sound materials. It will be followed by Bernstein’s Serenade and Dance from ‘Estansia’, written by the Argentinian Ginastera. 2 November: 21:00 - Teatro Verdi - Via Ghibellina, 99 - Firenze Tomas Netopil Director Tomas Netopil, Soprano Andrea Dankova, Tenor Suren Maksutov, Bariton Daniel Schmutzhard, Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Became a favorite of the Florentine audience thanks to its many appearances, the Czech conductor Tomas Netopil, host of the most famous orchestras in the world, presents a program of great interpreta36
tional effort. It begins with the vast sound fresco of “The Bells” by Rachmaninov, inspired by the same poem by Edgar Allan Poe. 3 November: 20.30 - 3 November: 16.30 - New Florence Opera House Viale Fratelli Rosselli 1 - Firenze ORCHESTRA HAYDN DI BOLZANO E TRENTO Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento with Alain Lombard conductor and Michail Lifits piano will perform Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte; Saint-Saens: Concert n.2 for piano and orchestra op.22; Schumann: Sinphony n.4 op.120 22 November: 21:00 - Teatro Verdi Via Ghibellina, 99 - Firenze TURANDOT Music by Giacomo Puccini, Conductor Zubin Mehta. Puccini died in 1924, before he could complete the Opera: the last scene he wrote was the beautiful moment of Liù’s death. The final was sup-
posed to be the climax of the Opera: the moment in which finally the algid princess Turandot unlocks her heart to love. 27, 28, 29 November, 4, 5 December: 20.30 - 2 December: 15,30 - New Florence Opera House - Viale Fratelli Rosselli 1 - Firenze THE WIZARD OF OZ MaggioDanza and Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino presents a Coreography by Francesco Ventriglia on the Music of Sergej Rachmaninov directed by Nir Kabaretti. Francesco Ventriglia, director of MaggioDanza, created this new version of The Wizard od Oz confirming the interest in the fairytales’ world, already demonstrated by his recent version of Pinocchio for Maggio Kids during Maggio Festival 2011. To conduct our orchestra, Nir Kabaretti, once again cooperating with MaggioDanza. 19, 20, 21 December: 20.30 - 22 December: 18,00 - 23 December: 15,30 - Teatro Comunale - Corso Italia, 16 - Firenze
GIANNI SCHICCHI Music Giacomo Puccini, Conductor Gaetano D’Espinosa. First staged on December 14th 1918 at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, Gianni Schicchi is the last part of Puccini’s triptyc, togheter with Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica, also performed that same night. This edition of Gianni Schicchi stands as an oppotunity for young voices from Maggio Formazione’s courses to show themselves to critics and public, a unique oppotunity for their carreers. 19, 20, 21 December: 22.30 - 22 December: 20,00 - 23 December: 17,30 - Teatro Comunale - Corso Italia, 16 - Firenze Christmas Concert Orchestra della Toscana and Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino directed by Piero Monti performs WEBER Der Freischütz, ouverture and MENDELSSOHN Sinfonia n.2 op.52 ‘Lobgesang’ 24 December: 17:00 - Teatro Verdi - Via Ghibellina, 99 - Firenze 37
Pop Music ENNIO MORRICONE To celebrate ten years of continuous “serial” concerts around the world carried out by Ennio Morricone, this year’s the TEN 2002/2012 tour will stop at the Mandela Forum in Florence. These concerts will be presented with two outstanding orchestras: The Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra, which has often accompanied the maestro around the world, and has been collaborating both live and in the studio, and the extraordinary Philharmonic Orchestra of the RAI (Italian Tv). Even the choirs will be two different formations: the Choir of Verona and the New Lyric Choir and Claudio Casini Symphonic Roman Choir from the University of Tor Vergata. For the Florentine gig you will have the chance to see the Master accompanied by In Florence The Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra and the Chorus of Verona. 3 November - 21.00 - Mandela Forum Viale Paoli
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DRAGONFORCE One of the most acclaimed bands of the international power metal scene, will release their new album “The Power Within” around mid-April. The presentation tour passes from Florence where the english band has thousands of fans. 9 November - 21.00 - Viper Theatre Via Pistoiese / Via Lombardia PETER HOOK AND THE LIGHT play UNKNOWN PLEASURES After more than 30 years from the tragic suicide of Ian Curtis, Joy Division charismatic frontman, Peter Hook (Joy Division and New Order bassist) and his new band the Light will play all the songs of “Unknown Pleasures” and the other cklassic tracks from the mancunian band from “Love will tear us apart“ to “Atmosphere“ to relive for one night the new wave sound that made famous and unforgettable Joy Division. 10 November - 21.00 - Viper Theatre Via Pistoiese / Via Lombardia
BRIT FLOYD The World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Show In less than a year Brit Floyd has been welcomed with open arms by fans all over the world and has been appreciated for the maniacal music playback, note by note, as well as the purest Floydian animation made of screen projections and lightshows: all components that have made of them the best Pink Floyd tribute band in the world. 12 November - 20.45 - Teatro Verdi Via Ghibellina, 99 - Firenze PAOLO CONTE Gong-oh is the new Paolo Conte album and tour. It will be a great chance to listen to the musical heritage of one of the cornerstone authors of Italian and international music, an excuse to be enrolled once again in the magical and elegant atmosphere of his rich voice and his piano. Paolo Contewill be accompanied on stage by a ten elements orchestra. 16, 17 November: 20.45 - Teatro Verdi - Via Ghibellina, 99 - Firenze
MARK LANEGAN BAND One of the most evocative voices the last twenty years, a songwriter coming from the dark depths between rock, folk and blues. The only heir of leonard cohen or neil young, a man whose every performance touches the heart and gives a punch in the stomach at the same time. In his career Mark Lanegan has crossed the ages from being Screaming Trees singer to become an American icon divided between folk and rock songwriting, collaborating with the likes of Isobel Campbell, Queens of the Stone Age up to electronic music with Soulsavers 30 November - 21.00 - Viper Theatre Via Pistoiese / Via Lombardia MY DYING BRIDE Defenders of the gothic-doom metal made in UK are back on the scene with a new album scheduled for release on Peaceville Records in autumn thy will play in Florence as a date in their promotional tour. 11 December - 21.00 - Viper Theatre Via Pistoiese / Via Lombardia 39
folklore
thanksgiving Strange to Europeans
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strange custom/holiday in the eyes of Europeans is Thanksgiving of the United States. This holiday first came into being when the Pilgrims, originally known as the Plymouth settlers, first got to the new land in hopes to make a new life. Little did they realize the drastic changes they would have to face. In reality, the Whites had managed to survive on their own in this different land thanks to the help of a Native American named Squanto. He taught them fishing, how to plant corn and other vegetables, how to catch eel, and also served as their native interpreter. The Pilgrims held a feast, an autumn celebration with tons of food and praising the Lord, directly after their harvest, their first successful harvest. It turned out to be not one day, not two days, but a full three day event. All this started in the year of 1621 in the land now known as Massachusetts. The meaning of Thanksgiving has obviously changed throughout these years past. These years of industry havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t required the average American to harvest their dinner, harvest being their only way of making money. Nowadays we remember the troubles that our ancestors went through but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t truly comprehend the said hardships. With our thriving electronic society our worries have been changed from ones of freezing during the winter to being the best we can possibly be.
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folklore
Silent Night A Christmas in Florence
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mas in Florence is unique for anyone who decides to visit the city at this time of year. Certainly the lights are nothing like as splendid as those in London or New York, but medieval and Renaissance Florence doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really need a huge amount of glitter, when every street, every corner and every house reflects ancient festivities, some long forgotten, some utterly transformed, while others that have survived intact. Even so, hanging strings of glittering lights, snow flakes and garlands illuminate the boulevards until everything is adazzle with light, from the trees and the facades of the great houses to the windows and the squares. The silent candle-lit churches, the Nativity scenes, the deeply religious services and concerts contrast with the bustling streets outside, where every shop window offers tempting and captivating wares that are impossible to resist. 42
Presepe Vs Xmas Tree
You may find it hard to believe but Christmas trees are a relatively recent introduction to Italy, a tradition that gradually crept in during the 20th century from Northern Europe. Nativity scenes are instead a classical Italian institution and range from very simple familymade arrangements to more complex ones, usually to be found in churches. The tradition of setting up a Nativity Scene (presepe or presepio in Italian) is thought to originate from Christmas 1223 when St. Francis of Assisi set up a representation of the Nativity in the town of Greccio. Drop in to admire the beautiful Nativity scenes set up every
year in the Churches of Santa Maria deâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ricci and of Santa Margherita deâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cerchi or of Dante (both in Via Santa Margherita).
Befana Vs Santa Claus
Until recent times Italian children did not receive their presents from Santa Claus at Christmas, but from a benevolent witch called Befana on January 6th. Good children got sweets and other goodies, while naughty children received lumps of coal. Legend has it that the Befana gave hospitality to the Wise Men when they called on their way to Bethlehem, but would not go with them because she was too busy. However on afterthoughts she repented her decision and now spends her time leaving presents at each house she visits, just in case one of the children living there is baby Jesus... 43
gourmet
tuscan olive oil Freshly milled
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ovember marks the harvesting of the olives. It is usually hard and backbreaking work and not helped by the first winter rains and cold north winds. You can volunteer to help if you like...but it is really only enjoyable on sunny days! What is fun is going to watch the oil being milled. This is not as hard as it sounds as the frantoi or oil mills are open to all during the harvest as people gradually bring in varying quantities of olives for milling. Snacks and even meals are often of offer to help clients pass the time while waiting for their oil to be ready, so there
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is no reason why you should not partake of the repast too! Almost every farm in Tuscany boasts an olive grove (many people have a tree or two in their garden for home consumption); some farms even have their own olive press, a guarantee of good oil, as the olives should be milled immediately after picking. Others have to take their olives to the nearest available press for immediate washing and milling. The traditional method for milling olives is by placing them on a large, circular block of granite, where they are crushed by two turning granite wheels. 20 minutes later the olives have been transformed into an oily pulp. This is spread out on round
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mats of woven hemp, each with a hole in the middle, which are stacked on a spindle and placed under an increasing pressure to extract the oil and juice that collects at the base. The first oil is considered superior to that extracted at the end of the process. Waste water and sediments are separated from the oil, either by successive decanting or centrifuge. Olive oil does not improve with age, it simply mellows, and the pungent aroma and the vivid taste of the freshly pressed greenish oil gradually turns golden yellow to acquire a velvety texture. A good extra virgin oil should stay fairly fresh for a year or more if properly stored in cool place. The deliciously tasting Tuscan oil is particularly low in acid content and therefore better for you, though the flavour can vary according to where the olives are grown, climate and so on. It can be peppery, fruity, full-bodied, or mild with underlying scents of grass, artichokes or wild herbs, certainly it should be flavoursome and not just oily. Watch out for wine and oil fairs, especially in the country (Reggello, Calenzano, Barberino Val dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Elsa), in early November. You can taste some excellent and often very reasonably priced oils (taste several to decide which you like best). Dribble it over a slice of Tuscan bread or, better still, toast rubbed with garlic, add some salt and go with the flavour... 46
gourmet
Christmas Delights Panettone, Pandoro, Panforte & Ricciarelli
E
very Italian region cherishes its own traditions in Christmas sweets, although advertising and the large-scale production in the past few decades has levelled out the national standard to but a few: panettone, pandoro, panforte and ricciarelli. None of these recipes originated in fact as Christmas specialities but, over the years (and sometimes centuries), they have come to be associated more or less closely with the Festive Season.
Panettone
The Italian â&#x20AC;&#x153;Panettoneâ&#x20AC;? is the typical Christmas cake that all Italians buy (they rarely make it at home) to celebrate the festivities. Although it originated in Milan, Christmas wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be Christmas for any Italian without his panettone (we could translate it as large loaf and it does in fact rather resemble a loaf of bread). It comes in all shapes and sizes and today in hundreds of variations. The traditional type, made with flour, eggs, butter, vanilla and sugar, is stuffed with raisins and candied fruit. The Florentine version also contains pine nuts and aniseed. It should be well leavened and bulge out over the edge of its paper container.
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Pandoro
The plainer â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pandoroâ&#x20AC;? (Golden bread), from Verona, was created to satisfy those who do not like raisins and candied fruit and should be sprinkled with powered icing sugar so that it appears to be dusted with snow. Now both variations can be found stuffed with creams and flavourings, or covered in chocolate or icing sugar, with new versions appearing in the Christmas windows every year. The Panettone or Pandoro is also a very popular Christmas present: It can make a handy gift for friends and relations, is most appreciated by business acquaintances or staff or just as a thank you present for some past favour. Christmas gift baskets always contain a panettone of some sort.
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Panforte
Panforte is a heavenly mixture of honey, spices, candied fruit and nuts and has the added advantage of keeping for a long time. Its origins go back to the Middle Ages, when, on his return from Arab countries, Niccolò Salimbeni brought some “honey and pepper” loaves back to Siena. The formula has developed as new ingredients became available over the centuries. Today the most popular variety is the panforte Margherita, light in colour and more delicate in taste than most other types, and dusted with confectioner’s sugar. It was created by Enrico Righi in 1879 in homage to Queen Margherita, who visited Siena with her husband King Umberto I for the Palio.
Ricciarelli
Ricciarelli are instead lozenge-shaped biscuits made with whole, freshly crushed almonds blended with sugar and honey. They can be white - with a light coating of confectioner’s sugar - or come frosted with chocolate layer, a more modern version of the original recipe. Renaissance documents describe Ricciarelli as being served at the most sumptuous banquets in Italy and France. Needless to say, if you are flying home for Christmas, any one of these Christmas specialities will certainly make a most welcome present for family and friends! 50
Flavours of Tuscany osteria santo spiritO
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In the heart of the Oltrarno District where you still can breath the ancient Florence of the craftsmen and the thousands workshop, the Florence of the common people and the markets, you can find Osteria Santo Spirito right at the corner of the most famous square of Santo Spirito, a meeting place for all international gourmands, for florentines in love with their city and foreigners discovering the taste of Tuscany possibly in a cosy atmospehere. Take a lunch or dine at the tables overlooking the enchanting Piazza Santo Spirito (the Osteria has a wonderful dehors one of the most fascinating in the city) or in the colourful rooms inside the Osteria. The menu includes typical and traditional Tuscan platters accompanied by some interesting new variations, you can start with land starters such as wildboar sausages and dry tomatoes and go on with rigaotni santo spirito with dry ricotta cheese and maybe close with a mixed meat grill or you can choose the fish menus with sea products always fresh and tasty. The wines and desserts are excellent. Piazza Santo Spirito 16r - 055.2382383 www.osteriasantospirito.it Open daily 12-23.30
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Le Antiche Carrozze (2) Try tasting some of the traditional recipes from the Italian cuisine in this ancient trattoria just off Via Tornabuoni and overlooking Piazza Santa Trinita. The warm and welcoming atmosphere in the recently restructured dining rooms still recall the mid 19th century when this venue was a regular stopping place for carriage drivers. It is the ideal place to discover the real â&#x20AC;&#x153;Florentine Steakâ&#x20AC;? of genuine Chianina meat and perfectly prepared and cooked, as well as taste many other natural and healthy products, like the olive oil, dressed meats, vegetables and cheeses. The menu is based on the simple recipes typical of the local cuisine, but the Chef makes use of his wide experience to fully enhance the freshness and quality of the ingredients. All these traditional flavours in Tuscan cooking are accompanied by excellent pizzas prepared with care and experience. The pizzas boast a truly authentic flavour as they are cooked in a woodburning oven. The best wine to drink with your meal, either selecting it from the important Tuscan labels or from the excellent selection of the best Italian wines. Borgo Santi Apostoli, 66 - 055.2658156 www.leantichecarrozze.it Open daily 11.00-23.00.
he legendary and extremely simple food of Tuscany is the result of centuries of poverty and therefore has been based on salads, legumes, cereals and meat since the Middle Ages. Olive oil is almost always used rather than lard, and vegetable soups rather than pasta. All the food is bread related and of course the main drink is wine that lends colour to every glass. Although the modern trends in food have practically swept away many regional culinary traditions, Tuscany can still boast of an incredible historic continuity in traditional cooking and therefore has managed to preserve dishes that the present research into genuine foods is once more bringing back into the limelight, to the joy of all tastebuds, including those of its foreign visitors. We should remember that most typical Tuscan dishes are linked to particular areas or the various seasons of the year. 53
Pizza Pizza Pizza! Mr. Pizza
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MR. PIZZA in Florence is a universe of delicious appetizers and offers its customers a wide choice of pizza cut, takeaway or home delivery. It ‘s open from morning until late at night to enjoy at any time of day the taste of true Neapolitan tradition. In the true Neapolitan pizza the cheese is soft and pan is thin but high-sided. The peculiarities of Neapolitan pizza is due largely to its pulp to be produced with a bread dough - that is completely devoid of fat - soft and elastic, stretched by hand in the form of a disc without touching the edges that will form in a typical kitchen “ledge “of 1 or 2 cm while the dough at the center will be high about 3 mm. A fast passage in a very hot oven must leave the pizza moist and soft, not overcooked. But at MR PIZZA, not only you can eat pizza awaits but also a large variety of salads, turnovers, croquettes, pretzels, washed down with a good selection of craft beers and more. EVERYTHING TO GO & DELIVERY Via Pietrapiana 82r - 055.3860311 www.pizzerianapoletanamrpizza-firenze.com
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ostaria dei centopoveri (2) Ostaria dei Centopoveri is located in the historic centre of Florence, in via del Palazzuolo just steps away from Santa Maria Novella. Take a romantic walk through the ancient streets of the Santa Maria Novella neighborhood to discover this delicious restaurant and pizzeria. Its name is very old and comes from time when the nobility offered one hundred poor people a free meal on the last day of Carnival at the Church of San Francesco. Today the Ostariaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s menu is typically Tuscan, like the interior with its terracotta floors and wood-panelled ceilings, and the white ceramic tiles covering the counter. Ribollita and pappa al pomodoro top the menu, together with ricotta and spinach tortelli with Boletus mushrooms, sliced or grilled steaks or, alternatively, really fresh fish. The Restaurant has doubled itself adding a new area for Pizzeria, a most modern environment where dark wooden panels elegantly counteract to the white and orange elements of the room: from the chairs designed by Philippe Stark to the plain minimal curtains and the informal table clothes and coloured glasses. The wine list Regional and Italian wines.
izzas come in thousands of variations and are certainly not just round pieces of flat dough with a little tomato and cheese slapped on top! If you prefer your pizza simple make sure that the ingredients are really fresh and that the mozzarella cheese is of the buffalo variety, by far the best! A good pizza should also be baked in a proper wood burning oven to acquire just that perfect aroma and flavour desired by the true connoisseur! Pizzas can come thick and puffy, or thin and crunchy, and should overflow with flavoursome toppings. Easily digested, they are a complete meal and a popular excuse for a gettogether among friends and, eaten in pleasant surroundings they taste even better.
Via del Palazzuolo corner with Via del Porcellana 055.218846 - www.centopoveri.it Open daily 12.00-15.00 & 19.00-24.00 55
gelaterie gelateria della passera (1)
Piazza della Passera Via Toscanella,15r 055.291882 Open 12pm-12am (1)
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This delightful gelateria in tiny and characteristic Piazza della Passera serves delicious handmade ice creams that are made only with the freshest ingredients coming directly from local producers. The gelateria offers a select number of flavours, all freshly made every day. Try fior di panna with mint, served with fresh sprigs of mint, the mouth-watering sorbets, the innovative Mojito Ices or the Tine or Mango Ices: are all delicious. The pleasant lady owner takes pride in her ice cream, while offering a friendly service. From November 22nd Gelateria della Passera reopens with new delicious proposals, on a weekly basis you will be able to find flavors that recall the scent of tea and spices. Try the new “Profumi d’oriente” (scent of the East) with fresh ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, saffron and a splash of lemon, which has digestive and antiseptic properties or “Carezze” (caresses) with almond milk, chamomile and honey sweet and velvety just enough to cherish you like a warm blanket in winter. The taste “Incantesimo” (spell) with karkadè, balm, linden and lime, characteristically relaxing, and in December you can enjoy “Diospero” (from the greek food of the gods) a seasonal taste made of persimmon with the addition of clementine, mandarin oranges and pomegranate.
Nightlife pitta m’ingolli
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The colorful and lively scene of Piazza Santo Spirito has just enriched with a new venue: a rustic style, charming bistrot, reminiscent of some French Bar au Vin. Freshly inaugurated, PITTA M’INGOLLI, which is Lucchese dialect for “may devil swallow you”, is just a few steps from the famous Osteria Santo Spirito, also owned by Chiara Tassi. Open from morning to late night, starts with the breakfast, butr stands out for a wide variety of sandwiches with cold cuts (ham, mortadella, finocchiona) cheese (goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, gorgonzola, honey and nuts) to fish specialities (butter and anchovies, salmon and arugula) combined with various sauces (tuna, tartare, mushroom sauce, walnuts, truffle) focaccia, baguette, various drinks, milkshakes, centrifugal fresh fruit, coffee for only 80 cents. and appetizers for 5 euro. Interior is coated in warm wood, with high stools and newspapers. Piazza S. Spirito, 17r 055.264256 Open daily 6.30am - 2.00am
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salamanca
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With an entrance sunken in slightly from the street-front windows and doors, Salamanca draws you in almost seductively with its muted and rustic reds, cursive lettering above the door and calm dim lighting. Upon entering, a beautiful and engaging staff allows you to be guided wherever you choose to enjoy this intriguing bar and restaurant. You may enjoy a meal in one of the three dining rooms, including a more intimately themed one in the back. Or for a more casual evening, quaint two seater tables off to the right, a variety of tables in the front room to the left, a tapas bar in the back, or a traditional bar in the very front. With a full menu from tapas to meat meals, wonderful fish dishes to salads, amazingly decadent desserts and delicious drinks, the food alone entices any restaurant goer. With its atmosphere, its upbeat American and Spanish mix of music, wonderful staff, entrancing ambience, leaving Salamanca seems like not an option. Via Ghibellina, 80r 055.2345452 Open Daily 5.30pm - 2.30am
peritif comes from the Latin word â&#x20AC;&#x153;aperireâ&#x20AC;?, to open. You should remember that traditionally, Italians do not drink in order to get drunk: rather, alcohol fulfils a complementary role in the dining process. An aperitif is meant to cleanse your palate and whet your appetite for the upcoming meal. The typically French and Italian rite of aperitif offers a taste of la bonne vie for those who enjoy nothing more than raising a glass in the company of friends. Many bars in Florence now offer a sophisticated choice of finger foods and snacks to accompany your aperitif. Arrive between 7pm and 9pm, buy yourself a drink and you can expect to stock up for free on a good spread of complimentary nibbles. Even the music mix is also specially chosen with smooth, soothing sounds providing a suitable backdrop for a relaxed chat among friends. 59
Wellness palestra ricciardi (1) Founded 50 years ago, Palestra Ricciardi is the biggest gym in the Florence downtown, known as the coolest gym in town combining experienced staff with the most modern equipment. You can improve your physique in a pleasant and dynamic environment spread over a surface of 1600 sqm surrounding a lovely internal garden. The space devoted to your training is composed of several areas which include: the cardio fitness area, the free weights area, rooms for isotonic equipment, two rooms for classes and the spinning room. After a hard training session you can choose to relax in a sauna or with a massage session. The gym offers 81 hours of classes weekly: Total Body Workout, Step, Spinning, Easy Dance, Corpo Libero, Yoga, Hip Hop, Power Pump, Body Sculpt, Pilates, Fit Box, Stretching, Gag, Soft Gymnastic, Capoeira. Personalised fitness programmes and fully qualified instructors. Special membership fees for students.
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Borgo Pinti, 75 055.2478444 www.palestraricciardi.it
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re you a step machine addict or dreaming of perfect muscles? Or have you just arrived in town and need to find a gym (possibly within walking distance) in the city centre? There are an infinite number of gymnasiums. It is worth hunting up one with the facilities you require nearest to your digs. Many also do courses in yoga or the martial arts pilates to FIt box or Capoeria (a brazilian way between a martial art and a dancing) or have a gymnasium attached. And obviously most of these gyms offer special relaxing areas with sauna, massages or spa. Florence also boasts many dance and ballet schools, though of course you have to select the type of dance course you prefer. Start looking for your ideal gym from our tips.
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