16 minute read

DISCOVER AND ENJOY

JEFF KOONS. Shine CONTEMPORARY ART at Palazzo Strozzi • until 30 January 2022

Francesco Vezzoli in Florence SITE-SPECIFIC

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at Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio • until 2 February 2022

Harlem Gospel Choir MUSIC at Teatro Verdi • 17 December

JENNY SAVILLE CONTEMPORARY ART

Several locations • until 20 February 2022

SETA FASHION

at Museo Salvatore Ferragamo • until 18 April 2022

“Benozzo Gozzoli e la Cappella dei Magi” EXHIBITION

at Palazzo Medici Riccardi • 16 December 2021 – 10 March 2022

COMING SOON Donatello, il Rinascimento ART

at Palazzo Strozzi-Museo Nazionale del Bargello • 19 March-31 July 2022

SPECIAL

DANTE 2021 HISTORY AND ART at Santa Croce and out of town: Anghiari, Castiglion Fiorentino and Montespertoli

... and more about the Secrets Tours at Palazzo Vecchio, the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, the new layout of the Gallerie dell’Accademia and the Museo Galileo.

DISCOVER AND ENJOY

Permanent and temporary exhibitions in Florence are back to welcome visitors after difficult months: go and discover the traces of the Italian Renaissance and the great figure of Dante, whose 700th anniversary of his death is being celebrated this year.

PH © ELA BIALKOWSKA OKNOSTUDIO

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PH © ELA BIALKOWSKA OKNOSTUDIO

PALAZZO STROZZI, UNTIL 30 JANUARY 2022

THE SPECTATOR AT THE CENTRE OF ART

CONTEMPORARY ART A new major exhibition dedicated to Jeff Koons, one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary art, who has revolutionised the art system from the 1970s to the present day. The works recount 40 years of the American artist’s career and place the viewer at the centre of his surroundings. “Shine” is the key word on which the exhibition is built, in a game of ambiguity between splendour and glow, being and appearing. On display, the famous sculptures in perfectly polished metal replicating luxury objects, such as the “Baccarat Crystal Set” or the iconic inflatable toys such as the famous “Rabbit” and “Balloon Dog” (Red), through to the re-interpretation of pop culture characters such as the “Hulk”, or the re-invention of the idea of ready-made using everyday objects such as “One Ball Total Equilibrium Tank”.

JEFF KOONS. Shine

Palazzo Strozzi, Piazza degli Strozzi. www.palazzostrozzi.org

Francesco Vezzoli, “La musa dell’archeologia piange” (2021), in the Studiolo di Francesco I de’ Medici at Palazzo Vecchio

PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA - PALAZZO VECCHIO UNTIL 2 FEBRUARY 2022

UNEXPECTING MUSES IN THE CITY

SITE-SPECIFIC After the interventions of Jan Fabre, Urs Fisher and Jeff Koons and the presentation of a work by Giuseppe Penone, with Francesco Vezzoli Piazza della Signoria once again becomes the fulcrum of contemporary art. Vezzoli is the first living Italian artist to create a site-specific work for Piazza della Signoria: a monumental twentieth-century lion rampant crushes a Roman head from the second century AD in its jaws; a second sculpture is positioned inside the Studiolo di Francesco I de’ Medici in Palazzo Vecchio, a precious treasure chest full of mysterious suggestions. Two works that recreate a surreal world made of archaeology and fantasy, memory and invention.

Francesco Vezzoli in Florence

Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio (Studiolo di Francesco I). musefirenze.it

PHOTOS © ELA BIALKOWSKA OKNOSTUDIO

TEATRO VERDI, 17 DECEMBER

GOSPEL NIGHT

CONCERT It is America’s most famous gospel choir and one of the most famous in the world, made up of the best musicians from the black churches of Harlem and New York. It has sung for two popes and three presidents, and collaborated with many music stars, from Bono to Keith Richards, from Ben Harper to Diana Ross. For Christmas the Harlem Gospel Choir returns to the Florentine stage with an evening at the Teatro Verdi as part of the “Black Where We Belong Tour”: the setlist includes the traditional repertoire from “Oh Happy Day” to “Amazing Grace”, with forays into jazz, blues, pop and rock.

“Black Where We Belong Tour”. Harlem Gospel Choir

Teatro Verdi. Via Ghibellina, 99. www.teatroverdifirenze.it

SEVERAL LOCATIONS, UNTIL 20 FEBRUARY 2022 JENNY SAVILLE MEETS MICHELANGELO

CONTEMPORARY ART Enormous depictions of naked female bodies, portrayed posed on stools or lying down, displaying provocative sexual forms: these are the themes that the young English artist Jenny Saville uses to confront the great masters of the Italian Renaissance, particularly Michelangelo. In various locations in the city, Saville represents a contemporary humanism that puts the female figure, crushed by the weight of existence, back at the centre of the story. In the rooms of the Museo del Novecento, as in the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio, in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo as in the Pinacoteca of the Museo degli Innocenti and in Casa Buonarroti.

JENNY SAVILLE. Several locations. www.museonovecento.it

PALAZZO VECCHIO DISCOVERING THE SECRETS OF FLORENCE

Percorsi Segreti.

Palazzo Vecchio, Salone dei Cinquecento, Studiolo di Francesco I. musefirenze.it/attivita/ percorsi-segreti/ EXPERIENCE Guided tours of Palazzo Vecchio allow you to visit a series of particularly precious rooms, including the staircase built at the behest of Gualtieri di Brienne and carved into the thickness of the wall, the Studiolo di Francesco I de’ Medici, a refined treasure chest “of rare and precious things”, and the Scrittoio of his father Cosimo I (better known as the “Tesoretto”), and finally the imposing truss structure that supports the coffered ceiling of the Salone dei Cinquecento.

IVORY MASTERPIECES

Sala degli Avori.

Museo Nazionale del Bargello. Via del Proconsolo, 4. www.bargellomusei. beniculturali.it SCULPTURE Rethinking the exhibition itinerary, improving conservation methods and enhancing the works on display: this was the aim of the complete renovation of the Sala degli Avori in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, which alone covers a time span of fifteen centuries, from rare Etruscan and Roman objects to 19th century artefacts. This is undoubtedly a collection that in terms of the abundance and prestige can be considered in line with some of the great European museums, such as the South Kensington Museum in London and the Musée de Cluny in Paris.

© ANTONIO VISCIDO PHOTOS

FIRENZECARD

www.firenzecard.it

“Firenzecard” costs €85 and allows access to 60 museums and is valid for 72 hours from the initial entry to a museum on the Circuit. It can be purchased online or from one of the authorised sales points in Florence. Firenzecard includes: • 1 entry ticket + 1 exhibition supplement + 1 priority ticket for each museum on the Firenzecard circuit • Priority access to museums without booking, except for the Dome, Galleria degli Uffizi and Galleria dell’Accademia, where the booking is required but free. • When purchasing the Firenzecard, you can add “Firenzecard+” to use the city’s public transport (Ataf &Line buses and tramway) and the dedicated commercial offers. Firenzecard+ is valid for 72 hours from the first validation. • Finally, with “Firenzecard Restart” you will be able to visit the museums of the circuit that you didn’t manage to see on your first visit to Florence; you will be able to add another 48 effective hours to your expired FirenzeCard.

PALAZZO STROZZI-MUSEO NAZIONALE DEL BARGELLO, 19 MARCH-31 JULY 2022

CELEBRATING DONATELLO

COMING SOON

EXHIBITION Coming next spring to Florence, this exhibition dedicated to Donatello aims to reconstruct the extraordinary career of one of the most important and influential masters of Italian art of all time, also comparing it with masterpieces by artists such as Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Andrea Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini, Raphael and Michelangelo. The project was conceived as a celebration of Donatello in dialogue with museums, collections and institutions in Florence and throughout Italy, as well as through fundamental international collaborations, broadening the reflection on the materials, techniques and genres of his universe.

>> In the following months the exhibition will move to the Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst in Berlin (autumn 2022) and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (spring 2023).

“Donatello, il Rinascimento”

Palazzo Strozzi-Museo Nazionale del Bargello. www.bargellomusei. beniculturali.it

MUSEO SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, UNTIL 18 APRIL 2022 ▲ A WUNDERKAMMER OF SILK PRINTS

BY FERRAGAMO

FASHION Until 1950, the Ferragamo name was synonymous with women’s footwear. The brand’s founder, Salvatore, dreamed of transforming his internationally renowned brand into a fashion label that dressed a woman from head to toe. And his dream came true: it was one of his daughters, Fulvia, who launched in the 1970s the continuous production of women’s and men’s silk accessories with personalized patterns characterized by exclusive decorative subjects, especially flowers and exotic animals. This creative world overflows with inspirational references, from oriental art to twentieth-century paintings or ancient tomes on botany. At the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo you can explore the universe of printed fabrics, ties and scarves combined with the sources of inspiration for each motif - whether it be a book, a painting, vase or sculpture.

SETA. Museo Salvatore Ferragamo. Palazzo Spini Feroni. www.ferragamo.com

PALAZZO MEDICI RICCARDI, 16 DECEMBER 2021-10 MARCH 2022

BENOZZO GOZZOLI AND THE MAGI CHAPEL

EXHIBITION An exhibition dedicated to the Renaissance master Benozzo Gozzoli and his relationship with Florence and Tuscany. With a particular focus on the painting of the Chapel, the exhibition ranges from original works to multimedia creations that allow us to explore his pictorial evidence in the city, through his intense relationship with the Medici family.

“Benozzo Gozzoli e la Cappella dei Magi”

Palazzo Medici Riccardi. musefirenze.it

MASSIMO SESTINI © PH

NEWS FROM THE “DAVID” MUSEUM

COLLECTION A new layout has marked the reopening of the Galleria dell’Accademia in recent weeks: from the Gipsoteca to the Sala del Colosso, from the Sale Bizantine to the Dipartimento degli Strumenti Musicali. Six hundred works have found a new location in the museum with the largest number of Michelangelo’s sculptures in the world, in particular the ones placed along a path that accompanies the visitor to Michelangelo’s “David”. Work will continue in the coming months to make the vast Florentine collection of masterpieces of painting, sculpture and musical instruments even more attractive.

Galleria dell’Accademia. Via Ricasoli, 58/60. www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.it

FROM GALILEO TOWARDS THE MODERN SCIENCE

Museo Galileo

Piazza dei Giudici, 1. www.museogalileo.it SCIENCE Don’t miss a visit to the Museo Galileo, an extraordinary collection of scientific instruments collected over nearly three centuries by the Medici and Lorraine families, including the only original telescopes by Galileo Galilei in the world. This is a precious testimony to the progressive improvement of observation and measurement instruments that favoured the enormous advancement of scientific knowledge in the 16th and 17th centuries, a decisive contribution to the affirmation of modern science.

Santa Maria Novella

DANTE 2021

Celebrating Dante Alighieri, the father of the Italian language, also means celebrating the symbol that tells of Italy to the world, of its humanism and its identity made of beauty and warm hospitality. To commemorate the 700th anniversary of his death, a full calendar of initiatives has been created involving the three cities associated with Dante (Ravenna, Verona and Florence) and several locations in Tuscany. The programme of events will reach its culmination with the inauguration of the Museum of the Italian Language at Santa Maria Novella. The main sites in Florence that will host the events will include the Uffizi Galleries, the theatre of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the University of Florence, the Accademia della Crusca, the Galileo Museum, the Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli, the Bargello and the Casa di Dante Museum. For info: www.700dantefirenze.it

SANTA CROCE,UNTIL 10 JANUARY 2022

NARRATING DANTE’S DIVINE COMEDY

The monumental complex of Santa Croce is hosting a new cultural project that aims to update the iconic engravings of Gustave Dorè – French engraver considered one of the greatest illustrators of Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy” - by carrying out an original re-reading of his legacy. A multimedia event based on high-definition projections that aims not only to “explain” the Divine Comedy but also to “narrate” Dante and the relevance of his universal message. It is in Santa Croce, Dante’s place par excellence, that this initiative intends to reconcile the figure of the Supreme Poet with his native city. The artistic expression of the exhibition’s creator, Felice Limosani, aims to make Dante’s message even more alive and relevant, through an approach that combines humanistic disciplines with digital technologies (Digital Humanities).

DANTE. Il Poeta Eterno by Felice Limosani

Complesso Monumentale di Santa Croce www.santacroceopera.it

WHO IS DANTE?

Poet, man of letters, politician, philosopher and theologian, Dante Alighieri (Florence 1265-Ravenna 1321) is a pillar of European and world literature and represents an entire culture. His “Divine Comedy”, which for centuries has been considered the greatest work written in the Italian language and one of the masterpieces of world literature, describes a journey into the afterlife, witnessing first-hand the dramas and suffering of the damned, the punishments to which they are subjected and the glories they have earned. A journey into history and mankind, filled with emotions, hopes and eternal feelings.

OUT OF FLORENCE

A new five-year project to enhance Tuscany’s artistic heritage, “Terre degli Uffizi”, debuts with a number of exhibitions in the area around Florence as part of the celebrations for the 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri's death.

ANGHIARI (AREZZO) - MUSEO DELLA BATTAGLIA DI ANGHIARI, UNTIL 6 JANUARY 2022

EXHIBITION: “LA CIVILTÀ DELLE ARMI E LE CORTI DEL RINASCIMENTO”

In the Renaissance, city and suburbs were inextricably linked. In particular, the town of Anghiari during the 15th century provided loyal men-at-arms to various lordly armies in the city: characters who were committed to transforming themselves from knights and soldiers into men of court and culture.

MONTESPERTOLI (FLORENCE) – MUSEO ARTE SACRA DI SAN PIERO IN MERCATO, UNTIL 6 JANUARY 2022 ▼ EXHIBITION: “PITTORI GIOTTESCHI

IN VALDELSA”

Among the various 14th-century panels in the rectory of Montespertoli is a small “Madonna and Child” attributed to the Giotto painter Lippo di Bieniveni; this is compared with a similar work in the Uffizi Gallery in order to highlight how widespread Giotto’s style was throughout the Valdelsa, an area populated by masters who received Giotto’s teachings at close quarters.

CASTIGLION FIORENTINO (AREZZO) - PINACOTECA UNTIL 6 JANUARY 2022 ► EXHIBITION: “L’ULTIMO SIGILLO”

The exhibition focuses on the figure of St Francis of Assisi, whose Sanctuary of La Verna, near Castiglion Fiorentino, is one of the most celebrated places in Christianity.

2022 EVENTS IN ITALY

JANUARY

14-18/1 | Milan | Milano Moda Uomo. www.milanomodauomo.it 20-23/1 | Cortina d’Ampezzo (Veneto) | Alpine World Ski Championship. www.fis-ski.com 30/1 | Val di Fassa (Trentino-Alto Adige) | 49th Marcialonga Skimarathon. www.marcialonga.it

FEBRUARY

6-27/2 | Viareggio (Tuscany) | Carnevale di Viareggio. viareggio.ilcarnevale.com 12/2 -1/3 | Venice | Carnevale di Venezia. www.carnevale.venezia.it 22-28/2 | Milan | Milano Moda Donna. www.milanomodadonna.it

MARCH

End of March | Several locations | Spring Days FAI. www.giornatefai.it 27/3| Rome | Run Rome The Marathon. www.runromethemarathon.com

APRIL

1-3/4 | Milan | Miart www.miart.it 5-10/4 | Milan | Salone del Mobile. Milano. www.salonemilano.it Mid-April | Milan | Milano Art Week. milanoartweek.comune.milano.it 10-13/4 | Verona | Vinitaly. www.vinitaly.com 23/4-27/11 | Venice | Biennale Arte 2022 (59th edition). www.labiennale.org 27/4-1/5 | Milan | MIA Fair (105th edition). www.miafair.it

MAY

2-15/5 | Rome | Tennis. Internazionali BNL d’Italia. www.internazionalibnlditalia.com 6-29/5 | Several locations in Italy | Giro d’Italia (105th edition). www.giroditalia.it Mid-May | Brescia-Rome-Brescia | Mille Miglia 2022. www.1000miglia.it 28/5-5/6 | Venice | Salone Nautico Venezia. www.salonenautico.venezia.it End of May | Mugello (Tuscany) | Moto GP. Gran Premio d’Italia. www.motogp.com

2022 EVENTS IN ITALY

JUNE

16-19/6 | Milan and Monza | Milano Monza Motor Show 2022. www.milanomonza.com 17-21/6 | Milan | Milano Moda Uomo. www.milanomodauomo.it 17/6-4/9| Verona | Arena di Verona 99th Opera Festival. www.arena.it 20-23/6 | Verona | Vinitaly (54th edition). www.vinitaly.com

JULY

3/7 | Siena | Palio. www.ilpalio.org 8-17/7 | Perugia | Umbria Jazz. www.umbriajazz.it 16/7 | Venice | Festa del Redentore. venice.whereitalia.com

AUGUST

16/8 | Siena | Palio dell’Assunta. www.ilpalio.org

SEPTEMBER

1-11/9 | Venice | International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art. www.labiennale.org 11/9 | Monza (Milan) | Formula 1. Italian Grand Prix. www.formula1.com 16-19/9 | Terni | Umbria Jazz. www.umbriajazz.it 17-25/9 | Venice | The Venice Glass Week. www.theveniceglassweek.com 20-26/9 | Milan | Milano Moda Donna. www.cameramoda.it 21-27/9 | Milan | Milano Moda Donna. www.cameramoda.it

OCTOBER

1-6/10 | Genoa | International Boat Show. www.salonenautico.com 8/10– 6/12 | Alba (Piedmont) | International Alba White Truffle Fair. www.fieradeltartufo.org 9/10 | Trieste | Barcolana. www.barcolana.it 14-23/10 | Perugia | Eurochocolate. www.eurochocolate.com

NOVEMBER

Mid-November | Milan | BookCity Milano. bookcitymilano.it and Music Week. www.milanomusicweek.it 21/11 | Venice | Festa della Salute. venice.whereitalia.com

DECEMBER

7/12| Milan | Teatro alla Scala – Opening of the Opera Season. www.teatroallascala.org

[ WELCOME TO ITALIA ] Dream experiences

To discover the beauties of the city or to try out special experiences, Welcome to Italia offers you some unmissable opportunities. Choose whether to take part in exclusive city tours or book the experience you’ve been dreaming: www.welcometoitalia.com

ALL ABOUT FLORENCE!

You will have the opportunity to enjoy a guided tour of the Accademia Gallery and the Uffizi and to walk around the city center.

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TOP MUSEUM TOUR

Visit the two most important museums in Florence which host some of the greatest art pieces of the Italian history. The guided tours include the skip the line tickets.

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[ WELCOME TO ITALIA ] Dream experiences

FLORENCE BY NIGHT PRIVATE EXPERIENCE

Explore the city center with a private tour: you can enjoy a pleasant walk with an expert guide.

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EXCLUSIVE TOUR AT THE ACCADEMIA

Don’t miss an original tour discovering the stories of the “David” by Michelangelo.

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DUOMO SMART PRIVATE TOUR

Enter the fascinating church of Santa Maria del Fiore with skip the line access. One hour tour with a private guide.

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[ WELCOME TO ITALIA ] Dream experiences

THE SPECIAL ONES

MARKET TOUR AND TUSCAN COOKING EXPERIENCE

Let’s visit the Sant’Ambrogio Market with a chefguide and buy all the necessary for a cooking class. Enjoy your meal with a wine tasting.

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SPECIAL HUNT FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN

Learn about Florence’s past in a fun and entertaining way in an intriguing quiz and animal art hunt. Two itineraries are available: Medieval and Renaissance.

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