Florence Magazine - EN

Photo credits: Svebor Karaman

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SPRING 2013

english

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editorial Ears be very bold, Count not on to-morrow: Let both young and old, Lads and lassies, borrow Joy and banish sorrow.

Doleful thoughts and grey: Let who will be gay, To-morrow, none can tell.

Lads and lassies all, Love and Bacchus Hail!

Dance and song befall!

Pain and sadness fail!

Tender hearts prevail, Happen then what may!

Let who will be gay, To-morrow, none can tell.

Lorenzo the Magnificent

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Mago Merlino Tea House

Matteo

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Palmieri 21/R - Firenz

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CONTENT Director: Massimo Tonietti m.tonietti@iovo.it mob. +39 327 5303110; Executive Director: Yan Blusseau yanblusseau@gmail.com +39 3298756349; Graphic project: Alexandra Barbieri alexlabor@alice.it; Webmaster: Svebor Karaman.

Reviewers: Elisabeth Beretta Julianne Homola Lauren Mac Laughlin, Museo dei Ragazzi, Pierre Gouttenoire, Yasmine Hassani add on i.ovo Arte e Cultura Contemporanea n°023 aprile 2012 aut. trib. n. 5825 del 15/03/2011.

Editor in charge: Nardini Press srl. distribuzione gratuita Press: Nuova Grafica Fiorentina, Via Ambrogio Traversari n°64/r, 50126 Firenze www.florence-magazine.com/en

nightlife 06 The Night is Young

at Twice and Crisco spring 08 Top 5 Green Spaces

in Florence wine not

16 we all scream for… gelato!

18 Laura Battiferra

EROS 20 Saint Sebastian:

12 The Grand DuchY

of Tuscany and the Chocolate Way !

02 04 07 09

an erotic saint info

10 wine not?

CULTURE

a Poetess in Florence

24 florence museums 26 What How Where 28 PHoto ALBUM 32 florence map

recommends miostore - design mago merlino - tea house dublin pub - irish pub design etc. - accessories design

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secret - trendy clothes the diner - best burgers all’antico vinaio - best schiacciata osteria dell’antico vinaio - tavern

Florence Magazine| 5

Night

The TWICE CLUB

The Night is Young at Twice and Crisco Twice

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For several years now, Twice has been heating-up Florentine nightlife. Twice is the “easy” choice, the club everyone has to try... more than once. But its name actually comes from its two bars; one in the lounge area, the other right in front of the dance floor. While its crowd is made up of many Anglo-Saxons (mostly students), Florentines haven’t turned up their noses at this obvious pick! Twenty-years-olds and thirtysomethings, as well as Italians and foreigners, mix it up on a crowded and colorful dance floor. Located in the city center, a few blocks away from Piazza Santa Croce, Twice is easy to access and offers the fun and youthfulness of a nightclub with the classy atmosphere of a lounge.

You’ll be served your favorite drinks by a friendly and competent staff, it’s welcoming spot to start your party tour of Florence, dance the night away to mainstream house and

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Florence Magazine

pop music (David Guetta, Pitbull, Rihanna, Swedish House Mafia...) and socialize with the locals in an international environment while savoring a cocktail. Twice is open every night (from 11 p.m. to 3 or 4 a.m.), no cover charge. Each night has a theme, from “Skyy is the Limit” to “Delicious Friday”, however we advise to go on the weekend in order to find a larger crowd. Dress code is casual. For more info check-out their website: www.twiceclub.com Phone: 055 24 76 356 For reservations call 348 47 72 096 or email info@twiceclub.com

Crisco

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If you want to try a whole other scene, Crisco is the one for you. A “men only” gay club on weekdays, Crisco opens it doors to the straight crowd on weekends. Set in the heart of the city center, close to hospital Santa Maria Nuova, this club offers an alternative to the commercial

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clubs of the Florentine movida.

Crisco opens rather early at night, but the party really starts around 1 a.m. The space is small but the ambience gets heavily caliente and the party goes on all night! The gogo dancers are eye candy for both genders and the staff is absolutely adorable. However, be warned that the required membership card costs 20€ since Crisco is a private club (a status that allows, for instance, alcohol to be served late at night – a no-no in other nightclubs). Also, the club permits smoking inside, there’s a “dark room” and gay porn on the TV screens, making it a particular club that may not be for everyone. A “must try” for Saturday nights!

Open on Wed., Thu., Frid. for men only (10.30 pm - 3 am) and on Sat. for everyone (11 pm - 4 am). Info (+39) 339 723 0615 and check www. criscoclub.it.

Elisabeth Beretta

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Spring

Photo credits: Blandine Ravaux

Top 5 Green Spaces in Florence

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nside historic Florence it’s easy to get lost in the stone maze of streets and piazzas. Sometimes it can feel like you go days without seeing nature aside from the occasional pigeon in Piazza Duomo (which doesn’t count). However, hidden within Florence there are secret (and not so secret) spaces that can soothe even the most avid nature enthusiast.

Cascine Park

When I think of great green spaces in Florence, I can’t get the Cascine Park out of my mind. Far from a quiet space, the Cascine Park is alive with joggers year ‘round, dogs running about and families teaching their children how to bicycle. They host traveling carnivals and festivals regularly because of the vast open space and proximity to the tramline. This would be the number one spot to picnic along the Arno.

Boboli Gardens

If the Cascine Park is wild and active, the Boboli Gardens are just the opposite. If I were to describe the Boboli Gardens in two words I 8|

Florence Magazine

would call them a ‘manicured mystery’. With high winding hedges and pockets of artwork dispersed amongst the garden, you can always stumble onto something new inside its walls. In warm weather you’ll find visitors camped out with their books or art projects.

are in bloom. The garden boasts a very distinct French influence not only in the types of flowers planted here but also in its layout. More often than not there are people playing football on the green and families relaxing in the shade, away from the noisy city center.

Iris Garden

Botanical Gardens

If you ever had the desire to see over 2,500 varieties of irises, look no further than the outstanding Iris Garden. Florence’s love affair with the iris goes back hundreds of years; the iris (giglio) is the official symbol of the city and was stamped on their gold florins. Take a stroll through this garden on a warm May day and you will understand the obsession. The entrance to the garden is from Piazzale Michelangelo.

Giardino dell’Orticoltura

1.9 km from Piazza del Duomo.

Designed by Giuseppe Poggi this hillside garden is breathtaking in late spring when all the flowers

Created by Cosimo I de’ Medici, the Giadino dei Semplici is reputed to be Europe’s third oldest garden.

Like most botanical gardens, this garden was planted with a focus on medical flora, however the garden soon turned towards “experimental agriculture”. If you ever need a healthy dose of trees look no further than the Botanical Garden.

Julianne Homola

Cascine Park Boboli Gardens Iris Garden Giardino dell’Orticoltura Botanical Gardens

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Design etc.

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Design etc, is located in one of the most typical streets of Florence, a few steps from piazza della signoria, in a historical environment.

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www.designetcfirenze.it - Info@designetcfirenze.it - Via dei cerchi 13r - firenze - Tel 055 268302

Wines

LifeiSgrape intus cany Pierre Gouttenoire florence Tuscan Wine School co-founder www.tuscanwineschool.com Find it on the map!

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ost of the Tuscan quality vineyards are to the South of Florence (Chianti Classico, Montalcino, Montepulciano...). But for a change, I have decided to invite you to Carmignano, a small region well known historically in the production of red wines, 16km/11 miles to the North of Florence. Nowadays a small and intimate area (110 ha or 0.34% of the overall area of Tuscan vineyards), it was nevertheless known in the Middle Ages for the quality of its red wines, and was included in the 1716 Declaration proclaimed by the Duke Cosimo III for the superior quality of its production. It’s ‘terroir’ or soil consists of a number of modest hills (alt. 250-400m), which permit the Sangiovese, king of Tuscan wines, to ripen in excellent conditions. It is now joined with the Cabernet-Sauvignon grape, which gives greater depth to its great red wines.

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The Cabernet-Sauvignon grape, locally known as ‘the French Grape’, was introduced in Carmignano, and also to the Villa Capezzana, in the 20th century – the vines planted in the early 70s come from the famous Château Lafitte in Pauillac. It had apparently already been introduced in the 19th century by the Medicis before the arrival of the Phylloxera disease. Awarded the label DOCG in 1990, the rules of production are now such that there must be a minimum of 50% Sangiovese which can be mixed with 20% Canaiolo (a Tuscan vine) and/or 10-20% Cabernet-Sauvignon (or sometimes also Cabernet-Franc). This gives the DOCG Carmignano a rich red body, with the flavour of ripe fruit, a strong tannic structure and relatively low acidity, particularly when compared to the classic Chianti wines. In other words an ideal wine to accompany a ‘Bistecca alla Florentina’ – a Florentine steak – Chianina beef of course!

Wines

My favorite wineries to taste or to visit!

The Bacchereto Estate This bio-dynamic estate is superbly run by its owner Rosella Bencini Tesi. There are 8ha of vines, 60ha of olive groves, and 90ha of land scattered with chestnut and fruit trees, all pollinated by the hives on the property. The main idea here is – take your time to appreciate the best!

Here is also produced a remarkable white wine from Trebbiano, which has a long maceration on the vine and is left for a long time in the casks, contrary to the modern rules of oenology – but with extraordinary results. You can rent an apartment in this haven of nature and good fayre, at the Agriturismo office which is on the estate.

Terre a Mano Carmignano DOCG 2008: Sassocarlo Terre a Mano – Bianco IGT Toscana: Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC: Adresse: Via Fonte Morana, 179, 59015 Carmignano Prato, Italia Phone: (+39) 055 871 7191 Email: fattoriadibacchereto@libero.it

The Capezzana Estate Owned by the Conti Contini Bonacossi since the beginning of the 20th century, this Carmignano estate has more than 12 centuries of wine-growing expertise, with proof of this in documents dating from 804 found on the property!

The domaine is now organic. There is a wide range of wines, but also made here each year are the famous Extra Virgin olive oils. The second Carmignano DOCG wine is called Barco Reale, which was the name of the largest property of the Medicis, of which Capezzana was an integral part – around this estate was a 50km long wall two metres high!

The Capezzana Estate is now part of the Agriturismo scheme. Here you can have Tuscan cookery classes... to continue the culinary tradition, and where you have the Welcome of the Contini Bonacossi family!

Villa di Capezzana DOCG Carmignano 2005: Barco Reale di Capezzana DOCG Carmignano 2009:

Adresse: Via Capezzana, 100 59015 Carmignano (PO) Tel: 39 055 8706005 Fax: 39 055 8706673 E-mail: capezzana@capezzana.it Site: www.capezzana.it

Florence Magazine| 11

Culture

An Exquisite Discovery: The Grand DuchY of Tuscany and the Chocolate Way

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ake roasted cacao, cleaned and coarsely ground; enough fresh jasmine blossoms to mix with said cacao, make layer upon layer in a box, or other container, and leave it rest for 24 hours…Then take eight pounds of good quality, dry white sugar. Three ounces of quality vanilla. Six ounces of fine quality cinnamon. Two pinches of ambergris and in this manner, you make chocolate…”

This is how one prepared jasmine scented chocolate in Florence – a recipe that, at the time, was naturally kept a secret and which was relished by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de’ Medici and his court.

Cacao arrived in Florence at the beginning of the 17th century, presented as a gift to Ferdinando de’ Medici from the navigator Francesco d’Antonio Carletti who had just returned from a long voyage around the world. Cacao immediately aroused curiosity and interest; xocol-atl was a ritual drink of the Aztecs and was even offered to the Spanish conquistador Cortès. Its

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plant, the theobroma cacao, was a “food of the gods” and was meticulously described by Bernardino de Sahagùn in his Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España. But let’s start from the beginning. Legend has it that one day, Quetzalcoatl, the god of air, came down from the sky, surprising the Toltecs with his sparkling clothes and long beard. The god planted a cacao tree in the earth of Tula and when it bore its first fruit, he taught the women how to roast the beans, grind it and mix it with water, so creating the xocol-atl, which means “bitter water.” From that day forward, the cacao tree grew rigorously in the land of the Aztecs, taking the name kakawa, which in the Nahuatl language means “food of the gods.” Its beans had a dual usage: the largest ones were used as money – the seeds being called amygdala pecuniariae, “money almonds” (two beans for a fish, 200 beans for a turkey) – and the smaller beans were the essential ingredient for the pungent and invigorating drink, xocol-atl.

Culture

Men transported the beans on their shoulders (their unit of measure being the carga, in other words the maximum load, or cargo, a man could carry), while production was left to the women. Their work was to grind the dried beans with a metate (volcanic stone), mix it with powdered cornmeal, vanilla and spices, and then finally water. Then, to make the mixture light and frothy, they poured the liquid from one jicara to another.

It was a vigorous and refreshing drink that was reserved for nobles, priests and warriors. We know all this thanks to Fra Bernardino de Sahagùn, a Franciscan missionary who attentively collected and immortalized the legend of cacao, along with pictograms of the Nahuatl language, the Castilian translations, and images. Bernardino settled in Mexico alongside Spanish colonists and managed to examine the world of the Aztecs with

infinite attentiveness and patience, writing down their extraordinary history called Historia general de las cosa de Nueva España. With these twelve tomes written in two languages (Nahuatl and Castilian), Bernardino succeeded in recording the beliefs, customs, history and nature of the Aztec civilization up until the Spanish conquest.

Furthermore, legend has it that Emperor Moctezuma presented a cup of xocol-atl to Hernan Cortès, who was mistakenly thought to be the incarnation of the god Quetzalcoatl. From that moment on, xocolatl began its move towards Europe, even if initially its recipe remained behind the walls of a convent in Central America. It was probably thanks to the monastic orders that cacao reached Spain and from there immediately spread throughout European courts. It was in this way that cacao made landfall in Europe, devilishly creeping its way

into the most refined palates of Spain, France and England, with the very same happening in Tuscany at the Medici court. The giftbearer from the New World was Francesco d’Antonio Carletti, a navigator who had just circled the globe. His trip lasted twelve years and as soon as he returned to Florence, Carletti didn’t hesitate to relish the latest “exquisite discovery” upon the Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici. The Medici court welcomed the novelty with great enthusiasm and xocol-atl was eaten in varying ways, among the most celebrated being that of Cosimo III de’ Medici, recorded many years later by his physician Francesco Redi. Jasmine scented chocolate was born with its fresh and intense aroma of flowers and it quickly became a favorite of the Grand Duke and his court. Over time, cacao was mixed with sugar and the drink of the Aztecs went from cold and bit-

Florence Magazine| 13

Culture

ter to hot and sweet. In this way mancerinas was created in Spain, and then trembleuses in France; special porcelain cups were even produced for consuming this precious, red-hot liquid.

From the beginning of its time in Europe, cacao was critically acclaimed and it grew to become the most discussed protagonist at family celebrations, excessive ceremonies and festive events, enchanting both young and old alike.

The Medici court was again linked to the history of chocolate when in 1577 the precious writings of Fra Bernardino de Sahagùn – so dangerously honest – were put on the King of Spain’s index and were seized. The monk in charge of transporting the tomes, Fra Rodrigo de Sequera, probably had some misgivings about the assignment and while in Rome, he handed over the collection to Ferdinando de’

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Medici (a cardinal at the time, who would later become the Grand Duke of Tuscany).

The volumes are listed on the inventory of the Medici wardrobe in 1587, the exact year that Ferdinando became Grand Duke (“a book of pictures from the Indies… ‘with costumes of’ the Mexicans”).

Its illustrations inspired the decorations found on the vaulted ceilings of the Uffizzi’s Grand Ducal Armory, painted by Ludocivo Buti around 1588. And so safeguarded by the Medici, Fra Bernardino’s masterpiece reaches us today, conserved in the Laurentian Library, listed under the Florentine Codex.

The activity “An Exquisite Discovery: the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the Chocolate Way” is presented by the museum of Palazzo Vecchio during the Easter season – a period that is traditionally linked with chocolate – and traces cacao’s

journey from its origins to its arrival in Europe. Precious objects such as the metate in volcanic stone, refined facsimiles like Bernardino de Sahagùn’s Historia, a colorful trousseau typical of the Aztec world and a rich display of images, sounds and smells will transport visitors into the fascinating world of chocolate, which will end – naturally – in sweetness.

Museo dei Ragazzi translated by Lauren Mac Laughlin

For information and reservations Tel. 055-2768224 055-2768558 info.museoragazzi@comune.fi.it www.palazzovecchio-museoragazzi.it

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Culture

I scream,you scream, we all scream for…gelato!

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hat’s your favorite gelateria? It’s a common question in Florence and a question that guarantees a different response almost every time. Vivoli, Grom, Perché no!, Ponte La Carraia…the list goes on! However, a common response from many Florentines would be Gelateria Badiani in the Campo di Marte neighborhood, right down the street from the Artemio Franchi Stadium. Open from 7am to 1am (except Tuesdays), Badiani is extremely popular with the locals.

You just can’t talk about Florence, Badiani and gelato without mentioning their famous, one-of-akind flavor buontalenti – a butter flavored, salty, sweet concoction whose secret recipe is just that, a secret. But before entering into a who’s of who of Florentine gelato history, let’s take a look at the differences between ice cream and gelato. So where does gelato come from and who invented it?

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It’s a long and complex history that goes back to the 9th century Arab occupation of Sicily, fruit flavored granita (shaved ice) and Asian imports during the Middle Ages. There are too many “gelato origin” stories to count, but Florence does figure into gelato history in a big way, thanks to one of the Medici’s masterminds Bernardo Buontalenti. Born in Florence in 1531, Buontalenti was the very definition of a Renaissance man; painter, sculptor, gunsmith, architect, set-designer – he did a bit of everything under Medici patronage – and was also in charge of organizing the court parties for the Medici family. Appointed by Duke Cosimo I to supervise the set-up of the inaugural banquet at the Fortezza del Belvedere in 1559, Buontalenti stunned guests with a “frozen cream made with milk, honey, egg yolk, just a sprinkle of wine, and flavored with bergamot, lemon and orange.” He even

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invented the very machine that created this kind of sorbetto. The machine was a closed box with an inner cylinder that would hold the cold ingredients, combining them by cranking an outer lever.

In 1979, Florence held a competition to commemorate the invention of Buontalenti’s famous hand cranked sorbetto machine. Gelateria Badiani presented their new flavor, named after the architect himself, and won the grand prize as well as the hearts of Florentine gelato lovers. While buontalenti is often imitated in shops all over the city, if you want to taste the original you need to visit Badiani in Viale dei Mille, 20r. With gelato as good and as rich as the city’s history, they’re sure to make you scream for more.

Lauren Mac Laughlin

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Culture

Ammannati’s fontain,1560, Bargello

Laura Battiferra degli Ammannati: a Poetess in Florence

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nternationally known during her lifetime, Laura Battiferra (1523-1589) was a talented and prolific poet in Renaissance Florence who authored nearly four hundred sonnets. Today her name is hardly mentioned in most anthologies of Italian poetry. Laura was born in Urbino, the illegitimate daughter of nobleman Giovanni Antonio Battiferra (a Humanist secretary at the Vatican court) but was officially recognized by her father and thus privilege to an excellent education. She was well studied in the liberal arts, philosophy and science – like the rest of the Battiferra family – and well versed in Virgil and Ovid, who left traces on her poetry. In 1543, Laura married Vittorio Sereni of Bologna, who left her a widow six years later. In 1550 she wed her second husband – and love of her life – the Tuscan sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati. Five years later, they moved to Florence when Ammannati began work for his patron, Duke Cosimo I de’Medici. It’s here in Florence that Laura gained access to an elite literary and artistic circle that

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included Humanist artists, writers and poets like Benedetto Varchi, il Lasca, Agnolo Bronzino and Benvenuto Cellini. The members of this intellectually rich “network” exchanged many letters, sonnets and sketches. It goes without saying that it would have been incredible for a woman to be considered in this select group during the 16th century. Cellini wrote to Varchi that the new arrival of this poetess was like that of a laurel tree, young but with much promise, “a rich plant, although somewhat unripe…even now the bark thickens and the trunk strengthens, glory of the fair Arno.” Laura the laurel tree gained a reputation for her intellect and virtue (the second perhaps being the most important for Renaissance women) and was nicknamed “the new Sappho of our times”. For the most part, her preferred form of poetry is the sonnet and the language of her poetry is Petrarchan, making use of oxymoron, simile and metaphor and themes on nature. But many themes are less about love and more about politics, praising her/her husband’s pa-

Bronzino, Potrait de Laura Battiferri, 1558, Palazzo Vecchio

Tiziano, Potrait of Benedetto Varchi, 1540, Kunsthistoriches Museum Vienna

trons the Medici, and recording historical events such as the flood of 1557 and how her husband restored a bridge on the Arno. Laura shared a close relationship with the artist (and poet) Agnolo Bronzino, who was the Medici’s favorite portrait painter. In a sonnet written to Laura, Bronzino made a play on her last name (recalling Petrarch’s use of oxymoron and metaphor) and described her as “completely iron within and ice outside” – “Tutta dentro di ferro, fuor di ghiaccio”. The iron within Laura would have been considered a great compliment at a time when women were thought to be weak, fickle creatures who were moved by passion rather than reason – a dangerous thing. This metaphor is perfectly reflected in Bronzino’s portrait of Laura, which was completed between 1555-1560 when the sitter was 35 years old. The task was to portray Laura the poetess, to hail her artistic talent and to define her virtue. She is shown wearing dark, conservative clothing, minimal jewelry, a thin veil upon her head and a book of Petrarch’s Canzoniere in her hand. According to Humanist writer Varchi, Bronzino’s portrait of Laura was “mute poetry” but you can be the judge of this yourself – just visit the Loeser Collection in Palazzo Vecchio’s museum and see Laura Battiferra immortalized in oil on panel. In 2006 Professor Victoria Kirkham from the University of

Pennsylvania published “Laura Battiferra and Her Literary Circle” – an extensive collection of Laura’s writings, which includes newly discovered poems, all translated into English (with the Italian original on the facing page).

Laura’s love of Florence and her country home in Maiano (just north of the city) are evident in this bucolic sonnet which best reflects the poetess’ style.

Among these open slopes and secluded wilds, by a beautiful stream that murmurs as it trickles, far from the mob in a solitary villa I apportion the time and my best days, and it delights me more, when Apollo sparkles far from us, to hear nymphs and shepherds, awakened by the sound of the loving bell peal, who go declaring their goodly loves, and to see Maiano, so many thick groves around it, tall mountains and green fields and Mensola flowing as Arno’s peer, than all the melodies, palaces, and wide roofs that give Florence and the world their beauty, for envy and evil destiny cannot take them from me.

Lauren Mac Laughlin

Eros

Sodoma’s “Saint Sebastian”: an erotic saint

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t the Uffizi, one might notice the sensuality of “San Sebastiano” by Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, called “Il Sodoma”. The origin of the artist’s nickname is still enigmatic. While Vasari described Bazzi’s lifestyle as licentious, others report that it comes from the contraction of a recurrent saying of the piedmontese artist: “su’nduma!” which means “let’s go!”.

Sodoma’s painting, “San Sebastiano” represents the martyrdom of the Catholic saint. Sebastian was a third century saint, born in Narbonne (southern France). He became officer in the Praetorian guard. However Sebastian had been secretly raised a Christian. When Diocletian knew that his trusted officer had such a skeleton in the cupboard, he sentenced him to death by saggitation (i.e. being pierced by arrows). That’s how the saint is commonly depicted. Sebastian survived his first execution, was rescued and nursed back to health by a woman (Saint Irene), and made several miracles before being caught by Diocletian’s soldiers and stabbed to death.

Michel de Castillo mentions Sebastian’s “pleasure of dying”; not surprising from a writer whose native language

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says “la petite mort” (“the little death”) as a synonym for sexual orgasm. The naked ephebe “abandoned in delicious and lascivious agony” has little to do with historical truth. Sebastian was in his forties when he died; an old age at the time. During the middle ages, Sebastian was portrayed as a bearded old man, always dressed, sometimes in an armor. Then the Renaissance idealized objects and the human body got accepted by the Church. Beauty got linked to earthly and divine love: Sebastian took off his clothes and regained his youth.

J.A. Symonds described Sodoma’s Sebastian’s appeal as carnal and hermaphroditic; “Sodoma’s Sebastian is still the very best that has been painted. Suffering, refined and spiritual” he writes. Primo Levi notices “the delicate and subtly perverse body and face of Sodoma’s St Sebastian: his eyes are deep and profound” and his “natural languid elegance”.

Many paintings of Sebastian had to be removed from churches because women couldn’t keep their eyes off of them. “Roman Catholicism is a very sensual religion.

Eros

We have the smell of incense, the sound of bells and singing, the touching of beads, the kissing of sacred artifacts, the ritualistic pouring of water and rubbing of oils, and, of course, the eating of bread and wineunderstood as the consuming of Christ’s physical body.

Catholicism’s inherent sensuality stems from the fact that it is a profoundly sacramental religion- one that recongizes and celebrates the ancient sacramental principle that matter channels spirit while remaining matter.” declares Michael J. Bayly.

“He was young, male, apparently unmarried and martyred by the establishment. (…) he also looks good in a loincloth and tied to a tree.(...) a paragon of male beauty, his toned body, prettily stuck with arrows (…) an unmistakably male saint, but one whose martyrdom is the embodiment of female passivity. Like the Virgin, his point is that he is pierced but pure.” claims article “Arrows of desire” from “The independent”.

Although “a man who seems to have liked neither men, women nor good red herring”, Sebastian embodied a series of paradoxes. His body is passive and almost feminine, yet he has a very masculine physique.

His facial expression mixes pain, pleasure and extacy.

As the arrows pierce his body from side to side, his soul remains untouched. Sebastian is a saint and a sex icon, an bearded soldier and a Renaissance putto, an alpha male and sacrificial virgin...

The fascination for the saint goes beyond sexuality. It touches the crucial Eros/Thanatos paradigm.

Tennessee Williams wrote poem “San Sebastiano di Sodoma” about the painting: How did Saint Sebastian die?

Arrows pierced throat and thigh which only knew before that time The dolors of a concubine.

Near above him, hardly over, hovered his gold martyr’s crown.

Even Mary from her tower Of heaven leaned a little down.

And as she leaned she raised a corner of a cloud through which to spy.

Sweetly troubled Mary murmured as she watched the arrows fly.

And as the cup that was profaned gave up its sweet intemp’rate wine All the golden bells of heaven praised an emp’ror’s concubine.

Williams associates the martyrdom of the saint with fellatio and sodomy (the phallic arrows in Sodoma’s painting pierce Sebastian’s throat and thigh). The Eucharistic calice passes for the desecrated anal “cup” that releases it’s “sweet, intemperate wine”; a pornographic analogy to the Christian Communion.

Elisabeth Beretta

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Osteria All’antico Vinaio

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Via Dei Neri, 74/r

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All’antico Vinaio

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re you downtown, not far from piazza della Signoria? Are you hungry? Have a break at the Antico Vinaio (Via dei Neri, 74)... and eat a hot and crunchy, freshly baked “schiacciata” served with “prosciutto crudo” (ham), “Mozzarella di bufala” and “melanzane sott’olio” (eggplant cured in oil with a hint of red pepper).

For 4.50 euros you can taste a piece of heaven! Try getting there before 12:30, the service will be quicker.

Via Dei Neri, 65/r tel. 055 238 2723 Find it on the map

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florence museums: hours and prices Hours

closing days

ticket price

From Tuesday to Sunday: 8.15 pm-6.50 am

On mondays, January 1st, May 1st, December 25th

Full price: 6.50 € Reduced price: 3.25 € Special exhibition price: 11,00 €

Du mardi au dimanche: 8h15-18h50

On mondays, January 1st, May 1st, December 25th

Full price: 6.50 € Reduced price: 3.25 €

From Tuesday to Sunday: 8.15 pm-6.50 am

On mondays, January 1st, May 1st, December 25th Royal apartements: closed every January for Maintenance

Full price: 6.50 € Reduced price: 3.25 €

Costume Gallery Silver Museum

Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb 8.15 am -4.30 pm March: 8.15am- 5.30pm Apr/May/Sept/Oct: 8.15 am -6.30 pm Jun/Jul/Aug: 8.15 am - 6.50 pm

First and last Monday of the month , January 1st, Mai 1st, December 25th

Porcelain Museum

Nov/Dec/Jan/Fev: 8.15am -4.15pm March: 8.15am-5.15pm Apr/May/Sept/Oct: 8.15am-6.15pm Jun/Jul/ Aug: 8.15am-6.30pm

First and last Monday of the month , January 1st, May1st, December 25th

Boboli Garden

Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb: 8.15am-4.30pm March: 8.15am -5.30pm Apr/May/Sept/Oct: 8.15am-6.30pm Jun/Jul/ Aug: 8.15am -7.30pm

First and last Monday of the month , January 1st, Mai 1st, December 25th

From Monday to Sunday: 8.15am-1.50pm

1st, 3rd, 5th Sunday of the month, 2nd et 4th Monday of the month, January 1st, May 1st, December 25th

Full price: 4.00 € Reduced price: 2.00 €

Medici’s Chapels

From Monday to Sunday: 8.15am-1.50pm; From March 22 to Nov 1st.

2012: 8.15am-4.50pm

2nd, 4th Sunday of the month; 1st, 3rd, 5th Monday of the month; January 1st, May1st, December 25th

Full price: 6.00 € Reduced price: 3.00 €

Convent of San Marco

From Monday to Friday: 8.15am-1.50pm ; On Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays: 8.15am-4.50pm

2nd, 4th Monday of the month; 1st, 3rd, 5th Sunday of the month; January 1st, May 1st, December 25th

Full price: 4.00 € Reduced price: 2.00 €

From Monday to Sunday 8.15am-1.50pm

2nd, 4th Sunday of the month; 1st, 3rd, 5th Monday of the month ; January 1st, May 1st, December 25th

Full price: 2.00 € Reduced price: 1.00 €

From Monday to Sunday 09.00am-7.00pm; Thursdays: 09.00pm-2.00pm Apr/May/Jun/jul/Aug/Sept: From Monday to Sunday 09.00am-12.00pm; Thursdays: 09.00pm-2.00pm.

December 25th

Full price: 6.50 € Reduced price: 4.50 € Under 18: Free

Uffizi Gallery

Galerie de l’Accademia

Palais Pitti

Modern Art Gallery The monumental apartments Palatina Gallery

National Museum of Bargello

Davanzati Palace Museum

Palazzo Vecchio

Full price: 7.00 € Reduced price: 3.50 €

Tarif cumulatif: 11 euros

Museums

CARD

Info

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WHoW

What? How? Where?

How to call?

The U.K.: dial 0044 (country code) + phone number The U.S.A.: dial 001 (country code) + area code + phone number Canada: dial 001 (country code) + area code + phone number Australia: dial 0061 (country code) + district code + phone number Firemen.................................. 115 Police...................................... 113 Carabinieri.............................. 112 First Aid................................ 118 Car pound................. 055 783 882 Lost & Found.......... 055 328 3942 ............................... 055 328 3943

H hospitals • Ospedale Policlinico di Careggi Address: Viale Morgagni, 85 Phone: 055 427 7111 • Ospedale S. Maria Nuova Address: Piazza S. Maria Nuova, 1 Phone: 055 275 81 • Nuovo Ospedale S. Giovanni di Dio Address: Via Torregalli, 3 Phone: 055 719 21

24 hour pharmacies?

• Near the railway station Farmacia comunale , 13 Address: S. M. Novella Phone: 055 289 435 - 216 761 26 |

Florence Magazine

• Near the Palazzo Vecchio (Town Hall) Molteni Address: Via Calzaiuoli, 7r Phone Number: 055 289 490 • Near the Cathedral All’Insegna del Moro Address: Piazza S. Giovanni, 20r Phone: 055 211 343

Bus tickets Bars, tobacco shops, newspaper kiosks and ATAF offices at Santa Maria Novella train station how much does a ticket cost?

1,20 euro each.

Valid for 90 minutes, no matter how many or how few buses you board. (And when everything is closed, you can buy your ticket on the bus: it will cost for 2 euros , ask the driver). Depending on the duration of your stay you can choose the following options: 24h ticket.............................€ 5,00 3-day ticket........................€ 12,00 7-day ticket........................€ 18,00 Carta Agile - 10 tickets.......€ 10,00 Carta Agile - 21 tickets.......€ 20,00 Carta Agile - 35 tickets.......€ 30,00 where do I go?

Bus 7 ► SMN ► San Marco ► San Dominico ► Fiesole Bus 10 ► SMN ► San Marco ► Settigano Bus 23 ► SMN ► San Marco ► Duomo ► Ponte alle grazie

Bus 25 ► SMN ► Independenza ► San marco ► Libertà ► Pratolino Bus 28 ► SMN ► Fortezza da Basso ► Sesto Fiorentino Bus 37 ► SMN ► Serragli ► Porta Romana ► Certosa del Galluzzo

how can I reach the airport?

• Amerigo Vespucci Airport (Florence) Where do I take the bus?

At SMN train station, «Volainbus» shuttle bus How much does it cost? € 5,00 one-way ticket, € 8,00 return ticket • Galileo Galilei Airport (Pisa) where do I take th bus? At SMN train station, «TERRAVISION» shuttle bus (www.terravision.eu – online booking possible) How much does it cost? € 4.99-6.00 one-way ticket, € 10.00 return ticket

How do I take the train?

Check the timetable on www.trenitalia.it, the official website of Trenitalia (Italian primary train operator). You can select English and book your ticket online. It is possible to pay with a credit card.

How can I find a taxi?

Radio Taxi CO.TA.FI. Phone Number: +39 055 4390 Licensed taxis are always white.

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Accessories with style for working people.

Desk accessories, documentes holder, computer bag, business card holder...

Via dei Rondinelli, 22R - firenze tel 345 0232582 - divi.firenze@live.it

Find it on the map

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photo

!

Find it on the map

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lorence, 1944. It was still a time of war and life along the Arno was difficult, not only for the Allied troops waiting to enter the city, but also for those who had to live there. During this time of extreme tragedy the Torrini photography agency was born; marked by the style of Giulio Torrini, the images of Florentines living during that terrible period were captured with scarce simplicity.

The Torrini Archive, now under the direction of Francesco Bellini and Fabrizio Giovanozzi, continues its work in photojournalism from Florence alongside the Associated Press, an American organization, and collaborates with some of the most important Italian news sources. The Torrini Archive can count for more than 3 million of the images captured between 1944 and today.

These shots are evidence of a high expressive and compositional quality, glimpses of life in the 50s and 60s and today are of an incredible documentary value. It’s still possible to visit the archive, in Via Condotta, 20R. And if you visit, and why not, bring along your black and white photos of Florence‌

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Florence, July 1, 1959: tourists at Florence’s straw market in Piazza San Lorenzo Photo Torrini photojournalismŠ

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Florence, June 25, 1961: Florentine “calcio storico” in Piazza della Signoria Photo Torrini photojournalism©

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Florence Magazine

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Florence, June 29, 1962: a Fiat 1500 flipped over on the corner of Lungarno Corsini and Santa Trinita bridge Photo Torrini photojournalismŠ

Florence Magazine| 31

nightlife/ SORTIES wine not/ ﾅ地ologie CULTURE/ CULTURE spring EROS/ EROS shopping

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