Mese Mediceo

Mese Mediceo is a special festival devoted to Medici Family. Cultural events, parties, dinners, exhibition from the 9th of June to th e27th of July, 2007.

This is the 5th edition and deals with several members of one of the most powerful families in the Italian history.

Lorenzo de’ Medici is the incarnation of Renaissance. He lived only 43 years but they were enough to sign his name within those who made the History of the World. Lorenzo built his reign by political skills, taking the best artists of the time under his patronage, being an extraordinary diplomat, and without declaring any war.

“Magnifico Lorenzo” enters Lorenzo the Magnificent in a never-seen-before portrait.

It is a very peculiar show, starting from the absence of any kind of spoken language. Instead of words, communication is granted by other means: attitude, music and costumes, above all. A show that mixes slapstick, pantomime and burlesque in a unique Italian style, suitable for any language.

In an always changing kaleidoscope Lorenzo meets some characters that have marked the Renaissance era: Girolamo Savonarola, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, etc., as well as those who have a central role in his own biography: his mother Lucrezia Tornabuoni, his wife Clarice Orsini, his mistress Lucrezia Donati. A unique show to meet such a great prince in an extraordinary way.

for more info: www.mesemediceo.it

Tasting of organic raw milk cheese

I've just received this invite by some friends who like good wine and food..if someone's interested!

Divine Country :: Tasting of organic raw milk cheese and of the “Finocchiona Sbriciolona” (= Tuscan Fennel Salami) of the Messeri Brothers of Bivigliano (FI) at Casa La Boneca di Gabriele Giannelli (Grassina – San Polo)

SUNDAY MAY 27th, FROM 6:00pm

In this edition of Divine Country we will introduce you to some of the most exquisite Tuscan pecorino cheeses produced by our network of cheese producers. It will also be a rare occasion to taste a cow’s milk cheese from the Alto Adige region (Alps of northern Italy) and the typical Tuscan fennel salami “finocchiona” produced according to the tradition of the Messeri Brothers of Pratolino so that you may appreciate and learn to distinguish the best qualities and diverse tastes of the Tuscan Region.

The products will be served with red and white wines from the Mezzamonte Farm of Impruneta and some of the best wines from Alto Aldige including the excellent Müller Thurgau of the producer Pacherhof and the Kerner and Gewurztraminer of the farm Strasserhof, both from the area of Novacella.
The agricultural consultant for organic farming Roberto Funghi will introduce guests to the secrets of cheese production and cheese tasting.

All of this will take place in this particular farmhouse of our friend Gabriele who will be pleased to welcome you and from which you will have the possibility to enjoy a spectacular sunset

The tasting menu includes:

Raw milk organic cheese:
• A variety of cheeses from the farms of Giovanni Porcu of Radicandoli (SI), of Podere Casa al bosco di Figline Val d’Arno and of Englhorn, Val Venosta, Alto Adige.
• Variety of vegetables typical for the season
Meat:
• Tasting of the famous fennel salami “Finocchiona sbriciolona” of the Messeri Brothers of the butcher’s Rosi di Pratolino (FI)
First dish:
• Ravioli with homemade “ricotta” by the farm of Giovanni Porcu

Price: 20,00 euro for members of the De Gustibus association; 25,00 euro for non members (includes membership to De Gustibus valid for 2007).

To participate please reserve using the following contacts before 6pm, Thursday May 24th
stefan@de-gustibus.it - 349 2895233
donato@de-gustibus.it - 335.1535965

For those who have time in the day, you can take advantage of the Open Cellar events and visit some of the wine producers on the way. You may also swim in nearby Castel Ruggero lake

How to arrive from Florence:

From Florence take the highway toward Firenze Sud and exit at Grassina. From Grassina you will find and fork in the road direction S. Polo. Follow the street to the left towards S. Polo. Right after the sign of the end of the municipality “Bagno a Ripoli” you will find a dirt road to the right, follow this road for about 1 km and you will find to the left an iron gate which indicates you have arrived at the. Below the vineyard next to the barn, the cheese tasting awaits you.
If you would like to come and don’t have a car, try to contact us anyway because we might be able to organize a lift for you with some of the members of the association.

This weekend

I will be in Rome for a seminar (web marketing and search engine optimization)..I will sleep in this elegant apartment near Piazza di Spagna, Rome:

If you are in Florence, there will be several events:
- Terra futura at Fortezza da Basso (entrance free): conferences and workshop about environment, pollution, wellness.. from 9.00 am to 8.00 pm.
- 'Alla Corte del Vino' at San Casciano Val di Pesa: saturday the 19th and sunday the 20th, from 11.00 am to 20.00, at Villa Le Corti in San Casciano in Val di Pesa the 11th edition of 'Alla Corte del Vino': tasting and events related to wine. Entrance 15 euros.
- Sunday the 20th of May 2 "SLOWINE dal campo alla cantina". At Villa Mondeggi (Bagno a Ripoli, Antella, Firenze) wine tasting, and typical product (cheeses, vegetables, hams)
music and folkloristic events.. free entrance from 11.00am to 7.00 pm

Tasting of the Genoese “PESTO”

Wednesday, 16th May, 8.30 pm

Tasting of the Genoese “PESTO”: Tasting of the popular sauce made with basil, cheese, pine nuts and olive oil

Menù - Buffet:

Tasting of 3 different types of PESTO, served with a typical kind of Genoese home made pasta

Fried stuffed anchovies

Brandacujon (A typical cod dish from Liguria region)

Home dessert

Wines selected by our sommelier

Price: € 28,00 per person

il Rifrullo restaurant and lounge bar
Via San Niccolò 55/r Firenze (FI)

Booking and info:
+39 (0)55 2342621 +39 (0)55 2347850
ilrifrullo (at) yahoo.it

Artigianato e Palazzo' in Florence

The 13th edition of ‘Artigianato e Palazzo’ will be held on the 18, 19 and 20 May in Florence. During the long weekend, master craftsmen will reveal the secrets of their trades to the public, recreating a corner of their workshops in the historic Corsini Garden. Each year the magnificent Garden of Palazzo Corsini on Via il Prato hosts the work of a hundred artist-craftsmen. The exhibitors demonstrate to the public how a craftsman works, how the product is created by hand from materials in a multitude of forms’.

The new projects and exceptional events of this edition are consistent with the mission of preserving the world of craftsmanship: an International Conference ‘Artistic Crafts: a Heritage for the Future’ will be held on Saturday 19 May at 10.00, putting Florence at the centre of the European debate on the future of artistic crafts.
Many exhibitors from throughout Europe are returning this year.
Furthermore the 2nd “Il Giovane Genio Fiorentino” competition will be held, an event initiated by the partnership between ‘Artigianato e Palazzo’ and the Provincial Government of Florence and the APT Tourist Promotion Agency to give incentive to the professionalism and creativity of students at Art Institutes in Florence and its province in working with local materials: a different way of relaunching the training of expert craftsmen among the younger generations and of promoting craftsmanship.
Last year the material of choice was Montelupo ceramics, while this year it is Impruneta terracotta. This year’s theme is the design and creation of an ‘alzata’, a decorative element used on the gates and surrounding walls of Florentine villas. All the entries will be on show in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi for fifteen days so that the public can cast its vote. The best entries will be on display for the three days of ‘Artigianato e Palazzo’ and on the morning of Friday 18 May at 12.00 the winning entry will be awarded a prize.

On Friday 18 May at 18.00 Pilar Lebole and Benedetta Zini’s book, Firenze, Guida dei Mestieri d’Arte, (Florence, Guide to Artistic Crafts), published by the Firenze per l’Artigianato Artistico Foundation will be presented.
As in preceding years, approximately 40% of the exhibitors will be appearing for the first time, to ensure that new skills are on show to the visiting public at each edition.
Among the new exhibitors are the craftsmen of the Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli, from Agnone in the heart of Molise, the city of bells where for the last one thousand years the art of fusing religious bronzes has endured and where the bells for the most prestigious churches in the world are made.
Other exceptional exhibitors are the Master stone cutters of the Fabbrica dell’Opera del Duomo in Florence, a craft that has been practiced in the town for hundreds of years and is almost unknown by Florentines themselves. Under the direction of the technical office of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, these craftsmen hand down from generation to generation the skills of working and restoring the stone material of the Cathedral and Giotto’s Bell Tower.

New exhibitors include:
STEFANO CROCINI who makes miniature furniture; MAURO SARTI who expertly crafts different woods to make spinning tops as light as dragonflies; from New York with his ceramics, ROBERT BRISLEY, famous as a fabric designer for the most important American makes; from Switzerland, the milliner CAROLINE FELBER whose extrovert hats unite craftsmanship, design and functionality, and who interprets the mood and personality of those who choose to wear them; from Budapest MONIKA BOTTA brings the great felt tradition applied to clothing and furnishing; FRANCO INNOCENTI who after ‘closing his workshop’ in Florence to spend many years abroad decorating great houses, has returned to Italy full of ideas; CRISTINA ANTONIA DE CHAGAS BORGES a young Brazilian craftsman who makes scented candles of all sizes by hand, mixing wax with diverse materials such as lace, spices and other natural ingredients.
During the 3 days of the show, the AIRC Tuscan Committee will hold a special sale to raise funds for Cancer Research. Craft pieces of different sizes and materials made by the craftsmen with great enthusiasm and generosity for this charity will be on sale.
Throughout the grounds of the fair there are places to rest and relax and for those in need of refreshment there are the newly refurbished café and restaurant serving hand-made Tuscan specialities throughout the day.

As is the tradition of the show, there are FREE GUIDED TOURS of the Corsini Garden taken by young art historians from the Città Nascosta Association. The Garden is considered to be one of the most interesting examples of an Italian garden in Tuscany, designed in the Seventeenth century by Gherardo Silvani. To book a guided tour of the garden: Città Nascosta Association + 39 055 6802590. At the close of the show on Sunday 20 May at 19.00 the Perseo-Banca CR Firenze Prize will be awarded to the exhibitor most appreciated by the public.

ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO
Palazzo Corsini sul Prato Garden
Via della Scala, 115, Florence
Friday 18, saturday 19 and Sunday 20 May 2007
Opening hours 10-20.30
Entrance fee Euro 7.50, Euro 5.00 reductions

Genio Fiorentino in Florence

The “Genio Fiorentino” is back this year, between May 11 and 27. After the extraordinary success of the first 2 editions, the Florence Provincial Administration confirms the 2007 edition of the "Genio Fiorentino", featuring a wealth of events – ranging from art to fashion, culture, entertainment , heritage and economics – scheduled for May 11 through 27.

Featured events are packed within the space of just a few weeks, throughout the province of Florence, spanning the subject matters of art, culture, local traditions and music.

Events aim to guide visitors through the land which gave birth to great Florentine geniuses, with a view to garner a deeper understanding of the lives and works of universally acknowledged greats in such diverse fields as science, poetry, exploration, art and politics.

Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, Giotto, Niccolò Machiavelli, Amerigo Vespucci, Giovanni Da Verrazzano and Antonio Meucci are but a few of Florence’s illustrious forebears; each providing depth and wealth to Italy’s culture and history.

There will be many events, have a look at some of them:

Donatello and a Renaissance Home
Begin date: Friday, May 11, 2007
End date: Friday, August 31, 2007
City: Firenze, Palazzo Medici Riccardi
The exhibition – tickets provide access to the entire Palazzo Medici Riccardi museum complex – will be open to the public starting May 12 and ending August 31, 2007, every day (except Wednesdays) between 9 am and 7pm hours.
55 works by great masters of the Italian Renaissance, return to Italy after a long “stay” abroad which started back in the 19th century when they joined the private collection of Jacquemart-André in Paris. A Florence homecoming, hosted by Palazzo Medici Riccardi.

Slowine – Florentine wine-making excellence
Date: Sunday, May 20, 2007
City: Firenze, Villa Mondeggi
When: starting 11.00 AM
A day of full immersion in wine, sponsored by “Slow Food Chianti and Florence”. The initiative looks to promote new labels and established Florentine winemakers. The event covers all aspects of wine, wine-making, new labels, new vineyard methods, with a keen eye on environmental sustainability, innovation and communication.

Tuscan Land: Spring Buds
Begin date: Friday, May 11, 2007
End date: Sunday, May 27, 2007
City: Firenze and other cities, 9 pm

Riccardo Marasco performs his repertoire of classic popular Florentine and country songs at a number of unusual locations. A journey of rediscovery into the realms of Florentine tradition, through songs of old purveyed by modern chords. Maestro Marasco's six shows hold the promise of genial exhuberance. Locations: Pontassieve, Borgo San Lorenzo, Greve, Montespertoli, San Casciano and Figline Valdarno.

Florentine and Tuscan Musical Genius during the 17th to 18th century crossover
Begin date: Saturday, May 12, 2007
End date: Sunday, May 13, 2007
City: Firenze, Salone del Buonumore, Conservatorio Cherubini Firenze.
When: Sat: 2-5 and 6-9 pm Sun: 10 am-1 pm
A unique opportunity to delve deeper into the musical roots of a unique historic period in Florentine music. The international conference addresses music in daily life, covering secular and religious ceremonial uses, master musicians, their endeavours in and out of Florence. A showcase on the people, artistic form, styles and ties with the musical centres of Italy.

Sense and Sensibility. 19th Century Tuscany
Begin date: Monday, May 14, 2007
End date: Sunday, May 27, 2007
City: Firenze, Sala delle Reali Poste. Cortile degli Uffizi
When: 5 pm
Forty-two portraits by artists spanning Neoclassicism and Symbolism, on show at the Corridoio Vasariano, placed alongside works and sketches from the Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe. A showcase on links and correspondence between the selected artists and the currents they embodied; a window on the artistic styles of the time and the artists which made them great.

Emilio Pucci Maison 60th anniversary
Date: Saturday, May 19, 2007
City: Firenze, Palazzo Medici Riccardi
When: 4.00 pm

Palazzo Medici hosts installation art marking the 60th anniversary since the establishment of the Emilio Pucci Maison. The outside of Palazzo Medici will be lit by a different colour light every night, while the premises play host to coloured balloon installations based on the Maison’s trademark colour pallets. Also featured is the launch of the new Emilio Pucci fragrance.

Scarperia in bloom
Date: Sunday, May 27, 2007
City: Scarperia, Comune di Scarperia
When: 10.30

The event now running in its 27th edition is famous for its colour motifs devised of petals strewn across the main street and piazza of the historic city centre. This year’s motifs will be inspired by "Citizens of the World and Scarperia" and will feature creations devised by the Scarperia florist schools, local florists and the people of Scarperia at large.


more info on the website: www.geniofiorentino.it

Tuscan dinner with vegetables..

Tomorrow evening at Rifrullo, a florentine restaurant in San Niccolò, there will be a special menù for lovers of genuine food and vegetables.

on Wednesday, 9th May: Recipes from the Tuscan Kitchen Garden

Menu (24 € per person)

Wines selected by our Sommelier:
Prosecco - Canavel
Chianti Colli Fiorentini 2002 - Lanciola

Fried vegetables - Artichokes, marrow flowers, celery
Leek soup
Asparagus risotto
Stuffed celery

Dessert (you can choose between the several cakes of Rifrullo)

Recipes by Gianmarco Mazzanti, an italian famous cook, author of many books of recipes

You can make your reservation at :

il Rifrullo
+39 055 234.26.21
v. S.Niccolò 55/r
50125 Firenze
ilrifrullo@yahoo.it

Cantine aperte wine event

Cantine Aperte is the most important event to take place in Italy that features its wines, people, and territory. Cantine Aperte takes place annually on the last Sunday of May in wineries that are part of the Wine Tourism Movement. The event attracts the attention of tourists and locals who are interested in what represents the first sign of opening, direct contact, and the possibility to have an interesting cultural experience with a human touch.

The Numbers
From its first edition in 1993 to today, the event related to wine has had constant success and has experienced exponential growth. This success has come from the gradual involvement of the entire national territory. Consequently, producers are becoming aware that, over time, they will see further development in the potenial of their hospitality services, made evident by the surprising figures that were achieved last year: over 800 wineries opened for one million enthusiastic tourists.


The Wine Tourism Movement is operating with the objective of spreading the idea of large wine festivals, like Cantine Aperte, to other European and non-European countries with strong vine-growing and wine-producing traditions also characterized by an important enogastronomic tradition.

This year Cantine Aperte will be on the 27th of May.
The Movimento Turismo del Vino (Wine Tourism Movement) is an association created in 1993 that has encouraged Italian wineries to open their doors to visitors: Italy has now become the country of “Cantine Aperte,” the annual event organanised by MTV on the last Sunday of May. MTV is a non-profit association with the aim of promoting wine tourism and improving the wine areas’ image and prestige, as well as their economic development. MTV wants to stand for protection of the environment and for quality agriculture; promoting a natural life-style that puts the visitor at the centre of attention. Among the almost 900 members of the Association are some of Italy’s most prestigious wineries, selected on the basis of very precise characteristics, first of which are their high quality of visitor hospitality.

I hope to post as soon as possible the list of the places where you can go for tasting wine in Tuscany.

Exhibition at Forte Belvedere

15X15, 15 GALLERIES 15 ARTISTS
Forte di Belvedere, Florence, Italy
Via di San Leonardo

The exhibition “10X10, 10 Galleries 10 Artists” at the Strozzina - Palazzo Strozzi of 2006 marked the start of a collaborative project between the Winter in Florence Committee and the Tuscan delegation of the National Association of Contemporary Art Galleries. At the exhibition each gallery proposed a selection of significant works by its most representative artist. The event was enthusiastically received by critics and the public, and its success leads the organizers to repeat the experience by increasing the number of the participating galleries and artists.

This year, thanks to the reopening of the Forte di Belvedere by the Consorzio Firenze Albergo with the invaluable support of the Florence local authorities for culture, tourism, and productive activities, it has been possible to present “15x15, 15 Galleries 15 Artists”, a display of contemporary art in Florence through the eyes and works of 15 great masters.

This unique event in Florence brings together selected works of important Italian and international masters of modern art.

In virtue of the collaboration with ANARPE, the National Association of Representative Editorial Promoters Agents, students from some Florentine schools have the possibility to visit the exhibition with a special guide by Stefano Pezzato, responsible for the artistic and cultural aspects of the Centre for Contemporary Art Luigi Pecci

4 April – 13 May
Open from Tuesday to Sunday

Entrance Free

Opening Hours: 2.30pm – 7.00pm

I recommend to go there to see the wonderful panorama of Florence.

Gallerie e Artisti
Arte del XX secolo Gualtiero Nativi
Alessandro Bagnai Gianni Dessì
Pier Giuseppe Carini Marco Bolognesi
Rosanna Tempestini Frizzi La Corte Arte Contemporanea Aroldo Marinai
Santo Ficara Gianni Asdrubali
Enrico Fornello Paolo Fabiani
Frittelli Arte Contemporanea Gianni Bertini
Giraldi Concetto Pozzati
Open Art Jiri Kolár
Susanna Orlando Marco Lodola
Poggiali e Forconi Luca Pignatelli
Il Ponte Giuseppe Spagnulo
Aurelio Stefanini Ladislav Novak
Tornabuoni Arte Bruno Ceccobelli
Daniele Ugolini Contemporary Stefano Di Stasio