What's on in Florence

Ballet for the Meyer children hospital

This is not a simple ballet but a declaration of love and poetry showing the life of Flora Wiechmann Savioli and his beloved husband Leonardo.
Mrs Wiechman Savioli will attend the ballet which wants to celebrate the love story with his husband but also the fact that Mrs Savioli left all her archive to the Tuscan region, see also http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa-studio_Savioli . Her husband, Leonardo Savioli, was a very famous architect (the house in Via Piagentina, for example) and Flora too is a famous artist as we can still see some of her major works exposed in the Modern art gallery and costume of Palazzo Pitti.
The ticket costs only 10 euro and all the proceeds goes to the Mayer children hospital of Florence. The ballet will be in the beautiful baroque style theater Goldoni in via dei Serragli. The ballet is composed by music from the Vivaldi’s Four Season with the choreography of Keith Ferrone for the Florence Dance Company.

Terra Futura

From May 29th until May 31st at the Fortezza da Basso there is TERRA FUTURA. This is an entire week end dedicated to green buildings, human rights, volunteer jobs, communication and much more such as family’s projects, non conventional medicines, and responsible tourism. Free entrance, every day until 8pm, on Saturday until 10pm. You can find more info here: http://www.terrafutura.it/

B&B in Florence: seniors special

In this lovely bed and breakfast in Florence if you are older than 60 you can get a great discount all year off.
Moreover there's a gorgeous Jacuzzi and a Turkish bath if you would like to relax after visiting the big Michelangelo's David.
Enjoy...>>

Florence rental apartments in Ponte Vecchio

San Niccolò is one of the most authentic quarters of Florence, where many Florentines still have their homes and where you can still find small food shops, craftsmen shops and art galleries. More about San Niccolo>>

FLORENTINE GENIUS: what's on in May

Among the so many things I have to do in this period, I didn’t have the chance to write about the Florentine Genius, the May event started on May 15th.

You can find below the complete program:
- Visit to Literary café
- Night vist to the churches
- Sailing the Arno with the typical Florentine boat (barchetto).

- Cinema festival with a special homage to Francesco Nuti who directed all his movies in Florence

- Discovering Florence with three different routes in Italian and English: Historical streets of Florence, Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella.

- Restoration open to public
- Nemoland, dedicated to cartoon and animated movies.
- Aperitif in bars, divide Riondino, Exhibition and events of various kind.

Obika mozzarella bar

Obika is a new place in Florence in the fashion district. It is in the Tornabuoni palace on the homonymous street and you can choose from three different things: lunch, aperitif at the Mozzarella Obika bar or a dinner at the Osteria Tornabuoni.

Yesterday I tried the aperitif and it was worth to pay € 9, 00.
In the small courtyard of the palace the atmosphere is cosy and elegant, tranquil with soft music and a care environment. Different kind of food and all presented very well.
I had a cosmopolitan and it was the best I had so far.

You can find different kind of people, from the most stylish couple to the informal tourist who is reading a book while sipping a Mojito drink, business men or a table with girlfriends: a very nice place in the heart of Florence.
Aperitif: 9 euro
Lunch break: 10 Euros

Opening party at Bardini Terrace

Last night I went to an opening party of the American Bar “TINA” by MOBA, at the Bardini Terrace, together with a couple of friends (the kind owners of a Boutique B&B in Florence). It was as beautiful as last year and it seems very promising. They have added some comfortable sofas at the ground floor, close to the restaurant, where I spent most of the night after my fancy high shoes started to hurt really bad (why didn’t I bring my new purple ballerinas that I bought from romanofirenze this afternoon???) . We had a really good time even though it came some raindrops, and there were a lot of people. I also bumped into some friends from Santo Bevitore and Santino (two restaurants in Florence), as always very pleasant to meet them.

Anyway from tonight ,if the weather allows it, they will be open:
Aperitif from 19 to 22
Light Dinner from 20 to 23.30
American bar – live music & dj set.
Open all days from 19.00, except for Mondays.

Summer clubs in Florence

Summer is here!!

On Wednesday May 13th the grand opening of TOGETHER FLORENCE INN: from 7,30pm Costail party with buffet, music (info 3474238636) Via A.De Gasperi 6 Sorgane - 50012 Bagno a Ripoli, Firenze
From Thursday, May 14th in S. Ambrogio Las Palmas coming back with music for the summer nights.
In Piazza Ghiberti everyday music and dinner: Eastern European sounds, swing, gipsy, tango and South American rhythms. Low cost aperitif: 4-5 Euros with finger food and first dishes (pasta) and crystal glass because as Mario Falcini says”Martini is not done for plastic”.
On Thursday, Le Pavoniere managed by Leandro Bisenzi, that will start with the aperitif, dinner, spa relax and the Mojito tend for after dinners, besides the swimming pool.
Another space in Piazza Libertà opening next week managed by Daniele Locchi e Riccardo Chiarini.
On Thursday the new space at Terrazza Bardini opens with TINA (if this like MOBA, this is something that you cannot miss!) and the new Meccanò: invitation only. As for as Meccanò the opening night will be with music from OSTRASBEACH, from Milano Marittima and the Win effect will donate each girl who wear a Zoppini bracelet the entire summer for free! Info at 338 6733644
Last but not least the Parco of Anconella and the Cambia Musica association will open on Friday may 15th with something different, not the aperitif but low cost dinners, music and theatre and many events.

Going with your car to the center of Florence?

As every year or better every summer, Florence will have its ZTL, a restricted traffic area controlled by a network of video cameras from may 15th to October 31st 2009 in the following nights:

Thursday and Friday
Friday and Saturday
Saturday and Sunday
From 11pm to 4am

If you want to want more https://ztl.comune.fi.it/tzi/index.jsp
Be careful! Because the fine for violating the limited area is 80 euros!

Artcraft in the garden

This is a nice event especially because it takes place in the garden of Palazzo Corsini in via il Prato on May 15th, 16th and 17th. More than 80 artisans will show on hand the ancient art of old crafts such as the old soap makers Alighiero Campostrini or the Foundation Lisio Arte della seta (the silk art).

PROGRAM
Friday May 15th
10,00am Opening for the public
11,00am Opening of the exhibition “The young Florentine genius: the leather of Fucecchio”
Creativity competion on the leather working (Lodge of Palazzo Corsini)
5,30pm Opening meeting with the two candidates for beign the Florence Major “The role of the arcraft in Florence” (Hall of Palazzo Corsini)
8,30pm Closing of the day
Sunday, May 16th
10,00am apertura al pubblico della Mostra
7,00pm assegnazione del “Premio Perseo – Banca CR Firenze” (Loggia) drink
8,30am Closed
every day: guided visits of the garden with the “Città nascosta”association
Friday and Sunday at 12,00pm – 3,00pm – 4,00pm – 5,00pm
Saturday at 12,00pm – 4,00pm – 5,00pm – 6,00pm
Bar
Ticket: 8 euro
Reduced: 6 euro

What's on in Florence in May

GUSTA RUFINA

From May 4th to May 10th there’s the second edition of this fair which want to promote the wine, the territory of the Rufina. For this occasion some restaurants, wine bar, particular sites and bookshops organize something. The complete list is in www.gustarufina.it. My advises are the following:
Wednesday May 6th at Rifrullo restaurant tasting dinner in the gazebo with 4 different wines, for € 20,00. In the menu, salami, bardiccio, pecorino cheese and other specialties from Rufina. For reservation please call 055/2342621 or info@ilrifrullo.com.
Thursday May 7th Art Bookshop Babele- Via delle Belle Donne 41/r Firenze Tel. 055.283312. From 6,30pm: Aperitif with Rufina Chianti and presentation of two books regarding the wine “History of ancient wines” and “Wines of Italy”.
Friday, May 8th at Osteria da Melo - Via di Rosano 198, Bagno a Ripoli - tel. 055.6519000. Wines from the Fattoria of Grignano

BRUNCH IN FLORENCE
The sun, finally, shines on Florence and this is the perfect time for brunch lovers to sit in an open air café or restaurant to eat the typical American brunch. For a Sunday brunch the hotel TOGETHER FLORENCE INN in Via A. De Gasperi, 6 a Bagno a Ripoli offers a buffet with salt and sweet, warm and cold beverages, fruit juice and a choice of one dish from the brunch menu. The brunch is from 11,30am to 3,30pm for € 18,00 per person. There is also a different use called brunch with sauna and swimming pool from 10am to 6pm for € 48,00 per person.

FABBRICA EUROPA
Fabbrica Europa has started yesterday today at the Leopolda Station: this is a very interesting festival of dance, musical events, theater and performances that are not coming from big productions. A very interesting production could be Febre : modern and contemporary dance with capoeira influences. Dancers are coming from Membros and they show the cruel reality of our times. Until May 23rd.