Happy New year from Florence, Italy

It's raining from this morning. That's a pity: the major has organized many events in Florence this year (4 big free concerts) for those who want to celebrate the New Year's Eve walking and smiling in the streets... I hope this night the weather will be better.
I will go to a friend of mine's house to have a dinner all together.

I would like to send you the very best wishes in 2010.

Happy new Year!

Cheap Florence new years eve dinner 2010

Are you coming to Florence for the New Year's Eve? Looking for cheap places to eat?

Buffet dinner (served, with your own seat) only 70 euros in a historical and elegant palace in Florence, close to the Duomo. For info: stefanobosia@stefanobosia.it or +39 347 4238636 After the dinner you can dance all night long.
If you are interested in Florence new year 2010 street celebration, I can tell you that there will be a free concert at Signoria square (classic music), a jazz session at Repubblica Square and an italian concert at Santa Maria Novella train station.
See also palaces in Florence for new year's eve dinner and dance>>

Florence view with the snow

Yesterday I decided to get out by foot and after a lovely walk in the snow, to go to the center of Florence to see the city under the snow. So beautiful! It's vanishing... but I took a picture from piazzale Michelangelo.

Florence under the snow

It happens very rarely, but when snow comes in Florence it's a breathless event.

Yesterday it started snowing and this morning from my windows all I can see is a wonderful white panorama.

So beautiful...

Fine dining new years eve florence 2009

Here are the best places to eat and spend new years eve in Florence Italy 2009:

- Alle Murate restaurant: few steps away from Duomo (the main church in Florence), a restaurant in the warm, relaxed atmosphere of an antique florentine palace with the original frescoes of Italian poet Dante Alighieri. Service is judged ‘close to impeccable'. For info: silvia@allemurate.it Here is the menu>>
- Big new years eve 2010 party at Palazzo Gaddi: a gorgeous italian dinner and after dinner dj + live music to dance until late. Open bar for only 50 euros! Close to the main rain station of Florence, in a 14th century old palace. For info: stefanobosia@stefanobosia.it

Don't miss the ice skating rink in Piazza Libertà and the big Christmas Tree in Piazza Repubblica!

Florence Noel 2009: Santa's house in Florence!

Until the next Sunday (December, the 13th) at Leopolda Station there's a Christmas fair for children called "Florence Noel": toys, stands, food and chocolate tastings, gifts. Visit Santa Claus grotto and take a picture with him!

Opening hours: from Friday to Tuesday from 10 am to 8 pm. On wednesday and thursday from 3pm to 10 pm.Tickets 7.50 euro. Kids under 3 years old: free entrance.

Florence Christmas markets

Today I have been to Piazza Santa Croce, to see the Florence Christmas Market. I have bought some decorations for my Christmas tree and I have eaten bread with wurstel (typical german food). The square is full of wooden stands coming from all over Europe and you can buy gifts and presents for Christmas. The market will remain in Florence until the 20th of December.

Looking for info about newyears eve in Florence?
Here find the best Florence new year's eve 2010 dinner:
- Italian new years eve dinner with a gorgeous menu and after Super party with dancing all night long and open bar at Palazzo Gaddi (close to Piazza Duomo)
- Elegant and fancy restaurant Alle Murate (only dinner)
- Informal and cosy restaurant Il Rifrullo (only dinner)

Lodging in Florence for Xmas?
Romantic B&b in Florence with Jacuzzi>>
Brand new B&B in Florence belonged to a famous italian painter>>

Have a romantic Florence on christmas!

Read also ice skating at Parterre square skating>>

International conference in Florence: cultural heritage on line

Following the success of the previous conference in 2006, the 2nd "CULTURAL HERITAGE on line" conference will be hosted by Teatro della Pergola in Florence in December 2009. This conference aims to explore, analyze, and evaluate the state of the art and future trends in user communities and cultural contents on the web from an international perspective, and bring together academic researchers, policy makers and practitioners, providing a forum for the discussion and dissemination of the selected themes.

Internet continues to have an impressive impact on cultural heritage and humanist communities by affecting the way they work, use, exchange and produce knowledge. New architectures and radically different paradigms arise continuously engendering a deep rethinking of traditional roles and tasks. Though a continuous increase in ICT use has spread in the cultural heritage community, cultural institutions have been slower to adopt new technologies for cultural, economic and organizational reasons. Today it seems that users not only are able to adapt to technological changes faster than cultural institutions, but they are also driving innovation, by proposing new ideas and building up new paradigms of knowledge production.

The conference will start on the 15th of December with keynote lectures that investigate user needs and expectations, analysing how to better involve users and the cultural heritage community in creating and sharing digital resources. The plenary session on the 16th will start with the presentation of national and international scenarios, followed by two thematic sessions with scientific speeches selected through a Call for Papers, that will ascertain the advancement of the research on the relationship user-institution towards the development of cooperative Web 2.0 tools and on sustainable digital preservation policies.

Who should attend:
* Cultural heritage institutions administrators and curators
* Digital humanities researchers and students
* Cultural tourism operators
* Professional associations in the fields of museums, archives, libraries
* Funding agencies
* Technology providers and developers
here is the programme>>

A Christmas tradition in Florence

Christmas in Piazza Repubblica: the switch-on of the towering Christmas tree given to us by the municipality of Florence takes place this Sunday, at 6.30 pm, with carols sung around the tree and the speech of our young brand new Major.

Icerinks for skating in Florence

Yes! even this year we have the ice rink in Florence, it will remain open until January, the 11.

It's just above the Parterre parking, not far from the center of the city. You can rent the skates there. Probably it will stay open also for the New Year's eve, until midnight.
See the old post about ice skating in Florence>

Winter sales

From the 1st of December romanofirenze.com, a shoe store in Florence, has started with the winter sales. Exclusively for those that buy online the whole fall/winter collection 09 is discounted, from 20% up to 40%.

Do not miss this opportunity to buy the trendiest shoes for a convenient price, and to get them shipped right to your home. The store has worldwide free shipping for orders over €250.

Christmas tree and New year's Eve in the streets of Florence!

Sunday, December 6th at 6pm it will be will flipped a switch to light the Christmas tree in Piazza della Repubblica and contemporary they will be lit up also the lights along the main boulevard and in the Cathedral Square.

Following the Xmas theme, the Tuscany orchestra will give a concert at the Verdi Theater, In via Ghibellina on December 24th at 4pm. They will be played the Grand Mess of Mozart for chorus and orchestra K.427 in co-production with the Chigiana Musical Academy of Sienna.

And lastly the events for the New Years Eve in Florence with dancing and concerts in the squares (first time after years!)

There will be a free concert directed by Maestro Lanzetta of the Chamber Orchestra of Florence in Piazza della Signoria then in Piazza del Duomo and in Piazza della Repubblica there will be other kind of music: jazz, street bands...and in Piazza SS Annunziata there will be a space dedicated to Riccardo Marasco, the most important and celebrated Florentine singer.
See also Florence New Year's parties>>