Serravalle Jazz

From Sunday 26th to Tuesday 28th August 2007 at Serravalle Pistoiese, near to Pistoia there will be the 6th edition of Serravalle Jazz. The jazz festival is held in the suggestive Towers of the Castello di Castruccio Castracani (the Castele of Serravalle Pistoiese), and some of the most important jazz artists will perform during the three days.

During the afternoon there will be also workshops, as in the twin Barga Jazz Festival.

Guest star: Kenny Wheeler on Sunday 26th August.

Where: Serravalle Pistoiese, Castello di Castruccio Castracani

Info: +39 0573 917404
e-mail: cultura@comune.serravalle-pistoiese.pt.it
Web: www.comune.serravalle-pistoiese.pt.it

26th of august
6.00 pm at Oratorio della Vergine Assunta
“Jazz europeo tra Big Band ed orchestra”
conference by FRANCESCO MARTINELLI
9.15 pm Rocca di Castruccio
Barga Jazz Big Band
Guest star KENNY WHEELER

27th of august
6.00 pm at Oratorio della Vergine Assunta
“I mille volti di Billie Holiday”
Conference by MAURIZIO TUCI
9.15 pm Rocca di Castruccio
"Lady day today"
Remembering Billie Holiday
Adattamento da The Lady sing the blues
MAURIZIO TUCI e MONICA MENCHI

MONICA MENCHI voce recitante
FEDERICA GENNAI voce
REBECCA SCORCELLETTI voce
ROSA EMILIA voce
LOUISE TSCHABUSCHNIG voce
RENATO SELLANI pianoforte
Regia Monica Menchi

28th of august
6.00 pm at Oratorio della Vergine Assunta
“Il Jazz contaminato”
Conference by ANTONELLO SALIS RAFFAELLO PARETI
9.15 pm Rocca di Castruccio
"Viva il Brasile"
RENATO SELLANI Pianoforte
ROSA EMILIA Voce
Posia Do Brasil dedicato a Tom Jobim
10.30 pm Rocca di Castruccio
Salis Pareti Cantini Trio
ANTONELLO SALIS fisarmonica
RAFFAELLO PARETI contrabbasso
STEFANO "COCCO" CANTINI sassofoni

The chiantigiana road

After travelling through all Japan (have a look to my flickr pictures about the trip to japan) I thought I needed to take a breathe in the tuscan countryside.

So, last Sunday, I took my car and I drove towards Siena, to get to a lovely place in the Chianti area I discovered few weeks ago. The name of the small city is Castelnuovo Berardenga and it is close to Badesse (4km) and Siena (8km). It's just 10 minutes after Castellina in Chianti: one of the most important cities for wine tasting.

There's a nice and big swimming pool at Mulino di Quercegrossa: 7 different pools for swimming, sun bathing, relaxing, diving and walking in the water..
You can enter in the morning and you pay 12 euros (on weekends) but you can also get in after 3 pm and you pay the "afternoon" fee (9 euros). When I arrived it was around 1.30.. and I was a bit hungry. So I decided to go and look for some food just before entering the pool.

I drove back to Castellina, I parked the car just outside the historical center of the small city. And I tried one little italian bar: panino with prosciutto and pecorino cheese, tuna salad and a glass of red wine. Really delicious!
I hardly recommend to visit Castellina, it's quite small, but it's vey nice with the old walls and buildings. And some little nice stores, too.

After the light and cheap lunch I went back to the swimming pool (about 9 km).
I have been 3 or 4 hours just lying under the sun, to enjoy the last warm days of the summer.

When the temperature was becoming a little cold I decided to go away and have a stop at Monteriggioni, which is a medieval town, surrounded by walls and towers (it's not famous as San Gimignano, but I really like it!). I had a lovely "aperitivo" in the main square: 2 glasses of Chianti Classico of Fonterutoli, a slice of bread with porcini mushrooms and pecorino cheese.. and a great sunset. You could also have dinner there. It wasn't expensive.

At 8 pm I finally went back to Florence..

Free events in Florence

In the last days of August, some events are coming in Florence. Some of them you can access without paying a ticket or a fee..

Hoping that the weather will be good (today is raining a lot).
Every evening in "Piazza dei Ciompi" under the "Loggia del Pesce" you can seat and have a drink, while listening to some live music. On wednesday, the 22nd of August, some jazz music inspired to John Coltrane music. On saturday and sunday a big aperitif, for drinking and eating together.

Always on the 22nd of August you can enjoy a special evening at Parco dell'Anconella, near the Arno River: spanish, arabian and esotic ballet for a talented duo. Entrance free.

At Forte Belvedere you can admire the exhibition devoted to Hugo Pratt's main character: Corto Maltese. Pratt was a very famous italian comic painter. His novels and comics have been translated in several languages, trough all the world. Now you can see some of his best watercolors. And maybe after, you can have a gorgeous "aperitivo" on the terrace of Forte Belvedere, that watches the city of Florence.
From 5.00 pm to 12.00 pm, No entrance fee.

Villa Demidoff

Around Florence there are many villas built by Medici Family. Most of them are quite unknown. They are all very beautiful, with great parks and gardens.

For the day of "Ferragosto" (the 15th of august) I've been to Villa Demidoff at Pratolino (Vaglia). It's not far from Florence: just take the "via Bolognese" (the ancient road that brings to Bologna from Florence) and after about 20 minutes by car you get to Pratolino. I think you can go there also by bus.
There you can find the villa and the marvellous garden. It's a huge green park, up and down some hills (it's very fresh also in the summer), with narrow paths and wide green fields where you can lie and sunbath or maybe have a picnic.
There's also a big statue, named "Appennino". The statue was build by Giambologna an italian sculptor. It's very impressive. It has the shape of an old man, that looks at a waterpool full of flowers.

During the summer 2007 the entrance to this park is free and you can enjoy walking in the big park or just relaxing under a centenary tree, for how long as you wish. In some days there are also some free exhibitions, shows and happenings and also games for kids. Here you can find some information (I'm sorry it's in italian)

Around Pratolino there are many trattorie and pizzerie where you can eat "tortelli alla mugellana" and other tuscan food.

Cabianca exhibition: the Macchiaioli movement

The exhibition "Vincenzo Cabianca, the Macchiaioli movement" showcases about 100 works by Cabianca as well as approximately 25 paintings by other macchiaioli artists among which are Telemaco Signorini, Giovanni Fattori, Silvestro Lega, Cristiano Banti, and Nino Costa.

The exhibition in Florence includes the large painting of I novellieri fiorentini (Florentine Storytellers) from Palazzo Pitti, the Scena medievale (Medieval Scene) and Le monachine in riva al mare (Nuns on the Seashore) both from the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art in Milan, the very beautiful paintings Al sole (In the Sun) and L’acquaiola (The Water-carrier) from private collections and works by other macchiaioli masters such as the painting Giovani pescatori (Young Fishermen) by Telemaco Signorini, and Riunione di contadine (Group of Countrywomen) by Cristiano Banti.

We can admire famous paintings such as the Abbandonata (Deserted Wife) and unknown ones like Vendemmia in Toscana (Grape Harvest in Tuscany), evidence of the years of daring experimentations with the “macchia” technique (macchia in Italian means a spot of colour) which Cabianca carried out with Banti and Signorini in Liguria and in the Tuscan countryside between 1859 and 1862, culminating in the famous masterpiece Il mattino (Morning) and in Marmi a Carrara Marina (Marble Blocks in Carrara Marina) which had not been exhibited for almost a century.

The fellowship with his macchiaioli friends in the Florentine countryside around Piagentina and in the seascapes of Castiglioncello and Versilia, are witnessed by famous masterpieces such as Spiaggia a Viareggio (Beach in Viareggio) and Un bagno fra gli scogli (Bathers on the Rocks). The splendid 1862 Ritorno dai campi (Back from the Fields), which had not been exhibited for decades, is the painting around which views of Tuscan countryside, either never displayed before or not seen for a long time, rotate.

12th July – 14th October 2007, Florence, Villa Bardini, Bardini Garden
Exhibition opening hours:
July and August 8.15 a.m.- 7.30 p.m.
September and October 8.15 a.m.- 6.30 p.m.
Closed on the first and last Mondays of the month

Free entrance to the exhibition from no. 4 Costa S. Giorgio

Shuttle service: In the months of July and August from 4.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. and in the months of September and October from 3.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m., there will be a shuttle service between Costa San Giorgio and Piazza Poggi.

Guided visits: Every day free guided visits available at 4.30 p.m., 5.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m.
At other times, upon booking, guided visits against payment
For groups of adults (with a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 25 people) 100 euros
Bookings: Firenze Musei 055 2654321

Florence Queer Festival

The Florence Queer Festival is one international review of cinema, video and other limbs to thematic gay, lesbian and transgender. The fifth edition will be from the 22nd of september to the 6th October 2007 in Florence.

Tonight there will be a special preview at Forte Belvedere, in Florence, Italy.

PREVIEW of the fifth EDITION OF FLORENCE QUEER FESTIVAL in Florence. 9th of August, 9.30 pm at Forte Belvedere, Firenze.
Projection of the Film:
The CLANS of Gaël Morel (France 2004) Duration: 90'

The clans: the story of the history through the body. That one of a group of young maghreb people living in France. Exhibited bodies, made by hours of gymn. In the first 20 minutes there isn't any shoot that goes away from the splendid eyes of Jamel or from the male shoulders of Marc, releasing muscles and trains you of the companions of `the Clan'. In a tripudio of male beauty. “History of life” would say italian poet and director Pierpaolo Pasolini.

A history of loneliness, hopes and dreams disregarded of boys who do not succeed to find a job that does not destroy them. Single, without a love, incapable to give a sense just to the living. Also the sex, like all, is consumed without conviction, made of meaningless and fast movements…

To follow a selection of "corti" that have participated to the past edition of the VIDEOQUEER. Approximately 20' of projection.
For Info: Silvia 347 8553836 silvia@florencequeerfestival.it

San lorenzo night

This friday (10th of August) is "San Lorenzo" night: the night in which you can admire the falling stars. In Florence there is a very famous church named San Lorenzo. For the occasion, there will be several events.
First of all there will be a special mass in the church of San Lorenzo (very close to the Duomo). Then from 10.00 am to 3.30 pm it will be possible to see freely (without paying the entrance fee) the "Cappelle Medicee" (where some of the most important members of the florentine Medici family are buried). There's also the opportunity to have a free english guide thanks to Centro Guide Turismo.
At 9.00 pm in front of the church there will be a great concert. At 10.00 pm there will be a free tasting of italian lasagne and water melon.

For info:
Basilica di S.Lorenzo tel. 055.2616051/6
tel. 055.2768030 Comune di Firenze Web: www.comune.fi.it