Vintage store in Florence

OFFICINA VINTAGE - TWICE!!!

A young, talented, creative group of friends opened Officina Vintage last year in a hidden corner outside the historical centre of Florence and it was immediate success. Now, after one year, they are ready to open another shop this time in the historical centre of Florence just few steps from the Duomo, in via Del Giglio 41/red. At Officina Vintage you can find vintage clothing of the 70ties and 80ties : a more complete selection of clothing and accessories dedicated to all Vintage lovers and those who want to dress with a very personal taste but especially to own a unique and
inimitable item.
The grand opening of this second shop will be on Saturday, November 15th from 5pm until 9pm in Via Del Giglio 41/red, near the Medici chapels. Come to visit this colorful shop full of creative ideas: the verve of these four guys will conquer you!!!
Time openings:
Monday from 3pm to 8pm
Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to
2pm – 3pm to 8pm
Sundays (until Dec. 31st) 10am to 2pm – 3pm to 8pm

New year's eve 2008 , Florence, Italy

Here are some events for new years eve celebration in Florence Italy 2008.

At florentine Restaurant Le Murate in the center of the city, close to Piazza Signoria and Piazza Santa Croce, there will be a special menu for the dinner of the 31st of December.
In a charming location, with the original and unique frescoes of Dante, you have the opportunity to taste some italian specialties. As an appetizers Capon stock with hand made ravioli and Valdarnese hen’s special egg. Then Red prawns from Sicily, turnip tops sauce and bresaola from Chianina beef. As first dish tortelli stuffed with burrata and ricotta cheese, sea bass ragout. After this a Pumpkin soufflé, foie gras, black cabbage sauce.
The main course is Free range lamb from Casentino country: leg stuffed with artichokes, stewed shoulder and fried chop.
For dessert a variation on chocolate and citrus fruit: dark chocolate cake with tangerine sauce, orange jelly and white chocolate mousse.
Price for the dinner 150 euros.
For info and reservation: silvia@allemurate.it
see some pictures of the restaurant here

Other dinners and events? soon on this blog! I will tell you all the party and celebration of 2009 in Florence!

See also christmas markets in Florence with the Florence Noel market 2008 at stazione leopolda.
See also the post about my dinner at this elegant restaurant in Florence.

Wine and olive oil tasting in Chianti

Last Sunday, I went with some friends to visit a farm in the surrounding areas of Siena, in Badesse, for a wine and extra virgin olive oil tasting.

The farmhouse, Il ciliegio, has been organizing for the past 3 years a full day dedicated to the tasting of some typical Tuscan products such as ham and salami, bruschetta, fettunta, polenta, ribollita, chestnuts with also the opening of the wine cellars. It is such a beautiful idea to spend some time in the country side especially with the November sun.
We liked also the exterior part of the farm where we saw animals, new born rabbits, vineyards and olive trees in a magical atmosphere.
It is praiseworthy to see Luca, the young owner of the farm to dedicate his life to work in the fields or with animals.
Luca also explained us how they keep the wine in French barrique and how the grape raisins need to stay and rest in a dry place before they become the famous Vinsanto, for six months. I also tried the buristo (the interior of pork), nothing exceptional, but it was good to try.

Wine and food biennale in Florence

From November 10th until 24th Florence will host the first Wine and food biennale: a rich festival where you will have the chance to taste our best products.

We start with the opening day, the 10th with homage to a symbol of Florentine gastronomy, the Florentine T-bone steak. (here in the picture) On Tuesday, the 11th there will be a charity event with the partnership of Caritas Firenze together with the producers of Chianti IGT.
From November 13th until 16th in largo Annigoni (sant’Ambrogio area) stands will propose a mix of traditional Tuscan food together with other Italian products or even ethnic food, such as kebab.
On Saturday November 15th from 3pm to 7pm it will be the occasion to taste the Wine of 2007 and the Riserva of 2006 at Villa Poggio Reale
Instead the following Saturday, November 22nd at Villa Malenchini (Antella), a Medici villa, there is the annual extra virgin olive oil with cooking lessons taught by excellent chefs.
On Sunday November 23rd only 80 lucky people will have the opportunity to taste a fine selection of the best Riserva Chianti Rufina, introduced by the famous gastronomic journalist Leonardo Romanelli.
Then, grand final on November 24th with a lecture on how the food in Florence has changed between today and its glorious past.
Lastly in these two weeks 80 restaurants in Florence will propose in their menus, different kind of old recipes.

OIBO' a nice place for a drink

Few steps from the beautiful Piazza Santa Croce, at the corner with via de’ Benci, stands a modern, essential bar where you can taste delicious food and drinks, aperitifs, but also lunches. Even if it is located in one of the most touristic areas of Florence, the bar is full of young florentine too.

The aperitif buffet is open every day from 6,30pm until 9,30pm: perfect before going to Theatre Verdi few meters from OIBO’. You can find, finger food, cous cous, pasta, meat, focacce, salad and other delicatessen. While I was taking some pictures, I was blindingly obvious by a bottle called FI.GA, an allusive play on words of an Italian bad word, that it is only a beverage with a guaranà base.
I tasted and it was good. They explained me they use to do cocktails.
As I said before you can taste also something for a cheap lunch and if you are in the area I highly recommend it. The interior design is nice and well cared.

OIBO’, via de’ Benci 53/red Tel 055 2638611

Original sound movies in Florence at Cinema Odeon

There are some big changes for the Odeon this Autumn.

The historic cinema is proud to host 50 Giorni di Cinema Internazionale (50 days of International movies) which gets under way on 31 October with the 20th France Cinema festival. The various programmes of the Festival will offer the opportunity to sample hundreds of excellent films in original language versions, to meet directors, actors and writers of quality cinema from all over the world. It will be an opportunity for full immersion in the Seventh Art!
The Odeon Original Sound Programme will however continue to offer cinema-goers the chance to see the best current productions. So, after an array of movies in the second half of October and two days in November, the programme will transfer to the Astra 2 Cinehall (a 20 minute walk from the Odeon) to offer the most eagerly awaited movies of the season: from the latest acclaimed offerings from Clint Eastwood and Ridley Scott to the hits of the Venice Festival such as The Burning Plain and Rachel Getting Married. After the customary Christmas Break, the Odeon Original Sound programme will return to its traditional home in Piazza Strozzi.

November - Cinema Odeon CineHall – via Sassetti

Wednesday 5 Entre les murs (France - 128’) by Laurent Cantet with François Bégaudeau, Nassim Amrabt, Laura Baquela, Cherif Bounaïdja Rachedi, Juliette Demaille, Dalla Doucouré

Shows: 3.00 - 5.30 – 8.00 – 10.30 pm - Golden Palm Cannes Film Festival -

Wednesday 12 The Hurt Locker (USA - 131’) by Kathryn Bigelow with Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse, Christian Camargo, Anthony Mackie, Jeremy Renner, Brian Geraghty Shows: 3.00 - 5.30 – 8.00 – 10.30 pm - Venice Film Festival -

November - Cinema Astra2 CineHall – piazza C. Beccaria

Monday 3 Pride and Glory (USA - 125’) by Gavin O’Connor with Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, Noah Emmerich, Jennifer Ehle, John Ortiz, Shea Whigham, Frank Grillo

Shows: 3.00 - 5.30 – 8.00 – 10.30 pm

Monday 10 The Burning Plain (USA - 110’) by Guillermo Arriaga with Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger, Joaquim de Almeida, José María Yazpik, Danny Pino, Jennifer Lawrence
Shows: 3.30 - 5.50 – 8.10 – 10.30 pm - Venice Film Festival -

Monday 17 Changeling (USA - 140’) by Clint Eastwood with Angelina Jolie, Riki Lindhome, Amy Ryan, Devon Gearhart, Kelly Lynn Warren, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan
Shows: 4.00 - 7.00 – 10.00 pm

Monday 24 Quantum of Solace (USA/UK) by Marc Forster with Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Jesper Christensen, Mathieu Amalric, Olga Kurylenko, Gemma Arterton, Jeffrey Wright, Neil Jackson, Joaquín Cosio, Anatole Taubman, Al Pacino, Fernando Guillen-Cuervo

Shows: 3.00 - 5.30 - 8.00 – 10.30 pm

December - Cinema Astra2 CineHall – piazza C. Beccaria

Monday 1 Body of Lies (USA) by Ridley Scott with Leonardo Di Caprio, Russell Crowe

Shows: 3.00 - 5.30 – 8.00 – 10.30 pm

Tuesday 9 Rachel Getting Married (USA - 119’) by Jonathan Demme with Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mather Zickel, Bill Irwin, Anna Deavere Smith, Anisa George
Shows: 3.30 - 5.50 – 8.10 – 10.30 pm - Venice Film Festival - - with Italian subtitles -

Monday 15 The Women (USA - 114’) by Diane English with Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Carrie Fisher, Cloris Leachman, Debi Mazar, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen
Shows: 3.30 - 5.50 – 8.10 – 10.30 pm - whit Italian subtitles -

Giovanni Fattori exhibition in Florence

The Other Face of the Soul: The Works of Giovanni Fattori.

After the exhibition of the two queens today I would like to talk about this new event in Florence. Giovanni Fattori, born in Livorno in 1825, was one of the leaders of a group of Tuscan artists called the Macchiaioli, forerunners of the French Impressionists. Fattori’s early works typically depict scenes of a historical and/or military nature. In later paintings, those associated with the Macchiaioli, his subjects were often landscapes, rural scenes and military life. Mary Stuart at the Camp of Crookstone, Pause in the Maremma with Farmers and Ox-cart, After the Battle of Magenta and Storming of the Madonna della Scoperta are among his most famous works.

"The Other Face of the Soul" will showcase some of the greatest paintings of all times, including La cugina Argia, I fidanzati, Ritratto della prima moglie, Testa di buttero, Il bersagliere, Signore in giardino and the famous Autoritratto del 1894 (above). Traversing a gallery of over 60 beautifully restored paintings, one will be fascinated and intrigued to recognize, to understand and interpret th society of Tuscany in the artist’s age.

The Other Face of the Soul
October 28, 2008 through January 25, 2009
Gallery of Modern Art, Pallazzo Pitti, Piazza Pitti 1, Florence

Open Tuesday through Sunday 8:15 a.m. to 6:50 p.m. Closed Christmas and new Year's Day

Entrance 12 euro, 6 reduced, free for EU citizens under the age of 18 and over the age of 65

Additional cost for advanced purchase, 3 euro
For reservations, contact 055-294883 or visit www.firenze2008.it