Florence News & Events May'14

Savonarola’s Flowers

EugEnio giani, PRESiDEnT oF

FLoREnCE CiTY CounCiL

Continued on page 12Continued on page 10

Benedetto da Maiano’s Crucifix Returns

Court denies Sex game Before Kercher’s Murder

San gimignano Hosts elliott erwitt

discover the adventure park

page 4 page 7 page 22 page 28

Evi FuELLE

Spring is here and Florence is ready to present itself in a renewed splendor. The Ponte Vecchio prepares to showcase brand new lighting in June while the Uffizi has inaugurated five new rooms this May. Visitors to the Uffizi will be amazed by never-before-seen Italian masterpieces in the newest salette gallery while late night strolls by the Ponte Vecchio will be bathed in a rich new light. With everything in bloom, visitors begin to flock

to the city of flowers and la citta prepares some new surprises. This May, the city will celebrate traditional Flo-rentine craftsmanship by inviting the public into the world of Florentine artistry. As Italians begin to spend the majority of their time outdoors, Palazzo Corsini prepares its gardens to host the 20th edition of Artigianato e Palazzo, a festival dedicated to Italian craftsmanship from May 15 to 18 (see page 10). Festival-goers can enjoy tra-ditional Tuscan food and wine while watching demonstrations by local artists.

On May 25, Florentines will elect a new Mayor and City Council to fill newly elected Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s vacant seat (see page 5). For the first time in five years, Florentines will also have the chance to elect 15 new MEPs to the European Parliament in the elections from May 22 to 25. An exhibition featuring American artist Jackson Pollock will be on display until July 27 in Palazzo Vecchio and the San Firenze complex, providing a fresh look at Pollock’s early career and detail-ing Michelangelo’s influence on the young artist.

In Florentine culture, May has always meant happiness, regeneration, and according to an Italian tradition called Calendimaggio, May has always been the period of trysts. Popular songs were dedicated to this magic moment of flowering and rebirth, accompanied even by richly colored flowers and garlands in traditional dresses. However, the history of May flowers in the city also has a particular, gloomy meaning.In fact, the most important festivity of this month in Florence is the recurrence of a sad memory: the public execution of a Dominican friar, Savon-arola, which took place on May 23, 1498.From his Church, San Marco, Savonarola had tried to change the Florentines’ minds, and preached to improve the morality of their cus-toms. But he drove out the Medici and accused Pope Borgia of favoring corruption within the Church, and thus the powerful people he de-monized had him hanged and his body burned.The festivity that remembers Savonarola is meant to transform pain into resurrection. Every year, on May 23 at 10 a.m., a celebration in his memory begins in the Piazza della Signoria. A procession accompanies city authorities from the Piazza to the Ponte Vecchio, where flowers are thrown by Florentines and tourists alike into the Arno as Savonarola’s faithfuls did with his ashes. This commemoration, known as La Fiorita (“the flowered”), is a demonstration of affection for a friar whose ashes are taken, year after year, towards a faraway ocean.

Michelangelo’s influence on Jackson Pollock

Continued on page 2

MaY 2014, no.7www.FLoREnCEnEwSEvEnTS.CoM Via Pietrapiana, 82/r

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A New Splendor

Florence Shines with Five New Rooms at the Uffizi and New Lighting for Ponte Vecchio

2 Florence news & events MAY 2014 no. 7

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The Bargello National Museum is hosting the first monographic exhibi-tion ever devoted to Florentine sculp-tor Baccio Bandinelli (1493-1560). Cu-rated by Detlef Heikamp and Beatrice Paolozzo Strozzi, the exhibition aims to paint a “full-figure portrait” of Bandinelli, overshadowed by centu-ries of tradition that favored his rivals, Michelangelo and Cellini. The first room of the exhibition is located in the Michelangelo Room, where all the works regularly on dis-play are related to Bandinelli, includ-ing those by his masters Michelange-lo and Rustici, by his contemporaries Jacopo Sansovino and Tribolo, and his eternal rival, Cellini. Works by his pupils Vincenzo De Rossi and Bar-tolomeo Ammannati are also on dis-play in this room, along with works by Giambologna, his successor at the court of the Medici grand dukes.The exhibition examines Baccio the child prodigy in his father’s (Michel-angelo di Viviano, the Medici’s gold-smith of choice) workshop, tirelessly copying the Classical and Quattro-cento master’s relief. His talent is apparent in the vast number of draw-ings from his youth included in the exhibition.

Baccio Bandinelli Exhibit on Display at the Bargello Museum

The Figure of Fury until July 27

palazzo vecchio, piazza Signoriaexhibit €10; reduced €8

exhibit hours 9 a.m. to midnight; thursdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

San Firenze Complex, piazza San Firenze

exhibit €5; reduced €2exhibit hours 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.;

thursdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Combined ticket available at the palazzo vecchio Museum office

for both exhibit locations €12; reduced €9

@FLoRenCeneWSeventSFor daily news and events, exhibitions, italian music and recipes.

Bandinelli painted in his early youth, as Florence was primarily full of painters at that time. But he had dif-ficulty mastering color, evidenced in his Leda and the Swan (1512). This only surviving Bandinelli painting from the period is on loan from the Sorbonne for the exhibit. The same year Bandinelli turned to sculpture, as Leonardo had urged him to do years prior, he carved his Mercury, quickly snatched up by the king of France, and now in the Louvre. Vasari, in a long biography devoted to Bandinelli, calls him “a very devil with his wit and his tongue,” yet ad-mits Bandinelli’s greatness. Although admired in the 17th and 18th centu-ries, Bandinelli has since been ostra-cized by critics.

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The Figure of Fury

An exhibition featuring American art-ist Jackson Pollock’s work will be held until July 27 in Florence. Pollock was an influential figure for American 20th Century painters and a leading artist in the abstract expressionist move-ment. Pollock is known for his unique

“drip” technique and is considered the founder of action painting. During the early years of his career, Pollock showed an interest in the works of Italian Renaissance genius Michelangelo Buonarroti. Pollock’s Sketchbooks I and II, housed at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, contain Pollock’s repro-ductions and sketches of Michelan-gelo’s most famous works. Pollock was inspired by the Italian master’s work, and the exhibition is designed to showcase both artists’ similarities and differences in artistic style and subject on occasion of the 450th anni-versary of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s death in 1564. The event will take place in two lo-cations: Palazzo Vecchio, which was chosen because it holds Michelan-gelo’s Genius of Victory statue in the

Salone dei Cinquecento; and the San Firenze Complex. The majority of Pol-lock’s drawings and paintings will be on display at the Palazzo Vecchio location, while at the San Firenze Complex, formerly the San Firenze courthouse, the multimedia part of the exhibition will be installed, giv-ing viewers an interactive display of the life and art of Jackson Pollock.

Exhibit Showcases Michelangelo’s Influence on Jackson Pollock

Baccio Bandinelli, Sculptor and Master (1493-1560)

until July 13Bargello Museum,

via del proconsolo, 4every day 8:15 a.m to 5 p. m.; closed 2nd & 4th Monday of the

monthwww.unannoadarte.it/bac-

ciobandinelli/eng

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NEWSFlorENcE NEWS & EvENtS MAY 2014 No. 7

Uffizi Inaugurates Five New Rooms

Halls 19-23 of the Uffizi, reopened on April 28, now contain early Renais-sance Italian masterpieces—a total of 44 works from different Italian regions, including 12 works chosen from the large deposit of art owned by the Uffizi Gallery, never before on display. The rooms, known as the salette, originally housed the Medici Armory from the end of the 16th century up un-til 1775, and have only recently been renovated and opened to the public.The five new rooms showcase cor-nerstones of Italian Renaissance painting paired with works of great importance such as Giovan Frances-co Caroto’s Histories of the Childhood of Christ, up until now in storage. Many of the works were purchased by the Italian State for the Uffizi in the late 19th and early 20th century with the intent to expand the geographic breadth of the Uffizi collection, but were not displayed.The Sienese painting hall is the first room immediately following the Tribune, Hall 19, which houses the Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints by Lorenzo di Pietro (“Il Vec-chietta”), an important figure in the Sienese Renaissance. In the next room, Hall 20, visitors can admire Andrea Mantegna’s Madon-na of the Caves, as well as works by Giovanni Bellini and Antonello da Messina. Moving to Hall 21, visitors are treated to masterpieces from Verona and Ven-ice, including works by Giovan Fran-cesco Caroto and Cima da Conegliano. Hall 22 is dedicated to painters from Emilia Romagna. The last hall, 23, is dedicated to painters from Lombardy.

The ceilings of halls 19 and 20 were completely redone in the mid-17th cen-tury, but halls 21, 22, and 23 still con-tain their original designs, including scenes of battles and other armory-re-lated themes. The five new rooms which comprise the salette are among the first in the Uffizi to be entirely modernized, part of the museum’s ongoing Nuovo Uffizi (“New Uffizi”) project. The project be-gan in 1998 with newly restored and repaired works of art, and aspirations for further modernization and reno-vation. The project aims to expand exhibition space, but includes mod-ern additions such as a cafe, book-shop, and multimedia information center. According to the New Uffizi

On the evening of June 16, new light-ing on the Ponte Vecchio will be un-veiled in a grand show, which will include the presence of the singer Andrea Bocelli. Designed by architect Claudio Dini, the lighting, which will bring 80 percent energy savings, has been donated by the menswear de-signer Stefano Ricci as an “act of love for Florence.” The event will kick off Pitti Uomo’s Florence Hometown of Fashion cel-ebration and will span 450 meters across the Arno. It will also feature a performance by the French theater group Ilotopie—famous for floating performing arts shows in Moscow, Dubai, Paris, and London. June 17-20 will celebrate the 60th an-

The majority of Museo dell’Opera del Duomo will be closed for renovations from 19 May until fall 2015. The ren-ovation, which may cost more than 30 million euro, is part of a project to renovate the whole Piazza del Duomo and its monuments. The newly renovated museum will be twice the size than at present, with a projected exhibition space of 2,430 square meters. It will include a “great room” to house a model of the 14th century façade of the Duomo and 40

niversary of the Florence Center for Italian Fashion, with participation from Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, Ro-berto Cavalli, Ermanno Scervino and Emilio Pucci (five labels “born” in Florence). Ricci, who is the founder of his eponymous Luxury brand and president of the Florence Center for Italian Fashion (CFMI), championed the project. The initiative aims at bringing greater visibility to Florence fashion through exhibitions, evening parties, con-certs, and projects. Before the show on the Arno, there will be a concert at the new Opera House organized by CFMI. Andrea Bocelli will also be attending the con-cert. During the event, Ponte Vecchio will not be closed.

Unveiling a Newly-Lit Ponte Vecchio

Opera del Duomo Museum Closes for Renovation May 19

aLEx MaRTELLo

Evi FuELLE project, renovations in the main nu-cleus of the museum will be ongoing, but the museum will not be closed to the public at any point during the ren-ovations. Upgrades which are part of the New Uffizi project and which have been in-stalled in the five new rooms include: new air conditioning systems with integrated humidifiers, newly redone electrical and lighting systems, and LED technology for both direct and indirect lighting. In addition, the museum has installed new security alarm systems. With fully modernized halls and never-before-seen masterpieces, the new rooms at the Uffizi are not to be missed.

statues of the early 14th and 15th centu-ries. Opposite the new “great” room, Guicciardini and Magni & Architects plan to create a gallery on three levels, with a series of openings which over-look the Piazza del Duomo. Facing the reconstructed facade will be the Arnolfo Laporta and North Gate of Heaven, as well as restored works such as the South Gate of the Baptistery. Restoration on the facade of the Baptistery of San Giovanni con-tinue.

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After four years of restoration work, the wooden crucifix by Benedetto da Maiano (1442-1497) has returned to the main altar in Florence’s Duomo. For over a cen-tury and a half, the sculpture was covered in a bronze colored varnish, which has now been removed, mak-ing it possible to observe the work’s original aspect as created by the artist. Removal of the old paint revealed the anatomical perfection of the sculpture, which portrays Christ still alive on the cross with eyes half-

closed. The Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore purchased the crucifix in 1509 from Benedetto’s son, 13 years after the artist’s death. Completed by Ben-

edetto before his death, the cruci-fix remained in the artist’s work-shop until 1509, when it became the property of the Cathedral. The question of who could have commissioned such a signifi-

cant work that was then left in the artist’s workshop for several years remains unanswered. According to Timothy Verdon, Director of the Ca-

Benedetto da Maiano’s Crucifix Returns to the Duomo

thedral Foundation Museum (Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore), the acquisition of the crucifix could have been part of the works being carried out under Brunelleschi’s dome at that time, and the death of the sculptor and the tumultuous time that followed could have delayed the positioning of the work.Born in the village of Maiano near Fiesole, Benedetto trained under An-tonio Rossellino and became one of the Renaissance’s most important sculptors of wood and marble. The restoration was entrusted to the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore and carried out at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. Cardinal Giuseppe Betori un-veiled the restored crucifix during the Good Friday liturgy on April 18.

As of May 1, the newly restored Pul-pit of the Resurrection by Donatello will be on display in the the Basil-ica of San Lorenzo. Measuring 3.10 x 1.25 x 1.6 meters and comprised of bronze elements, the pulpit depicts episodes from the Gospels including the Maries at the tomb of Jesus, the descent of Christ into Limbo, the Res-urrection, Pentecost, and the Martyr-dom of San Lorenzo. The work of art was fully restored thanks to Florence’s renowned res-toration workshop, the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. To see the work up close visitors will have to pay only one euro; these proceeds will fund the

restoration of Donatello’s Pulpit of the Passion, which is being revived on the left side of the church. Both piec-es represent some of the last creations of the great sculp-tor, who is buried in a crypt below the basilica.Additionally, three of Donatello’s prophet sculptures will be viewable in the Florence Baptis-tery starting on May 3. The Beardless Prophet, the Pensive Prophet, and the Prophet Jeremiah were three of the six

Donatello’s Resurrection Pulpit on Display

aLEx MaRTELLo

Honoring the Electress Palatine

The Museum of the Medici Chapels recently opened an exhibition honor-ing Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, the last descendant of the grand-ducal branch of the Medici family, known as the Electress Palatine.Following the death of her brother, Gian Gastone, the last Medici grand duke, and just a few years before her d e a t h , Anna Lu-isa draft-ed a his-torically m o n u -m e n t a l d o c u -ment en-titled the

“ Fa m i l y P a c t , ” w h i c h g u a ra n-teed the p r o t e c -tion and p r e s e r -v a t i o n of the M e d i c i f a m i l y heritage in Flor-ence and all of Tuscany.The idea for the exhibition stemmed from a project carried out in 2012 by the REM Museums in Mannheim, Germany. The institution, which consists of four different locations, wanted to honor the Electress, who lived and ruled in Germany from 1691 to 1716 alongside her husband Elector Palatine Johann Wilhelm von Pfalz Neuburg.

The REM Museums collaborated with the Museum of the Medici Chapels, the Faculty of Medical Surgery of the University of Florence, the Director-ates General for the Archaeological Heritage of Tuscany and for the Archi-tectural, Landscape, Historic, Artistic and Ethno-Anthropological Heritage of the Province of Florence, and the

Opificio delle Pi-etre Dure. From Oc-tober 8 to 22, 2012, the Elec-t r e s s ’ s remains were in-spected a l o n g with her g r a v e and the i t e m s b u r i e d with her.In the new ex-hibition in Flor-ence, the Museum of the M e d i c i Chapels hopes to

share the results of this research with the public and highlight the last years of the Electress’s life and achieve-ments in art and politics in Florence from her brother Gian Gastone’s death in 1737 to her death in 1743. Two gold medals, two coins, and a dedicatory plaque from the grave will be publicly displayed for the first time.

prophets sculpted out of marble be-tween 1415 and 1436 for Giotto’s bell tow-er next to the Duo-mo. The sculptures had been in poor condition from be-ing exposed to the elements while po-sitioned in niches in the city’s bell tower. The Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore has been carrying out many restorations, and its museum,

which houses the restored Baptistery doors, will be fully open to the public this autumn.

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On May 25 Florentines will vote for a new mayor and a new Council on the same day as they will vote for the Eu-ropean Parliament. The new mayor will be filling Matteo Renzi’s seat, left open after he be-came Italian Prime Minister, which makes this election a sort of referen-dum on the previous mayor’s past performance. Young and charismatic Renzi came into Florence politics with sweeping promises, but left before his term had ended. Now he is making new prom-ises on the national stage. Some in the city believe that if there had been a referendum of sorts, it would have been during the Partito Democratico (PD) primary for mayor. On March 23, Deputy Mayor Dario Nardella—a trusted aid of Renzi—won the candidacy with 82.5 percent of the vote, signaling a continuation of Renzi’s policies within the party.Trusted by Renzi to carry the local government to the May elections,

Nardella, the PD candidate, has lived in Florence since 1989 and has a clear history in the city with an active po-litical background. Some of his mer-its include a PhD in Public and Envi-ronmental Law from the University of Florence; legal adviser in the Pro-di government; member of the city council of Florence; and deputy may-or to Renzi, a role in which he was re-sponsible for economic development and sport. In 2013, Nardella was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the 17th Leg-islature and was also a member of the Commission for Productive Activities, Trade and Tourism. On the right is Marco Stello of Forza Italia. Stello is also an established Florentine, born in Florence in 1971. Stello affirms that he will “never abandon Florence.” He has a degree in Political Science, and is passionate about the political path of Silvio Ber-lusconi and his Forza Italia party. In 2004 Stello was elected to the City Committee of the party, and was elected as a city councilor. In 2009,

City Elects New Mayor and Council

Stello was the President of the Control Commission of the City of Florence, and in 2011 he was elected President of the PDL Group Board of the City of Florence. Stello claims that his cam-paign is not a political campaign, but a “love for Florence.”Of the 5 Stelle Movement, Miriam Amato has lived in Florence since she was 18. She wants to take her cam-paign to the web and the streets, to rally the people. Amato wants change, and feels that the PD is out of touch with the needs of Florence. Furthermore, Amato has accused Nardella from fleeing from broken promises. Florence and the Tuscan region have a long history of voting on the politi-cal left, so Florentines will not be sur-prised if Nardella wins. Some expect it. If Nardella is victori-ous, some in Florence believe there will not be change, but at least they will have a democratically elected mayor, which is something that can-not be said of the current Prime Min-ister.

From Right: deputy Mayor dario nardella, Marco Stello of Forza italia, Mirim amato of 5 Stelle Movement

aLEx MaRTELLo

Screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie has acquired the rights to produce a film based on the novel The Monster of Florence: A True Story by Mario Spezi and Douglas Preston. George Clooney’s Smokehouse movie pro-duction company will work with Mc-Quarrie, and Clooney himself will play the lead role in the film. Work on the film has already begun. McQuar-rie was in Florence in late April to visit filming sites. Filming will begin next year. From 1968 to 1985, sixteen people (8 couples) were murdered in and around the city of Florence. The cul-

George Clooney to Star in “Monster of Florence”

prit has been given the name the monster of Florence and still to date has not been definitively identified.In 2008, Preston and Spezi published their non-fiction The Monster of Flor-ence: A True Story, which recounts the investigative work carried out by both authors, who reviewed the his-tory and problems the Italian justice system encountered while trying to solve the case. An earlier book, Mag-dalen Nabb’s The Monster of Florence, was released in 1996 and followed the story of the victims, which Nabb de-scribed as a true investigation. That book was labeled as fiction.

Scientists fear visible cracks in the left ankle and supporting stump of Michelangelo’s David could cause the statue to collapse. David, who stands at a height of 17 feet and weighs 5.5 tonnes, could crumble if Italy were to experience an earthquake higher than five on the Richter scale. Italy has experienced ten earth-quakes in the last ten months alone, with one measuring 5.1 out of 10 on the Richter Scale. Florence itself has a recorded history of 127 minor quakes, but none have been above five on the Richter scale.The National Research Council (CNR) and the University of Florence per-formed tests on 10-centimeter plaster replicas of the statue inside a centri-fuge to determine whether or not a series of micro-fractures on the legs threaten the statue’s stability. Findings by the National Research Council and the University of Flor-ence show that successive rumblings from construction and excessive traf-

fic outside the Galleria dell’Academia could also put the statue at risk of col-lapse. The cracks in the left ankle and tree stump have reappeared despite re-peated plaster coverings. Scientists believe the cracks appeared due to the strain from the 469 years David stood in the Piazza della Signoria, where it leaned forward at an angle and was exposed to the elements. It was moved to the Galleria dell’Acca-demia in 1873. Scientists argue that due to the re-ap-pearing micro-fractures, it would now be better to move David to a purpose-built site outside the city center, where it would be less at-risk. In addition to the potential risk of earthquake damage, scientists in the past have expressed concern about damage caused by the vibration of footsteps of the millions of visitors who walk past David every year, and recommended a method of insulation as protection.

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Lisa Gherardini Del Giocondo, the woman who sat for Leonardo da Vin-ci’s most famous painting, the Mona Lisa, is believed to be buried in her family’s tomb in Florence. Silvano Vinceti, a writer and re-searcher who heads Italy’s National Committee for the Promotion of His-toric and Cultural Heritage, has been tasked by Italy’s heritage committee to find and identify the remains of the Mona Lisa.A high-profile excavation is current-ly taking place in Florence, but after successive digs and DNA analysis, Vinceti now suspects her remains to be buried in Santissima Annunziata basilica, where other family members are buried.

“We know from certified documen-tation that, buried in the chapel, we have the remains of her husband

Officials and police have been ac-cused of “negotiating” with the well-known son of a Mafioso before the kickoff of the Italian cup final, won 3-1 by Naples against Fiorentina. Just be-fore the game, an AC Rome supporter fired three shots at Napoli fans, one of whom is now in critical condition. As tensions rose and the kick off was de-layed, police officers approached the stand of Neapolitan supporters and spoke for a few minutes with the son of a Mafioso, Gennaro De Tommaso, nicknamed “Genny a’ Carogna,” the presumed head of the Neapolitan supporters. The discussants also asked the Napoli team captain Slovak Marek Hamsik to join the pitch-side

Francesco...and their son Piero,” said Vinceti after the latest exhumations Tuesday. Recent digs have led Vinceti, who has undertaken a three-year hunt for the tomb, to believe that Mona Lisa’s re-mains could have been moved to the Santissima Annunziata basilica after Sant’Orsola was rebuilt in 1640, a century after her death. Forensic experts have taken DNA samples of the remains of others bur-ied in the tomb, believed to be Mona Lisa’s family members, in order to de-termine whether or not they date back to the same time period as Leonardo’s famous subject. Vinceti and his team hope to find Mona Lisa’s remains in order to dig-itally reconstruct what she actually looked like.

negotiations with Napoli ultras. De Tommaso sat astride the stadium perimeter fence while negotiations continued. It was then decided, ap-parently by “Genny,” that the game would continue, but to withhold any flag displays by Neapolitan support-ers.

“Genny” wore a t-shirt which read “Free Speziale,” in reference to Anto-nio Speziale, a Catania fan sentenced to eight years in prison for shooting a police officer prior to a 2007 match. Hamsik told the Napoli fans that Fiorentina counterparts had nothing to do with the shooting, and the ul-tras, led by “Genny,” decided that the game could start.

Mona Lisa Lies in Florence Family Tomb

Soccer Scandals Go OnPolice and Football Association

Accused of Negotiating Public Order with Mafia Boss

A study by the Demoskopika Re-search Institute found that last year the ‘Ndrangheta Mafia from Southern Italy made more money than Deut-sche Bank and McDonald’s combined, with a turnover of €53 billion. The institute looked at the interna-tional crime syndicate’s sources of revenue, including drug trafficking, which amounted to an estimated €24.2 billion, and illegal garbage dis-posal which raised €19.6 billion. Extortion and usury brought in €2.9 billion, embezzlement €2.4 billion, and gambling €1.3 billion, while arm sales, prostitution, counterfeit goods, and human trafficking brought in less than a combined €1 billion. Ac-

Mafia Makes More Than Deutsche Bank and

McDonald’s cording to Interior Ministry and po-lice documents analyzed by the study, the Mafia made the equivalent of 3.5 percent of Italy’s GDP last year. The ‘Ndrangheta’s activities are be-lieved to involve as many as 60,000 people worldwide, which include about 400 key operatives in 30 coun-tries, according to the report. More secretive and feared than the Si-cilian Mafia, the ‘Ndrangheta Mafia’s roots date to 1412, when a criminal gambling association called the Gar-duna was created in Toledo, Spain. Penetrating the network of hundreds of family gangs based in Calabria has been extremely difficult for authori-ties.

A close ally to former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and co-founder of his political party Forza Italia, Mar-cello Dell’Utri was recently caught in Lebanon after fleeing Italy on Friday April 11. He had been convicted twice of “Mafia association” and escaped just before the Supreme Court issued the final verdict. The Court of Appeal of Palermo dismissed the appeal of his arrest, thus paving the way for his extradition back to Italy. Dell’Utri has been accused of being the party’s ambassador to the Ma-fia group Cosa Nostra, establishing a “pact of protection” between the Sicilian Mafia and Berlusconi. His re-arrest was ordered from Palermo on April 7, due to fears that he may flee the country before the court was to decide if his seven-year prison sen-tence would be upheld. These fears were realized, but his lawyers argued that the former senator was in Leba-non for medical reasons. The Italian Supreme Court will decide on May 9 if his seven-year sentence will be up-held.

Senator Fugitive

Dell’Utri Escapes After

Condemnation for Mafia Ties

Florence Court Denies Sex Game Before Kercher’s Murder

Judge States the Two Women Quarrelled Over Rent

On April 29 the Florence Appeals Court released an over 300-page doc-ument in which it dismissed theo-ries that a sex game was involved in Meredith Kercher’s homicide, instead claiming that the murder resulted from a quarrel between Kercher and Amanda Knox. The report also stated that two knives were used, one by Knox and the oth-er by her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito. According to the report, the weapon that delivered the fatal blow to Kercher was wielded by Knox. Ruling Judge Alessandro Nencini considered forensic testimony that the first appellate court dismissed,

including traces of mixed blood and DNA belonging to both Knox and Ker-cher identified in the apartment bath-room. Nencini claims that the former appellate court wrongly set Knox and Sollecito free.The Court stated that Knox and Kerch-er had disagreed over the rent for the house they shared in Perugia: “There was an argument, then an elevation and progression of aggression.” Knox responded in a CNN interview on May 1. “I am innocent of the ac-cusation against me, and the recent motivation document does not—and cannot—change the fact of my inno-cence,” said Knox.

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A l e x a n d r e S t u t z m a n n is Chief Dip-lomatic Ad-visor to the President of the European P a r l i a m e n t . Stutzmann is in charge of in-ter-institution-al relations, li-

aison with key strategic partners and multilateral organisations including the UN and the Council of Europe, as well as the transatlantic relation-ship with the United States and EFTA countries.Why should people not expect dif-ferent Eurosceptic parties to work together once elected to the EP?

“What Eurosceptic parties have in common is that they are against Eu-rope, but that does not give them an electoral platform. They remain very diverse - they don’t have a pos-itive agenda, they only work against something. To succeed at EU level, they need pan-European platforms, but this is something they contin-ually lack,” said Stutzmann. How-ever, Stutzmann admitted that the Eurosceptic parties are trying much harder in the 2014 election to work to-gether. “Each political group within the European Parliament must have a certain number of members from a certain number of countries, and in the past, the Eurosceptics have failed to do this. However, they will be bet-ter organized and will have better chances this year,” stated Stutzmann.Will Eurosceptic gains increase ev-ery EP election, or is this just back-

lash from the crisis?“The mainstream political parties found some of the answers, but didn’t solve the crisis completely. [The crisis] has made it easier for outsiders, like the Eurosceptics, to argue that the mainstream political parties are use-less, and that the Eurosceptics could do a better job,” said Stutzmann.Which group will lose the most seats to Eurosceptics in the May 2014 elections?

“Some will lose more than others, but they will lose. Eurosceptics will gain ‘protest votes’ largely as a result of the most recent financial crisis,” said Stutzmann. According to Stutzmann, it is likely that the two largest parties of the center left (Socialists and Dem-ocrats) and the center right (European People’s Party) as well as the liberals (ALDE) will lose votes and seats. “The EPP might lose a little bit more, but the protest vote will cost both the EPP and the S&D parties, so they will have to stick closer together after the election,” said Stutzmann.Why should Europeans continue to have faith in the EU? Why should they vote?

“People take the EU for granted, and Europeans are not reminded enough of the benefits of having the EU. Eco-nomically and politically, the EU al-lows Europe to compete with the rest of the world—I hope this campaign shows EU citizens why the EU is im-portant.” This European Parliament election is also different from those of the past because Europeans will vote for the President of the Commission.

“What Europe needs is a continuous ‘face’ to represent EU matters, and we hope that this election will help Euro-peans to feel that their vote will make a difference.”

Eurosceptics Aiming to Steal Seats

Current members of the European Parliament prepare to battle Euro-sceptics in the upcoming elections. This time, however, Eurosceptics may be able to win significantly more votes than in the past. The election, which takes place from May 22-25 across all of Europe, has been hotly debated regarding how much Eurosceptic par-ties stand to gain in votes and seats.Alexandre Stutz-mann, Chief Dip-lomatic Advisor to the President of the European Parliament, be-lieves that Euro-sceptics will gain “protest votes” in the upcom-ing European Parliament elections, largely as a result of the most recent financial crisis.“The two main big groups will both lose votes,” Stutzmann said, “but the European People’s Party might lose a little bit more because they are the on the center right.”Seats in the European Parliament are based on population size, and accord-ing to the European Parliament offi-cial website, Italy will elect 73 MEPs in the 2014 European Parliament Election.“During this campaign the Euroscep-tic parties are trying to be much more organized than in the past, and they might be more successful working to-gether this time,” stated Stutzmann.However, some Europeans are still not persuaded by Eurosceptic argu-ments. Giulio Gori, owner of Archea Brewery and a 12-year resident of Flor-ence, plans to vote in the upcoming elections but is far from Eurosceptic.

“Italy is a part of Europe,” said Gori. “Even if the difference between Eu-ropean states is more than the differ-ence between states in America, we have to work like the United States—we have to consider Europe.”In general, Eurosceptics exist on the extreme right and the extreme left of the political spectrum, therefore Stutzmann believes that Eurosceptics will draw votes away from the two largest parties of the center left and

center right, as well as the larg-est liberal party.In the European Parliament, this would mean that the three largest central parties, the Progressive Alliance of So-

cialists and Democrats, the European People’s Party, and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats stand to lose the most votes and seats.Stutzmann argues that a loss of votes for the European People’s Party and Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats could force them to work closer together following the elec-tion. “The European People’s Party and the Progressive Alliance of So-cialists and Democrats will have to work closer together following the elections,” he said. According to the European Parliament official website, Italy currently has 34 MEPs in the Eu-ropean People’s Party, 23 MEPs in the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, and 4 MEPs in the Alli-ance of Liberals and Democrats.At the European level, Italy is broken into five constituencies: Centrale, In-sulare, Meridionale, Nord-Occiden-tale, and Nord-Orientale. Tuscany is included in the Centrale constit-

uency, which will elect 15 MEPs in the May 2014 election. Gori does not believe Italians are persuaded by the Eurosceptic arguments, and is not convinced that Eurosceptic parties will gain ground in the upcoming election.“Eurosceptic parties like Lega Nord do not represent Italy, and probably will not be represented in the next election,” stated Gori.Stutzmann also believes that Euro-sceptics would face a number of prob-lems once elected to the European Parliament.“What Eurosceptic parties have in common is that they are against Eu-rope, but that does not give them an electoral platform,” stated Stutz-mann. “It is easy to win an election by being against something, but once in power, it is very difficult to produce results.” According to Stutzmann, Europeans should not expect Eurosceptics to work together at the pan-European level because they lack a pan-Europe-an political family.“They remain very diverse, and they’re not like other mainstream po-litical families that have a line- they don’t have a positive agenda, they only work against something” Stutz-mann stated.Eurosceptics, once elected, may not be able to form a cohesive political structure to accomplish goals set out in their political platforms, and some Europeans remain unconvinced by the Eurosceptic argument. According to Gori, “Italy is a part of Europe and if it was not, things would be much worse.” The upcoming elections will determine whether or not Euroscep-tics are able to gain “protest votes,” but what remains unclear is what they will accomplish.

‘Unlikely and Unable’A Look Into the European ElectionsAlexandre Stutzmann Talks About the

EuroscepticsEvi FuELLE

Evi FuELLE

“It is easy to win an election by being

against something, but once in power, it is very

difficult to produce results.”

expLoRe tuSCanY WitH YouR CHoiCe oF RentaL

veHiCLe

9Florence news & events MAY 2014 no. 7

CuLtuRe

“Aprile con il fiore, maggio con il colore,” Italians say. April with its flower, May with its color. One of my favorite months anywhere, May is a particularly special time in Italy. As an old saying goes, “Di mag-gio s’innamorano anche le civette.” (In May even the owls fall in love.)The month’s name derives from the Roman goddess Maia (dalla dea ro-mana Maia), mother of Mercury, but in Christian culture (nella cultura cristiana) maggio is dedicated to the Madonna, the mother of Jesus.Devout Catholics often will fare il mese di maggio (do the month of May) by reciting il rosario (the rosary) every day. This consists of a series of fifty prayers called the Ave Maria (Hail Mary), divided into five groups of ten. Catholics keep track of the number of prayers with una corona del rosario (a rosary crown, more commonly called rosary beads in English).May in Italy also is known as il mese delle rose e delle spose (the month of the roses and the brides). Le rose (roses) blossom during May, a popular time for le nozze (weddings).May starts with il Primo Maggio (the first of May) and la festa del lavoro (the equivalent of America’s Labor Day) and includes a host of celebra-tions, including la festa della mamma (Mother’s Day). But Italians never stop keeping an eye on the weather (il tem-po) during this unpredictable month.On May 16, the feast of Sant’Ubaldo, they warn: “Per Sant’Ubaldo, guar-dati dal freddo e non dal caldo” (for St. Ubaldo, watch out for the cold and not the heat). On May 22, the feast of Santa Rita,

Welcoming May in the Italian Language

they delight that “per Santa Rita, ogni rosa è fiorita” (for St. Rita, every rose is blossoming). On May 26, they ob-serve: “Se piove per San Filippo, il povero non ha bisogno del ricco” (If it rains for St. Philip, the poor won’t need the rich). Yet another weather prediction: Quello che fa maggio, fa settembre (what May does, September does).Rain is the biggest preoccupation. Ac-cording to one proverb, “una piovuta a maggio, se è sola che vantaggio!”(a rainfall in May, if just one, what a gain!). Another cautions: “Maggio or-tolano, molta paglia e poco grano” (lit-erally the greengrocer’s—or a rainy—May, lots of straw and little grain). If the sun shines, maggio brings ciliegie per assaggio (cherries to taste) and well-priced produce. “Maggio soleg-giato, frutta a buon mercato.” (Sunny May, cheap fruit.)The bottom line on this merry month: Maggio caldo ti arricchisce, freddo ti impoverisce. (A hot May makes you rich; a cold one makes you poor.) Words and Expressionsmaggiolata – May songmaggiolino – May bug, beetlemaggiostrino – May or straw hat (ar-chaic)L’inverno a metà maggio riprende breve ingaggio – Winter briefly takes up the fight again in mid-May

Dianne Hales is the author of La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with

Italian, the World’s Most Enchanting Language and Mona Lisa: A Life

Discovered. Learn more on her site:

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DiannE HaLESHave you ever left an Italian coffee bar and wondered how you got all these little chits of paper in your wal-let? A scontrino is basically a receipt that you get for every little purchase. The coffee bars and shops practical-ly force you to take one, (many bars even make you get the scontrino be-fore you get your coffee) because they can get in a lot of trouble if they don’t give you a proper receipt. In fact, the police could (technically) ask you to show your receipt to prove that you paid for something.Related to this is the ricevuta, which could also be translated as receipt, but generally this would be for pro-fessional services or higher priced items which may or may not be hand-written and would likely be itemized. This is closer to what we might call an invoice, but not quite.You should probably hang onto your little scontrino when you leave the coffee bar, just in case you’re asked to show it. Not likely, but it happens. But perhaps more importantly you should definitely keep your ricevuta, especially if you purchase any high-cost items while in Italy. As a non-European citizen, you are entitled to a tax refund if you spend enough money in a given shop. May-be you didn’t even realize that you paid tax, because in Italy, unlike the U.S., the tax is already incorporated into the price and is NOT typically shown on a receipt. This is known as the Value-Added Tax (VAT). In Italy the VAT is referred to as IVA, or Im-posta sul Valore Aggiunto. Currently the rate is set at 22%, with a mini-mum purchase of €155. There are restrictions, of course. As a

Keep That Slip of Paper! tourist, you’re not entitled to refunds on the tax applied to hotels and meals. Still, you can get back most of the tax you paid on merchandise so long as you spend at least €155 in any given shop during one business day. You just have to bring your passport along on your shopping trip, get the neces-sary documents from the retailer, and then track down the right folks at the airport when you leave.Some stores even offer to handle the process for you. If they provide this service, they will probably have some sort of “Tax Free” sticker in the win-dow. If not, then you’ll have to get your documents stamped at customs when you leave. A customs officer will stamp your documents and may ask you to present your purchases for verification.Once you get your form stamped by customs, it takes one more step to get your money back. If your purchases were bought from a merchant who works with a refund service such as Global Blue or Premier Tax Free, lo-

RiCk ZuLLo cate their offices inside the airport-not hard to find, just ask a gift shop em-ployee. These services take a small cut of your refund, but save you further hassles. Present your stamped document and they’ll likely give you cash immedi-ately.If the retailer handles VAT refunds di-rectly, then you don’t have the option of using a refund service. You can mail the documents back from home or from the airport (it’s quicker and cheaper at the airport). Then you wait for your refund on your credit-card statement or for a check in the mail, usually 1 to 3 months. I’ve done this before and it worked great—it was like getting a Christmas present from my-self in July. I know it sounds like a lot trouble (and it sort of is), but if you spent €500, then you’ll be refunded €115, or about $140-150. Now that Prada handbag wasn’t such a bad deal after all, right?

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The garden of the historic Palazzo Corsini will host the 20th edition of Artigianato e Palazzo, a festival ded-icated to Italian craftsmanship, from May 15 to 18.The garden is located in the Florence city center on Via della Scala and of-fers a serene and beautiful setting for the event among its lemon trees. Promoting local and Made in Italy works, the event focuses on hand-made productions and will consist of presentations from about 80 highly skilled craftsmen, as well displays of traditional guilds and old age tech-niques.

Artigianato e Palazzo

Artisans will carry out demonstra-tions allowing the public to feel like they are in actual workshops. In some cases, audience members can even participate by assisting the artists. Ceramics, pottery, upholstery, home decor, printing, inlaying, jewelry, and hat-making are among the many methods shared with the public, as is the art of working with materials such as bronze, iron, marble, wood, and glass. By inviting the public into the world of Florentine art, the annual Artigia-nato e Palazzo has given local artists a chance to share their crafts while

helping preserve the authenticity of Italian production. Accompanying the festivities will be a selection of traditional Tuscan food and wine.

Festival of Florentine Craftsmanship Returns May 15 to 18

Artigianato e Palazzo - 20th Edition

May 15 to 18, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.palazzo Corsini,

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Students from James Madison Uni-versity in Florence fought back last month against the crude graffiti de-facing the ancient palace facades of the city. Above some of the graffiti they were removing, was a plaster replica of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa with a plaque marking the building as the birthplace of the woman in his fa-mous painting.

“It feels good to do something nice for Florence,” one JMU student said.

“Sometimes study abroad students get a bad reputation, so it’s worthwhile to show the city our positive side and that we are thankful for them hosting

US Students Clean Via Maggious here. It’s also good to show that it’s possible for a group of concerned people to get together to make a place better.” Local expert Luca Dilaghi was on site to guide the graduate students on the proper graffiti cleanup technique. First, the old paint must be scraped off. Then primer is applied over the wall, and after careful examination, a layer of paint covers it all up with cau-tion so no paint gets on the old stones or streets. This act of service was part of the Virginia-based school’s annu-al day devoted to giving back to the community known as the “Big Event.”

“The Sigh Press” Launches First Edition

Founded in Florence in April 2014 by writers Mundy Walsh and Lyall Har-ris, The Sigh Press is a quarterly on-line journal featuring poetry, short fiction and art. It hopes to shine a light on the wealth of writers of En-glish in Tuscany.“This could be a writer in the region for a month or 10 years, whose work was inspired by his/her time in Tus-cany,” says Mundy. “It doesn’t mean that the topic has to be about Tuscany itself. We are looking for work written with wit and style but about anything from a cut-throat knitting contest to climbing Mount Everest to recovering from divorce. This includes the Cul-tural Commentary section.”Initially The Sigh Press will be online and people can sign up to receive the Journal every quarter.“Although we are an online journal, we hope to print an anthology an-nually to celebrate the work we have published throughout the year,” says Lyall. This will include the artwork published in each issue.Submissions can be made at any time

but there is a closing date for each quarterly journal (i.e. May 15 for the first issue). Each section is named af-ter a punctuation symbol:Exclamation Point – Flash fiction (1000 word max)Apostrophe – Flash fiction (50 word max)Brackets – Creative nonfiction (1000 word max)Comma – Poetry (25 line max)Dash – Poetry (14 line max)Asterisk – Artwork (one artist per is-sue)Question Mark – Ask a thought-pro-voking question (50 word max)Accents – Cultural commentary (200 words max)Submissions are free but limited to a total of two submissions per person. For artwork submissions, they ask for 3 to 5 jpeg images at 300dpi with the greatest pixel dimension at 1000.Each issue will have a theme, which can be taken as broadly as one likes. The first is “A Deliberate Leap.” For more information on The Sigh Press, please visit www.thesighpress.com.

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Pitti Immagine

Returns Pitti Immagine, the fair of all fash-ion marketing trade fairs, returns to Florence with four events during the months of May and June: Modaprima 76, Pitti Uomo 86, Pitti W 14, and Pitti Bimbo. Modaprima (May 23-25) is the return of quality fast fashion. The interna-tional fair will feature ready-to-wear men’s and women’s clothing and ac-cessories from names such as Algis, Valentina by Guerzon, Tavus Milano, Moda Milena, Edas Italia, and many more.Pitti Uomo (June 17-20) focuses on contemporary global lifestyle as the world’s most important platform for men’s clothing and accessory collec-tion, and also launches new projects in men’s fashion. Pitti Uomo is held in Florence twice a year (in June and in January).Pitti W 14 (also June 17-20) is dedicat-ed to special innovative and experi-mental projects in women’s fashion, including single-product and capsule collections. Pitti W is held in Florence twice a year on the same dates as Pitti Uomo.Pitti Bimbo (June 26-28) is the only international fair in the world that offers a complete depiction of every possible aspect of children’s fashions. Created in 1975, Pitti Bimbo launched the first runway shows and events dedicated to this market, and is held in Florence twice a year.The fairs, strictly reserved for special-ist buyers, take place at the Stazione Leopolda.

Before the Renaissance, and until the 15th century, women were represented in art as religious and biblical figures, according to a conception deriving from Byzantine art. The first artist to trace the new path was Giotto, who during the Middle Ages painted the first fe-male breast in history, the Maestà di Ognissanti, today housed in the first room of the Uffizi Gallery. Giotto’s woman was the first not to be an icon but rather a real female, a real mother in her material and physical presence.It was only during the Renaissance that this pat-tern of an idealized woman to adore was broken and that women began to be represented as hu-man, females now bereaved of their abstract and religious meaning. Most of the merit for this revo-lution must be attributed to Brunelleschi, who in the 1400s invented perspective, making it possible to represent the third dimension of the space and the representation of the different proportions of the human body, which in turn made possible a psychological representation of humans. Significant to this regard are the Florentine Ma-donnas, full of a grace and delicacy that hide a kind of beauty and at the same time are melan-cholic and unattainable. Symbolic of this is Botti-celli’s Venus with her strabismus. Still, the perfection that transpires from these por-traits, a perfection that still today we admire, re-quired and, at the same time, reflected, particular efforts by women. Skin care treatments during the Renaissance were very similar to those of the Middle Ages, as were were bathing rituals, skin care products, and cos-metics. What changed, however, was the attitude with regard to these practices. While medieval women saw cosmetics simply as a way to appear more attractive, those of the Renaissance wanted to reach a transcendent ideal that combined clas-sical philosophy and art with physical beauty and human values. This new, idealized model of beau-ty became a composite of perfect and symmetrical

The Glamour of the Renaissance WomanMake-up, Body Care, and Clothing of Yesterday’s Florentine Lady

features inspired by classical statues and human-ist philosophy. Visitors entering the room dedicated to Renais-sance painters in the Uffizi may notice that women are all blonde (Filippo Lippi’s Madonna perfectly represents the idea of beauty of that period), and this because in the Florence of the Medici being blonde was considered highly fashionable. But, since most Florentine females were brunette, methods to color hair needed to be invented, lead-ing to the birth of the modern cosmetic industry. The most common method was a mix of alum, sul-fur, soda, and rhubarb. Another common practice at this time was drying and decorating hair with stones, pearls, ribbons, and shimmering veils. Some women even spent entire days under the sun to lighten their hair with cap-less hats, as pale ivory skin was considered sexy while deep red color was used for the lips. Even though an overall pallor was desired, the Renaissance woman used just a touch of color on their cheekbones. Another typical habit of females of this period was cutting the hair of the eyebrows, forehead, and temples, considered a way to dis-play intelligence. Among the beauty secrets was that of the Belladon-na. This Italian term, meaning “beautiful lady,” re-fers to the habit that some ladies had of dropping a distillate of herbs into their eyes to dilate the pupils, giving them a “wide-eyed” gaze that was considered sexy, so attractive even as to make them tolerate the fastidious side effects, such as blurry vision, intoxication, hallucinations, and in certain cases even poisoning. Florentine language has preserved the expression “If you want to look beautiful, you have to suffer from a thousand trou-bles.” Even with regard to dressing, the Renaissance had an enormous impact. Wealthy women—who were the ones establishing trends—typically wore finer fabrics such as silks, brocades, and velvets, with elaborate details and expensive jewels. The typ-ical dress was in one piece from shoulder to hem and touched the ground with a close fitting waist and full-gathered skirt. The long dress often had an overdress with open sleeves. The belt around it was embroidered and trimmed with gold, silver

buttons, pearls, and precious stones. These trends became the model for women from many countries. When Italy was conquered by for-eign nations such as Spain, France, and Austria, the world of fashion in Europe changed dramati-cally, and the idealized woman of the Middle Ages was thus forever abandoned. The new woman of the 15th century—who, it’s worth repeating, was an aristocrat was inspired by the models of beauty and glamor established by Florentine women, and by the elegance of the clothing of the Renaissance look.

CHiaRa BECCHETTi

Chiara Becchetti is a licensed tour-ist guide. to contact her check her website: toptoursintuscany.com

Pitti Immaginewww.pittimmagine.com

Lippi, Filippo. Madonna with Child, 1465. uffizi gallery, Florence

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in 1938, the idea for a shop was born based on the same question it bears as its name: perché no! ‘why not?’. ugo Ravaioli, founder and owner of the ice-cream shop for decades found an ideal location on via de’ tavolini to start the ‘sweet business.’ ever since, perché no! has been one of Florence’s most famous spots for refreshment. it is an authentic venue for ice-cream lovers famous for its ‘semifreddi.’ today, the shop is run by Mrs. paola and her daughters who rediscovered original recipes and create unique flavors while paying attention to the quality of ingredients.

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aRt

aLEx MaRTELLo

Contemporary Japanese Art at Palazzo Pitti

The Tourbillon exhibit by Masaaki Miyasako will be on show in the An-giolini room in the Gallery of Modern Art at Palazzo Pitti from May 20 until June 29. Miyasako is a world-renowned paint-er and a professor at the graduate school of the Tokyo National Univer-sity of Arts.Miyasako believes that to be “con-temporary” an artist must have an original technique and idea, whether or not the artwork contains a mes-sage and a philosophy. He uses an original technique of his own called urazaiski (coloring from the reverse side), which is backed by a classic method derived from Japanese tradi-tional nihonga painting. Internationally, museums have often not paid much attention to modern nihonga paintings, often overlooking the genre. But Miyasako has been offered solo exhibitions. He is eager

Tourbillon, Masaaki Miyasakountil June 29palazzo pitti,

gallery of Modern arttue. - Sun.: 8:15 a.m. to 6:50 p.m.

Closed Mondaystickets € 8.50; reduced € 4.25

to showcase his spiritually strong ni-honga pieces to the world. The paint-er’s philosophy is embodied in spiral form, in a belief that the “origin of eternal life is composed of the spi-ral.” The form itself naturally appears while painting; it is not something he intentionally draws. On display will be 33 works, most-ly large or composite panels from Japanese Museums, and private col-lections. Subjects include Japanese landscapes, women, men, animals, fruits, and flowers, all in fine shades of color.

First prize in the photo contest “Dante in the World Today” has been award-ed to 24-year-old Daniele Quadraccia of Vignanello (Viterbo). Sponsored by

the Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation and its Institute Life Beyond Tourism, together with the Casa di Dante Mu-seum in Florence and in collaboration

“Dante in the World” Photo Contest Winner Announced

with the Centro Congressi al Duomo and Vivafirenze.it, the competition called on participants to portray modern realities through the places, atmosphere, and characters of “The Divine Comedy.” The initiative, based on the principles of the Life Beyond Tourism Manifesto, aimed to promote global intercultur-al dialogue. The Life Beyond Tour-ism Photoblog collects images from around the world, representing and comparing different interpretations of heritage, cultural diversity, tradi-tional knowledge, and travel. Quadraccia’s winning shot, titled

“Group of Tourists, Iceland,” is from the contest category Inferno. Run-ners-up were Mario Petrone in 2nd place with “Angel” (Purgatory catego-ry); Stefano Venturi in 3rd place with

“The Dark Forest” (Inferno category); and Lisa Bajec in 4th place with “Af-ter the Storm” (Paradise category). Fifty-three contestants from Italy and around the world participated in the contest. Voting took place on line.

Venice leads the country in the Goo-gle Art Project with more collections than any other Italian city on the Google Art platform, a partnership began in November 2013 that allows users to view high-res images online.The collaboration between Google and the Civic Museums of Venice in-cludes the Doge’s Palace, the Glass Museum of Murano, and the Acca-demia. Google Street View also gives users the chance to take a virtual tour

Venice Museums Leaders in Google Art Project

of the Doge’s Palace and the Ca’ Rez-zonico.The project in Venice began with 150 museum art works and now offers 370. Masterpieces by Tintoretto, Bel-lini, and Titian, including his fresco of St. Christopher at the Doge’s Pal-ace are available online along with the Apotheosis of Venice by Paolo Veronese, Neptune Offers Venice the Riches of the Sea by Giambattista Tiepolo, and Paradise by Jacopo and

Domenico Tintoretto. This last is the largest canvas in the world, at 22 me-ters wide and seven meters high.Access to 18th-century masterpieces at the museum of Ca’ Rezzonico in-cludes genre scenes by Pietro Longhi, ceiling decorations by Giambattista Tiepolo and landscapes by Canaletto. The museum of Palazzo Mocenigo at San Stae offers rare textiles and 18th

-century costumes and extravagant dresses.

• Shampoo & dry (short) ......... €15/€16• Shampoo & dry (long) ......... €18/€20• Cut .................................................... €15• perm ............................................... €30• Color [tips] ...................................... €24• Color [full] ....................................... €32• toning .............................................. €17• Highlights with headset ............... €29• Highlights with spatula ................ €32• Woven highlights ........................... €41• two-toned Highlights .................. €62 • Shampoo & cut (men) .................. €20

tue. to thurs.: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.Fri. to Sat.: 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

via dei Benci, 37r055 234 48 85

HaiRdReSSing SaLon in via de’ BenCi


LiteRatuRe

Gothic Italy: Cuma and the Underworld

Beyond the benevolent summertime travel reading of Italy like Room with a View or ‘Under the Tuscan Sun, there is another literary representation of Italy—one of shadows, prophesy, and Gothic terrors.This is the first part of a two-part essay seeking to understand and explain why Italy once stood for a haunted, exotic land of ghosts, gob-lins and banditti in the English literary imagination.Blame it on the Cumean sibyl. One of the oracles of the ancient world, the prophetic cult of the sibyl at Cuma, just north of Naples, where Euboean Greeks first settled on mainland Italy in the eighth century BCE, seems to have inaugurated the literary tradi-tion of seating an entrance into Ha-des and the spooky terrain of mystic prophecy on Italian soil. When the Roman poet Virgil, in his Latin heroic epic Aeneid, re-wrote Odysseus’ ritual parley with the spirits of the dead of Odyssey XI, he chose Cuma and the nearby volcanic lake Avernus as the locus for his hero’s descent into the land of the dead. Ever since then Eu-ropean literary specters have primari-ly haunted Italy.

The depiction in Aeneid VI of the honeycombed and howling cavern of the priestess of Apollo, the mystical grove of the Golden bough, and the volcanic lake’s wide mouth into the underworld, lead to a series of early medieval Neapolitan legends that the poem’s author, Virgil himself, was a magus who had himself trod the Ely-sian Fields and returned to the land of living to write about them. Later legends claim he was an astrologer, astronomer, even a prophet of Christ; also a series of semi-erotic tales re-count his mystical travails with the women of Rome. (Italian comparat-ist Domenico Comparetti’s Vergil in the Middle Ages deals exhaustively with both the poet’s literary and folk legacies.) While explicitly ignoring, yet tacitly seconding the legends of Virgilius magus, Dante Alighieri cho-ses the Roman poet as his pilgrim’s escort through Hell and Purgatory in his Christian epic poem, The Comme-dia, keeping spectral Italy alive in the literature of the later middle ages.Not only the sulfuric Campi Flegrei surrounding Cuma, Avernus, and Naples, but Europe’s largest active volcano—Sicily’s Mt. Etna—has been associated with the Arthur, king of

the Britons, who is supposed to sleep there, either awaiting healing and a return to England and renew ancient glories, or as a permanent, somnam-bulistic ruler over a chivalric land of the dead. The legends of the English king’s connection to Etna and a Val-halla-like land of fallen heroes was probably brought to Sicily by its Nor-man conquerors—who first arrived in Sicily as mercenaries in 1022, not too long before invading Britain in 1066.Were the oracles, portals to Hades, and superstitions of medieval Italy in Horace Walpole’s head when he penned the first ever “Gothic Story,” as the frontispiece declares, The Cas-tle of Otranto (1764)? Intentionally or not, Walpole’s romance solidified Ita-ly as the preferred site of all following English Gothic productions. Notably, Mary Shelley’s lesser-known science fiction novel The Last Man (1826) be-gins with a prologue in which an un-named narrator and her companion re-visit the now ruined remains of the cavernous temple of the Cumean Sybil. There they gather the remain-ing Sibylline leaves, the inscriptions upon which, modeled by the narrator into English prose, form the novel’s wondrous tale of the end of human life on earth—as foretold by Italy’s first prophet.The antro della Subilla, or Sibyl’s cave, is visitable today—a short ride out on the Circum Flegrei or Cumana trains from Naples and a bus ride or hike un-der the Roman Arco Felice gets you to both Cuma and to the banks of Lake Avernus. Don’t forget to take a copy of the Aeneid with you—there’s nothing like a dramatic reading of book VI in the suggestive cavern itself, or on the shores of the lake that feeds the river Styx.

LEE FouST

Dante’s Commedia: Misconceived by Dan Brown

The theme of the Book of Revela-tions, like the Old Testament Book of Daniel upon which it was based, is thlipsis—a Greek word meaning trib-ulations. Consequently, our whole Judeo-Christian concept of God’s judgment in the afterlife stems from how we morally react to life’s tribu-lations. Since Revelations recounts mostly the retributions meted out to the enemies of Christianity and other evildoers at the end of time, a lacuna of early Christian theology was the knowledge of what happens to the souls of the faithful in the interim be-tween death and the last judgment. Into this gap stepped the Vision of St. Paul, an apocryphal biblical text that spawned a considerable but little-read medieval genre of visions recounting journeys into a moralized Christian land of the dead—there are about 100 such texts written in Europe between the 2nd and 14th centuries and it is from them that we take most of our common modern images of hell and heaven, as well as the entire concept of Purgatory. Dante Alighieri’s tripar-tite epic poem, The Commedia (“Di-vine” was added to the title later, by Giovanni Boccaccio), is one such en-cyclopedic, late-medieval account of how the unrepentant are punished in Hell, how the repentant are cleansed in Purgatory, and how the blessed celebrate their salvation in Heaven. As alluring as a descent into the infer-nal regions at first sounds, however, the poem has nothing at all to do with any medieval plagues, nor with the threat to anyone’s life, and its villain is a chained-up, non-speaking, and totally ineffectual Satan. Neither the poem’s focus on morality, nor its lack of an active villain, is compatible with the modern thriller genre. We saw it in

the film Se7en’s weak Dantesque ref-erences, we saw it in the over-roman-ticized video game Dante’s Inferno, and we see it yet again in Dan Brown’s mostly pointless attempt to exploit Dante’s poem in his recent thriller, Inferno. Just as modern-day romance plays no part whatsoever in the poet’s spiritual salvation as granted him by the figure of an allegorical, unknown woman who is called “Beatrice” be-cause the name signifies that she is a miracle from heaven, “a blessing,” (as I discussed in last month’s article) so the episodic and poetic invocation of divine justice after death presented in the Commedia has no secular stakes—no ticking bombs or terrorist plots. It just doesn’t fit the thriller mold, and that’s why Dan Brown’s Inferno, for me, fails by choosing Dante’s epic as a platform—it grafts two incom-patible species of tree together too haphazardly. The basic plot—a mad genius biologist cooking up a virus to save the world from human over-population—is interesting enough, but all of the half-baked information regarding the Commedia, Dante’s life, and his love for Beatrice, is needless, awkward, and often just plain wrong. Without it, the novel might also have clocked in at a more readable 250 pages instead of its tedious 462. For a really interesting take on Dante’s epic poem—and some awesome God-father, Goodfellas, and Sopranos-style gangster shenanigans—try Nick Tosches’s In the Hand of Dante (No Exit Press, 2002). Tosches’s novel jux-taposes the medieval poet’s struggle to complete his poetic vision of Para-dise with the bloodbath produced by modern-day gangsters fighting over the newly discovered original manu-script of the Commedia in the poet’s own hand. Now that would be a find worth fighting over!

LEE FouST

via ghibellina, 70/r055 22 60 010

www.daqueiganzi.it [email protected]

Located in via ghibellina near Santa Croce, da Que’ ganzi offers a fresh sea-food and meat menu for both lunch and dinner. tuscan specialties include ribolli-ta and authentic Florentine steak, and all of the cakes and sweets are homemade. a special weekday lunch menu for less than €10 makes the restaurant afford-able for anyone.

Special dishes: BaKed Sea BaSS & tuSCan SteaK

Mon. to Sun.: 12–2:30 p.m.& 7–11:30 p.m.

Closed on tuesdays.

tHe ReStauRant oF tHe FLoRentineS

Bring your bottle to be filled for less than €1.50, straight from the barrels of il Santo vino. Here patrons can choose from a wide range of italian wine in bottles or barrels sourced throughout tuscany and italy, as well as spirits and digestives. il Santo vino also provides a home-delivery service alongside selected local specialty and organic products, such as truffled goods, honey, jam, coffee and a variety of Sicilian spreads.

Monday: 5–9 p.m.tues. to Sun.:

10 a.m.–2 p.m.; 5–9 p.m.

Borgo tegolaio, 46/r055 53 87 122 // 345 90 93 425

[email protected]

Skype: ilsantovino

HoMe deLiveRed and pouRed Wine in S. SpiRito

Brunchpancakes, french toast, eggs,

omelettes, bagels, big breakfast, burgers and more…

with a breakfast buffet !

American

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SPECIAL OFFERS Slice of pizza + 500ml water: €3.50

Whole margherita pizza + 500ml water: €5.50Whole margherita pizza + Coke: €6

Maxi 19.6” pizza margherita (for 3-4 people): €15

Cover & service charge included

Your pizza & covaccino near Santo Spirito

Piazza di San Felice, 2/r 055 22 07 091


Food & Wine

The smell of tripe cooking on the streets of Florence was once so over-whelming that Lorenzo de’ Medici banned the kiosks altogether. Howev-er, such was its popularity that once the Medici lost power, tripe returned in force and secured its place as a mainstay of Florentine street food. Initially, tripe was a staple food for laborers and the working classes, and it dates as far back as the fourteenth century. Simple wooden street carts served sandwiches stuffed with tripe, and this tradition continues today, al-beit in the more sophisticated kiosks that can be found dotted around the

So Delicious it Survived Lorenzo

city. In order to fully understand this Flo-rentine meal, an explanation of what tripe is and how it is cooked might be useful. Trippa, or tripe, is made from the cow’s pre-stomachs, and is soft, white, and mostly flavorless. Enjoyed in many regions of Italy, it is cooked in a variety of ways.Lampredotto, however, is the unique-ly local Florentine version, made from the cow’s fourth stomach, called the abomasum. The name lampredotto comes, curiously, from the Italian word for lamprey eels, lampreda—once very abundant in the waters of the Arno River—as it resembles the inside of the mouth of a lamprey in

LaRa MaY shape and color. Tuscan cooks rinse lampredotto well and boil it with tomatoes, onions, parsley and celery for two to three hours. The meat is then served in a Tuscan saltless bread roll (panino) with salt, pepper, chilli oil or salsa verde (green sauce), with the top slice of the roll dunked in the lampredotto stock.For the most authentic and delicious experience of tripe, locals recom-mend L’Antico Trippaio, which has a reputation for making the best pani-no con lampredotto in town. Located in the Piazza dei Cimatori, L’Antico Trippaio has an impressive track re-cord; it has provided Florentines with

high-quality yet affordable street food for more than 80 years. While this ki-osk offers a variety of panini, includ-ing a delicious panino con porchetta (pork) for the less outgoing, its most popular product remains the lampre-dotto, which is boiled all day long, from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.This specialty attracts a wide variety of clients, with roughly 30 percent of customers being tourists, along with a large local fan base and visitors who come from as far away as Milan specifically for the famous sandwich-es. Indeed, approximately 250,000 kilograms of trippa and 80,000 kilo-grams of lampredotto are consumed in Florence each year, which indi-cates that this historical curiosity is far from losing its popularity.These are panini are worth trying. The meat is incredibly tender, if a slightly disconcerting texture, and it is well-seasoned and dripping in deli-cious, herby gravy and topped off with salsa verde. It is fair to say that eating a cow’s stomach is not for everyone,

but it is certainly worth giving it a go, and you may be pleasantly surprised! What is more, alongside L’Antico Trip-paio is the aptly named L’Angolo dei Golosi—the “Gourmand Corner”—run by the same owners. With its wide range of delicious sweets and gelati, L’Angolo can provide the perfect end to a truly authentic Florentine meal. Who needs a Big Mac and a McFlur-ry when medieval fast food is on the menu?

Banned by the Medici because of its smell, lampredotto is still alive in Piazza de’ Cimatori

The difference between trippa and lampredotto

trippa is the soft and flavorless lining of a cow’s pre-stomach,

while lampredotto is made from the cow’s fourth stomach, called

the abomasum. Rinsed and boiled for several hours and served up on a tuscan bread roll with chilli oil and salsa verde, lampredotto is the street food most beloved by

Florentines.

In true Florentine tradition, the outdoor food cart provides trippa, lampredotto, lesso,

poppa, matrice, porchetta, salumi, and wild boar sausages made fresh daily. L’Antico

Trippaio is the best place to enjoy excellent panini and focacce like a true local. Just steps

from the Duomo, it is one of the most frequented lunch spots in the historic city

center.

Your one-stop shop for a lampredotto sandwich in Piazza dei Cimatori

and San Lorenzo

www.anticotrippaio.it

Located in via de’ Cerchi, il Cencio unto is the place where you can taste various typical tuscan cold cuts and tasting plates. il Cencio unto is very selective in its choice of products and offers fresh ingredients, made-to-order dishes with delicious toppings, and a wide selection of wines.

open daily: 10-12 a.m.

Specialty:CoCCoLi

via de’ Cerchi, 25/r055 21 99 90

[email protected]

tuSCan CoLd CutS and FReSH SandWiCHeS

Il Cencio Unto

Located on a small street near the pala-zzo vecchio, the diner boasts an au-thentic american atmosphere and menu, offering such non-italian staples as pan-cakes, hamburgers, fries and milkshakes. Whether you are looking to try american food for the first time or simply craving a taste of the homeland, the diner has something delicious and hearty to offer for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.

You neveR FoRget YouR FiRSt dineR

via dell’ acqua, 3055 29 07 48

www.theflorencediner.com

Fruit, vegitables & salads.

CuStoMiZe & CaLoRie Count YouR SaLad

via dei Benci, 22/r(near Stanta Croce)

www.thekingofsalads.it

Sandwiches, wine & glee

Borgo degli Albizi, 20/r

Lunch4€ Sandwich + drink


Tourist InformationFirenze turismo ......... 055 29 08 32 // 055 29 08 33via Cavour, 1/rMon–Sat: 8:30a.m.–6:30p.m.(Closed on Sundays and public holidays; see Commune info points below for Sunday hours.)[email protected] airport ............................ 055 31 58 74via del termine, 1daily: 8:30a.m.–8:[email protected] ..................................... 055 21 22 45piazza Stazione, 4Mon–Sat: 8:30a.m.–7p.m.Sundays & public holidays: 8:30a.m.–[email protected] loggia ................................ 055 28 84 96piazza San giovanniMon–Sat: 9a.m.–7p.m.Sundays & public holidays: 9a.m.–[email protected]

Emergency Servicespolice – emergency ........................................ 113police – carabinieri ......................................... 112police – municipal ...................... 055 32 83 333ambulance ........................................................ 118Fire department .............................................. 115tourist medical service .................. 055 21 22 21poison Center ................................ 055 79 47 819pharmacies (open) ...................... 800 42 07 07vehicle breakdown (aCi) ................................ 116obstruction& towed vehicle ....... 055 42 24 142Civil protection services .................. 800 01 5 161Child abuse hotline .......................................... 114emergency vet services ............. 055 72 23 683environmental emergency response ........ 1515Lost & Found (Florence office) ... 055 33 48 02

TransportBuS & CoaCHataF (www.ataf.net) .................. 800 42 45 00BluBlus (www.blubus.it) ............. 800 27 78 25Sita nord (www.fsbusitalia.it) ... 800 37 37 60Cap (www.capautolinee.it) ......... 055 21 46 37vaibus (www.vaibus.com) ....... 058 35 87 897tRaintrenitalia (www.trenitalia.com) ......... 89 20 21italo (www.italotreno.it/en) ............... 06 07 08taxi Radio taxi Firenze .............................. 055 42 42

(*) included in the FiRenZe CaRd. See www.firenzecard.it for more information.

Key SitesForte Belvederegiotto’s bell tower (campanile)*piazza della Repubblicapiazza della Signoriapiazzale Michelangelopiazza San giovanniponte vecchioS.M.n. train station

Markets antiQueSBorgo allegri, via dell’agnolo, piazza dei Ciompi, via Martiri del popoloLast Sunday of each month (except July): 8:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

CentRaL MaRKetFresh produce, local and italian food products. via dell’arientoMonday–Friday: 7 a.m.– 2 p.m. ; Sat: 7 a.m.–5 p.m.July and august: Monday–Saturday: 7 a.m.–2 p.m.

CaSCine paRKFood products, clothing, antiques and homewares.viale Lincoln, viale Lecci, piazzale J. F. Kennedyevery tuesday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m. FLea MaRKetpiazza dei Ciompidaily: 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

FLoWeRS & pLantS via pellicceria (under the loggia)every thursday (except public holidays): 8 a.m.–2 p.m. poRCeLLinoClothing, textiles, Florentine straw products, leather and souvenirs. piazza del Mercato nuovo, via porta Rossadaily: 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

San LoRenZoLeather goods (bags, shoes, clothing) and souvenirs.piazza San Lorenzo and neighboring streets daily: 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

Sant’aMBRogioFresh produce, flowers, clothes and homewares.piazza ghibertiindoor market: Monday, tuesday & thursday: 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m.; Wednesday & Friday: 7:30 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday: 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.outdoor market: Monday–Saturday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m.

Santo SpiRitopiazza Santo Spirito Fresh produce: Monday–Saturday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m.Handicrafts & antiques: 2nd Sunday of each month (except July & august): 9 a.m.–7 p.m.organic produce: 3rd Sun of each month (except august): 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

Shuttle Service - Florence AirportFrom Florence S.M.n. train station to Florence airport (peretola): every hour and half-hour from 5:30 a.m. till 11 p.m. Bus stop located outside train station near taxi stand.

From Florence airport to Florence S.M.n train station: every hour and half-hour from 6a.m. till 11.30p.m.

‘vola in Bus’ ataF/Sita service .... 800 42 45 00www.ataf.net

Florence airport ............................ 055 30 61 300(peretola)www.aeroporto.firenze.it/en

pisa international airport ............. 050 84 93 00 (galileo galilei)www.pisa-airport.com

CitY inFo

Museums & Galleriesaccademia gallery*alinari national photography Museum*Bargello national Museum*Bigallo Museum*Cathedral Museum (Museo dell’opera di Santa Maria del Fiore)*Costume gallery (palazzo pitti)*dante House Museum*galileo Museum *Horne Foundation Museum *Jewish Museum*Michelangelo’s House (Casa Buonarroti)*Mudi Children’s Museum Museum & Florentine institute of prehistory Museum of natural History sections:anthropology & ethnology*geology & paleontology*Minerology & Lithology*Zoology ‘La Specola’*national archaeological Museum*orsanmichele*palatine gallery (palazzo pitti)*palazzo davanzati*palazzo Medici-Riccardi*palazzo pitti*palazzo Strozzi* palazzo vecchio*porcelain Museum*Science & technical Foundation*uffizi gallery*vasari Corridor

Religious SitesBaptistry of San giovanni*Brancacci Chapel*Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (duomo)‘dante’s church’ (Santa Margherita de’ Cerchi)Jewish Synagogue*Medici Chapel*ognissanti San LorenzoSan Marco*Santa Croce*Santa FelicitàSanta Maria novella*Santissima annunziataSanto Spirito

GardensBoboli gardens*Botanic gardens*Rose gardens

Taxi discount for womenFlorence’s taxi service offers a 10 per-

cent discount for women travelling home alone from the city center. the discount is valid between 9 p.m.–2 a.m. but you must

remember to ask for it! Call a taxi on one of the following numbers:055 42 42 // 055 43 90055 47 98 // 055 44 99

5 euRo vegan and vegetaRian MeaL

vegan: • 1 slice of pizza• 1 vegan first course• 1 vegan crouton• 1 bottle of water

vegetaRian: • 1 slice of pizza • 1 Sicilian arancino • 1 vegetarian crouton • 1 bottle of water

via de’ neri, 18(near Santa Croce)

[email protected]

STUZZICHERIA LETIZIA

Whether you want an iced coffee or a bottle of wine, a beer and crisps or a re-freshing soda, Soft drink Rocco has got you covered. it has everything that you could need at a moment’s notice, selling a wide variety of alcohol, soft drinks and foodstuffs. Snugly settled on via de’ neri, if you find yourself in the Santa Croce area and in need of a cold drink on a hot day, or anything for that little gathering of friends you’re having, give them a visit.

dRinKS and MoReon via de’ neRi

via de’ neri, 16/rSanta Croce

389 02 50 [email protected]

SoFt dRinKRoCCo

Special offer:HaMBuRgeR + 1 dRinK

€ 10

tue. to Sun.: 6 p.m.–2 a.m.

via g. verdi, 47r, 055 38 80 034

www.saloonbargrill.com

SandwichesSaladsSoups

Onion Rings FriesPasta

Fresh Fruit

THE BEST SUBS IN TOWN

Monday - Saturday10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Via Sant'Egidio 22/r 347 11 88 056

theoilshoppe.it

17FLoRenCe neWS & eventS MaY 2014 no. 7

CitY inFoOpening TimesBaptiStRY oF San giovanni* piazza San giovanni055 23 02 885Mon–Sat: 11:15 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sun and 1st Sat of every month: 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. July 4– Sept 28: thurs–Sat: 11:15 a.m.–11 p.m.easter Week (thurs, Fri, Sat before easter & easter Mon), april 25 & May 1: 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Closed Jan 1, easter Sunday, Sept 8, dec 24 & 25.

BoBoLi gaRdenS* 055 23 88 786March daily: 8:15 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. with daylight saving)april–May & Sept–oct daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. with stan-dard time)June–aug daily: 8:15 a.m.–7:30 p.m.nov–Feb daily: 8:15 a.m.–4:30 p.m.Closed 1st and last Mon of each month; Jan 1, May 1 & dec 25.

CatHedRaL CupoLa* piazza del duomo055 23 02 885Mon–Fri: 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sat: 8:30 a.m.–5:40 p.m.Closed Sun; Jan 1; Jan 6; thurs–Fri–Sat before easter; easter; June 24; aug 15; Sept 8; nov 1; dec 8; Mon & tues of the first week of advent; dec 25 & 26. note: 463 stairs by foot only, no lift.

giotto’S BeLL toWeR* piazza del duomo055 23 02 885daily: 8:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; January 6: 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Closed Jan 1, easter, Sept 8 & dec 25. note: 414 stairs by foot only, no lift

vaSaRi CoRRidoRpiazzale degli uffizi, 6 055 29 48 83available to private groups only: con-tact uffizi gallery for information.

MuSeuMS aCCadeMia gaLLeRY* via Ricasoli, 58/60 055 23 88 612tues–Sun: 8:15 a.m.–6:50 p.m.Closed Mon, Jan 1, May 1 & dec 25.

paLaZZo MediCi-RiCCaRdi*

via Cavour, 3055 27 60 340Mon–tues & thurs–Sun: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Closed Wed.

BaRgeLLo nationaL MuSeuM*via del proconsolo, 4 055 23 88 606daily: 8:15 a.m.–1.50 p.m.Closed 1st, 3rd & 5th Sun and 2nd & 4th Mon of each month; Jan 1 & dec 25.

CatHedRaL MuSeuM (Museo dell’opera di Santa Maria del Fiore)* piazza del duomo, 9055 23 02 885Mon–Sat: 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; Sun: 9 a.m.–1:45 p.m.Closed Jan 1, easter, Sept 8 & dec 25.

dante HouSe MuSeuM * via Santa Margherita, 1 055 21 94 16april–Sept daily: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. oct–March tues–Sun: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.Closed Mon (oct 1–March 31), dec 24 & 25.

gaLiLeo MuSeuM * piazza dei giudici, 1 055 26 53 11Mon & Wed–Sun: 9:30 a.m.–6 p.m.; tues: 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Closed Jan 1 & dec 25.

JeWiSH MuSeuM * via Farini, 6 055 23 46 654June–Sept: Mon–thurs & Sun: 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; Fri: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. oct–May: Mon–thurs & Sun: 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Fri: 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Closed Sat, Jan 1, dec 25 & Jewish holidays.

MiCHeLangeLo’S HouSe (Casa Buonarroti)* via ghibellina, 70 055 24 17 52Mon & Wed–Sun: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed tues, Jan 1, easter & dec 25.

nationaL aRCHaeoLogiCaL MuSeuM* piazza Santissima annunziata, 9b055 23 57 720 / 23 575tues–Fri: 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m.Sat–Mon: 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m.

Closed Jan 1 & dec 25.

paLaZZo davanZati * via porta Rossa, 13055 23 88 610daily: 8:15–1:30 p.m.Closed 2nd & 4th Sun, and 1st, 3rd & 5th Mon of the month; Jan 1, May 1, dec 25.

paLaZZo pitti* piazza pitti, 1palatine gallery055 23 88 614tues–Sun: 8:15 a.m.–6:50 p.m. Royal apartments closed every year during Jan for maintenance. Closed Mon, Jan 1, May 1 & dec 25.

CoStuMe gaLLeRY055 23 88 801 / 23 88 713March daily: 8:15 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. with daylight saving)april–May & Sept–oct daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. with stan-dard time)June–aug daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:30 p.m.nov–Feb daily: 8:15 a.m.–4:30 p.m.Closed 1st and last Mon of each month; Jan 1, May 1 & dec 25.

gaLLeRY oF ModeRn aRt055 2388601tues–Sun: 8:15 a.m.–6:50 p.m. Closed Mon, Jan 1, May 1 & dec 25.

SiLveRWaRe MuSeuM (Museo degli argenti)piazza pitti, 1055 2388709March daily: 8:15 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. with daylight saving)april–May & Sept–oct daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. with stan-dard time)June–aug daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:30 p.m.nov–Feb daily: 8:15 a.m.–4:30 p.m.Closed 1st and last Mon of each month; Jan 1, May 1 & dec 25.

poRCeLain MuSeuM055 2388709March daily: 8:15 a.m.–5:15 p.m. (6:15 p.m. with daylight saving)april–May & Sept–oct daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:15 p.m. (5:15 p.m. with stan-dard time)June–aug daily: 8:15 a.m.–6:15 p.m.nov–Feb daily: 8:15 a.m.–4:15 p.m.Closed 1st and last Mon of each month; Jan 1, May 1 & dec 25.

The Firenze Card is your one-stop pass to the museums, churches and gardens of Florence. For €72 it offers:• 72 hours of free access to 60 of

Florence’s most popular and im-portant museums, churches and gardens, including current exhi-bitions, permanent collections and museum activities;

• Free use of public transport with-in Florence;

• Immediate access to busy mu-seums – skip long queues and pre-booking;

• Your choice of start date: the clock doesn’t start ticking until you enter your first museum;

• Dedicated smartphone applica-tion to help find the museums, access free wi-fi and give you updated information on exhibits and events;

• Though the card can only be used once in each museum by one per-son, it also allows free entrance for EU citizens under 18 who are members of the same family unit of the cardholder.

See the website for full details: www.firenzecard.it

Sixty museums in 72 hours with the Firenze Card

Become a Friend of the Uffizi For €40 for youth under 25, €60

for an adult and €100 for a family (two adults and two children), the

card offers a calendar year’s worth of free privileged entrance to the

following museums: uffizi gallery

accademia gallerythe pitti palace

the palatine gallery & Royal apart-ments

the gallery of Modern artthe Costume gallerythe Medici treasury

the porcelain Museumthe Boboli gardensthe Bardini gardens

Bargello national MuseumMuseum of the Medici ChapelsMuseum of palazzo davanzati

Museum of San Marcogarden of the Medici villa of Cas-

telloMedici villa of petraia

Medici villa of poggio a CaianoMedici villa of Cerreto guidi &

Historical Hunting and territorial Museum

Cenacolo of ognissanti Cenacolo of andrea del Sarto

Cenacolo of Fuligno Cenacolo of Sant’apollonia

Cloister of the Scalzo

www.amicidegliuffizi.it


Food & Wine

A native Tuscan, Galileo Galilei used to say that “Wine is sunlight, held together by water.” He may well have been speaking of Chianti Classico, the veritable original of the Chianti clan, which carves out its territory be-tween Florence and Siena.Since 1924, this production zone cov-ering 14 municipalities has been pro-tected by the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium, founded to protect the integrity of the Chianti Classico label. Chianti is classified into different de-nominations depending on the area in which it is produced, and in order to qualify for DOCG (controlled and guaranteed denomination of origin) status, strict rules must be adhered to. Chianti Classico wine must contain grapes grown within the production zone and comprise 80 to 100 percent Sangiovese and up to 20 percent of approved local and international va-rieties. True Chianti Classico is noted for its ruby-red color, limpidity, floral aro-ma combined with red fruits, with a harmonious, dry and tannic flavor and a minimum alcohol content of 12 percent. Chianti Classico Riserva (Reserve) may exhibit fine and spicy

A Guide to Understanding

Chianti Wine Labelsnotes and contain a minimum of 12.5 percent alcohol.Chianti wine boasts an ancient histo-ry: the Etruscans of the region were known for their wine cultivation more than 2,500 years ago, and historians believe that they even experimented with grafting and hybrid techniques. According to legend, the so-called gallo nero or black rooster became a symbol of the Chianti region after a horse race was organized by the two rival republics of Siena and Florence to decide their official borders. A cockcrow was established as the de-parture signal for the two horsemen in their respective cities; however, Florence tricked Siena by starving its black rooster so that it began crowing before sunrise, enabling the Floren-tine rider to set off well in advance of his Sienese rivals. The Florentine met his opponent a mere 12 kilome-ters from Siena, thereby winning the Chianti region for Florence. The gallo nero became a symbol of the League of Chianti in the Middle Ages and is now recognized as the official mark of the Chianti Classico Wine Con-sortium, one of the most recognized wine labels in the world.

Wine may be the drink of choice in Italy, and the Tuscan region in par-ticular is known for its wine produc-tion. Yet beyond the world of wine lies a wide assortment of cocktails to discover in Italy, including the Ne-groni, the Spritz, and the Americano. These iconic Italian cocktails feature distinctive ingredients like Aperol, Campari and Vermouth and contain flavors that stimulate the appetite—thus, perfect for the Italian aperitivo. The social activity known as aperiti-vo takes place in a lively atmosphere, at a bar or party, accompanied by light-tasting cocktails and pre-dinner snacks. Aperitivo happens almost every night of the week and in some locales the finger foods are abundant enough to

make a full meal, at the price of an 8 or 9 euro cocktail.Negroni, Spritz, and Americano are the quintessential Italian apéritifs. In-tended to whet the palate, these three cocktails usually contain Campari, but are also offered with some minor variations. The Americano is made with half Campari, half sweet Vermouth, and soda water, and is garnished with lemon. It was originally served in Gaspare Campari’s café in Milan and called the Milano-Torino cocktail in reference to the Campari from Milan and Vermouth from Turin. Howev-er, as the drink grew in popularity among American tourists, it became known as the Americano.In 1919, when Count Camillo Negroni

The Aperitivo Explained

Recipe for Gluten-Free Tiramisù

was at Florence’s Caffè Casoni (now Caffè Giacosa), he ordered his Amer-icano a little bit stronger. The bar-tender decided to add gin instead of soda water, and an orange instead of a lemon, to distinguish this new and different drink. The cocktail was so well received that the Negroni family founded a Negroni Distillery in Trev-iso, Italy.Currently there are three different variations of the Negroni cocktail. The first, invented in Milan, is called the Negroni sbagliato, the “wrong” Negroni, wherein Spumante Brut (dry sparkling white wine) is substitut-ed for gin. The Negroski is a version made with vodka instead of gin. Last-ly, the Sparkling Negroni contains the same main three parts—gin, Campari and Vermouth— plus Champagne or Prosecco, and is sometimes gar-nished with an orange twist.The Spritz cocktail, another popular choice for aperitivo, is made with one ounce of Aperol, two ounces Prosec-co, and seltzer. For those who prefer a more bitter flavor, Campari can be used instead of the sweeter, lighter Aperol.Venturing away from standard Amer-ican cocktails makes for a delicious change of pace, while experiencing the Italian aperitivo tradition takes you a step closer to adopting the Ital-ian lifestyle. Cin cin!

BiStRo, Wine and CoCKtaiLS at BoRgo ogniSSanti

San Carlo bar offers continental and american breakfast and brunch, simple but refined lunch, a large aperitivo buf-fet, and an extensive wine and cocktail list. Music and art create a warm, lively atmosphere while friendly staff mem-bers are always ready to cater to any requests. San Carlo is a bar suited to any time of day: great for a quick coffee or snack, a leisurely aperitivo or meal, or simply an after-dinner drink with friends.

Specialty:tuna SteaK

Borgo ognissanti, 32-34/r055 21 68 79

[email protected]

Supplies needed: Baking pan (24 cm/9.5 inches) and non-stick baking paper

Ingredients for the cake5 eggs15 Tbsp of sugar150 grams (0.3 lbs) cornstarch or pota-to starch

Ingredients for the cream3 eggs9 Tbsp sugar750 grams (1.6 lbs) mascarpone cheese2 cups coffee cocoa powder for dusting

DirectionsFor the cake: Mix the eggs and sugar

with an electric mixer on high speed for 20 minutes. Add the cornstarch, stirring gently from bottom to top. Moisten the baking paper and line the baking pan with it. Put the mixture in the pan. Bake at 180° C (356° F) for 35-40 minutes.For the cream: Mix the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for 10 minutes. Add the mas-

carpone (cold).When the sponge cake has cooled, slice it into two so you get two discs. Drench the first piece of cake with coffee (use a brush to help). Add the cream, then overlay with the second disc of cake. Repeat the process. Chill for at least 2 hours. Dust with cocoa powder before serving.

www.chefvary.com


A Tropical Touch in the City

Beer House Club, located at Corso dei Tintori, 34/r, will host the artisanal beer maker Hibu on May 23. Hibu originally opened in 2007 and moved to Bernareggio after they quadrupled their production. First and foremost, their brewers believe that they should like the beer they make. Hibu has their standard beers such as the gold-en ale Entropia; the IPA Trhibu; and the imperial porter called Mood with hints of chocolate, licorice, and coffee. They also produce more adventurous seasonal varieties including a barley wine called Tribeca. The Beer House Club will have live music and a special menu for the event, which will begin in the early evening

BHC Hosts Craft Brewers

on May 23

CitY Beat

At Salumeria Verdi, every day at lunchtime you will find a line of students and lo-cals waiting for a sandwich. At the front of the line, friendly owner Pino is there to serve up meals and greet cus-

tomers. One of his most beloved spicy creations among foreign students is the panino dubbed “la bomba.” Its ingredients include salami piccante, pecorino piccante, pomodori secchi, and salsa inferno (spicy salami, spicy sheep’s cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and hot “hell sauce”). The original “bomba” has been so suc-cessful that copycat sandwiches have popped up around the city. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

After over a year of research that in-cluded analysis of customer feed-back, interviews with thousands of customers across six continents, and ingredients testing, the Hard Rock Cafe restaurant chain has launched a new menu. The menu, presented re-cently at an evening event of tastings reserved to journalists and bloggers, focuses on freshness and quality. Officially launched on March 26 in the restaurant chain’s U.S. locations, the menu is now on its way to Euro-pean Cafes. It includes new desserts, which were tested at the Florence Cafe location, an entirely redesigned salad

menu that introduces combination choices, and new seasonal vegetable options. Even the restaurant’s glasses and plates have been reviewed and revamped. Meats have been chosen based on several factors, according to Federico Boglietti, Kitchen Manager of Hard Rock Cafe in Florence, tak-ing into consideration the best cuts and percentage of fats present. Some cuts of meat come from Ireland, from a distributor who can guarantee the thickness and the cut requested in line with the Cafe’s standards. In all, 30 new dishes have been created and 28 have been modified.

Hard Rock Cafe Launches New Menu

Whether you are a tourist looking for the perfect souvenir to take back home or living in Florence and want some water life to keep you compa-ny, Tropical Aquarium is the place to go. For those looking for a water pet, Tropical Aquarium sells many differ-ent types of salt and fresh water fish, including goldfish, fighting fish, and orando fish. The most common pets in Florence are goldfish and small dogs such as Jack Russell Terriers. Tropical Aquarium does not sell dogs, but they do sell food, toys and other dog equipment. Turtles are also avail-able for sale if you would like a mix-ture of a land/sea animal.

Dine with Dante Named after Dante Alighieri’s most famous work, The Divine Comedy, this homely, rustic restaurant fitting-ly lies on Via dei Cimatori, only a few meters away from Dante’s House.The venue prides itself on its inno-vative and creative idea of preparing solely traditional dishes based on me-dieval recipes. Some are adapted and revisited for the modern age but in a way that one maintains the omnipresent feeling of Florentine history and tradition – so much so that Dante himself could walk in and dine next to you. As a matter of fact, this is a regular oc-currence at Taverna La Divina Com-media, as the venue regularly hosts recitals from Dante’s great work by professional costumed performers. Traditional medieval-style dishes in-clude home-made ribbon pasta with wild boar and mushroom sauce, roast

Taverna la Divina Commedia

via dei Cimatori, 7/r055 21 53 69

open daily: 11.30 a.m.–12.30 a.m.

ViaGhibellina,121•0552398154www.tropicalaquarium.org

19r YogaViadeiBardi,19/r•3391970902

19ryogapilates.com

Da Que’ GanziViaGhibellina,70/r•0552260010

www.daqueiganzi.it

shin of pork with new potatoes and seasonal vegetables, risotto inspired by medieval Tuscan flavors, and tasting plates of assorted cheeses ac-companied with fresh fruit and jams, including the taverna’s specialty hot red pepper jam.Also serving as a wine bar and pizze-ria, the restaurant offers an eclectic selection of wines from its cellar, an outdoor summer terrace, and is fit-tingly decorated in a medieval style with armour and banners – and, of course, a mandatory bust of Dante himself.

The Man Who Created the

“Bomba”

Yoga-enthusiasts looking for an excit-ing studio to practice yoga need not travel beyond the heart of Florence. 19r Ashtanga Yoga and Pilates Insti-tute offers Ashtanga, Hatha Yoga, and Pilates for all levels, with classes in both English and Italian offered at convenient times so that it is possible to make studying a daily practice. Located at Via dei Bardi, 19r, it is the home studio of Melissa Ferrer, who has trained over 500 hours with-in the It’s Yoga Ashtanga program in San Francisco, Puerto Rico, and Stockholm, and who has studied and taught in Florence for the past four years. The classes are taught by Me-lissa and the 13 other YAI Certified in-structors at the studio. The studio also offers Yoga to Go re-

Exporting Yoga to Florence Getting to know 19\r

treats, including one from April 18–23 titled “Surf and Yoga Morocco.” Oth-er retreats include Positano, Italy at the end of July; Sailing Sicily in Oc-tober; and Galapagos, Ecuador in November. Those wishing to become certified teachers can attend the 19r Yoga & Pilates Teacher Training In-stitute, which, under the guidance of Yoga Alliance International, has created a special 200-hour Ashtanga teacher-training program designed to provide the tools to become a yoga in-structor as well as assist in strength-ening the personal practice of yoga.

Heat some garlic and a pinch of dry chili pepper in olive oil. Simmer the mussels and clams with a splash of white wine until they open, then add the calamari, shrimp, and scampi with a small amount of fresh tomato. Cook the sauce for 5 minutes, just long enough to cook the scampi. As soon as the pasta is cooked toss it well with the sauce and serve.

Monthly Recipe: Spaghetti allo Scoglio

enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and the jumbo cappuccinos while having a chat with anna and Stefano, who will wel-come you in a warm and friendly way. grab one of the many homemade ba-gels, the bar’s perfected specialty since 1990. these bagels and sandwiches have made this snack spot one of the most popular among local americans. While taking a break in the back seating area you will be pleased to experience the no-charge table service, which places Snack Bar anna far from the ‘tourist traps’ in the city.

Mon. to Sat.: 8:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

tHe FiRSt BageL point in FLoRenCe SinCe 1990

via de’ ginori, 26/r055 23 81 143

[email protected]

SNACK BAR

ANNA

the dinner at Home’s “Chef vary” and edo is a unique experience …..

• outstanding and authentic cuisine• Four courses dégustation• Home made and fresh food• elegant and welcoming italian

hospitality• Specialist for gluten free and

vegetarian

Come to enjoy your Best home made food in down town!

only with reservationMenu and details (www.chefvary.com)

Cooking class (programs www.chefvary.com)

GIGLIO BIANCO

via Romana, 28/[email protected]

3931050885

CooKing CLaSSeS


San giMignano

Two brothers, Muzio and Silvio, while escaping Roman persecution in 63 B.C., are said to have built up two castles close together. The Castle of Silvia would eventually become San Gimignano. The name is believed to have come from 450 A.D. when the saint of Modena (bishop Geminianus) interceded to save the castle from the barbaric Totila, and a church was then named after the saint. The story of the two brothers is legend, so it is uncertain if they or their castles actu-ally existed. More tangible historic studies show that settlements have been in the area since prehistory and the Etrus-can time and that the hill where San Gimignano stands was probably first

A Short History of San Gimignano

inhabited during the Hellenistic pe-riod. In 1501, friars at the convent of San Domenico unearthed an Etrus-can tomb while digging in their gar-den. This was only one of many finds to demonstrate that the San Gimigna-no area was well populated during Etruscan times.After the fall of Rome, the area was isolated until the Lombards descend-ed upon Italy around 560 A.D. A route from the land of the Franks to the Christian capital of Rome began to develop, later to be known as the Via Francigena. Hamlets that had sur-vived the crisis, such as San Gimigna-no, prospered as a result of this road and the traffic of pilgrims it brought. Along the Tuscan hills, small church-es sprang up with the growth of pop-ulation. Nineteenth-century scholar

Luigi Pecori claimed that the church of San Gimignano was named af-ter the bishop saint of Modena and was built on the site of a previous church named after Saint Nicholas. The name San Gimignano was given to the settlement which developed around the church, and the Bishop of Volterra built a castle close by to safe-guard the roads and churches. The town below the castle grew and came under the possession of the Bishop. During the High and Late Middle Ages, the town was a way station for monks travelling to Rome and de-veloped under the ownership of the Bishop of Volterra. It continued to grow around two main squares and eventually declared itself a free com-mune in 1199, governed by a Podestà (chief magistrate).

SAN GIMIGNANO

Gelato World Champion 2006/2007 - 2008/2009

1°

Piazza della Cisterna, 4 - 0577 942 244 - www.gelateriadondoli.com

By the 14th century, it had already 13,000 citizens, prospering from ag-ricultural activity, such as the suc-cessful growth of saffron, despite conflicts between the town’s two rivaling families—the pro-emperor Ghibellines, and the pro-Pope Guelfs. It was during the 14th century that wealthy families built towers to show off their economic might. Shops oc-cupied the ground floor of each tow-er; higher up were bedrooms, while kitchens were on the top floor in case of fire. Today, only 13 out of the origi-nal 72 towers remain. This affluence came crashing down when the popu-lation was devastated by the plague in 1348. Afterwards, San Gimignano lingered and decayed, eventually submitting political autonomy to the growing

Florence. Towers fell, and no other architectural trend entered the town. After the plague of 1631, the popula-tion dwindled to a low of 3,000 in-habitants.Eighteenth-century changes in taste

“rediscovered” the Middle Ages as an exciting and mysterious time period. In 1801, Francesco Fontani included San Gimignano in his book of plac-es that had noteworthy architecture. Reforms in the 18th century helped to revive the city along with renovations in the 19th century. Due to the past de-cline, the town’s medieval aspects re-main intact, as if preserved in a time capsule. The historic center is full of 14th- and 15th-century art in their orig-inal setting, including beautiful fres-cos by Benozzo Gozzoli and Domeni-co Ghirlandaio.

aLEx MaRTELLo

From its Founding by Two Roman Brothers in the 1st Century B.C. to its 18th-Century Rebirth


San giMignano

San Gimignano Hosts Elliott Erwitt

San Gimignano’s Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art “Raffaele De Grada” is hosting an art exhibit through August 31 that traces the ca-reer and main themes of American photographer Elliott Erwitt. The ex-hibit showcases 42 photos selected by the artist as most representative of his body of work. Works on display will include some of his most famous: a heartbroken Jacqueline Kennedy at the funeral of her husband, beautiful Grace Kelly at a ball, portraits of Che Guevara and Marilyn Monroe, and two lovers in the rearview mirror of a car. The exhibit will also include nine ex-clusive self-portraits, which will rep-

resent a real “event within the event.” Elliott Erwitt—a documentary and ad-vertisement photographer—was born in France in 1928, and spent his for-mative in Italy. His family immigrated to the United States in 1939. During high school, Erwitt began working in a commercial darkroom, starting his professional career when he returned to Italy and France in 1949, travelling and doing photography. When he was drafted in the U.S. Army in 1951, he continued to take photographs for various publications. In 1953, af-ter being decommissioned from the Army, Erwitt was invited to join Mag-num photos. In the 1970s he began directing films—

11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

RoCCa di MonteStaFFoLiClimb the remains of an ancient fortress turret for stunning views of the areaFree (outdoors)

piaZZa deLLa CiSteRnaSan gimignano’s medieval water well gives its name to this piazzaFree (outdoors)

anCient CitY WaLLS Walk along the 13th century walls with 15th century Medicean bastionsFree (outdoors)

oRnitHoLogiCaL MuSeuMLocated inside the church of San Francesco on via Quercecchio0577 941 [email protected] after april 1: 11 a.m.-5:30p.m.entrance €1.50

CHuRCH oF Sant’agoStinonear porta St. Matteo on via Cel-loleseMon 4 p.m.– 6 p.m.; tues-Sun 10a.m.-12p.m./3 p.m.-6 p.m.

HouSe oF St. Finavia del Castello

FoRMeR podeSta’S paLaCe and RognoSa toWeRpiazza del duomo

Located just inside porta San giovan-ni, bar and gelateria Caffé Combat-tenti serves artisan-quality, homemade tuscan ice-creams and products. the first gelateria established in town, since 1924 the Bar Combattenti offers saffron and lively wine-flavored gelatos next to traditionally prepared bruschetta, pizza, panini, and pasta, as well as tus-can salami and pecorino cheeses. also available are classic tuscan treats such as ricciarelli and cantucci, grappa, extra virgin olive oil, and local truffle products, as well as gluten-free products.

tHe BaR StaRted BY a WWi FigHteR

via San giovanni, 124San gimignano

0577 940 391328 06 07 267

[email protected]

A Guide to Select Sites of San Gimignano

information Courtesy of the pro Loco association of San gimignano – tourist information officewww.sangimignano.com

podeSta’S paLaCe, toWeR and aRt CoLLeCtionpiazza duomo, 2 0577 990 312entrance: €5; children between 6 and 17 €5; free entrance to children under 6; combined ticket good for all civic museums €7.50 daily 11 a.m.- 5:30: after april 1: 9:30 a.m. -7 p.m. tHe CoLLegiate CHuRCH oF Santa MaRia aSSunta (duoMo) piazza del duomo0577 940 152; [email protected] entrance: €4; Combined ticket with the Sacred art Museum: €6(apr-oct) Mon to Fri: 10 a.m-7 p.m.; Sat: 10 a.m - 5 p.m.; Sun/Holidays: 12:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

aRCHeoLogiCaL MuSeuM - Santa Fina HeRBaRiuM - ModeRn and ConteMpoRaRY aRt gaLLeRYvia Folgore, 1 0577 940 526; www.museodellatortura.itapril 1: 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.entrance € 3.50; € 2.50 for children between 6 and 17; children under 6 free; combined ticket with all civic museums €7.50

toRtuRe inStRuMentS MuSeuMporta San giovanni, 1250577 942 243; 9:30 am – 7:30 pm every day Monday- [email protected] entrance: €8; children and students € 5.50; groups €4daily 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Wine MuSeuM 0577 941 267Free admission

BAR GELATERIACOMBATTENTI

With more than 600 wines including Brunello, vernaccia, Bolgheri and Chi-anti, as well as extra virgin olive oil, fla-vored oil, balsamic vinegar and much more, enoteca Corsi is an ideal stop for authentic tuscan products. enoteca Cor-si offers traditional sweets such as pan-forte, ricciarelli, home-made Cantucci-ni biscuits and other delicacies such as marmalades, honey, sauces and tartufi (or italian truffles). it also has the only dop saffron in italy.

tYpiCaL tuSCan pRoduCtS

via San giovanni(near the door of San giovanni)

San gimignano328 06 07 267

ENOTECA CORSI

Beauty Knows no Pain (1971) and Red White and Blue Grass (1973)—and in the 1980s produced a number of tele-vision shows. In between working for magazines and other advertising clients, the artist creates books and exhibitions on his works, with over 21 books released to date. Today Erwitt remains a leading figure in the com-petitive field of photography; his art has been featured around the world for the past 40 years. Erwitt has had exhibits at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, The Smithsonian Insti-tute in Washington D.C., The Muse-um of Modern Art in Paris, the Spazio Oberdan in Milan, the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, and many more.

Exhibit on Display until August 31

“Cindarella is the living proof that a pair of shoes can change your life”

Located in v. San giovanni, Cindarella offers shoes, jackets, socks, belts, bags, scarves, clothing and accessories all rigorously Made in italy and selected for clients who wish to experience a unique shoppingexperience, as in a fairy tale...

daily:9:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

via San giovanni, 36 San gimignano

334 397 4862

Keep CaLM & BuY SHoeS


Siena and San giMignano

the company Le torri was born for col-lecting, producing and selling high qual-ity artisanal leather goods exclusively made in italy leather, something that to-day is not so easy at it may seem to find.the three shops are located in via San giovanni. products include bags for women, business bags for men, belts, wallets, as well as other goods and can be purchased both online and in store.

daily:9.30 a.m. - 8.30 p.m.

via San giovanni, 22-24via San giovanni, 34via San giovanni, 117

San gimignano0577 940 851

www.letorrionline.com

Made in itaLY LeatHeRLe Torri

The Galleria Gagliardi was estab-lished in 1991, in a 400-square-meter space once used as a garage and farm machinery store. Today, the Galleria bears absolutely no resemblance to the original build-ing apart from a section of the floor made up of oak boards, covering a hole which once enabled repairs to the underside of cars and machinery in the absence of a ramp. This work of art was created by the previous own-er, Dino Conforti, and has been left in his memory.Since 1991, the exhibition area of the gallery has been extended and the gallery has now become a cultural reference for the promotion and sale

of contemporary art. Every work is chosen directly from the studios of artists who constantly experiment new solutions through their research, renewing their approach and skills. The Galleria exhibits ceramic, bronze and marble sculptures; conceptual, abstract and figurative paintings as well as works in steel, iron and wood by Italian and international artists.

The Contemporary Art Gallery of San Gimignano

Galleria Gagliardivia San giovanni, 57

San [email protected]

www.galleriagagliardi.com

Evi FuELLE

‘Vernaccia’ Bike Race Set for May 11San Gimignano will host the Gran Fondo della Vernaccia, a long dis-tance bike race which includes three different courses of varying lengths, each beginning in the center of the town on Sunday, May 11. The long course is 161 km, ending in Camporbiano. The medium course is 116 km, ending in Poderi Foci. The short course is 72 km, and also ends in Camporbiano. The race dates back to 1997, when the first “Gran Fondo” was held with 246 cyclists participating, and is attended each year by more than 1,500 cyclists. A slow bike ride, departing from Via Giachi and beginning at 9:15 a.m., is offered in addition to the Gran Fondo. Bikers take a 15 km ride through the

vineyards and olive groves around San Gimignano, visiting farms along the way to taste traditional meats and cheeses. Participants will also visit a few wine cellars to sample classic Tuscan wine.

The slow bike ride is free for women while it costs €10 for men, including lunch and a souvenir gift pack. For more information visit www.granfondodellavernaccia.it

toRRe deL Mangia (toWeR)piazza del Campo, 1; tel: 0577 292342until october 5: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. admission €8; Children under age 6 freeCombined ticket for Museo Civico and torre del Mangia €13, sold at tower ticket office

piaZZa deL CaMpo (SQuaRe)piazza il Campo, 53100 Siena; tel: 0577 292230Siena’s principal public space in the historic center of the town, one of europe’s greatest medieval squaresFree (outdoors)

BaSiLiCa di San doMeniCo (CHuRCH)piazza San domenico, 53100 Siena; tel: 0577 286848through october: 7:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.Weekday Mass: 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m.Feast day Mass: 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:00 a.m., 6:00 a.m.Confessions half hour before Mass

iL paLio MuSeuMS FoR Siena’S 17

A Guide to Select Sites of Siena

Siena’S CatHedRaL (duoMo)piazza del duomo, 8; tel: 0577 286300Current opening hours (including the piccolomini Library)until november 2: 10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.Special hours on holy days and the palio (august 16)admission €3 (no reductions); if en-tire pavement of cathedral is uncov-ered, admission €6

BattiSteRo di San giovanni (BaptiSteRY)piazza di S. giovanni, 53100 Siena; tel: 0577 286300opening hours until november 2: 10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.admission €3 (no reductions)

Santa MaRia deLLa SCaLa (MuSeuM)piazza duomo, 1; tel: 0577 534511open every day: 10:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. admission €10; reduced €8

ContRade (diStRiCtS)azienda provinciale di turismovia di Città 43, Siena; tel: 0577 42209Contact two weeks in advance for opening hours

tHe ContRade oF Siena:aquila (eagle), Casato di SottoBruco (Caterpillar), via del Comune 48Chiocciola (Snail), via S. Marco 37Civetta (owl), piazzetta del Castel-laredrago (dragon), piazza Matteotti 19giraffa (giraffe), via delle vergine 18istrice (Hedgehog), via Camollia 87Leocorno (unicorn), via di Follonica 15Lupa (She-Wolf), via vallerozzi 71/73nicchio (Shell), via dei pispini 68oca (goose), vicolo del tiratoio 13onda (Wave), via g. duprè 111pantera (panther), via S. QuiricoSelva (Forest), piazzetta della Selvatartuca (tortoise), via t. pendola 21/25torre (tower), via Salicotto 76valdimontone (Ram), via di

valdimontone 6

opa Si aLL inCLuSive paSS:access to all museums of the complex of the Cathedral of Siena including: duomo, Baptistery of San giovanni, Crypt, Museo dell’opera, and the Facciatone (city overlook). Cost of pass: €12 until october 31; valid for three days from day of purchase. available for purchase at the duomo or online at www.operaduomo.siena.it. For more information: tel. +39 0577 286300 or email: [email protected]

in the heart of tuscany, land of mas-ters such as giotto, Michelangelo and Leonardo, the towers of the old medie-val town, San gimignano, dominate the whole valley. descendants from one of the most important families of San gimi-gnano, brothers Luciano and daniele Leoncini of Ceramica Leoncini, offer the wisdom of the old ceramic masters, the experience of cutlery masters, and com-petence in crafting ancient, hand-paint-ed decorations reproduced with a gen-uine tuscan look, great care, and ability.

via S. giovanni, 60-62 San gimignano

0577 94 20 86 [email protected]

BuY and SHip YouR CeRaMiCS

LeonCini

S A N G I M I G N A N O

A r t e C o n t e m p o r a n e aGALLERIA GAGLIARDI

SaCRed SpLendouRMay 20 until September 28

the Medici treasury, piazza pitti, 1055 29 48 83

Mon. to Sun.: 8:15 a.m.-6:30 p.m.Closed on the 1st and the last Monday

of each monthwww.unannoadarte.it

Saint JoHn tHe BaptiSt’S CaRt: FRoM pontoRMo to CapeZZuoLi

until September 30palazzo vecchio055 27 68 224

9a.m.-12 a.m.; thursday: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it

a JouRneY to tHe eaSt. pHotogRapHS FRoM aFRiCa to

CaSa MaRteLLiuntil october 10

Museum of Casa Martelli055 29 03 83

thursday: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m.Fri. to Sun.: 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Closed on the 2nd and 4th Sundaywww.polomuseale.firenze.it

aRt JeWeLRY: tHe tRadition in ModeRnitY

until october 10ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze and

Horne Museum, via Bufalini, 6055 53 84 001

Mon. to Fri.: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat. to Sun: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. / 3 p.m.-7

p.m.www.entecarifirenze.it

giovanni CoLaCiCCHiFigures of the rhythm and light in 12th

century Florence. until october 19

villa Bardini, Costa San giorgio, 2055 20 06 6206 / 055 23 88 616

tue. to Sun.: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Closed on Monday

www.bardinipeyron.it

aRt and poLitiCS until november 2

Museum of Medici Chapels, piazza Madonna degli aldobrandini, 6

055 23 88 602Mon. to Sun.: 8:15 a.m.-4:50 p.m.

Closed on the 2nd and 4th Sunday and 1st, 3rd and 5th Monday of each

month.www.polomuseale.firenze.it

055 21 94 32Mon. to Sun.: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Closed on tuesdays, Sundays & public holidays

www.museomarinomarini.it

Late one MoRning: LooKing FoR JeSuS BY JonatHaS de andRade

May 30 until June 26Marino Marini Museum

055 21 94 32Mon. to Sun.: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.



BaCCio BandineLLi Sculptor & Maestro (1493-1560)

until July 7at Bargello national Museum

055 29 48 83Mon. to Sun.: 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m.;

Closed on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month

www.unannoadarte.it

FaMiLY MatteRSportraits and experiences of family

todayuntil July 20

Strozzina, palazzo Strozzi055 26 45 155 / 055 39 17 11

tues. to Sun.: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; thursday 10 a.m.-11 p.m.;Free thursdays 6–11 p.m.;

Closed on Mondays www.strozzina.org

JaCKSon poLLoCK tHe FiguRe oF FuRY

until July 27palazzo vecchio

& Florence former court055 2768325

9 a.m.-12 a.m.; thursday: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.Florence former court:

thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.www.pollockfirenze.it

CoRtona: tHe daWn oF tHe etRuSCan pRinCeS

until July 31national archaeological Museum of

Florencepiazza SS. annunziata, 9/b

055 23 57 720Mon., Sat. and Sun. 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.;

from tue. to Fri. 8.30am-7pm www.firenzeturismo.it/en

RadiCaL WoManHoodpinault Collectionuntil September 7

gucci Museum, piazza Signoria,10 055 75 92 33 0210 a.m.-8 p.m.

www.guccimuseo.com

iSLaM. WeaponS and aRMouRS FRoM tHe FRedeRiCK StiBBeRt

until September 11Stibbert Museum, via F. Stibbert, 26

055 47 55 20Mon.-Wed.: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.;

Fri.-Sun.: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed on thursday

www.museostibbert.it

JaCopo LigoZZi “univeRSaL painteR”

May 27 until September 28pitti palace, palatine gallery055 23 88 616 / 055 29 48 83

tues. to Sun.: 8:15 a.m.- 6:50 p.m.Closed on Monday

24 FLoRenCe neWS & eventS MaY 2014 no. 7

tHe aMaZing SHoeMaKeRFairy tales about shoes and

shoemakersuntil May 18

Ferragamo Museum055 33 60 456 / 055 35 62 417

10 a.m.-7:30 p.m.www.museoferragamo.com

ZeFFiReLLi FiLiStRuCCHi MeMoRieS oF an aRtiStiC paRtneRSHip

until May 18exhibit Hall - ente Cassa di Risparmio

di Firenze, via Maurizio Bufalini, 6055 22 641

Mon. to Fri.: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat., Sun. & Holidays 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

/3 p.m.-7 p.m.www.teatrodellapergola.com

toSCana eSCLuSiva: CouRtYaRdS and gaRdenS open to tHe puBLiC

in FLoRenCeMay 25

055 21 24 5210 a.m.-1 p.m. / 3 p.m.-7 p.m.

www.adsitoscana.it

aniMaLia. Men and tHe CaRe FoR tHe aniMaLS in tHe ManuSCRiptS

oF tHe LauRentian LiBRaRYuntil June 14

Laurentian Library, piazza S. Lorenzo, 9

055 21 07 60Mon. to Sat.: 9:30 a.m.-1:30p.m.

Closed on Sundayswww.bmlonline.it

pontoRMo and RoSSo. diveRging patHS oF ManneRiSM

until June 20palazzo Strozzi

055 26 45 155 / 055 39 17 11tues. to Sun.: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.;

thursday 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Closed on Mondays

www.palazzostrozzi.org

“CHe puRo CieL! CHe CHiaRo SoL!” gLuCK and oRFeo and euRidiCe in

FLoRenCeMay 15 until June 21

Florence national Library, piazza dei Cavalleggeri, 1055 24 91 9201

Mon. to Fri.: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. / 3 p.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-1p.m.

Closed on Sundays & Holidayswww.bncf.firenze.sbn.it

CaRMeLo BagLivo diSegni CoRSaRiMay 23 until June 26

Marino Marini Museum055 21 94 32

Mon. to Sun.: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed on tuesdays,

Sundays & public holidayswww.museomarinomarini.it

gianLuCa e MaSSiMiLiano de SeRio “RetuRn”

May 23 until June 26Marino Marini Museum

eventS

Late one MoRning: LuCa tReviSani and diane Lund

until May 10Marino Marini Museum

055 21 94 32Mon. to Sun.: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.



a JoB ain’t notHin’ But WoRKuntil May 10

villa Romana, via Senese, 68055 22 16 54

tues. to Fri.: 2-6 p.m. & by appointmentwww.villaromana.org

tHe RooMS oF tHe MuSeS. BaRoQue paintingS FRoM tHe FRanCeSCo MoLinaRi pRadeLLi

CoLLeCtionuntil May 11

uffizi gallery055 29 48 83

8:15 a.m.-6:50 p.m.Closed on Monday

www.unannoadarte.it

getting ReaCQuainted WitH MiCHeLangeLo

Sculpture by Buonarroti in photographs and paintings from the

19th century to the present until May 18

accademia gallery055 29 08 32

8:15 a.m.-6:50 p.m.Closed on Monday

www.unannoadarte.it

HatS BetWeen aRt and extRavaganZa

until May 18pitti palace, Costume gallery

055 29 48 838:15 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Closed on the 1st & the last Monday of each month

www.uffizi.firenze.it

opening oF tHe iRiS gaRden until May 20

iris garden, piazzale Michelangiolo29 055 48 31 12

10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. / 3-7 p.m.www.irisfirenze.it

ExhibitionsaRtigianato & paLaZZo

Handicraft exhibition and marketMay 15

il prato, 58

aRtouR BeautY in tHe SQuaRetravelling trade fair of italian artistic

handicraftMay 30 until June 2

piazza degli Strozzi, 0

CioMpi MontHLY antiQue FaiRMay 25

piazza dei Ciompi

FoRteZZa antiQuaRiaantique marketMay 17 and 18

viale Filippo Strozzi

iL LiBRo in piaZZaSecond-hand book and comics fair

May 11piazza degli Strozzi, 0

LungoungioRno & FieRuCoLaMay 11

via giano della Bella, 20/1 20/2

MaY LittLe FaiR organic and local hand made

productsMay 18

piazza Santo Spirito

thursday, May 15: Max Collini (offlaga disco pax) & Jukka Reverberi(giardini di Mirò)

“SpaRtiti” tour 2014

Saturday, May 17:Foneno (Country Blues)

thursday, May 22:tRuCupaS (acustic Rock)

Friday, May 23: RiCCaRdo MoRi “La Cattiva Strada”

Friday, May 30:BitteR CoCKS (italian punk)

ViaOrtiOricellari,6r•055281995

Markets and Fairs

Max Pub Events

BE OP MAY

2014

[email protected] | +39 0552398518 | VIA DE SERVI 76/R | 100MT FROM PIAZZA DUOMO

1 THURSDAY PrimoInRock

2 FRIDAY Kings Of Lion Tribute with Only By The Night

3 SATURDAY COLDPLAY Night with Life In Technicolor

5 MONDAY NEW KARAOKE AMERICAN NIGHT ! specials+open mic

6 TUESDAY THE BEATLES NIGHT | with The Vox Power

7 WEDNESDAY BeBop UNPLUGGED Evening

8 THURSDAY Lucy Malone Bros. | 60’s & 70’s Sounds

9 FRIDAY °°°NESSUNO MI PUO’ GIUDICARE PARTY °°°

10 SATURDAY ***LED ZEPPELIN TRIBUTE ***with NORGE ***



14 WEDNESDAY BARBA BAND | Jack MEILLE + Fede PIRAS

15 THURSDAY The Rolling Johnnys | Rock Out Of The Box

16 FRIDAY 80VOGLIA | BEST DANCE PARTY IN TOWN !

17 SATURDAY ZYDECO | Irish & British Rock Blues



21 WEDNESDAY A BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TRIBUTE By LUCA MIRTI

22 THURSDAY °Sweet Melinda° | STONES+BEATLES+BRITrock

23 FRIDAY THE ROCKNROLL SPRING PARTY ! SPECIAL NIGHT!!

24 SATURDAY QUEEN TRIBUTE with Queen On Fire



28 WEDNESDAY BARBA BAND | Jack MEILLE + Fede PIRAS

29 THURSDAY Whoopee Hookers | RockParty ! RockHits !

30 FRIDAY RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS NIGHT with PepperHeads

31 SATURDAY 80’s & 90’s ROCK NIGHT


• all accessories for phones• Cables• Headphones• Memory Cards• Chargers• Covers

via ghibellina, 96/r

The Cover STore

enteRtainMent

diReCtoR: John CurrangenRe: adventure | Biography | dramaStaRS: Mia Wasikowska, adam driver, emma Booth, Jessica tovey, Rainer BockpLot: adaptation of naturalist adventurer Robyn davidson’s 1977 trek of 2700 km across the Western australian desert with four camels and a dog.“alternately haunting, inspiring and dream-ily meditative, this is a visually majestic film of transfixing moods and textures”-Hollywood Reporter

dateS/HouRS:thursday, May 1: 4:30 – 6:45 – 9 p.m.Friday, May 2: 5:30 p.m.Saturday, May 3: 4:30 – 6:45 – 9 p.m.Sunday, May 4: 4:30 – 6:45 – 9 p.m.

diReCtoR: darren aronofskygenRe: action | adventure | dramaStaRS: Russel Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, emma Watson, anthony HopkinspLot: the end of the world... is just the begin-ning. Rediscover the epic story of one man and the most remarkable event in our history. the biblical story of the great Flood and the ani-mals and the ark. a man is chosen by his world’s creator to undertake a momentous mission to rescue the innocent before an apocalyptic flood cleanses the wicked from the world. “an arresting piece of filmmaking that has a shot at capturing a large international audience both for its fantasy-style spectacle and its fresh look at an elemental Bible story most often present-ed as a kiddie yarn.”-Hollywood Reporter dateS/HouRS:Monday, May 12: 4 – 6:40 p.m.tuesday, May 13: 5 p.m.Wednesday, May 14: 4 – 6:40 – 9:15 p.m.

tRaCKS

noaH

odeon FiRenZepiazza Strozzi, Firenze055 214 068office: 055 295 051www.odeonfirenze.comtickets: Regular: €7.50; Reduced: €6**every Wednesday; students from Mon. to Fri. and selected partnerships.Club odeon Classic: €3

diReCtoR: olivier dahangenRe: Biography | dramaStaRS: nicole Kidman, tim Roth, andré penvernpLot: Set in 1962, six years after her celebrated wedding, grace of Monaco is an intimate snap-shot of a year in the life of the iconic Hollywood star turned princess. She struggles to cope with her newfound role as mother, monarch of a eu-ropean principality and wife to prince Rainier iii.“the latest look at the film, which has been the subject of a reported tiff between director ol-ivier dahan and u.S. distributor the Weinstein Company, shows a sad princess longing to re-turn to acting.”- Hollywood Reporter

dateS/HouRS:thursday, May 15: 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.Friday, May 16: 4:30 – 6:30 – 8:30 – 10:30 p.m.Saturday, May 17: 4.30 – 6.30 – 8.30 – 10.30 p.m.Sunday, May 18: 4:30 – 6:30 – 9 p.m.Monday, May 19: 4:30 – 6:30 – 9 p.m.tuesday, May 20: 5:30 p.m.Wednesday, May 21: 4:30 – 6:30 – 9 p.m.

diReCtoR: Wes andersongenRe: ComedyStaRS: Ralph Finnes, adrien Brody, tilda Swin-ton, Léa SeydouxpLot: the adventures of gustave H, a legend-ary concierge at a famous european hotel be-tween the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. “a marvelous contraption, a wheels-within-wheels thriller that’s pure oxygenated movie play”- entertainment Weekly

dateS/HouRS:Monday, May 5: 4:45 – 6:45 – 9 p.m.tuesday, May 6: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 7: 4:45 – 6:45 – 9 p.m

gRaCe oF MonaCo

tHe gRand BudapeSt HoteL

now in its fourth year, the Wa! Japan Film Festi-val (formerly the Japanese Film Festival of Flor-ence) reveals fascinating and authentic aspects of Japanese culture through the dissemination of Japanese cinema. among notable changes

Thanks to the Cannes Film Festival, May in Italy is an important month for new movie re-leases in theaters. Film lovers will have the pos-sibility to (re)watch two of the most important titles that have just landed in our country. One is the colossal Noah that Darren Aronowsky drew from the first book of the Bible, Genesis. It evokes the days of the great universal flood, with the gritty Russell Crowe, who gives his portrayal of Noah a gloss of a modern ecolog-ical gladiator that decided to save the good of mankind and some of the animals before God unleashes his wrath on a planet polluted by sin. The other is The Grand Budapest Hotel, direct-ed by the ingenious Texan Wes Anderson and centered on the intertwined historical events of the past century (from the 1930s to the present) and some of the many stories of individuals, re-visited across the fantastic adventures of a lux-ury hotel concierge in an fictional Eastern Eu-

May at the Movies ropean state. For those who love to bet on the impossible, there is more with the Australian Tracks, a commemoration of the insane endeav-ors accomplished in 1977 by a young woman without any apparent logical motivation, who decides to cross an inhospitable central Austra-lian desert travelling on foot for nine months. In the company of four camels and one dog, 2,700 kilometers separate the location of Alice Springs from the Indian Ocean. Immortalized in a famous issue of National Geographic, this odyssey at the borders of delirium, which many had already dubbed the female version of Into the Wild, previously attracted Hollywood’s at-tention, with prior attempts to make this story into a film in the 1980s and more recently with Julia Roberts in the role of the lonely protago-nist. The role was given instead to the Austra-lian Mia Wasikowska, whom fans of the small and big screen have to appreciate in films such as Alice in Wonderland but also in TV series such as Treatment.

guiDo REvERDiTo

• adapters• Converters • Headphones• Hair Straighteners • Hair dryers• Boilers• Kettles• Coffee Machines• electricity emergency

Service

Borgo degli albizi, 91/r055 24 69 318

[email protected]

aLL tHat You need FRoM HoMe

CentRo LuCe

to this edition, the festival takes place in Milan as well as Florence, with the goal of bringing Japanese culture and cinema to an ever-great-er audience. the program ranges from works widely-known in Japan to art-house films. the program will also include conferences and food tastings to discover Japanese traditions. once again the festival dedicates a moment of reflection to the tragic events of March 2011 in a show of solidarity with the people affected by the disaster. Come and experience the colors and emotions of Japan!

the historic bar offers quality beer, fresh cocktails, sandwiches and snacks amidst a traditional irish pub atmosphere. the pub also offers various promotions and contests with many exciting prizes. the genuine atmosphere together with the helpful and inviting staff make dublin pub an ideal place to spend fun nights in good company or enjoy a beer any time while listening to great background music.

open daily from 5 p.m.

tHe iRiSH puB in San LoRenZo

via Faenza, 27055 27 41 571

[email protected]


MuSiC

Porto di Mare – Eskimo

Eskimo: the club for traditional Italian music

Bridging cultures through live music at the club where all musicians meet

As with any port, Porto di Mare – Es-kimo is synonymous with exchange, correspondence, and coming and go-ing. Anyone is welcomed through the doors of this club, which also hosts a pizzeria and cafè. Its focus on live music and cultural exchange is one that the man who started the club, Francesco Cofone, holds close to his heart: “We never play anything recorded here,” he says with a smile. The method of bridging cultures at Porto di Mare is just get-ting out an instrument and beginning to play. “I’d be keen to talk to anyone who is interested in playing and shar-ing their music with us,” Francesco says. The club has also created its own big band, the Eskimo Jazz Orchestra. An

Born from the fusion of two former jazz venues, Eskimo and Jazz Club, Eskimo is a club-cafè that during the day is lived as a bookstore – the perfect place to find second-hand books – as well as a library where people meet to hang out in the afternoon.At night, the club becomes the stage where young Italian musician perform, often jamming together. The traditional Italian music that is played in this club ranges from songwriters to typical musical expressions from southern Italy such as the tarantella and others. Occasionally live jazz is played too.Eskimo is the perfect club where non-Italian musicians or non-Italian music aficionados can meet their Italian counterpart. It gives artists from all over the world the opportunity to take the stage in a familiar environment, where they can blend ideas and showcase their talents.

all-star Tuscan jazz band born under the initiative of Francesco, it includes some of the biggest and respected names on the jazz scene amongst its members. These include trumpeter and band conductor Fabio Morgera, who played under legendary Amer-ican jazz cornetist, composer and conductor Butch Morris for 30 years in New York; Dario Cecchini, sax and leader of Italian marching band Funk Off; trumpeter Luca Marianini; trombone player Stefano Scalzi and guitarist Riccardo Onori, who both played alongside renowned Italian singer-songwriter and rapper Jova-notti; percussionists Walter Paoli, ex-member of 1970s Italian jazz, pro-gressive rock and electronic group Area, and Piero Borri; clarinet player Nico Gori; and guitarists Paolo Conte, Ivano Fossati and Riccardo Galardini

This is indeed the place where Italian songwrit-ers typically perform in a very relaxed and wel-coming atmosphere, which is not always easy to find in the foreign-dominated venues of Flor-ence’s city center. Manager Sara Bonomo hopes that Eskimo will become “a theatrical workshop and a venue open to other types of arts, not just music – and focusing on bringing together a foreign audi-ence, tourists, apericena [aperitivo dinner] and jazz.” In the small stage of this club some of the most famous Italian singers and musicians have ap-peared when looking for a more intimate ap-proach with the public, far from the sports hall where they usually perform. This is why Eskimo is not just a bar but rather an ‘atmosphere’ per-fect to chill out in, far from the formality of the city center’s nightlife.

– to name just (a little more than) a few.The band’s genre has evolved from classical music to a looser, impro-vised style:

“Morris’s idea was to dissolve any sort of ‘formation’ in the orchestra, and for this reason, conducting isn’t un-dertaken in one style but acts more like a tool for endless different styles,” Fabio Morgera explains. “I conduct a group of musicians but they have complete freedom of the choice of notes; it’s an exchange between us. There’s no rigid music score to follow

… In this way, it’s possible to create music together that has an organic quality.” The band performs live at the venue every month, and has already had many requests from specialized mag-azines to festival directors. Porto di Mare – Eskimo therefore not

Contact Francescoporto di Mare – eskimo

via pisana, 128055 71 20 34

[email protected]

ivana SCaToLa

Weekly Live Music Calendartuesday:

Jazz open Mic & WorkshopWednesday:

Bog & Kate Live (Ft. guests)thursday: Rock night

Friday: italian Southen Music Live

Saturday:Francesco Cofone (Ft. guests)

Sunday: Folk, Rock & Blues

only offers locals and outsiders the opportunity to immerse themselves in and contribute to the local music scene, but also to witness the emer-gence of Florence as host to a new style of jazz.

vintage vinYL & neW ReLeaSeS

via de’ neri, 15/r(near Santa Croce)

055 287 592www.superecords.com

tucked away on via de’ neri, data Records 93 is a the perfect spot for music aficionados and those look-ing for a different take on current music or a nostalgic throwback to decades past. Born in 1977 as Contempo Records, it holds a vast collection of music, from new releases to rare pressings, and even includes recent re-leases on vinyl. data Records 93’s eclectic and valuable collection reg-ularly attracts international dJs and it also ships all over the world.

Mon–Sat: 10:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m; Sunday: 3:30–7:30 p.m.

Via Ghibellina, 80/r055 23 45 452

www.salamanca.it

Spanish RestaurantMexican Grill

Latin Disco BarTues.: Latin Disco

Wed.: Salsa lessons & live music with

Mambo Kids Latin bandThurs.: International Student Night

Fri. & Sat.: Latin Disco Bar


LeiSuRe

Mostodolce craft brewery was the first of its kind to open in prato and now supplies twin pubs in prato and Florence with its award-winning artisan beer. From pitch-black stout to honey beer and a seasonal Christmas variety made from chestnuts, Mostodolce’s range appeals to the most earthy and subtle of palates. Match your choice with complementary dishes cre-ated in the pub kitchen: from the hefty flavours of smoked ribs and tortelloni with wild boar ragout to light snacks and the intriguingly named ‘birramisu’.

open daily:11–2 a.m.

via nazionale, 114/r(near the train station)

055 23 02 928www.mostodolce.it

HaMBuRgeRS and aWaRd-Winning aRtiSan

BeeR

If you thought art was all Florence had to offer, think again. A fantastic opportunity to get you and your chil-dren out in the fresh air is a day at an adventure park.Just outside Florence in Pratolino is Tuscany’s largest forest adventure park, Il Gigante. Taking you high up into the trees to climb, jump, and slide along zip-wires, the park has more than 10 rope courses at six dif-ferent difficulty levels, based on age and height, with the training and assistance of expert instructors. And it’s not just for adults! The hardest black-ropes course is 15 meters above the ground, but there are also many courses suitable for kids aged 3 years

Discover the Adventure Park for Kids and Adults

and up.It’s the perfect location for all kinds of celebrations, such as birthday parties, with discounts available for school groups and scouts/summer camp groups. The trails, meadows, and picnic areas also offer a great place to escape from the city and have fun in nature. Located in the woods of Pog-gio la Garena of Pratolino, just across from the Medici Villa Demidoff, the adventure park is reachable by ATAF bus 25-A from the Piazza San Marco stop ‘La Pira’, or by SITA bus 306 from the train station.Those who fear heights or simply don’t wish to climb can enter for free and relax at the corner bar.

Reachable in 15 minutes with Bus 25 from Piazza San Marco

Opening Hours:May to September tuesday to Sunday:

10 a.m.– sunset

Rest of the season Saturday, Sunday and festival

days: 10 a.m.– sunset

Closed december to February

the park can be booked out-side of these hours for groups

of minimum 10 people.

via Fiorentina, 276–5036www.parcoavventurailgigante.it

the newly reopened Jack is ready to rock ‘n’ roll! Come by for lunch or dinner and try the revamped menu featuring tradi-tional italian food and american staples. enjoy live music, dJ sets and the costume parties that Jack has become famous for, as well as two Hd screens showcasing special sporting events. if all that italian espresso just isn’t hitting the mark, drop by one-eyed Jack’s to enjoy american coffee with a free refill between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Free wifi is also available.

open daily:11–2 a.m.

tHe BaR YouR MoM WaRned You aBout

piazza nazario Sauro, 2/r055 09 44 561

www.thejackpub.com

• power Yoga for beginners to advanced students offered daily.

• power Yoga trained instructors

• all classes only 60 mins• Fun music and atmosphere• Community philosophy

which encourages and promotes health and wellness for everyone!

• Located in the beautiful santo spirito area

• Check out our studio and web site!

via dei Serragli, 102/rwww.europapoweryoga.com

• natural aesthetics • tanning salon • Complete treatments for face

and body • Cellulite firming • Lymphatic drainage • permanent hair removal • Waxing • pedicure • Makeup • Radio frequency treatment• Spa jet

Monday to Saturday:9:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

via de’ ginori, 21055 28 44 24

[email protected]

BeautY, MaSSage & Spa tReatMent

Hito


SpoRt

May 1 marks a historic date in the realm of Formula One racing. Ayrton Senna da Silva was 34 years old when we was killed 20 years ago in a tragic crash on May 1, 1994, while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Al-though there have been other crashes and fatalities in the racing, his death is the most recent driver fatality in Formula One and has left a mark on the history of the sport.Senna was Brazilian and started rac-ing from a young age. In 1983 he won the British Formula 3 championship and moved to Formula One the fol-lowing season. From 1984-87 Senna won six Grand Prix’s and hand many other close finishes. However his suc-cess truly began when he moved from constructor Lotus-Renault to McLar-en-Honda. The other driver for Mc-Laren-Honda at the time was Alain Prost, a well-respected French racer. The team became a strong force in the world of racing as they won all but 15 Grand Prix’s in 1988. Senna earned his first world championship that

In Memory of Ayrton

DYLan nikoLEToPouLoS

Brand new gym in the heart of Florence is now open.• Fully outfitted with the latest cardio

& strength equipment from techno-gym

• offering a wide array of classes ranging from Zumba to pilates, ev-ery week

• all-inclusive memberships with no sign-up fees

• Special pricing for students • Friendly english-speaking staff • Free wi-fi

Mon. to Fri.: 8 a.m.-10 p.m, Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m, Sunday: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

neW gYM neaR Santa MaRia noveLLa

via dei Fossi, 56/r055 23 96 497

LIVE SPORTMON.: SPONSORED

BY BUS2ALPSTHU.: LADIES’ NIGHT

HAPPY HOUR TILL 11 P.M.

Via dell'Anguillara, 54/r347 19 41 013

[email protected]

NAIMA

via dei Bardi, 19/r339 19 70 902

19ryogapilates.cominfo@ 19ryogapilates.com

• power Yoga• ashtanga Yoga• Hatha Yoga

19r offers great workshops as well as destination retreats. great student

rates daily classes as well as teacher training.

See you on the mat!

Love and Light,Melissa and 19r

FRee FiRSt tRiaL

Yoga & piLateS in tHe HeaRt oF FLoRenCe

Fiorentina Home Game Schedule

MaY 3: 8:45 p.m.Fiorentina vs. napoliitaLian Cup FinaL

away

MaY 6: 7 p.m.Fiorentina vs. Sassuolo

SeRieS aHome

MaY 11: 3 p.m.Fiorentina vs. Livorno

SeRieS aaway

MaY 18: 8:45 p.m.Fiorentina vs. torino

SeRieS aHome

tickets can be bought through When in Florence, online at

it.violachannel.tv, at the stadium and at Fiorentina point on viale

Manfredo Fanti 85/a.

get your Fiorentina shirt with a 15% discount

when you show this paper at the FLoRenCe

CuRioSitY SHop next to pizzeria o’vesuvio in via de’ Cimatori, 23/r.

Finnegan irish pub is the only irish-owned pub in Florence and hosts live music ev-ery weekend, regular quiz nights and student discounts on tuesdays. patrons can enjoy outdoor seating nine months of the year, while sports fans are spoilt for choice with dedicated coverage of en-glish and Scottish premiership football, irish and english internationals, as well as rugby, Formula one and american foot-ball. Friendly expat staff ensure a warm and relaxed atmosphere in which to gather, sip guinness and “have the craic.”

Mon. to Fri.: 4 p.m.–1 a.m.Sat. to Sun.: 1 p.m.–1 a.m.

tRaditionaL iRiSH puB neaR San MaRCo

via San gallo, 123/r055 49 07 94

www.finneganpub.com

Gonzaga Wins Fiorenza International School Cup

Gonzaga’s top team won the 18th an-nual Fiorenza International School Cup Tournament that concluded on April 9, after three days of play-offs and over 15 teams competing throughout the season.Gonzaga was the number one seed entering the playoffs. At 9-0 Gonzaga 1 sat comfortably at the top of their di-vision with 27 points, the maximum amount of points possible and the most out of any team in the entire tournament. Gonzaga also found no trouble in the post season as they de-feated teams 18-2 and 5-1 to reach the final match. By the end of the tourna-ment, no other team stood a chance as Gonzaga finish the season with a perfect record and 1st place in the tournament. This year the Fiorenza International School Cup celebrated its 18th birth-day and has evolved to be a very

DYLan nikoLEToPouLoS popular event for athletes studying abroad in Florence. The tournament was first organized by Fiorenza FC (an amateur soccer club) in 1989. The first year of the tournament there were only four schools competing and the games were played outside of town. The Lion’s Fountain Irish Pub was the original sponsor and organizer when the tournament first start and was a way of showing collaboration be-tween the local community and the American students studying abroad in Florence. Today the tournament has grown to include nearly 20 teams and two additional sponsors: Uncle Jimmy’s Irish Pub and Clubhouse Piz-zeria Restaurant.Other awards were also presented to the most valuable play (male and fe-male) as well as most valuable coach. This tournament was more than suc-cessful and will look to continue its traditions into the future semesters.

year and two more in 1990 and 1991. In 1993 Senna finished runner-up and moved from McLaren-Honda con-structor to Williams.The season did not start or end well. Senna did not finish the first two rac-es of the season. Entering the third race the San Marino Grand Prix, which was being held at the Autodro-mo Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit located in Imola, Italy, Senna was looking to finally start the season on a good note.On lap 7, Senna’s car left the track and ran into the concrete wall at a speed of 145mph. Senna suffered from fatal skull fractures, brain injuries, and a ruptured temporal artery and was de-clared dead hours later.Still today Silva has been voted as one of the best drivers ever. He is famous for his wet weather driving abilities and holds the record for most victories at ever at the Monaco Grand Prix, at six. Ayrton Senna’s death continues to be remembered every year as Formu-la One continues to grow every year and a continuous effort is made to improve the safety of the sport for all.

Jogging in a crowded city with insuf-ficient sidewalk space can be frus-trating, not to mention dangerous. Luckily, Florence offers some beauti-ful scenic routes for those who plan to start jogging as the weather turns nice.To avoid pollution, run along the Arno River, but to also avoid pedestri-an and vehicular traffic, run along the bank of the river and not in the street. The bank of the river is easily accessed from Lungarno Cellini. Cascine Park, great for running on a grassy field or along the riverbank, is large enough to get in a full workout while explor-

Jogging in Florence’s Beautiful, Less-Polluted Zones

ing the entirety of the park. The Viale Michelangelo, which starts just south of Piazza Ferrucci and winds through tree-lined neighborhoods up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, has wide side-walks and stunning views.Another scenic option is Boboli Gar-dens, and although you have to pay to enter, you will see beautiful views of the city. The gardens are full of path-ways and hills for those looking for a challenge. Jogging in Florence, if you choose the right route, rewards run-ners with picturesque scenery while getting to know neighborhoods out-side of the main city center.

The Amalfi coast can be a short va-cation in true Mediterranean style, relaxing and quietly getting away aboard a private boat for a tour of the island of Capri. This is what you can experience in the trip to the Amalfi coast that Bus2Alps offers. And May and June is definitely the best period for a visit to southern Italy, before the summer heat begins to hit. Then you will see the ruins of Pom-peii and you will be able to immerse yourself in history with the help of private guides, who will show you one of the most well-preserved cities of ancient times. Afterwards, treat yourself to a mouth-watering mar-riage of mozzarella and tomatoes by trying a ‘margherita’ in Naples, the

Limoncello, Sun, and Black Sand Beaches

birthplace of pizza. Only the Bus2alps tour includes a ferry to Capri with a private boat tour of the island, as well as transportation to Positano and Pompeii. The Amalfi Coast is the pinnacle of pinnacles for those look-ing for extrav-agant beauty met with a laid-back beach atti-tude. Celebrities, weekend jetset-ters, and college students looking for an amazing time all congregate to the picturesque island of Capri and seaside towns of Positano and Sor-

rento.As you roll past the Mt. Vesuvius looming over the countryside, whilst keeping a watchful eye on this heav-

en, you are greeted with instant and dra-matic views of traditional cities built into sloping cliffs. A short ferry ride connects you to the wondrous island of Capri, home to many an ancient myth,

the world famous Blue Grotto, and enough Limoncello to make your legs wobble as you stand at the peak of Mt.

30 FLoRenCe neWS & eventS MaY 2014 no. 7

tRaveL

Solaro. A private boat tour around the island is a must. If you want to check out the best known European beach bods and notorious Italian speedos, then a trip to the seaside town of Positano will leave you satisfied. As a short ride from Sant’Agnello and Sorrento, Positano is situated on a stepped cliff face on the winding Amalfi Coast. Multi-colored buildings are built into the side of the mountain, cascading down to the smoking hot, black sand beaches. People watching on the beach is fun, but there is plen-ty more to do. This trip was awarded 2nd Best Tour Worldwide and is the two time winner of Best Tour in Europe by TourRadar in 2012 and 2013.

• Round trip luxury coach transport (with a/C, dvd, & bathroom)

• accommodation with your friends at top rated hostels

• Breakfast• private ferry to island of

Capri with a private guided boat tour of the island (with a stop at the Blue grotto)

• private transfer to positano• private transport to pompeii • exclusive Bus2alps dis-

counts everywhere• a Bus2alps trip leader• the amalfi Coast Bus2alps

destination guide

Visiting the Amalfi Coast with Bus2alps

This trip was awarded 2nd Best Tour

Worldwide and is the two time winner of

Best Tour in Europe by TourRadar in 2012 and

2013.

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Florence News & Events May'14

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