Florence Inferno is a blog containing information on the events occuring in Florence, as well as an events guide on what’s happening in the city in terms of music, art, cinema, markets, and so much more. In this post, we have provided you with information on events taking place over the next two weeks.
You won’t want to miss the most delicious event of the month, the Gelato Festival (Ice Cream Festival) at Piazzale Michelangelo, an event celebrating the origins of high-quality Italian ice cream, famous around the world. Florence is in fact where it all began, given that the invention of the ice cream is attributed to the Florentine artist Bernardo Buontalenti (1536-1608) who, during the Renaissance, at the Court of the Medici, served the first cold cream made from milk, honey and, egg yolk.
We also make a special mention of Notte Blu (Blue Night) at Le Murate complex, an annual festival marking the “birth of Europe” with a long list of interesting events such as theatrical performances, workshops, film screenings, exhibitions, concerts, and more. From May 6 until May 10, 2015.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Today is Labor Day, an annual Italian holiday that celebrates the achievements of workers. All over Italy there will be concerts, parades, processions, and country festivals. However, the most important museums will remain open.
Gelato Festival at Piazzale Michelangelo until May 3, 2015. The Gelato Festival is an event celebrating the origins of high-quality Italian ice cream, famous around the world. At the end of the four days in Florence, the Best Italian Ice Cream of 2015 will be decided. It’s a European road show telling you all about ice, cream: the best ingredients, how it’s produced, and the history of this dairy product.
Hours of operations: Thursday to Saturday from 12 p.m. until 12 a.m.; Sunday from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. Ticket price: € 5 to buy the gelato card that provides for five samples.
Info: http://www.gelatofestival.it/firenzegelatofestival/en/
Saturday, May 2, 2015
The Florence Photography Adventure Tour organized by Florence Inferno and ADAGIO con BRIO. Discover Florence with your camera and with a professional photography teacher and a great Florentine guide at your side. Photography workshop & tour: 1-hour class + lunch break + 4-hour photography tour. The tour runs every day. Starting at 12 p.m. Tour price: € 139 per person.
Info and booking: http://www.florenceinferno.com/photography-workshop/
Museo del Novecento at Ex Leopoldine. This new museum, which was inaugurated on June 24, 2014, hosts the works of the greatest artists of the twentieth century, namely, De Chirico, Sironi, Carrà, Morandi, Martini, Sassu, Guttridge, Barni, Rinaldi, Nannucci, Salvadori, Loffredo, Berti, Farulli Magnelli, and De Pisis.Ticket price: € 0/10.
Info: Piazza Santa Maria Novella 10; +390552768224; www.museonovecento.it
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Last day of the Artisan Fair: Mostra Internazionale dell’Artigianato (International Art and Handicraft Trade Fair) at Fortezza da Basso. There is so much to see (and eat), and it feels like you are visiting the world one stand at a time. New areas have been added, and the guest of honor this time around is Tibet. Includes Tuscan handicraft museums, garden art, and so much more! Hours of operation: 10 a.m. until 10.30 p.m. Ticket price: € 6.
Info:+3905549721; www.mostrartigianato.it
Film screening at Odeon Cinema. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (USA, UK, 122′) by John Madden, with Richard Gere, Maggie Smith, Judy Dench. As the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has only a single remaining vacancy – posing a rooming predicament for two fresh arrivals – Sonny pursues his expansionist dream of opening a second hotel. Original language. Showing at 4.30 p.m., 6.45 p.m. and 9.15 p.m. Ticket price: € 8.
Info: +39055214068; www.odeonfirenze.com/
Monday, May 4, 2015
The Art of Francis. Masterpieces of Art and Lands of Asia from the Thirteenth to the Fifteenth Century at the Accademia Gallery. The Franciscan friars and their vocation inspired high art from 1200 to 1400. Hours of operation: 8.15 a.m. until 6.50 p.m. Closed on Mondays. Ticket price: € 12,50. Until October 11, 2015.
Info: Via Ricasoli, 60; www.unannoadarte.it
Film screening at Odeon Cinema. Avengers: Age of Ultron (USA, 160′) – by Joss Whedon, with Chris Hemswort, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans. Original language. Starting at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Ticket price: € 8.
Info: +39055214068; www.odeonfirenze.com/
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Io Lavoro – Femminile presente at Spazio Alfieri. An event organized by Sara Nocentini, Councillor of Tourism, Culture and Tertiary Sector for the Tuscan Region, and dedicated to women and work. The needs of female workers, the condition of precariousness, and gender parity in leadership are just some of the topics that will be covered with the collaboration and participation of educationalists, journalists, and business women. Starting at 5 p.m. until 8.30 p.m.
Info: http://www.saranocentini.it/finestra/io-lavoro-femminile-presente/
Tuesday at the Movies with Palazzo Strozzi. Palazzo Strozzi partners with the Odeon Cinema to show free movies, all related to the current Power and Pathos exhibition, and exploring how contemporary culture continues to revisit classical themes. Starting at 8.30 p.m.
Info: Odeon Cinema; Piazza Strozzi; +39055214068; www.odeonfirenze.com
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Uffizi & Accademia Tour in One Day organized by Florence Inferno and ADAGIO con BRIO. Set in the afternoon to avoid the crowds, it is a fascinating walking tour of the two most famous museums in Florence: the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery. An experienced guide fluent in the English language will ensure that you experience the best that each gallery has to offer by providing an historical and artistic path among each of its astonishing masterpieces. Starting at 2 p.m. Tour price: € 75 per person.
Info and booking: http://www.florenceinferno.com/uffizi-and-accademia-tour/
FloraFirenze at Cascine Park. FloraFirenze is a stroll through the excellence of Italian floriculture and horticulture, and the first floriculture exhibition to be organized in Florence. A showcase for the plant and flower world, a Tuscan landscape marks the beginning of a trail that leads to an Italian garden, allowing one to walk among the various types of plants produced in Italy. Visitors will find not only Mediterranean gardens, but also Japanese ones. Until May 11, 2015. Hours of operation: 8.30 a.m. until 6.30 p.m. Ticket price: € 18.
Info: http://www.florafirenze.com/
Thursday, May 7, 2015
The Florence Inferno Tour organized by Florence Inferno and ADAGIO con BRIO. A full-day walking tour of Florence inspired by Dan Brown’s latest novel Inferno. Enter some of the most amazing, mysterious, and famous places in Florence. The tour starts at 9.15 a.m. Tour price: € 75 per person.
Info and booking: http://www.florenceinferno.com/guided-tour/
Little Big Bronzes at the National Archaeological Museum. Masterpieces of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman collections belonging to the Medici-Lorraine. Hours of operation: Tuesday to Friday, 8.30 a.m. until 7 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, 8.30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Ticket price: € 4.
Info: Piazza SS. Annunziata, 9b
Friday, May 8, 2015
Power and Pathos. Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World at Palazzo Strozzi. Florence will be hosting a major exhibition showcasing some of the ancient world’s most important masterpieces of sculpture, with exhibitions from leading Italian and international museums. The exhibition uses 50 bronze sculptures to tell the story of the spectacular artistic developments of the Hellenistic era throughout the Mediterranean basin. Hours of operation: daily (including holidays) from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and every Thursday until 11 p.m. Ticket price: € 10. Until June 21, 2015.
Info: +390552645155; http://www.palazzostrozzi.org/
Even Sculptures Die at CCCS in Piazza Strozzi. A reflection on the facets of contemporary sculpture through works and new productions by thirteen Italian and international artists. Inauguration at 7 p.m. Hours of operation: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m; Thursday from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. Ticket price: € 5.
Info: www.strozzina.org
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Gherardo delle Notti – Very Strange Tables and Cheerful Dinners at Uffizi Gallery. First monograph devoted to the activity of Italian Gerrit van Honthorst during his most prolific period, when he produced many stylistic innovations. Opening hours: 8.15 a.m. until 6.50 p.m. (closed on Mondays). Until May 24, 2015.
Info: www.polomuseale.firenze.it
Notte Blu (Blue Night) at Le Murate complex. Annual festival marking the “birth of Europe” on May 9, 1950. More than 50 events will take place, including theatrical performances, interactive workshops, film screenings, live cooking shows, photography exhibitions, concerts, and more. As the cultural center of Florence, Le Murate is located in one of the oldest neighborhoods of the town, in the old Florentine prison. From May 6 until May 10.
Info: www.edfirenze.eu
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Human by Antony Gormley at Forte Belvedere. On the battlements of Forte Belvedere, 100 human figures by Sir Antony Gormley will be displayed, a great contemporary master considered among the most popular living sculptors. Until September 27, 2015. Hours of operation: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Closed on Monday. Free admission.
Info: Via San Leonardo 1; +390552768224; www.gormleyfirenze.it
Concert in Santa Monica Church. An exciting journey through the most famous Italian opera arias. The program features arias from La Traviata, La Bohème, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, Le nozze di Figaro and Il Barbiere di Siviglia, performed by professional singers accompanied by piano. Starting at 9:15 p.m. Ticket price: € 20/15.
Info: http://www.classictic.com/en/italian_opera_in_santa_monaca_church/21238/196363/
Monday, May 11, 2015
Iris Garden, eastern side of Piazzale Michelangelo. Iris Garden is open for just a few weeks of the year, from April 25 until May 20, and features thousands of varieties of Irises, over 1500 to be specific, including 15 on the verge of extinction. Guided visits are available in English. Hours of operation: 10 a.m. until 12.30 a.m.; 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. Free admission.
Info: http://www.irisfirenze.it/giardino/informazioni.htm
Sweet Triumphs and Fine Folds at Palatina Gallery. The exhibition commemorates the banquet held in Palazzo Vecchio on October 5, 1600, for the wedding between Maria de Medici and Enrico IV of France. Hours of operation: 8.15 a.m. until 6.50 p.m. Closed on Monday. Ticket price: € 13. Until June 7.
Info: Piazza Pitti, 1
Dinner at Kome. In a historic palazzo, Kaiten sushi, barbecue restaurant, and meeting point for events.
Info: Via dei benci, 41r; +390552008009; www.komefirenze.it
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
[Outside Florence] Elliott Erwitt exhibition at Lucca Center of Contemporary Art in Lucca. 136 retrospective photographs offering a comprehensive overview of the witty American artist best known for his absurd and ironic takes on everyday situations. Until August 30, 2015. Hours of operation: 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Ticket price: € 9.
Info: Via della Fratta 36, Lucca; www.luccamuseum.com
Van Gogh Alive at Santo Stefano al Ponte. In this multimedia experience, the masterpieces of Van Gogh come to life in a vibrant symphony of light, color, and sound thanks to more than 3,000 images projected in high definition. It is a journey through the creative universe of the visionary artist, from the intense colors and the tumultuous existential events. Hours of operation: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. until 7.30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. until 11 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Ticket price: € 12. Until June 2, 2015.
info: http://www.vangoghalive.it/
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Sunset Trip from Florence to Fiesole in the Tuscan Hills organized by Florence Inferno and ADAGIO con BRIO. A sunset trip from Florence to Fiesole, a small village situated in the hills of Tuscany. It is from this settlement that the City of Florence seems to have originated. Enjoy scenic routes, see breathtaking panoramas, visit Fiesole’s Abbey and Roman Amphitheatre, and taste delicious local wine and food. Starting at 4:30 p.m. Tour price: € 45 per person.
Info and booking: http://www.florenceinferno.com/day-trip-to-fiesole/
Film screening at Odeon Cinema. The Gunman (USA, 115′) by Pierre Morel, with Sean Penn, Idris Eba, Javier Bardem. A sniper on a mercenary assassination team kills Congo’s minister of the mines. Terrier’s successful kill shot forces him into hiding. Returning to the Congo years later, he becomes himself the target of a hit squad. Original language. Starting at 9.15 p.m. Ticket price: € 8.
Info: +39055214068; www.odeonfirenze.com/
Thursday, May 14, 2015
The Traveling Middle Ages at the National Museum of the Bargello. Paintings and objects that accompanied travellers driven by the search for redemption, money, or glory. Hours of operation: 8.15 a.m. until 1.50 p.m. Closed on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Monday, and the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. Ticket price: € 7.
Info: Via del Proconsolo, 4; www.unannoadarte.it
Sandwiches and wine at All’Antico Vinaio. Popular with Florentines and foreigners alike, the small sandwich shop is the perfect place to grab a quick bite to eat and wash it down with some local wine.
Info: Via de’Neri 65r
Enjoy!
Picture by Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence by Andy Hay CC BY 2.0
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