Events

FLORENCE

Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio, innovators of the Renaissance; Ghiberti, Della Robbia, Filippo Lippi, Beato Angelico, Botticelli, Paolo Uccello and universal men like Leonardo and Michelangelo. Their work, together with the one of many other artists, are collected in the city museums. The Uffizi Gallery is undoubtedly the most important one and one of the richest picture gallery in the world; the Galleria Palatina houses significant works in the marvellous Pitti Palace; and also: the Bargello Museum, with its Renaissance sculptures, the Museum of San Marco, with Beato Angelico's work, the Academy, the Medici Chapels and the Casa Buonarroti, with precious sculptural masterpieces by Michelangelo.
Famous monuments indicate the various stages of Florentine art: the Baptistery with its mosaics, the Duomo with its sculptures, several mediaeval churches with their frescoes, and a lot of palaces -Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Palazzo Davanzati and others-, monasteries, cloisters, convents, Last Suppers.

Florence spreads on the banks of the river Arno, in the beautiful land of Tuscany.
Florence has retained an extraordinary wealth of art treasures, a glorious witness to its centuries civilization. Cimabue and Giotto, forefathers of Italian painting, lived here; also Arnolfo and Andrea Pisano, renovators of architecture and sculpture;

Florence means picture, sculpture, architecture and a lot more. The Italian Language was born here, with Dante Alighieri; the study of literature found its main centre here with Petrarca and Boccaccio; humanism renewed philosophy and brought a full appreciation of classicism; Macchiavelli inaugurated the modern political science; Guicciardini introduced modern historical prose; Galileo and his school created the modern experimental science.
Moreover, in Florence there are many academies and art schools, universities for foreigners, centres of history, art and popular culture, scientific museums (such as the Specola) and collections of bibliographies which are kept in the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale and in other famous libraries such as the Mediceo-Laurenziana, the Riccardiana and the Marucelliana.

Throughout the year a lot of different events take place in Florence. The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Pitti fashion event, the expositions of both contemporary and antique art, the antiques' markets and also several traditional events such as the Calcio Storico Fiorentino -Florentine Historical Football-, the Burst of the Cart and the Feast of St. John.

Events in Florence and surroundings

On Sunday, around St. Peter (March. 19). Frittelle Feast in Montefioralle (Greve in Chianti). It the right occasion to visit this beautiful medieval village and taste some delicious small rice cakes.

Good Friday in Grassina (near Bagno a Ripoli). The historical commemoration of Good Friday in Grassina consists of two parts: first, a historical parade with 500 people dressed in period costumes and the scenes of the life of Christ, followed by His Passion on the Calvary interpreted by eighty actors.

Easter Sunday in Florence, Burst of the Cart. The event takes place in Duomo Square. While inside the Duomo the Mass is celebrating, a cart drawn by two oxen arrives. The cart is called Brindellone and it looks like a Chinese temple adorned with all kinds of fireworks. When the Gloria is being sung, from the inside of the church a small dove starts and makes all fireworks burst.

Easter Monday and in October, Old Stuff Market in Greve in Chianti

May-June, Florentine Historical Football. It is called calcio in costume and it takes place in the marvellous Santa Croce Square. The final match takes place on June 24., St. John's day, the patron saint of Florence. The historical football dates back to the 16th century , when Charles V besieged Florence, without success. The matches are played by the teams of the four historical quarters of Florence - Santa Croce, San Giovanni, Santo Spirito, Santa Maria Novella -. Each team is formed by 27 players, calcianti. Before each match there is a procession of 500 persons all dressed with typical costumes. It starts from Santa Maria Novella Square, crosses the city centre and arrives in Santa Croce Square.

In October, Fiera di San Luca in Impruneta. during the Fiera di San Luca you can enjoy both the traditional cattle fair, the horses races, the sale of local products and several cultural initiatives, in a typical popular atmosphere.

Easter Monday and in October, Old Stuff Market in Greve in Chianti

April 25., Feast of the good season in Panzano. It's a feast for the beginning of the good season. There's a procession in costumes of the Renaissance, a mediaeval market and gastronomic stands.

First Sunday of May, Flowers' Feast in Greve in Chianti

May - June, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino - Teatro Comunale of Florence.

June 24. Florentine Historical Football and St. John's Feast with fireworks from Piazzale Michelangelo. In this special night you have to admire Florence from Fiesole or along the river Arno.

July 2. and Augut 16., Palio di Siena. Event of old tradition with historical procession and horses races.

September 7. Feast of the Rificolona in Florence. A lot of children carrying coloured lamps to Piazza Santissima Annunziata.

In September Festa dell'Uva the Grape-harvest festival in Impruneta. The Festa dell'Uva has been the first celebration of the grape-harvest since 1926. There is a parade of allegoric wagons which are prepared and created by the four historical rioni (quarters) of Impruneta. The winner gets the glory and the "cencio", a precious canvas.

In September, Wine Festival in Greve in Chianti.

Evénements