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The 8th of March is the International Women’s Day or, as it’s more commonly called in Italy, la Festa della Donna, where the importance of women is celebrated by the giving and receiving of mimosa blossom.
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Tomás Saraceno presents ‘Aria’ at Palazzo Strozzi
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A visionary artist whose multidisciplinary practice encompasses art, social and life sciences, Tomás Saraceno creates immersive works and participatory experiences that suggest a new way of living in our world by forging connections with such non-human phenomena as spiders, dust particles and plants, which become players in his work and metaphors of the universe. …
Uncommon Museums of Florence # 3: Stibbert Museum
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Frederick Stibbert was born in Florence in 1838. He was an eccentric antique collector, of most weapons and armours. If he had lived today, any doctor would have diagnosed him Diogenes syndrome. In spite of this, being of good lineage, albeit not being aristocratic, Stibbert prepared some rooms of his house to keep his collection, which would be ended up transforming the house in a real museum. After his death, the collection and the site were donated to the city of Florence, as Maria de’ Medici shortly did before the dynasty became extinct.…
Oltrarno artisan walk — Experience the local, the authentic and the hidden Florence with Maria B.
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Maria B. — half Italian, half Swedish — is a graphic designer with great sensitivity and passion for any form of aesthetics and beauty. Florentine Experience Shopping was created by Maria in 2015 to spread her love for authentic and incomparable Florentine craftsmanship. She spent months hunting handicraft workshops interacting with the artisans and designers, where she gained knowledge of what is behind a genuine artisan piece. Her private and customized ‘Oltrarno Artisan Walk’ — among other exciting and recommendable tours she also organizes — offers a unique visit to some arresting and extraordinary working spaces. There one can observe closely artisans creating the most delightful and outstanding handmade products, for instance: leather bags and shoes, gold and silversmiths, Florentine mosaic, wood art, and much more.…
Palazzo Medici-Riccardi presents Picasso portrayed by Edward Quinn
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Until March 1, the exhibition ‘Picasso. The other half of the sky. Photographs by Edward Quinn’ at Palazzo Medici-Riccardi in Florence proposes an approach to discover the Spanish artist and his relationship with the female world through the photos of one of the most notable photographers of the twentieth century: Edward Quinn. The show is the result of the unusual friendship that linked Picasso with Edward Quinn. Quinn became one of the few photographers who were allowed to photograph him at work, and he was embraced in his private life too. Consisting of eighty photos, the exhibition shows the intimate and private Picasso.…
Grande Museo del Duomo in Florence, over 750 artworks covering 7 centuries of history
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It has taken me five years to discover the Grande Museo del Duomo in Florence. I always thought it was a minor museum, but I was utterly wrong. The way the artworks are displayed in the vast space highlighting its magnificence and the state of conservation of the pieces are truly remarkable. In 1294 the Commune of Florence ordered the construction of a new cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore to replace Santa Reparata. The ‘Fabbriceria della Cattedrale di Firenze’ (Florence Cathedral Works) was founded by the Florentine Republic in 1296 to oversee construction of the cathedral. …
Florence, in the city of David
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The soul of David spreads throughout Florence as a ubiquitous and sheltering presence. All the cities have their symbol: the Statue of Liberty, the musicians of Bremen, the Berlin bear, the Eiffel Tower, the cock of Barcelos, the Christ of Corcovado, the Big Ben … The flower of the lily shares with the David the leadership of popularity in the city of the Renaissance.…
Lady Liberty’s twin statue travels from Florence to New York
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Two stunning women will be confronted in the Hudson Bay of New York. One, monolithic and monumental and dominating the port of the Big Apple since 1886, is the famous symbolic statue Lady Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World, by Frédéric Bartholdi). On the other hand, and thought as a sculpture not as a monument, therefore of smaller dimensions but more significant in ‘aura,’ is her Florentine sister, Libertà della Poesia (The Freedom of Poetry). Less known by the public, but equality captivating, the Italian twin sculpture visits the city of New York on the occasion of the exhibition ‘Sisters in Liberty,’ which will be on display at the Immigration Museum located at the Ellis Island until April 26, 2020.…
Pinocchio, protagonist of contemporary art at Villa Bardini in Florence
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Pinocchio is one of the most reimagined characters in children’s literature and a cultural icon whose story has been adapted into many other artistic forms. The exhibition ENIGMA PINOCCHIO. From Giacometti to LaChapelle is dedicated to Collodi’s Pinocchio: a wooden puppet universally recognized as a symbol of Italy and Tuscany. Pinocchio, whose fictional adventures are among the most famous and reinterpreted stories in the 20th Century is now at the centre of Villa Bardini’s latest exhibit. The show examines the tremendous influence on the art world this beloved character has had over the last one hundred years.…
The house of Piero Bargellini, a key figure during ‘l’alluvione di Firenze 1966’
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The Arno River severely overflowed on November 4, 1966, provoking what is commonly known as ‘l’alluvione di Firenze.’ The city of Florence and part of Tuscany were inundated by the floods, causing an impact affecting the economic and cultural environment of Florence. Fortunately, as November 4 was a bank holiday, many businesses were closed, and a large part of the population was at home, thus avoiding an even bigger disaster. Nevertheless, 101 people died, 5,000 families lost their homes, and 6,000 businesses had to close. The deluge also destroyed and/or damaged countless works of art, prominent buildings and books. The damages could be repaired thanks to the efforts of Italian citizens, international committees and foreign donors. Piero Bargellini (1897-1980), writer, historian, politician and intellectual, was the mayor of Florence in that awkward moment.
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