Posts Tagged ‘Florence’
Modern art shows to end 2009 in Tuscany
Contemporary art can sometimes seem like a dirty word in Tuscany. However, between now and the end of the year, a couple of events cater nicely for lovers of art that postdates the Renaissance (by some distance).
The 2009 edition of the Florence Biennale kicks off at the Fortezza da Basso, close to Santa Maria Novella, on December 5th, and runs until the 13th. This year’s highlights include Chinese artist Shu Yong and video artist Marina Abramovic. A short train ride to the west of Florence, Montecatini’s Terme Tamerici is now exhibiting “Il nuovo dopo della Macchia.” The exhibition looks at 80 works by the Macchiaioli and examines their importance in the development of Tuscan realism, and includes works by Lodovico Tommasi and the “father” of the movement, Giovanni Fattori. The show runs until January 18th; entrance is €10.
If you’re new to the Macchiaoli movement, the best place to head remains the exquisitely located Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori in the port city of Livorno.
How to watch the end of the Tuscan football season
You could hardly get further from the Tuscan cliche than a trip to the football. But if you’re planning to travel to Tuscany this spring, you’re unlikely to find a more authentic local experience than an afternoon at the calcio.
Read the rest at TravelEden.com.
Florence and Umbria accommodation openings
Right about now, with the northern hemisphere shivering, is a fine time to be making accommodation plans for a Tuscany trip in 2009. So, you might be interested to hear that a few new options have appeared just in time.
The brand-new, luxurious Town House Palazzo Vecchietti opened its doors in January, in a spot handy for the cafes of Piazza della Repubblica or the designer shops of Via de’ Tornabuoni. Giambologna renovated the palazzo in the 1580s; prices are as you’d expect for an inn with such a pedigree. (UPDATE: There’s more on the Vecchietti here.)
Seriously upscale visitors to Florence have another reason to be cheerful: the frescoed Renaissance Palazzo della Gherardesca has morphed into the Four Seasons Firenze after a lengthy restoration. It’s on Borgo Pinti, just a little outside the heart of the action.
For a quieter hotel experience, the Palazzo Seneca in Norcia (Umbria) has had a boutique-style revamp and now offers a wellness spa and fine local cuisine. Norcia, the birthplace of St. Benedict, is home to Umbria’s famous black truffle, and sits on the edge of the Monti Sibillini national park.
Finally, if you’re looking for a villa in Tuscany and have a decent budget to play with, the Conde Nast Traveler blog has some sound advice for places to begin your research online. Budget travellers, especially anyone banking in sterling, might want to re-check my Budget Guide to Tuscany that The Times ran last summer. You’ll find some fine accommodation alternatives.
When it comes to Tuscan lodging, you don’t have to be rich to book round here, but it sure helps.
Vasari’s Corridor reopens
From Wednesday 21st January through April, it will once again be possible to visit the Corridoio Vasariano. The “Vasarian Corridor” was designed by Renaissance man Giorgio Vasari for Cosimo I de’ Medici: Cosimo didn’t much like mixing with everyday folk when he was perusing his palazzi; Vasari built him a secret passageway so he didn’t have to. The Corridoio now hosts one of the world’s finest collections of artists’ self-portraits.
The Corridoio, which runs from the Palazzo Vecchio through the Uffizi to the Pitti Palace in Oltrarno, including a clandestine crossing above the Ponte Vecchio, will be open twice daily for guided visits from Tuesday to Friday. Call 055/2654321 to book. Tickets are €10.50.
Bargello Treats for 2009
Visitors to Florence’s Bargello Museum in early 2009 can look forward to a couple of extra treats on top of the usual world-class permanent sculpture collection. Restoration work has finished on Donatello’s bronze David, the first free-standing nude since Roman times when it was completed sometime in the 1440s. It will take centre-stage alongside the sculptor’s other Bargello works, and earlier (1401) bronze panels by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi, in the Salone del Quattrocento.
Meanwhile, April sees the opening of an important exhibition of works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, charting the links between his sculpture and the birth of Baroque portraiture. It follows a major Bernini exhibition at California’s Getty Center in 2008.
The Bargello Museum, housed inside a magnificent Gothic fortress on Via del Proconsolo, is worth €4 of your entrance money anytime. It’s one Florence stop I recommend highly in the new book, due out in May.
Taking You Back to Tuscany
Just back from Tuscany? Pining for the place? Not even a little? I know I am.
This website combines Google Maps and 360 degree panoramic photography to give you a real sense of being in 15 different spots across the region. There’s even a bit of Umbria – Perugia and Assisi – thrown in for good measure.
I especially love this internal panorama of the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte, in Florence. The Romanesque basilica, just uphill from Piazzale Michelangelo (see the book, p. 61), is one of the few city spots you can find a bit of peace, even in high season. On p. 63 of the book we recommend a family Oltrarno walk, from the Giardino di Boboli, that’ll guide you all there.
Okay, so a bit of surfing doesn’t quite match basking under a Tuscan sun for yourself. But, from my desk in East London, it’s as close as I’m getting for now. Alas.
Florentine Genius Festival
If you’re planning to be in Florence over the next couple of weeks be sure to check this website for details of over 100 events taking place as part of the city’s Genio Fiorentino festival. The festival was attended by almost 400,000 visitors last year.
Genio Fiorentino runs from 15th to 25th May, opening tomorrow with a musical event celebrating Benvenuto Cellini, whose bronze Perseus Holding the Head of Medusa, pictured, graces the Loggia dei Lanzi in Piazza della Signoria.
Other artistic highlights include an exhibition of drawings by Leonardo and Raphael inside the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi (see the book, p. 56). The exhibition’s opening coincides with the festival ending, on 25th May.
The Genio sees the annual opening of the Corridoio Vasariano, a covered passageway that links the Ponte Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti, crossing the Arno inside the Ponte Vecchio. See the book, p. 59, for more details.
Florence’s Istituto degli Innocenti is also hosting children’s workshops, the Bottega dei Ragazzi, throughout the Genio. Contact them direct for advice on what events best suit your child’s spoken Italian skills: local tel. 055 2478386 (Mon–Sat 9am–1pm and 4–7pm),email labottegadeiragazzi@istitutodeglinnocenti.it.
Florence’s tourist office, local tel. 055 290832, will be able to direct you towards other events suited to visiting families. For comprehensive visitor information for Florence, see the book, p. 38–47.
