WHITE NIGHT APRIL 30th, 2012

Notte Bianca Firenze 2012

Night life lovers mark April 30th on your calendar! This is when the entire city of Florence is in the mood to celebrate all night long.

After its succes over the last few years, Florence will host again "La Notte Bianca" an event which transform the city center in an open air festival. Starting at sunset, the city's streets and squares become stages for various shows and concerts, encouraging anyone to join in.

This night Florence will appear in its most modern, open-minded and lively form. More than ever, the city becomes a venue for multiculturalism, where people cheerfully indulge in art, music and solidarity.

Beside performances, art installations and tours taking place throughout the city, the main museums and libraries invite visitors to free exhibitions, film screenings and readings. For short rests or midnight dinners resaturants and bars stay open until late.

The sheer number of special events on the agenda will make it difficult to choose, keeping one on his or her toes all night. Whether joining a classic concert in the cathedral, watching street artists in Piazza Santa Croce or listening to live bands at Ponte Vecchio - this year's "Creative Insomnia" will undoubtley again fill the streets of Florence with boisterious culture and vitality.

Dress Code for the Night: White t-shirt!!!

#KONY #2012

Streets of Florence

Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time is now!!!

Kony 2012 - Florence, Italy

THE INTERNATIONAL HANDLCRAFTS TRADE FAIR

HANDLCRAFT INTERNATIONAL FAIR - FLORENCE, ITALY

April 21st until 29th, 2012 the Fortezza da Basso becomes The City of Angels. The fair is open 10am until 11pm (on the 29th will close at 8pm).
Buy online tickets from here. Price is €4 or €5.

You recognise angels from their hands.
An event which hosted the most important masters craftsmen of history inside a privileged space (the Fortezza) where tradition and innovation merge to create extremely valuable handmade products.

Every year the Fortezza (since 1978) hosts the International handmade Fair, where you can admire te works of the ancient Florence workshop, as well as remote arts whic are being rediscovered through the fair itineraries, followiong an harmonious path between the Italian regions and the countries of the whole world.

This is where you find them. Extraordinary people, angels with golden hands.
The international fair is the place where culture, art, handcraft tradition and new creativities meet and shape up to became exclusive.

Please find more infos about the facilities by visiting the fair website.

ARNO RIVER

Lovely photo taken just after the sunset in Florence. Photo taken from the Santa Trinita bridge.

Arno River - Florence, Italy

XIVth WEEK OF THE CULTURE

From 14th until the 22nd of April in Florence several state-run museums, galleries, monuments, villas and archaeological areas will have a free entrance.

So dont loose the chance to visit the Boboli Gardens, the Medici Chapels, the Uffizi Gallery, the Pitti Palace, the museum of  Palazzo Vecchio, the Palazzo Davanzati, the San Marco museum and many other places.

UNESCO recently estimated that nearly 40% of the world's cultural heritage lies in Italy, Culture Week offers the opportunity to explore Florence's phenomenal historical treasures.

Uffizi Gallery - Florence, Italy

BAD SKY OVER THE CATHEDRAL

EASTER IN FLORENCE (THE EXPLOSION OF THE CART)

Every year for Easter at 11am ther's a folklore tradition in Florence, called "Lo scoppio del carro" (the cart explosion).

If you're planning to be in Florence Sunday 8th April, get ready for this important event of our city.

Scoppio del carro - Florence, Italy

The story of this event is so old. It starts in year 1097 when Pazzino de' Pazzi, a Florentine from a prominent family, was the first man to scale the walls of Jerusalem. As a reward of this act of bravery, his commander gave him three flints from the church of the Holy Sepulchre, which were carried back in Tuscany. Now these are kept in the church of Santi Apostoli.
It became the practice for a "holy fire" to be struck from these flints at Eastertide, which was then carried througout the city by groups of young men wearing torches.

By the end of the 15th century the cart explosion assumed its present form.

Scoppio del carro - Florence. Italy

On the Easter morning the 9.1mt high cart (30 feet) moves to the Duomo (cathedral). It is escorted by 150 soldiers, musicians and people in 15th century dress.

The cart is loaded with fireworks and stretching to the high altar inside of the catedral, is fitted with a mechanical dove (la colombina).

At 10.30am the cardinal of Florence started with the Easter Mass and at the end at 11am after the singing of the Gloria the cardinal lights a fuse in the colombina with the Easter fire. It then speeds outside of the cathedral to ignite the cart outside.

The fireworks show lasts approx. 20 minutes. A successful explosion of the cart is supposed to guarantee a good harvest, stable civic life and good business.