YOUR FLORENCE EXPERIENCE

FINE ARTS AND
CULTURE ACADEMY

History of the fan: from a practical tool to a luxurious fashion accessory

The fan was born as a practical tool to rekindle the fire, cool oneself off or chase away insects, but it soon became a symbol of power, a communication tool, as well as a precious fashion accessory.Originally, only rudimentary instruments were used as fans, such as leaves, feathers or intertwined...

A reflection on the origin of modern fashion

How we dress, how we style our hair, how we decorate our body, is nowadays a personal choice, but in the past, there were rules to follow and it was not possible to appear in public dressed in improperly. Moreover, for the common people dressing nicely was not a necessity,...

Florentine curiosities: traces of ancient units of measurement

The meter is an object that we all have at home, to which we do not give much importance; often forgotten at the bottom of a drawer under the batteries and the rolls of adhesive tape. We certainly cannot consider it a luxury item. But what if we told you...

Caterina de Medici, a Florentine woman at the court of France

Daughter of Lorenzo di Piero de Medici, Duke of Urbino, and nephew of Pope Leone X, Caterina de Medici could have only be destined for great things. Although she remained an orphan after her birth in 1519 and was placed in a convent at the age of eight; thanks to...

GUCCI GARDEN

Last week the Gucci Museum opened the doors of its freshly redesigned spaces; not merely a museum anymore, it is now called Gucci Garden, Alessandro Michele’s new eclectic creation. Situated in the 14th-century Palazzo della Mercanzia in Florence, Gucci Garden is a bazar-like museum where you can find a bit...

Textiles and riches in 14th-century Florence. Wool, silk and painting.

In the XIV century, especially after the Black Plague of 1348, a rediscovered desire for life and consequently for luxury and splendor began to spread throughout Europe. In this period fashion as we know it today is born, and the quality of Florentine textiles reached a level of excellence as...

Back to 1927 with Salvatore Ferragamo

To celebrate the 90th Anniversary of Salvatore Ferragamo’s return to Italy from America, the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum has put on another great exhibition, that merges fashion and art to transport us back to the 1927 Florence. Carlo Sisi curated the exhibition that opened in May, entitled “1927 - The Return...

Black on Black at Villa Bardini

Linked to the absence of light, black has always been associated with shadow, with secrets and misteries, with evil and sin, with emptyness and death. This negative notion though, is often overturned when talking about art and especially fashion, in which it has played an important role. That's why the...

ACROSS ART AND FASHION, Exhibition at the Ferragamo Museum

The Across Art and Fashion exhibition is divided into 5 different venues: the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, the National Central Library of Florence, the Uffizi Gallery, the Marino Marini Museum and the Textile Museum of Prato. At the center of the entire project is the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum. Here the display...

Apply now

Don't miss any of our news...subscribe to our newsletter!