YOUR FLORENCE EXPERIENCE

FINE ARTS AND
CULTURE ACADEMY

Marzocco

Every year during the month of May, the Marzocco Trophy takes place in Piazza della Signoria. The event is a flag-waving competition organized by the Bandierai degli Uffizi (the Official Flag-wavers of Florence) which sees four teams, dressed in 17th century attire and accompanied by drums, competing for the trophy...

Rificolona festival in Florence

Once again, the Rificolona festival has come brighten the day of September 7th for many children, who will have fun building colorful lanterns and parading them through the streets of Florence, while the more mischievous ones will arm themselves with blowguns to try and hit the delicate paper creations of...

The Russian Orthodox Curch in Florence

A short walk from piazza della Libertà, on a street named after the first Medici Pope, Leone X (famous for having excommunicated Martin Luther in 1521), stands a beautiful and unexpected architectural gem. We're talking about the Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Christ and Saint Nicholas, know to...

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...

Gelato: from China to Florence, history of a dessert

Italy is famous for being the birth place of gelato, but not everyone knows that the original recipe was born in Florence.The first ancestor of ice cream could already be found in China around 2000 BC. It was prepared with cooked rice, spices and milk, and then "frozen" under the...

Shooting stars and the night of San Lorenzo

The shooting stars visible to the naked eye on the night of San Lorenzo are called Perseids, as they come from the constellation of Perseus. They form a meteor shower that the Earth passes through in the summer, during its orbit around the sun. Visible from the end of July...

Tuscan summer recipes: Panzanella

Eating well in the summer can be difficult when the heat makes you want to give up cooking on the stove, but there is a traditional Tuscan dish that will solve this problem and will also stimulate the most refined palates, despite its simplicity: Panzanella! A fresh and substantial dish,...

Museum of the Cenacolo by Andrea del Sarto in Florence

Beyond the Campo di Marte station, in the San Salvi area, lies one of the greatest masterpieces of the sixteenth century: the Last Supper by Andrea del Sarto, the "painter without errors", painted between 1511 and 1530.Andrea del Sarto was twenty-five years old when he began working on the fresco...

Out of Town: San Gimignano, The Manhattan of the Middle Ages

San Gimignano is a city located south-west of Florence, born around the 3rd century BC. as an Etruscan village, strategically positioned on a hill that dominated the upper Val d'Elsa. According to tradition, the name derives from the saint, who defended the village from the occupation of Attila's Huns.The city...

A guide to the swimming pools in Florence

Summer can be cruel in Florence for those who don't have the chance to get out of town for a few days, away from the torrid streets of the historical center. Temperature rise higher with each passing year, leaving the Florentines to melt away even in the shade. If you...

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