ISSUE No. 119
ISSUE / No. 119
March 25, 2010
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News - Florence
The color of Tuscany
3.5 million expected to elect the next regional president
Who will lead the Tuscan region over the
next five years? Some 3.5 million Tuscans in 287 municipalities are expected to
head to the polls on March 28 and 29 to vote for the new president of Tuscany.
Nine political parties have candidates
for 55 …
News - Florence
Gas terminals under fire
Environmentalists protest new offshore plants
Many Tuscans fear that the region's
coastline is at risk following the recent announcement of plans to build a
second liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal off the Tuscan coast. Although most
have heard of the terminal currently being constructed off the coast of Livorno, …
News - Florence
Smog
New measures to reduce pollution
According to national and European law, levels of particulate matter (usually measured as PM10)
cannot surpass 50 micrometres a day for more than 35 days in any given year.
Data from the five Arpat stations in the province
of Florence (one in Florence's
Quartiere 4 …
News - Florence
Strokes of light and color
UV rays revive Giotto murals
During an important four-month project to determine the condition of Santa Croce's Peruzzi Chapel, which is
decorated with frescoes by Giotto, a team of restorers from the Opificio delle
Pietre Dure were able to shine new light on these centuries-old masterworks.
The frescoes, painted …
News - Florence
Choices for birthing
Careggi tries new painkiller for women in labour
As they discuss
with mothers-to-be their options during labour, doctors at Florence's Careggi hospital are offering an
opium-based painkiller instead of an epidural shot. The choice is part of a new
pilot project involving the opium-based pharmaceutical Renifentanil.
Renifentanil will
be available to all women giving …
News - Florence
White night comes to life
Planning Florence's all-night party
With Florence's springtime all-night party set for April 30, from 7pm to
6am, the city held a public competition, which closed on March 25, to gather
proposals on the theme of ‘creative insomnia' for the many performances and
concerts throughout the city, both indoors …
News - Florence
Smart inclusion at Meyer
Schooling for kids in hospital
Launched in
September 2009 in
a handful of schools across the region, the Smart Inclusion initiative, which allows hospitalized
children to continue their schooling via the Internet, is now available at Florence's Meyer
hospital.
Children at the Meyer now have the opportunity to keep up to …
News - Florence
Eight-legged bots
Sea creatures help scientists invent smart machines
‘Robots are going
to become a part of our everyday lives before long and in order to do the
things we want them to, they'll have to be fast, flexible and resilient: just
like an octopus,' says professor Cecilia
Laschi of the Sant'Anna School of …
News - Florence
Admiring art ... slowly
A day to enjoy masterworks in Santa Croce
In the footsteps
of the Slow Food movement comes Slow Art. On April 17, 46 cities around the
world are participating in International Slow Art Day.
Research shows
that people spend as few as eight seconds looking at a single work of art in a
museum. …
News - Florence
New routes
Buses rerouted between Scandicci and Florence
With the new
Tramvia Line 1 in
operations as of March 21, the Ataf bus lines that connect Florence's historic centre to the city's
southeast areas and Scandicci have been rerouted.
Ataf lines 1, 5, 9, 15, 16, 27, 44, 46, 50, 72, 73, 77 …
News - Florence
Siena celebrates Bauhaus
Sister city with Weimar, Germany, since 1995, Siena recently inaugurated an exhibit …News - Florence
Encouraging elderly assistance
With only about 1,600 spots available in city-run homes for the elderly …News - Florence
Limited traffic zones
In addition to the recently enlarged pedestrian areas, Florence's Ztl notturna returns …News - Florence
Florence fetes OCF
A benefit concert on March 30 at Teatro Pergola celebrates the 30th …News - Florence
Fight the flab in Pisa
According to recent statistics, approximately 156 Italians die every day from weight-related …News - Community
Studying in Sesto Fiorentino
by Ryan Panzer
Unique opportunities for foreign students
In search of an
experience rich in history and culture, thousands of American students come to Florence each semester.
While they study just outside of Florence,
students from the Universities of Michigan and Wisconsin living at the Villa Corsi-Salviati
have a variety of options to …
News - Community
New group for expat writers
The FLOrence Writers group (FLOW) is open to any writer living in Florence, Italy or the surrounding area who wants to meet with other writers. The goal of these meetings is to inspire, uplift, encourage and support one another. Both published and unpublished English speaking …News - Community
La Pietra Policy Dialogues: AfroEuropa
AfroEuropa: Incontri is an exhibition and lecture series exploring the experience of …News - Community
An artisan's treasure
by Joanna Weinstein
SUF students organize fashion show
To showcase a local leather artisan's creations, where two Syracuse University Florence (SUF) students are interning for the semester, the students organized a fashion show. Leather Accessories will be held on April 8 at the Villa Rosa in Piazza Savonarola. Another …
News - National
One million books
Google digitizes ancient texts from state libraries
Dante's Divine
Comedy and Galileo Galilei's renowned writings, in addition to many other
rare, centuries-old texts, will soon be available online through a landmark
deal between Google and the Italian ministry of culture.
It is the first accord between Google and a state government. Part …
News - National
That's Opera Talent
Online show looks for new lyrical stars
Do you have a
beautiful voice for lyrical opera? Or play a string instrument? Then YouTube
and the Puccini Festival Foundation want you. A new online talent show, That's
Opera Talent, has been launched on the video-sharing platform YouTube.
The show is
jointly promoted by Ricordi …
News - National
Talk shows look to the 'net
On March 12, an Italian court overturned a previous ruling banning political …News - National
Celebrate theatre
Italy joins Europe and the world
For the first time since 1961, when it was launched globally by UNESCO's
International theatre Institute, Italy will celebrate the theatre
and performing arts on March 27 as part of World Theatre Day. Italy will join the events, held
annually on March 27, celebrating …
News - National
What's the deal?
Collective buying power goes online
Compared to other
countries, Italy
has never taken to coupons and organized discounts. Now, two firms, Tuangon.it
and Citydeal, are betting on the success of an Italian online collective buying
sector, and they expect it to grow both in Italy and abroad.
Tuangon.it is
already in operation …
News - National
Stocking up on Saks
Diego Della Valle recently doubled his stake in Saks Inc. shares, becoming the luxury …News - National
English invasion
According to a recent study by Federlingue, the number of English …News - National
Getty teams up with Sicily
The J. Paul Getty Museum will be expanding its partnerships with …News - National
Body scanners in Rome and Milan
In an effort to improve airport security, Italy's first body scanners were installed …
News - Sport & Leisure
Viola corner
by Melinda Gallo
Fiorentina
out of Champions
After making Viola
history by finishing first in their …
News - Sport & Leisure
Award goes to Rossi
Champion and Mugello circuit celebrated
On March 13,
Valentino Rossi received the Winning Italy Award in recognition of his 103
career victories in international motorcycle racing. At the ceremony, which
took place at Villa Madama in Rome,
minister of foreign affairs Franco Frattini honored Rossi for his ‘Italian
excellence.'
The nine-time
world motorcycling …
News - Sport & Leisure
Tuscany's top riders
Off-road racing
The Pellicorse Motocross club of Ponte a Egola celebrates its 30th
anniversary with a packed calendar of off-road races, culminating at the
European motocross championship race in June. Events will take place at Tuscany's most renowned international circuits, like Santa Barbara and La …
News - Sport & Leisure
Get wet
Uisp offers swimming courses
With summer just
12 weeks away, the Uisp Firenze is offering free lessons at …
Movie Reviews
SHUTTER ISLAND
by James Douglas
Monday March 29 & Tuesday March 30
3.00, 5.30, 8.00, 10.30 p.m.
1954. US Marshall Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance of an inmate from a hospital for the criminally insane on a remote island off Massachusetts. But things turn weird and exactly …
Movie Reviews
PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF
by James Douglas
Thursday April 1
3:45, 6, 8:15, 10:30 pm
Chris Columbus has a solid pedigree in the fantasy fiction genre having helmed two of the Harry Potter films, so it's no surprise to find him running the show in this adaptation of Rick Riordan's …
Movie Reviews
EDGE OF DARKNESS
by James Douglas
Thursday April 8
3:45, 6, 8:15, 10:30 pm
Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) is a veteran homicide detective for the Boston Police Department whose daughter is murdered. When he embarks on a mission to find out about her secret life, the investigation leads him …
Movie Reviews
PANE, AMORE E FANTASIA
by James Douglas
Wednesday March 31 8.30 p.m.
De Sica takes off his directing hat and stands in front of the camera, as he did in the 1930s, for this ‘pink neo-realist' comedy that also features another of the busty stars of the era (Sophia …
Top Picks
Hong Kong Film Panorama
From March 25 through 28, Florence's historic Cinema Odeon will pay homage to the cinema of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Film Panorama promises a dynamic glimpse into Hong Kong's classic productions as well as contemporary works by emerging directors and the …Top Picks
Historical Commemoration of Good Friday
April 2 Grassina
Five hundred figures in costume will gather outdoors on the natural stage of Grassina's hills and winding roads to breathe life into the Crucifixion of Christ at Calvary. The crucifixion scene precedes what then becomes a two-part event consisting in a …
Top Picks
Easter, The Explosion of the Cart
April 4 Piazza del Duomo Florence
Every year on Easter Sunday, Florentines gather in Piazza del Duomo for the Scoppio del Carro to watch a dove-shaped rocket, called the Colombina, fly out of the famous Duomo. It then ignites a huge wooden cart structure in the square outside, …
Top Picks
World Sacred Music Week
March 27-April 2 Chiesa S. Stefano al Ponte Vecchio
Inaugurated Easter 2003, the renowned World Sacred Music Week returns to the Chiesa di Santo Stefano al Ponte in Florence, again during Holy Week. The festival has grown in popularity each year since its founding, and 2010 promises to be its …
Top Picks
Glorytellers
March 28 Sala Vanni in Piazza del Carmine, Florence
In his debut as a solo artist and singer-songwriter, drummer Philip Selway of Radiohead will join multi-instrumentalist and respected American singer-songwriter Lisa Germano on stage at the Sala Vanni in Piazza del Carmine as part of Musicus Concentus' Glorytellers series. While …
Top Picks
Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band
March 29 Nuovo Teatro Verdi, 51016 Montecatini Terme (PT)
Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band kick off their European tour right here in Tuscany, at the Teatro Verdi di Montecatini Terme in Pistoia (viale Verdi 45). With the legendary comedian and long-time jazz enthusiast on the clarinet and …
Top Picks
Pink Floyd the Musical
March 31 Saschall
Don't miss what promises to be a ‘trip' of emotions and surprises in Welcome to the Machine, The Pink Floyd Musical. The show, directed by Emiliano Galigani, is based on the life of Syd Barrett, lead singer of Pink Floyd from …
Top Picks
Il Pianeta Proibito Rock Musical
March 24-28 Teatro Verdi
Music fans and literature buffs alike won't want to miss this unique blend of Shakespearian romanticism and classic rock from the 50s and 60s. This adaptation of Bob Carlton's original musical, Il Pianeta Proibito Rock (‘The Prohibited Rock Planet'), takes us …
Top Picks
Momix Bothanica
April 6-11 Teatro Verdi
After five years of hard work, choreographer Moses Pendleton brings us BOTHANICA, the latest masterpiece by the world's most beloved theatrical dance group, Momix. The show is an ode to Mother Nature and will feature dancers recreating spectacular botanical marvels, tongue-in-cheek …
Top Picks
Firenze & Danza
March 25- 29 Saschall
Now in its 10th year, this series of showcases features some of the most prestigious dance schools and companies in Italy. This year, five full days are dedicated to the exhibition, giving spectators the opportunity to see a variety of rare …
Top Picks
From Jacopo della Quercia to Donatello: The Early Renaissance Art of Siena
March 26-July 11 Museum Complex of Santa Maria della Scala, Siena
Don't miss the opportunity to discover the Siena of the early 1400s, which, alongside Florence, underwent the profound artistic transformation from the Gothic to Renaissance styles. Siena promises one of the most powerful exhibitions ever seen in this 306-work display of …
Top Picks
AfroEuropa
March 4-April 30 Galleria Biagiotti Progetto Arte, Florence
The event, organized by the Policy Dialogues of Villa La Pietra, offers new perspectives on the experience of African immigrants in Europe, their stories and impact on contemporary Europe.
For more information, call 055/214757, visit www.artbiagiotti.com, or see Community News article on …
Top Picks
Five unforgettable years with you... One unforgettable night with us!
The Florentine will celebrate its 5th Anniversary on April 22nd!
We're
thrilled to announce that The Florentine will be celebrating its 5th
Anniversary on April 22nd! To mark the occasion, TF is throwing a party -
and
you're invited! Join the staff of The Florentine for a four-course meal,
live
performances, raffle and more at …
Italian Sketches
Grazia Deledda
by Deirdre Pirro
An island's heart and soul
In early December 1927,
a very small, reserved, middle-aged and somewhat
overwhelmed Grazia Deledda made the gruelling journey by train from Rome to Stockholm.
She was the first female Italian writer and only the second woman author (after
the Swedish writer, Selma Lagerlòf) to …
Culture & Customs
Change, the very hardest thing of all
by Suzi Jenkins
How social media can kick-start it
Social media
used to make a statement, to observe and listen to the reaction, and re-qualify
the original statement? Astounding change.
There is no way
that the inauguration of the notorious Tramvia went unnoticed in this city. If
you've never heard of it, you're lucky. …
Expats in Florence
Daniela Meza Sigala
by Melinda Gallo
Painting Florence with color
Florence is home to many expats: those who have longed to live here, those who
have found love and moved here, and those who have come to Florence and felt immediately at home here.
Many people arrive here at a point in their …
In Other Words
You cool
by Linda Falcone
Lo and behold, that day has arrived. There you are minding your own expat business, when it finally happens and Italy becomes un discorso cellulare-an issue of the cells. It takes seven years, biologically speaking, for our cells to be completely …
Florentinisms
Turo, Bulletta, Degenero/Macello, Peppe
by Alexandra Lawrence, Francesco Stefanelli
Your in-progress dictionary of the Florentine dialect
Turo: Plug or cover.
Example: ‘Metti i' turo nanni sennò viene la muffa!' (Little one, put the cover on or it will get moldy!)
Bulletta: Nail.
Example: ‘Sta' attento a mettere le bullette, un tu lo vedi che tù rovini tutto i' muro!?'
(Be careful …
The Arts
A dedication to De Chirico at Palazzo Strozzi
by Devin Tooma
Paving the metaphysical path
The connection between an image and the unconscious, the evocation of emotions and the very essence of being through symbolic form: these are the aims of metaphysical art, the great impetus to the ‘Copernican revolution' in the contemporary art of the …
Food & Wine
In Florence, vegetarians find a full plate of options
by Robyn Baitcher
It was an unusually warm day in February when I set out with my two roommates in search of La Raccolta, a vegetarian restaurant and specialty store here in Florence. We headed east from the city center and walked arm-in-arm, passing …
News - Current Issues
Italy says NO' to super-potato
by Deirdre Pirro
GMOs: harmful or helpful?
On March 2, 2010, after a 12-year unofficial moratorium on the production of new genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the European Union, the European Commission (EC) gave the green light to the cultivation of the Amflora starch potato and three kinds …
Food & Wine
Don Blanco & the sausage scandal
by Rachel Priestley
Sweet spring salsiccia from scratch
It seems that everybody is finally coming out of hibernation after a very long, very damp, cold winter in Florence (which even included a frosting of snow). However, although flowers are beginning to bloom and grass is beginning to send up …
Food & Wine
Artichokes, again!
by Marcella Ansaldo
Stuff them before the season is over
You know it is the last gasp of the artichoke season when the large, round, flat mammole and romani appear on the produce tables at the market. Mammole, the sweetest kind of artichoke, are purple with heart-shaped petals. Also the biggest …
Features
Articles
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Sunday, September 05, 2010