ISSUE No. 123
ISSUE / No. 123
May 20, 2010
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News - Florence
Oh perbacco!
Caravaggio and wine
With three of Caravaggio's masterpieces, including a Bacco, fresh in from Rome for the Caravaggio and Caravagesque exhibit at the Uffizi and Palatine galleries, it seems this God of wine has blessed the region with his nectar. With wine festivals filling …
News - Florence
Two days of Leonardo - free
Museo Leonardiano reopens with two days of celebrations
The museum in Vinci devoted to native genius Leonardo da Vinci has one of the largest collections of original machines and models designed by the Renaissance artist, inventor, technologist and engineer. On May 22, the museum will reopen with new exhibits.
The …
News - Florence
A boost for tradition
Florence becomes home to new institute
Officials recently inaugurated a UNESCO-sponsored institute near Florence whose mission is to preserve the world's traditions and artisan skills.
The International Traditional Knowledge Institute (ITKI) was extablished by Pietro Laureano, a consultant for the United Nations heritage organization UNESCO. At the inauguration …
News - Florence
Blue seas, blue flags
From Forte dei Marmi to Castiglioncello, 16 Tuscan beaches were recently awarded the blue flag for their clean water and pristine sands. The Foundation of Environmental Education (FEE) awarded the region of Liguria 17 blue flag this year, putting it in …
News - Florence
Tuscany+
For a free augmented' experience
Where can I find a cheap, traditional restaurant in this area with a menu written in English?' a tourist might ask. The answer to this and many more questions are now at technology-savvy fingertips thanks to Tuscany+, the first ‘augmented reality' …
News - Florence
A green thumb and a poem
Controversial guerrilla art in the Oltrarno
Graffiti and litter blight the Oltrarno, once one of Florence's most beautiful neighbourhoods. Recently, incidents have raised again more concern for the area famous for its traditional workshops and sense of authentic Florentine identity.
The first was ‘guerrilla gardening' by local youth …
News - Florence
Flood Victim saved
Vasari's Last Supper gets much-needed restoration
‘It's a critically ill patient that will test modern restoration techniques to their utmost limits,' Marco Chiatti, chief of the painting unit at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, recently said of a large-scale work by Renaissance artist Giorgio Vasari.
Forty-four years after …
News - Florence
Where moms hug trees
To help new mothers deal with the life-changing experience of giving birth and becoming a parent, the town of San Casciano Val di Pesa is promoting the benefit of hugging trees. ‘Hugging trees is good for the spirit and for the …
News - Florence
Brought back to life
'Secret' frescos at San Marco restored
Victims of time and pollution, the stunning yet little-known cycle of frescoes under the cloister of the basilica of San Marco were recently restored. Located on the south side of the basilica, on the vaults of the Sant'Antonino cloister, the recently …
News - Florence
Another kind of TV
Online channel run by the disabled
Agroup of disabled adults ages 19 to 35 recently launched an online television station, www.SiparioTv.tv, which they run themselves.
Thirty disabled journalists, camera-men and sound engineers work daily to film and upload various kinds of content, from news, culture, cuisine and art …
News - Florence
Free access
Castelfiorentino breaks down barriers
By involving members of the community, the town of Castelfiorentino is hoping to identify all of its barriers to accessibility. Called Free access, accessing freely for all!, the project will plot on a map the streets and buildings that are not …
News - Florence
Attracting Travellers
Fiesole hopes to attract Florence-bound tourists
The ancient Etruscan city located on a hillside above the Tuscan capital is hoping to bring more tourists to Fiesole this summer. Thousands of tourists visit Florence every month, and Fiesole wants to attract more Florence-bound travellers to its museums and …
News - Florence
Sting to star in Cortona
Internationally renowned British rocker Sting and his wife Trudie Styler will be among the headliners at Cortona's annual performing arts festival, the Tuscan Sun Festival. In its seventh year, the festival, which runs from July 30 to August 6, will feature …News - Florence
Damaged goods
When, on May 1, a Japanese tourist accidentally stepped on one of the prints that an illegal street vendor had displayed on the pavement in Piazza Duomo, the vendor became so angry that he demanded 100 euro for the damage. The …News - Florence
In search of home, sweet home
Bees love art, some locals joked, when two separate swarms of bees buzzed their way through Florence's historic city centre on May 1, in search of a new place to build their hives. Early in the afternoon, the first swarm of …News - Florence
Bartali museum reopens
After months of controversy, the Gino Bartali Museum in Ponte a Ema, Florence has finally re-opened to the public. The museum holds temporary ex-hibits and an important permanent collection of cycles, jerseys, biographies and stories of Italy's great cycling champions, as …News - Community
New process for temporary U.S. visas
As of June 1, 2010, all non-immigrant (that is, short-term) visitors to the United States, from all countries, must complete the new DS-160 consular form before traveling. The DS-160, which replaces the electronic visa application, is a security check on travellers …News - Community
Poetic voice
by Brenda Porster
From June 11 to 23, Florence's extraordinary Oblate library will be the venue for the eighth annual Florence International Poetry Festival, which features world-renowned poets reading their own works (followed by an Italian translation). The Oblate library (via dell'Oriuolo 26) is …
News - National
Italy united?
Controversy over upcoming celebrations
‘Celebrating the unity of Italy is not a waste of time, and organizing the festivities is not a waste of public funds,' said president of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, after members of the Northern League (NL) said they might not …
News - National
Cars
Italy has highest number per capita in Europe
While local and regional administrations turn their attention to developing and increasing sustainable public transportation, statistics reveal that Italy still has the highest rate of car ownership and use in the eurozone.
Taking top spot in Europe for private motor vehicle ownership, …
News - National
Prato one step ahead
Tuscan city a lab' for national proposal
In mid-May, Northern League (NL) politicians proposed new legislation that would require non-Italians to pass an Italian language test before opening a business. The centre-right party argued that the proposed measure would accelerate integration and ensure that business owners would have …
News - National
Italy not in danger' of collapse
Expert and ratings firm deny Italy is the next Greece
Italy is at a ‘reasonable distance' from something like the Greek debt crisis, said New York University professor Nouriel Roubini in a recent interview with the Italian daily La Repubblica. Supporting the Italian government's claims and assurances, Roubini stated that Italy's …
News - National
Divorce tips
Although Italy is a traditionally Catholic country, its divorce rate has been rising for years, and getting a divorce is not easy: legal proceedings can take up to five years. Hence, Italy's first ‘divorce fair,' called Ex? Stop and Start Again. …News - National
Text the pope
At a difficult moment, when the Catholic church faces sex scandals worldwide, Vatican supporters are making an effort to bring the faithful closer to the pope. Now a new service puts believers and the pope in direct contact. Roman Catholics can …News - National
Going vertical
Rome is looking to the future with the construction of the city's first skyscraper, the Eurosky Tower, to be built in the city's EUR district. Inspired by Italy's many medieval towers, the 120-meter, 28-story building will be used for residences. The …News - National
Colosseum to be car-free?
Florence started the trend by closing its Duomo area to traffic, and now Rome is considering the same to protect the Colosseum from pollution. Concern for the state of the Colosseum, which is slated for a huge restoration effort as soon …News - National
Designer to the stars dies
Giuliana Coen Camerino passed away in her native Venice on May 12 at the age of 90. The designer made handbags for an array of silver-screen stars, among them Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor, and her brand, Roberta di Camerino, which …
News - Sport & Leisure
Viola corner
by Melinda Gallo
Another draw at final home game
On May 9, with nothing to lose and nothing to gain, the Fiorentina chose to begin the match without their main striker, Alberto Gilardino. Instead, two young strikers, Adem Ljajic and Keirisson, were in the starting …
News - Sport & Leisure
Florence hosts Italian Cup
National track tourney at Luigi Ridolfi Stadium
The spotlight is on Florence in June as the host of La Coppa Italiana 2010, an international, co-ed track and field competition. On June 5 and 6, eight men's and women's teams from around the country will compete in the prestigious …
News - Sport & Leisure
International regatta draws crowds
On May 9, Florence kayakers came out strong at the International Florence Regatta. The kayaking regatta, with multiple events in 10 different categories, featured 120 athletes from Italy and Germany racing on the Arno river. Members of the Canottieri Comunali Firenze had …News - Sport & Leisure
Breaking barriers at Renai Park
Sailing and more with summer hours in full swing
Sailing should be made available for everybody: that is main mission of the Prato sector's Lega Navale Italiana. On May 8, the sports association held sailing lessons for the disabled and other events in honor of National Water Safety Day at …
News - Sport & Leisure
GuardaFirenze
A run through culture
On May 9, blue skies brought large crowds to the center of Florence to exercise and see the sights as part of the GuardaFirenze runs. Organized by Firenze Marathon and Atletica Firenze Marathon, in collaboration with the local sports superintendence, the …
News - Sport & Leisure
ANPILANDIA - 6th Edition
Sponsored by Regione Toscana, provincia Firenze, Comune Firenze, Città di Fiesole, Associazione Mensola Settignano Sunday 30 May 2010, Feast in natural Park Area of Mensola Creek and Montececeri Free entrance For information call 3460846579 or 3473421510 www.anpilandia.it www.comune.fi.it www.comune.fiesole.it mail: info@anpilandia TREKKING @9am -- please make a reservation by …
Movie Reviews
Robin Hood
by James Douglas
Friday May 21
Saturday May 22
Sunday May 23
5:00 - 8:00 - 10:30pm
*all shows with Italian subtitles
It's billed as the untold story of how the man became the legend, and Russell Crowe is certainly not the first actor to take on the humble visionary archer who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, but he …
Movie Reviews
Green Zone
by James Douglas
Monday May 24 3:45-6:00-8:15-10:30pm
Tuesday May 25 3:45 - 6:00pm
The weapons of mass destruction issue in the 2003 Iraq War is one that never goes away, and Paul Greengrass's rapid fire action movie Green Zone-referring to the security zone in central Baghdad-takes a sharp political swipe at the Bush administration's …
Movie Reviews
The Back-up Plan
by James Douglas
Tuesday June 1 4:30-6:30-8:30-10:30pm
*with Italian subtitles
‘After years of dating, Zoe has decided waiting for the right one is taking too long. Determined to become a mother, she commits to a plan, makes an appointment and decides to go it alone. On the day of her artificial …
Movie Reviews
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
by James Douglas
Wednesday June 2 3:45-6:00-8:15-10:30pm
*with Italian subtitles
The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is based on a video game in which a couple of rival Persian royals team up against a tyrannical nemesis who threatens to destroy the world with a sandstorm. Chockfull of impressive CGI, …
Movie Reviews
Ace in the Hole
by James Douglas
Wednesday May 12 8.30pm
‘[A] movie so acidly au courant it stings: a lurid pulp indictment of exploitation, opportunism, doctored intelligence, torture for profit, insatiable greed, and shady journalism' (Village Voice). ‘[A] sordid and cynical drama of a corrupt newspaper man, set against a grisly …
Top Picks
Cantine Aperte: Open Wine Cellars
May 30 Florence and Tuscany
Wine lovers see May as the unofficial month of vino in Tuscany, as various wine festivals, auctions and events conclude with Cantine Aperte, or Open Wine Cellars, in which a great number of Tuscan wine cellars open their doors for tasting …
Top Picks
150th Anniversary of the Italian Republic
June 2
Cheers to the green, white and red! If you see some extra hustle and bustle today, it's in the name of the Italian Republic's sesquicentennial. …
Top Picks
The Florentine Town Meeting
May 27, Casa della Creativitt
It's your chance to voice your opinions, compliments or concerns about the paper! Read more.
For more information call 055/2306616 or email info@theflorentine.net. …
Top Picks
Florence Design Week
May 24 to 29 around Florence
Meetings with designers and curators; design-inspired aperitivos; roundtables, showrooms, trunk shows and exhibits in various locations throughout Florence-all this and more are planned for the first annual Florence Design Week.
See the feature on page 14 and www.florencedesignweek.com for more information and …
Top Picks
Gelato Festival
May 28 to 31 Florence
‘Culture has never tasted so good!' promises this year's Florence Gelato Festival. For four days, enjoy your favorite flavors while gazing upon your favorite monuments. A great event for families! For more information, visit http://www.firenzegelatofestival.it/site/home.asp. …
Top Picks
Gotan Project Tour 2010
May 26 Saschall
One of the most anticipated tours of the year, this world-famous Parisian trio that blends tango and electronic music will stop in Florence for one night only to amaze spectators with their wildly popular, unique music and intense on-stage style. For …
Top Picks
MUV Festival - Music and Digital Art Festival
June 1 to 6 Anfiteatro Parco delle Cascine
Now in its sixth year, the festival features more than 50 concerts and DJ sets in the spectacular setting of the Cascine Amphitheater, re-opened after seven long years. Don't miss this unique opportunity to dance to the talent of Italian and …
Top Picks
100 km Passatore Firenze to Faenza: International walking race
May 29 and 30 Piazza della Signoria
Dubbed by reporter Franco Chiavegatti the ‘Olympic Games of the foolish,' this arduous race from Piazza della Signoria, Florence, to Piazza del Popolo, Faenza, is not for the faint of heart, with a route reaching heights of 913m just halfway through! …
Top Picks
Medieval Festival in Malmantile
May 29 and 30 Malmantile
Every year, the small village of Malmantile, near Lastra, is transformed into a fifteenth-century village. Featuring a variety of attractions, including over 150 people dressed in historical costumes, this is a great way for the whole family to see the middle …
Top Picks
Caravaggio and Caravaggesque
May 22 to October 10 Galleria degli Uffizi and Galleria Palatina
Did Caravaggio ever come to Florence? Whether or not he did, his works reached the Uffizi towards the end of the sixteenth century, and his style inspired an entire ‘Caravaggesque season' in Florence, second only to Rome in the size of …
Book Reviews
Singing the female body
by Sabine Pascarelli
Corporea, a collection of contemporary English poetry
Corporea is an Italian edition of a bilingual collection of contemporary English and American poetry. This book features a wide variety of women's voices, including such recognizable names as Lucille Clifton, Margaret Atwood, Adrienne Rich, Sharon Olds, Maxine Kumin, Marge Piercy, …
Style & Fashion
Fun, form and function
First annual Florence Design Week
What is design? Some call it the ‘functional' art form, where creativity and beauty strike a balance with use and user. When something pretty is also practical, it is often said to have been designed well. Design professionals consider design the …
Style & Fashion
Italy and Eco-Fashions
by Enrica Guidato
Part II: Going eco-chic in Florence
Tired of scratchy clothes that make your skin itch? Sick of garments that use chemicals that damage the environment and your skin? Then it is time for a change in your wardrobe! Eco-fashion means not only preserving the environment with what …
Life
The escape of an unloved French man
by Neda Motamedi-Shad
On the side where Palazzo Vecchio faces via della Ninna, a small wooden door set into the massive square stones of the palazzo leads over a once secret stairway two floors up and back in time to when the Duke of …
Expats in Florence
Matt Reinecke
by Melinda Gallo
Baking tasty American treats in Florence
Little did Matt Reinecke know when he met Cristina in Trafalgar Square in London while sitting under Nelson's Column, that he would one day live in Italy. After they met, they spent only two days together in London before Matt returned …
In Other Words
One moment, please
by Linda Falcone
In the 1960s, Italians stood beneath il boom economico as if it were a firecracker exploding over the Arno on the night of San Giovanni. Families started cultivating city living rather than soil, digging their heels into la modernità with the …
Florentinisms
Bussata, Giueee!, Tono, Ringambone
by Francesco Stefanelli
Bussata: Downpour.
Example: ‘Eccoci! Guarda che nero, ora tu vedrai che si piglia una bussata d'acqua!' (‘Here we go! Look how dark it is; we're going to have a downpour!')
Gìueee!: Exclamation used to express alarm.
Example: ‘Gìueeee! E cascano tutte le scatole, attento!' …
News - Current Issues
Florence: all fun and drinks?
by Brenda Dionisi
Response to local news report on study abroad students' behaviour
The image of the nearly 8,000 American students who come to Florence each year, enrolling in approximately 40 study abroad programs, has become increasingly tarnished over the last few years through incidents that involve excessive drinking and rowdy behaviour in the …
Life
First the farmer sows the seed ...
by Suzi Jenkins
Reaching back into the past to find solutions for the future
These days, Tuscany is everything but flexible in its effort to pull the local economy out of the doldrums. Traditional manufacturing sectors are on their knees, and the mainstays of the Tuscan economy, especially tourism, are suffering. Tourism has been hit …
Food & Wine
Belly full
by Marcella Ansaldo
Mollusk soup
My mother was pregnant with me the day her father took her to visit the kitchen of the cargo ship where he was working as the crew cook. My mother, being weak-stomached, immediately fell ill from the dense smell of paint, …
Food & Wine
With a suitcase and a corkscrew
by Deirdre Pirro
Taking a wine tour in Tuscany
Of all tourists, wine tourists are among the most discerning, and Italy is hosting more and more of them, from all over the world. According to a report prepared by market researchers, Censis, and presented at Bit 2010, the International Tourism …
Features
Articles
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Tuesday, September 07, 2010