A Great Reason for Every Season

FLORENCE

Copyright © 2011 by Casa Editrice Le Lettere – Firenze

Printed by Industria Grafica Pistolesi – Ed Il Leccio srl. Via della Resistenza, 117- Loc.Badesse Monteriggioni (Siena)

Author: Veronica Ficcarelli (Communicart.it – Firenze)

Concept Design: Arch. Nicola Natalizio

Cover Calligraphy: Betty Soldi

Editing Team: Veronica Ficcarelli, Bess Melendez, Nina Brown, Rachel Mascetta

Translation: Bess Melendez, Nina Brown, Rachel Mascetta

Photographs: Veronica Ficcarelli (Communicart.it – Firenze)

Printed in July 2011 by Industria Grafica Pistolesi – Siena

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To my great-grandmother Piera

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“ Il mondo è un libro e chi non viaggia ne conosce solo una pagina”

(The world is a book and eveyone who doesn’t travel, knows only one page)Sant’Agostino

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HOW TO CONSULT THE GUIDE

ContentsIntroductionDedicated sections on Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter Events:Celebrations & Traditions; Art, Crafts & Music; Food & Wine; Nature & Sport

Florentine Specialties from the Producers’ Point of View: Symbols of Florence, Architecture, the Duomo and the MuseumsTradition, Handicraft, Food & Wine, Health & Well-Being Organic Food & MarketsPlus Helpful Tips, Suggestions, Recipes, History

Top Tips for Every SeasonDiscover our region in depth and become a real ‘Fiorentino‘:Tips for Eating and Drinking in Florence, Shopping, TravelAccommodation, Markets, Year-Round RecipesVeronica’s Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall Trip Tips

Index by CategoryIndex

Throughout The Book Special Sections On The History Of Florentine Producers And Their Insider’s Point Of View

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CONTENTIntroductionFLORENCE, A CITY FOR 4 S/REASONS

WINTER

• December Events, 34ART GALLERIES ART SCHOOLSART and CRAFTS RELATED EVENTS IN TOWNART and CRAFTS RELATED EVENTS TUSCANYSTRAW WEAVING WATER AND THE ARNO RIVERPONTE VECCHIO ROWINGRENAIOLIGOLF CLUBSGOLF IN TUSCANYSPORTS EVENTS IN TOWNSPORTS EVENT AROUND TUSCANYEROICA Vintage Bike RaceBREAD in FlorenceLOGGIASBEST BAKERIES IN TOWNBREAD EVENTS AROUND TUSCANYDECEMBER RECIPE

• January Events, 59FASHION IN FLORENCEFASHION MUSEUMSFASHION EVENT IN TOWNFASHION SCHOOLS SILKSHIRTSTHERMAL BATHS, SPAS IN TOWN and GYMSHAIRDRESSER

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THERMAL BATHS IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF FLORENCETENNIS CLUBS IN TOWNJANUARY RECIPE

• February Events, 74Carnevale-CarnivalJUGGLING STORESTop Tips - SHOPPINGFACTORY OUTLETSCHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE EVENT IN TOWNMORE CHOCOLATE EVENTS AROUND TuscanyChocolate Spa TreatmentFEBRUARY RECIPEVeronica’s Winter Trip Tips

SPRING

• March Events, 93INTERIOR DESIGN AND FURNITUREWOODWORK FOOD MARKETS IN TOWNCHEESES CHEESE EVENT IN FLORENCESQUARES CHEESE EVENTS AROUND TUSCANYVerdure di Stagione – Vegetables In SeasonFrutta di Stagione – Fruit in SeasonPORCELLINOCIPOLLE-Onions WROUGHT IRON FAGIOLI-BeansBEANS EVENTFOOD MARKETS AROUND TUSCANYMARCH RECIPE

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Top Tips - EATING IN FLORENCE, 113TRADITIONAL FLORENTINE DISHESFOOD EVENTS IN TOWNFOOD EVENTS AROUND TUSCANYBRUNCH IN TOWNCOOKING CLASSES and PERSONAL CHEFSGROCERY ROSTICCERIEHAMBURGERS - WHERE TO FIND THE BEST ONES IN TOWNLUNCHSPOTSMARKETSRESTAURANTSFAVOURITE RESTAURANTS AMONG FLORENTINES HIGH END RESTAURANTSMEAT, DINING OUT - FOR A SPECIAL CUT OF MEATPIZZAPIZZA RESTAURANTSSANDWICHES IN TOWN & THE BEST HAMBURGERSHAMBURGERS: THE BEST IN TOWN! TYPICAL TUSCAN SANDWICHESSUPERMARKETVEGETARIAN RESTAURANTSVEGAN AND MACROBIOTIC RESTAURANTSRESTAURANTS WITH GLUTEN-FREE MENUSSEAFOOD & SUSHI RESTAURANTS

• April Events, 165MARBLE & MOSAICS and the art of SCAGLIOLAOTHER SPECIAL EVENTS IN THE DUOMO CATHEDRALANTIQUES MARKETS AND FAIRS IN TOWNOLTRARNOMEDICI FAMILYANTIQUES MARKETS AND FAIRS AROUND TUSCANYCRAFTSMANSHIP IN TOWNLEATHER AND FURCRAFTSMANSHIP FOR CHILDRENFAMILY ITINERARIESIL MAGGIO FIORENTINO

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GARDENSGARDENING AND FLOWER EVENTS IN TOWNGARDENING AND FLOWER EVENTS AROUND TUSCANYFLOWERS IN TOWNIRIS GARDENGIGLIO DI FIRENZEAPRIL RECIPE

• May Events, 198HANDMADE SHOES FRAGRANCES, PERFUME & ESSENTIAL OILSDANTE, THE POETCERTOSA DI FIRENZEFRAGRANCES EVENT IN TOWN & SURROUNDINGSNATURE IN TOWNPARKSPARKS IN FLORENCEOTHER PARKS IN TUSCANYMOUNTAINS AND SKYMAY RECIPE

• June Events, 225FIORENTINA…ALSO KNOWN AS ‘VIOLA’PHOTOGRAPHY AND PAINTINGLOCAL PAINTERSPAPER MAKING, BOOKBINDING & THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHYANTIQUE PENSCALLIGRAPHYLA PERGAMENA-ParchmentEMBRODERY AND LACEPRATOBISCOTTI DI PRATO or CANTUCCI-Prato cookiesJUNE RECIPEVeronica’s Spring Trip Tips

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SUMMER

• July Events, 245Guelfi Vs GhibelliniTop Tips - DRINKING IN FLORENCE, 247APERITIFS BARSBARS FOR APERITIF & AFTER DINNER NEGRONI COCKTAILAPERITIVO WITH A VIEWBARS FOR BREAKFAST (check out also October Events - PASTRY SHOPSIN TOWN)MILK MARZOCCOBEERWINE (check September Events)MUSIC & CONCERTS, THEATRE AND OTHER CULTURAL EVENTS FAMOUS FLORENTINE AND TUSCAN ROCK/POP MUSICIANSTHEATRES IN TOWNMUSIC EVENTS IN AND AROUND FLORENCEJULY RECIPE

• August Events, 273ICE CREAM ICE CREAM PARLOUR IN FLORENCEDAVIDICE CREAM EVENT IN FLORENCEBRIGIDINI-Thin, Crispy Aniseed Flavored WafersAND THE STARS OF FLORENCEVIEWSDISCOVER THE HIDDEN CITY…BALLOONING OVER FLORENCE…MUSEUMS IN FLORENCETO BOOK TICKETS FOR MUSEUMSSTONES PALACES STREETS OF FLORENCE

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STREET CLEANINGGEMSTONESGOLD AND SILVER GOLD AND JEWELLERY RELATED EVENTS AROUND TUSCANYPARTIES & EXCLUSIVE PERSONALIZED CULTURAL EXPERIENCESBUTCHERS, FINE CUTS OF MEAT and CURED SPECIALTIESPROSCIUTTO TOSCANO-Tuscan Cured HamSTEAK AND OTHER MEAT - RELATED EVENTS AROUND TUSCANY AUGUST RECIPE

• September Events, 302JOGGINGHEALTH FOOD & WELL-BEINGHEALTH FOOD SUPERMARKETSHEALTH FOOD STORES IN and AROUND FLORENCEORGANIC MARKETS IN TOWNORGANIC MARKETS AROUND FLORENCETIPS FOR SHOPPING, 76WINEWINE BARSFIESOLE AROMATIC VINEGARWINE EVENTS IN AND AROUND FLORENCEWINE TOURSSEPTEMBER RECIPEVeronica’s Summer Trip Tips

FALL

• October Events, 332CERAMICSCERAMIC RELATED EVENTSCRYSTAL & GLASSPASTRY SHOPS

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FRITTELLE EVENT AROUND TUSCANYCOFFEE & TEAOCTOBER RECIPE

• November Events, 349CASHMEREOLIVES & OLIVE OIL TUSCAN EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL TOURSOLIVE OIL EVENTS IN TOWNOLIVE OIL EVENTS AROUND TUSCANYVINSANTOVINSANTO EVENTS AROUND FLORENCENOVEMBER RECIPEVeronica’s Fall Trip Tips

Top Tips – ACCOMMODATION, 286APARTMENT, VILLA, BED & BREAKFAST OR HOTEL?AGRITURISMOAPARTMENT OR VILLA RENTALSQUALITY ACCOMMODATIONS IN AND AROUND TOWNHotels, B&Bs And ApartmentsPrivate Villas & ApartmentsTOURISM FACILITIES PROMOTION & MARKETING OF UNIQUE VILLAS & CHARMINGPROPERTIES RENTALS & SALES CHARMING REAL ESTATE SALESSPECIAL GUIDEBOOKS, MAPS & SUPERMAPS OF TUSCANY CATERED MEALS & COOKING CLASSESCITY TOURS, ART & WINE TOURSMEETINGS & SPECIAL EVENTSTOUR PLANNING & OPERATION SERVICESTRAVEL AGENCIESWEB PROMOTION - TUSCANY ACCOMODATION.COM

Top Tips – ARRIVING, STAYING & MOVING, 383AIRLINESFLYING IN TUSCANY

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BIKE IT!BUSESURBAN Centre BUSESOUT OF TOWN BUS TRIPSBUS AROUND THE CITYPARKINGRENT A CARSCOOTERSVESPATAXITOURS IN TOWN BY HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGETRAIN

Top Tips - USEFUL INFO, 398BOOKSTORES IN TOWNBIBLIOTECHEBUSINESS - INVESTING IN TUSCANYLAWYERSEMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERSDENTAL and HOLISTIC CLINICVETERINARY CLINICPHARMACIES MAILFILMING LOCATIONS AND MOVIES‘SHOOTING IN FLORENCE’ENGLISH MOVIE THEATRESNEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES PAY PHONE INTERNATIONAL CALL PREFIXES FROM ITALYBEST FM TUSCAN RADIOBEST FM ITALIAN RADIOTAX FREETOURIST HELPTOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES IN TOWNSCHOOLS & UNIVERSITIESYEAR-ROUND RECIPE

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Introduction

Florence — the place, the idea, the dream, isfamed the world over. Everyone knows aboutthe art, the landscape, the food and drink, andyes, Tuscans are both privileged and blessed.However, in this book I want to shed light onits hidden aspects, on the people whose livesand work have brought such renown to Tus-cany. It seemed to me that something wasneeded that would give a voice to the manysmall businesses, artisans, restaurants, wine andolive oil makers, and shopkeepers who worktirelessly to strengthen the image of Tuscany asa land of creativity, culture and originality; thereal core values of our region. I soon realisedthat the best people to show us how to producea work of craftsmanship or make perfect pastaare the people who do it for a living.

And who better to reveal the secrets of the citythan the people who were born and bred there,whose fragments of stories of work and fatigue,along with great achievement, deserve to betold. Stories of people who make our city andregion what it is today. We would like to includethem all but, after much soul searching, we’vechosen the most significant. In the chaptersfor each season you’ll find annual events listedby type – festivals and traditions, art and hand-icraft, nature and sport, food and wine – andset out month per month. In the various sec-tions there are brief flashes to highlight villagesand products. There are recipes linked with

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food and wine events and special mention formuseums, workshops, shops and restaurants.The Cities Of Art philosophy is to inspire thecity and its inhabitants to take advantage ofthe strength of local tradition to move aheadin modern times. Florence is, without a doubt,a very beautiful city, but in today’s global com-munity we need to roll up our sleeves to besomething more, to go the next step with newenergy and purpose.

That Special Feeling…How can you write a guidebook which spot-lights Florentine food along side typical prod-ucts and handicrafts and not talk about theland and the people who are so committed tomaking their work known worldwide? Florenceseems to have a natural capacity for generatinggreatness. Why? Maybe it’s the river air, or thescents from the countryside of grapes and wildflowers. We haven’t figured it out yet but wehave an idea. There are people who work tire-lessly to create something new, or struggle tokeep afloat a family business or rediscover for-gotten places and crafts. They don’t often makethe headlines but they deserve a little limelight.It has been a fascinating adventure to searchfor what isn’t obvious and a privilege to meetthe people who work so hard to ensure thattheir traditions do not die.

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These are the 4 reasons that make Florence,Firenze. And I will guide you through theevents organized by our town and people, eachwith their own speciality, hand crafted objector gastronomic creation, which contribute toour city’s renown the world over. In fact, at theend of each season I have included my personalfavorite trip tips which give a helpful hand inorganizing an itinerary based on all the contentsand ideas of my guide. (check out Veronica’s Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall Trip Tips)

Now let’s look at our 4 seasons to truly understand our city…

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FLORENCE, A CITY FOR 4 S/REASONS

”Godi, Fiorenza, poi che se’ sì grande | che per mare e per terra batti l’ali, e per lo ‘nferno tuo

nome si spande!”(Rejoice, O Florence, since thou art so great,

That over sea and land thou beatest thy wings,And throughout Hell thy name is spread abroad!)Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, Inferno Canto XXVI

Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, is acity that was built by trade and entrepre-

neurs. Founded as a Roman colony in 59 B.C.,the original name Fiorenza is tied to the Latinword flor, or flower, conjuring up images ofgreen valleys and a flourishing settlement. Fit-tingly, the city’s symbol is the iris, a particularstrain that once grew in the valley of the ArnoRiver, the growing centre’s economic lifeline.Starting in the 1800’s, the iris became one ofthe defining characteristics of the city alongwith its Lungarni (streets that run along theriver banks), bridges and flourishing textile in-dustry. Now the river is kept alive in part bythe Florentine Rowers Society (Società Canot-tieri Firenze) and the City Rowers (CanottieriComunali) where professionals and amateursalike continue to take advantage of the river.

Florence, from the time of Dante (the cele-brated poet of the Divine Comedy, 1265-

1321), was already a bustling economy withits seven Arti Maggiori (the trade unions of

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the Middle Ages), that oversaw the productionand trade of textiles, medicine, wool, silk,leather and spices, and kept checks on notariesand lawyers. With the rise to power of theMedici family, whose roots were deep in tradeand finance, the city’s history and theirs becameintertwined, and Florence was transformed intothe city of art and culture it is famous for today.

The entrepreneurial and hard working spiritof the city can still be seen in the intense

concentration of leather producers and artisans,including historic brands that are now syn-onyms with luxury such as Gucci and Ferrag-amo. There is an equally lively production oftextiles, and other various manufacturing inand around the nearby town of Prato. Perhaps the most visible surviving reminder ofthis past is a secluded world of small artisansand shops, which inherited ancient traditionspassed down from generation to generation.You can find wrought iron, ceramics, crystal,and woodwork all over the city, but above allin the Oltrarno district.

The various markets around the city alsodeserve mention, from the fruit, vegetable

and food markets of San Lorenzo and San-t’Ambrogio, to those that specialize in antiqui-ties, like in piazza dei Ciompi or in Santo Spir-ito on Sunday mornings.Exploring these daily and weekly rituals, youwill come to see how tradition and history arein no way lacking in the Florentine modernity.

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Part of the city’s success is also due to the Tuscanland that Florence is situated on, one that nat-urally lends itself to producing high qualitywine (Chianti Classico), extra-virgin olive oil,specialty cheeses, and delicacies like truffles andmushrooms (porcini and ovulo, otherwiseknown as Caesar’s mushroom), considered tobe some of the best in the world. Here you’llfind the wealth of the local dining traditions,in particular dishes like fried artichokes, zuc-chini or fegatelli di maiale (pork liver wrappedin lace fat).

It’s easy to indulge in treats like cenci (frieddough strips sprinkled with sugar), brigidini

(paper-thin anise flavoured wafer cookies), thefamous Prato biscotti (crescent-shaped crunchyalmond cookies) and zuccotto (a local pudding).Over the years Florence has developed a thriv-ing restaurant scene, known both in Italy andabroad, for the quality of their chefs and forthe use of high quality products. Good serviceand good food, above all at the renownedEnoteca Pinchiorri, can be found in spectacularlocations from prestigious palaces to tiny, hid-den piazzas. Every palazzo, church, monumentand city-street contributes to this atmosphere,and walking around the centre is like visitingan open air museum. Here you will run intoexceptional monuments from the 1400’s andearlier, when Florence, along with its rival Siena,became the principal centre of trade and bank-ing in Europe. Going up the hill to piazzale Michelangelo,

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you will find a copy of the statue of David, an-other great symbol of the city (the original isin the Accademia museum), surrounded by abreathtaking panorama: endless cupolas,steeples, towers, and rooftops crowded togetherlike a concentrated synopsis of the city’s history.

From up there you begin to see how the citywas laid out so that every monument is

visible from every corner of the city: theDuomo, with its magnificent cupola designedby Brunelleschi; Palazzo Vecchio, built as thetown hall in the 14th century by the architectArnolfo di Cambio, later to become the resi-dence of Cosimo I de’ Medici and his wifeEleonora da Toledo, with the grand Salone deiCinquecento; the 13th century Bargello orPalazzo del Podestà (the Palace of Justice), nowa national museum and the oldest civic buildingin the city whose bells rings out on special oc-casions and major events such as floods, wars,etc.; the numerous Romanic, Gothic and Re-niassance era churches, above all Santa Croce,which houses the remains of GioacchinoRossini, Galileo Galilei and MichelangeloBuonarroti, as well as a monument honoringthe memory of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio;and Ponte Vecchio, the only Florentine bridgeto survive German demolition during the Sec-ond World War, which until the 1500’s was abridge lined with butchers, but is now hometo high end gold and jewelery shops. Whatmore is there to say about Florence and Tuscany,if not that their history and natural and artistic

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beauty go hand in hand, helping to make themfamous around the world. Even the geographiclocations of Tuscany and Florence, in the mid-dle of the Italian peninsula, seem premeditatedto make it easy for visitors to travel here fromall parts of Italy with relative ease.This is what makes Florence unique. And nowit’s our turn to explore it topic by topic, seasonby season from a local’s point of view.

The Fiorino

The florin was minted inFlorence for the first time in1252. The image of SaintJohn, the city’s protector onone side of the coin gave theorigin of the phrase ‘San Gio-vanni non vuole inganni’(Saint John doesn’t want anytricks!). The edge of thefiorino wasn’t smooth likemost coins, but had scales ofgold left around the edgesfrom when it was coined.So, Florentines who hadthe fortune of possess-ing a fiornino, evenfor a short period oftime, would scrape thesetiny particles of gold fromits edge, leading to theuse of the term grattare(literally ‘to scrape’) tomean steal or obtainsomething by meansof trickery.The florinbecame a symbol for thecity’s exceptional wealth, andbecame the standard currencymeasure until 1533, whenAlessandro de’ Medici .

The Picciolo

This Florentine coin was thesame in value as a quattrino,a division of the soldo, whichwas already of little face value.This is where the modernterm spiccioli comes from,meaning small coins, or justa few cents.

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Firenze, the NameThe origins of the word Florence have alwaysbeen a bit uncertain. Discussions aboutits origin were well underway already inthe 1500’s. For example, goldsmith andsculptor Benvenuto Cellini stated thatthe name was derived from Fiorinus,one of Julius Caesar’s generals. Othershave traced its origins to the flowers thatgrew along the Arno. If this was true, then theword Florence originated from the Latin wordfloris, making it ‘the city of flowers.’ Perhapsthis name came from the wildflowers that couldbe seen in the valley, or maybe it referred tothe fact that the city was actually founded inthe spring, the flowering season. The Florentinefleur-de-lys has a particular shape, belonging toan iconography that appears throughout his-tory, dating as far back as Mesopotamia. It’s es-sentially a stylised flower design and is recog-nised most often as an iris flower, which hadstrong religious connotations in the 14th cen-tury, as it was used to represent the Trinity (Fa-ther, Son and Holy Ghost). In Florence, somesuggest that the fleur-de-lys had its origins inthe white iris that grows in the Arno valley.The first Florentine flag was a white flower ona purple background, but after the defeat ofthe Ghibellines, the Guelphs switched the col-ors of the flag and made the background whitewith a purple iris flower. The same symbol wasused for the gold fiorino (florin) coin. The Ro-mans founded Florence as a strategic base atthe point where the Mugnone and Arno Rivers

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converge. In Roman times, the square-shapedcentre was enclosed with 2 km or about 1-¼miles of walls. At the threshold of the 13thcentury, the city had expanded so much that anew wall was begun, extending the enclosureby another 4 km. Two hundred years later, thatsame wall grew to 10 km, as another extensionto the fortification was added.In Dante’s time, Florence was already a busycommercial metropolis, where textiles like wool,silk and leather were artfully crafted (checkout GUILDS). The Medici and the Speziali

families set the cultural trends in the city.Banking, notary and lawyer en-trepreneurship further establishedthe thriving city as a centre ofbusiness in the region.

Interesting Details

Florence is full of marbleplaques featuring inscrip-tions and quotes from fa-mous people (check outDANTE), while otherplaques mark where famousartists such as Vittorio Al-fieri, Dante Alighieri,Alessandro Manzoni, VascoPratolini, Michelangelo,Leonardo, and Donatellolived in thecity.The facadesof famouspalazzos andnoble resi-dences are also oftenembellished with familycoats of arms.

GUILDSThe Florentine Guilds (associations of mastercraftsmen and tradesmen) traditionally formedthe backbone of the Florentine economic sys-tem. In 1393, a poet described Florence as, ‘laterra di mercantatia,’ (the land of commerce)and indeed it was a land of merchants andmanufacturing. The various guilds representedchief commercial enterprises, ranging frombutchers to lawyers. There were seven Arti Mag-giori (Major Arts) and fourteen Arti Minori(Minor Arts). Since only members of the for-mer were eligible for election to public office,membership was essential for any man whohad political aspirations. The seven MajorGuilds were the Arte dei Giudici and Notai(Lawyers and Notaries), the Calimala or Mer-

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catanti (Great Merchants), the Arte del Cambio(Money Changers), the Arte della Lana (WoolMasters), the Arte della Seta or Por Santa Maria(Silk Masters), the Arte dei Medici e Speziali(Doctors and Apothecaries), and the Arte deiVaiai e Pellicciai (Furriers and Leather Mas-ters).The fourteen Minor Guilds were the Arte deiBeccai (Butchers), the Arte dei Calzolai (Shoe-makers), the Arte dei Fabbri (Blacksmiths), theArte dei Linaiuoli e Rigattieri (Linen Drapersand Used Clothes Dealers), the Arte dei Maestridi Pietra e Legname (Builders), the Arte deiVinattieri (Wine Dealers), the Arte degli Alber-gatori (Innkeepers), the Arte degli Oliandoli ePizzicagnoli (Olive Oil Dealers and Sausage &Cheese Sellers), the Arte dei Cuoiai e Galigai(Minor Leather Masters), the Arte dei Corazzaie Spadai (Armorers), the Arte dei Coreggiai (BeltMakers), the Arte dei Chiavaioli (Locksmiths),the Arte dei Legnaioli (Carpenters), and theArte dei Fornai (Bakers).The minor arts are still well represented bysmall workshops around the city that continuecreating refined products.

ARTE DEL CAMBIO

Art of the Money Changers

L’Arte del Cambio was oneof the major Florentine

guilds in the Middle Agesresponsible for those wholent and changed money.One of the most famousclans in this business wasthe Strozzi family, knownfor the very high interestthey charged on money

lent. Playing on this fame,the Florentines coined aterm ‘strozzino’ for loan-

sharks. This marblecounter, or banco, is

where the modern termbank or banca come from.

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A GREAT REASON FOR EVERY SEASON. FLORENCE

Events & Specialities Guide

Dedicated sections on Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter Events:Celebrations & Traditions; Art, Crafts & Music; Food & Wine; Nature & Sport

Florentine Specialties from the Producers’ Point of View: Symbols of Florence, Architecture, the Duomo and the MuseumsTradition, Handicraft, Food & Wine, Health & Well-Being, Organic Food & MarketsPlus Helpful Tips, Suggestions, Recipes, History, and Glossaries(useful words and phrases)

BANCARELLEStreet Vendors

Street vendors are part ofthe tradition of marketsand fairs in Florence andTuscany. Once they werealways seen along the viali,the roads around the citycentre and during strategicmoments of the day. Nowthey can be found regularlyin every fair and villageevent selling their wares ac-cording to the season. Thevendors sell offer all sortsof things from sweet goodiessuch as liquorice, lollypops,caramelized nuts and brigi-dini (anise flavored wafers)to soft drinks, sandwichesand other street food. Inthe autumn a stop by theroasted chestnut vendor isa must.

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WINTER

Tourists rarely visit Florence in the win-ter, but the colder months hold manysurprises for those willing to brave the

weather (cold and damp though usually sunny).Besides the obvious advantages, fewer touristsand off-season rates, it’s also a time when thecity, and the countryside reveal their authenticnature to travelers.Winter may have shorter days, but it allowspeeks at vistas usually blocked by trees and veg-etation, like glimpses through lit up windowsinto antique frescoed rooms. Empty streetsecho with the sound of horses’ hooves and car-riages evoking times past.

Winter in Tuscany means carnival celebra-tions in small towns and at the seaside

town of Viareggio, warming up with red wine,and enjoying the various specialities of the sea-son. In the winter many famous Tuscan andFlorentine products are at their best. The oliveoil made in Autumn has aged just slightly bywinter, rounding out its flavors and making itthe perfect time to discover pinzimonio (rawvegetables dipped in olive oil), stews such as ri-bollita, pappa al pomodoro and onion soup,all great for warming up on cold winter days.

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Fiesole & Firenze

In via della Piazzola, whichwas one of the major roadsconnecting Florence toFiesole, near the junctionwith via Barbacane, a rec-tangular shaped plaque isstill visible with this ancientinscription: a matre et filiaaeque disto, signaling wherethe mother (Fiesole) is equi-distant from the daughter(Florence). This parent/childrelationship was commonlyapplied to the two cities,since Fiesole was at its eco-nomic height in the 3rdcentury before Florence hadeven been founded. In theMiddle Ages Florence beganits climb to become one ofthe most important citiesin Europe, and Fiesolestayed behind watching herchild grow in the same waya mother does.

December Events

Art, Crafts & Music Events

ALL MONTH LONGMERCATINI DI NATALEChristmas MarketsFlorence and SurroundingsChristmas markets take place in villages acrossthe region; get out and visit various towns andyou’ll be sure to enter the Christmas spirit.

ALL MONTH LONGSCOPERTA DEI LUOGHI RELIGIOSI EDARCHEOLOGICI DI FIESOLEDiscovering The Religious And ArchaeologicalSites Of FiesoleFiesole (Florence)Some of the most beautiful cultural attractionsin this town open to the public for a limitedtime with guided tours.www.comune.fiesole.fi.it

2ND WEEK OF DECEMBER BIENNALE DI ARTE CONTEMPORANEAInternational Biennial of Contemporary ArtFlorence(Odd numbered years). The largest exhibitionof contemporary art in the world takes placeat Fortezza da Basso. Concerts, conferences,performances and the artists themselves.www.florencebiennale.org

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EX 3 Contemporary Art CentreEX3 takes its name from the contraction of theword ‘exhibition’ and the number of the Quartiere3, the neighborhood where the centre is located.EX 3 is a contemporary art gallery whose goal isto investigate, broaden and promote the multiplevocabulary and practices of todays modern artist.The central hall is an open area of 700 sq. metersand caters to solo and group exhibitions whilethe smaller side rooms are dedicated to a frequentturnover of exhibitions by emerging artists. Open-ing hours are Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.,Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (closed Monday and Tuesday)Viale Giannotti, 81/83/85 FlorenceCentre’s reception Tel. 0556288966www.ex3.it

FRITTELLI CONTEMPORARY ARTGALLERY

Carlo and Simone Frittelli began their adven-ture in the Santa Croce area in 1990. Their new gallery, 2000 sq. m. in the northernarea of Florence near the airport, was projectedby the famous architect Adolfo Natalini and isa beautiful and vast space for modern art exhi-bitions. There are smaller rooms dedicated tothe famous private collection of the Frittellibrothers and a multimedia room is availablefor conferences. Via Val Di Marina, 15 FlorenceTel 055410153www.frittelliarte.it

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ART GALLERIES

“El arte es la mentira que nos permite conocer la verdad”

(Art is the lie that permits us to know the truth)Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

GALLERIA D’ARTE MODERNAModern Art GalleryThis museum, created in 1922 on the secondstory of Palazzo Pitti, provides an overview ofthe development of Italian painting and sculpturefrom the neoclassical period through the earlydecades of the last century, with significant con-tributions from foreign artists. A visit to the mu-seum offers a look at the Tuscan Macchiaioli,but also, thanks to the portrait gallery, a chanceto catch a glimpse of period fashion. Artists suchas Ary Sheffer, Puccinelli, Ciseri, Lega, Fattori,Cecioni, Winterhalter, Carolus Duran, Zan-domeneghi, Boldini, Simi, and Elizabeth Chaplinshow the gestures, postures and rituals spanningdomestic intimacy and sophisticated social life. Palazzo Pitti, Piazza Pitti, 1 Tel. 055294883 www.firenzemusei.it

GALLERIA PANANTI CASA D’ASTE Pananti Auction HouseOpen since 1967, this is one of the oldest andlargest and most important galleries in the city.Located in via Maggio, they organise exhibi-tions and auctions of classical, modern andcontemporary artists. Piero Pananti and his son

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Via Maggio

At the beginning of the12th century the areaaround via Maggio wasopen countryside and calledla Casellina. The Vellutifamily who escaped fromthe castello di Semifonte,which was flattened by theFlorentines in 1202, becamevery rich from the wooltrade and eventually boughtthis land. They were theauthors of the first palacein Florence, followed bymany wealthy families likethe Corsini, Pitti, Capponiand Ridolfi, whose palaceswere all larger than anythingthat had previously beenbuilt in Florence. The roadthat was built here thus be-came the widest and themost sumptuous and cameto be known as the ViaMaggiore (the biggest road),though thanks to the cor-ruption of the Florentinelanguage over the years be-came abbreviated as viaMaggio.

Filippo are famous in Florence for the alterna-tive events they organise. In the past, they haveoffered jazz concerts during art exhibitions,dinners with famous chefs and evenings withthe artist Dario Cecchini, the famous butcherof Panzano in Chianti.Via Maggio, 15Tel. 0552741011www.pananti.com

GALLERIA D’ARTE FILIPPO PANANTI & C.Filippo Pananti Art GalleryThis small gallery owned by Filippo Pananti isan offspring from the main Pananti gallery.Take a look since work of art is a unique andvaluable way to take a piece of Italy home withyou…Via Della Condotta, 27 rTel. 055215786

PANDOLFINI CASA D’ASTE Pandolfini Auction HousePandolfini Casa d’Aste has been dealing an-tiques for over 70 years. Beyond the traditionalantiquarian sectors, such as antique, nineteenth-century, modern and contemporary paintings,furniture and accessories, jewellery and silver-ware, they have been branching out for sometime now to collectors wines and both classicaland Egyptian archaeology.Palazzo Ramirez de MontalvoBorgo Albizi, 26 - Tel. 0552340888/9www.pandolfini.itVia Poggio Bracciolini, 26Tel. 055685698 – 6580242poggiobracciolini@isveg.it

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ART SCHOOLS

ACCADEMIA LUIGI CAPPIELLOVia della Fornace, 33Tel. 055681321www.accademia-cappiello.it

ACCADEMIA RIACIVia de’ Conti, 4Tel. 055289831www.accademiariaci.info

ART EVia delle Conce, 14 rTel. 0552478510www.arteschool.com

CENTRO LORENZO DE’ MEDICIVia Faenza, 43Tel. 055287360/055287203/0552398920www.lorenzodemedici.it

FLORENCE ACADEMY OF ARTVia delle Casine, 21 rTel. 055245444www.florenceacademyofart.com

IL BISONTEVia S. Niccolo, 24 rTel. 0552342585www.ilbisonte.it

ISTITUTO PER L’ARTE E IL RESTAURO SPINELLI’ Via Maggio, 13Tel. 055213086/055282951www.spinelli.it

LE ARTI ORAFEVia dei Serragli, 104/124Tel. 0552280131www.artiorafe.it

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ORO E COLOREVia Toscanella, 18 rTel. 055289415www.oroecolore.com

POLIMODA – Fashion Design SchoolVia Pisana, 77Tel. 055739961www.polimoda.com

SCUOLA INTERNAZIONALE D’ARTE ‘LA BOTTEGA DELL’ACQUAFORTE’ Via Chiantigiana, 3 rTel. 0556820668www.baicchi-arte.it

STUDIO ART CENTERS INTERNATIONALEVia S. Gallo, 30Tel. 055486164/055486072/055486230www.saci-florence.org

UNIVERSITA’ INTERNAZIONALE DELL’ARTEVia delle Forbici, 24Tel. 055570216/055571503www.uiafirenze.com

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EVENTS IN TOWN-ART & CRAFTSDecember - Christmas MarketsDecember8 - American Christmas MarketBeg. of December - Florence Noel, Christmas Market 2nd week of December - International Biennial of Contemporary ArtFirst 20 days in December - German Christmas MarketJanuary - Fashion Event End of January Beg. of Feb. - Vintage Fashion Fair1st week of March - Furniture Exhibition Last week in April /First week in May - A.R.T., Artisan Fair End of April-End of June- Maggio Musicale Musical Event2nd half of May- Artigianato e Palazzo, Handicraft FairEnd of June - Pitti Immagine, Fashion EventThe 1st and 2nd weeks in September- September in Piazza della PasseraBeginning of November - Wool, Cheese and Sheepherders Market

EVENTS IN TUSCANY-ART & CRAFTSOctober - December - Arts and Crafts in piazza Mino – Fiesole (Florence)Easter Monday - Antiques fair - Greve in Chianti (Florence)End of April - Beg. of May - Antiques Market - Impruneta (Florence)End of May - Antiques Fair - Castelfiorentino (Florence)June-September Cutlery Fair– Scarperia (Florence)2nd half of June- Ceramics Festival - Montelupo Fiorentino (Florence)First weekend of October - Ceramic and Handicrafts Fair - Florence 2nd week in October - Flea Market - Greve in Chianti (Florence)

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DECEMBER 8MERCATINO AMERICANO DI NATALEAmerican Christmas MarketFlorenceOne of the most famous holiday markets inthe city, it takes place on December 8 in thePagliere Medicee located on viale Machiavellinear Porta Romana. The American Interna-tional League of Florence organizes the marketand all proceeds go to charity www.ailoflorence.org

BEGINNING OF DECEMBERFLORENCE NOELChristmas MarketFlorenceThe event takes place in the magnificient spaceof the Stazione Leopolda. This event offerscharity raffles, a bookshop food tastings, showsand games for children. It’s a great place tofind Christmas gifts.www.florencenoel.it

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BEGINNING OF DECEMBERANTICA FIERA DI CARMIGNANOOld Fashioned Fair of Carmignano Carmignano (Prato)This old-fashioned style fair is great for buyingChristmas gifts such as wine, olive oil, driedfigs, honey and more, all produced in the Pratoarea. It is held for an entire week in piazza Vit-torio Emanuele II and in the former CantineNiccolini in piazza Matteotti.www.comune.carmignano.po.it

1ST WEEK IN DECEMBERSAGRA DEGLI ANTICHI SAPORIAntique Flavors FestivalLastra a Signa (Florence)Concluding with the Festa dell’Immacolata onDecember 8, this festival is a celebration ofTuscan culture and cuisine. Ribollita, olive oil,wine, bistecca alla fiorentina, and wood-oven-baked bread are just a few of the marvels of-fered. www.comune.lastra-a-signa.fi.it

STRAW WEAVINGUntil 1800 Tuscany was mainly an agriculturalregion organised with a semi-feudalsystem. The navigability of theArno and the great port of Livorno facilitatedtrade in agricultural products. Millinery activity dates back to the 1300’s, butit developed into an industry thanks to entre-peneurs like Domenico Michelacci, who camefrom Bologna to Signa in 1714.

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By the end of the 19th century, straw weavingwas an important sector of the Tuscan economy,and this lasted until the crash of 1929. MUSEO DELLA PAGLIAStraw MuseumLastra a SignaThis museum dedicated to straw and weavingis a point of reference for a craft as old as hu-manity, one that has enjoyed extraordinarysuccess in Tuscany, in particular from themiddle of the 18th century to the present day,though admittedly with ups and downs. Theaim of the project is to recover a collectivememory and to preserve a wonderful heritagewhich risks being lost because it is ignored orunderestimated. The visitor will be able to seethe results of the creativity and skill of thepeople, mainly women, who worked in theindustry.Via degli Alberti, 11Lastra a Signa (Florence)Tel. 055875257LAT: 43.78244 – LONG: 11.09616www.museopaglia.it

GREVI HATS

Around since 1875, Grevihats have marked the mostimportant historical andsocial events of the times.For example, after the GreatDepression and financialcrisis of 1929, the firm con-centrated mainly on theItalian market where hatswere in high demand. Thesewere the felt and straw cre-ations of the 1930’s. Withthe casual bent of the 1960’s,Grevi launched a Tuscanlambskin hat onto the worldmarket. At the beginningof the 1980’s, the brandname experienced a Renaissance of its own, ap-pearing in fashion magazinesand some of the most pres-tigious shops in the world.Today their collections arestill manufactured usingtraditional and hand madeproduction, employing ex-perts in weaving and cro-chet.

Shop:Via della Spada, 11/13 rLAT: 43.77176LONG: 11.25053Florence

Factory:Via della Manifattura, 10Signa (Florence)Tel.055876223/0558734081LAT: 43.77446LONG: 11.09435www.grevi.com

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FIRST 20 DAYS IN DECEMBERIL MERCATINO DI HEIDELBERGGerman Christmas MarketFlorencePiazza Santa Croce is packed to the brim withstands as it hosts one of Germany’s oldest mar-ket where you can find Christmas tree decora-tions and Nativity scenes, traditional foods,spiced wine, beer and sweets in a festive at-mosphere. Concerts and other performancesaccompany the market.www.firenze.net

Nature & Sport Events

MID-DECEMBERPONTE VECCHIO CHALLENGEGolf Challenge in the Arno RiverFlorenceFrom December 18th to 20th, the Ponte Vec-chio Challenge will transform once again theArno River in a Golf course. The championsrepresenting 12 Countries will challenge them-selves from the Ponte Vecchio, in a uniqueworldclass competition. It’s a good chance notonly to see a great sport event in the beautifulTuscan capital, but also to enjoy other pleasuresthat Florence and Tuscany can offer. The Cal-endar of side events is very rich: gastronomictours, museums and exhibitions, wine tastingand much more.www.pontevecchiochallenge.it

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WATER & THE ARNO RIVER

“Flumina pauca vides de magnis fontibus orta: plurimacollectis multiplicantur aquis”

(You see few rivers born from large springs: many growlarger by collecting from smaller sources)

Ovid, Remedia Amoris (vv. 97 s.)

There once was a time when Florentine citylife revolved around the river. The Arno wasthe source of hydraulic energy for thousandsof people who developed their businesses onand around the river. After 1800, with themechanisation of the textile and wool indus-tries, much of the activity on the river wasmoved to other locations.The river divides the city in two and on eachside there are the Lungarno, which are the river-banks and streets running along the river.

Floods

Over the course of the pastfew centuries Florence hassuffered many floods, butthe worst two have beenthat of 1333 and of 1966.The curious fact is that theyboth occurred in the sameday: November 4th.In via de’ Neri there areplaques marking the levelof both floods. The one in1966 is 30 cm higher thanthat of 1333.Not many people knowthat when the flood struckin ’66, manypeople wholoved the citycame from allaround theworld (like, forexample, thelate EdwardKennedy) toFlorence tohelp clean upand protecthistoric docu-ments andworks of art.

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PONTE VECCHIOThis is the only bridge not destroyed by Ger-man mines during the Second World War. Inthe 1400’s the businesses on thebridge were butcher shops, whichwould drop offal and other wastedirectly into the river below. In1593, in order to clean up the noisy and smellystreet, the Grand Duke Fernando I decided toinstall jewellers, goldsmiths and silversmithshere.Along with Michelangelo’s David, the bridgeis a symbol of the city that has enduredthroughout the years.There is a plaque on the Ponte Vecchio with aquote from Dante.He wrote in the Divine Comedy, Inferno XIII,146:‘…In sul passo d’Arno…at the crossing of theArno…’

It is easily recognised by the two rows of shopslining the road, making it look like the exten-sion of the city street. These shops have heavywooden hatches that cover their windows whenclosed, and the rear walls that extend out overthe river; a classic example of the city’s sporti,supported by wooden beams.At the four corners of the bridge there wereonce four towers to control the traffic comingin and out of the city, but only one, the Torredei Mannelli has survived.

The Bust of BenvenutoCellini

In the middle of the bridge,the shops are interruptedby two terraces, which pro-vide a panoramic view ofeach side of the Arno. TheVasari corridor mounts theterrace on the eastern side,while the other has a mon-ument to Benvenuto Celli-ni, the most famous Flo-rentine goldsmith. Morerecently, the gate aroundthe monument has beenused for over two decadesby lovers that placed pad-locks with their initials andthen tossed the key intothe water, a symbol thatno one can come betweenthem. Outlawed by thetown in 2006 (there’s a 50euro fine for anyone caughtputting one on), youngcouples now use the nearbygate along the lungarnodegli Archibusieri.

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Vasarian Corridor TipCommissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici in1565, Giorgio Vasari built the secret corridorconnecting Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti atthe same time that Francesco, son of CosimoI, was to marry Giovanna d’Austria. The ideawas to create a way for the Grand Dukes tomove freely and safely between the governmentseat and their home, especially as it was stilluncertain at the time whether the populationwould support the new Duke and the changefrom Republic to monarchy.Mussolini expanded the discreet Renaissance

porthole windows, located along the passage-way over the bridge, into panoramic views overthe river in 1939, the year that Hitler visitedon his trip to consolidate the relationship withhis ally. It is said that the Fuhrer greatly enjoyedthe view, and this may be the reason why thebridge was saved from destruction when theGermans retreated from the city.As immortalised in the film Paisà by RobertoRossellini, the Vasari corridor was the only re-maining connection left between the two sidesof the river as the Nazis had mined both endsof the bridge to cut off communication. Thepartisans used this to sneak back and forth,while the allies occupied the southern bank ofthe Arno.

Once across the Arno, the corridor passes abovethe loggia of Santa Felicita’s facade, with a pri-vate and very protected balcony on the insidethat allowed the family to attend mass without

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risking an appearance in public. Today, the en-tire corridor is part of the Uffizi Gallery, and ithouses a vast collection of portraits from the17th and 18th centuries as well as many famousself-portraits. You can visit the corridor (onlyon appointment), starting in the Uffizi andending in the Boboli Gardens near the Grottadel Buontalenti. www.polomuseale.firenze.it/musei/vasariano

Acqua, Water Producers in Tuscany

SORGENTE CINTOIA SRL Via Cintoia Bassa, 55Greve in Chianti (Florence) Tel. 0558572285Lat: 43.63734 – Long: 11.34074

SORGENTE PALINA SAS Localita’ Marcoiano, 33Scarperia (Florence) Tel. 0558406883Lat: 44.06004 – Long: 11.29406

ACQUA PANNALoc. Panna (Scarperia)Lat: 44.06501 – Long: 11.28828www.sanpellegrino.it/acquapanna

ACQUA TESORINOVia Costa al Bagno, 6Montopoli In Val D'Arno (Pisa)Lat: 43.66006Long: 10.76136www.tesorino.com

ACQUA SAN FELICE

Via GuastiniLoc. San FelicePistoiaTel. 057341049LAT: 43.98151LONG: 10.88388www.sanfelice.org

ACQUA E TERMEULIVETO SPA Via Provinciale Vicarese,120Vicopisano (Pisa) Tel. 050789511LAT: 43.68725 LONG: 10.54269www.uliveto.it

SORGENTE VERNAS.R.L. DOSSO ALTOSPA Localita’ RioChiusi della Verna (Arezzo) Tel. 0575596710LAT: 43.66767LONG: 11.89244

ACQUA FONTEVIVAVia Capannelle 4Prati della CioccaMassa (MS)Tel. 0585319512LAT: 44.05094LONG: 10.16415www.acquafonteviva.it

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ROWINGThe Arno River gradu-ally lost its historicalsplendour over theyears, until the Florence Rowing Society, SocietàCanottieri Firenze and the Communal RowingAssociation, Canottieri Comunali, recentlybrought life back to the waterway.They gathered together top athletes and ama-teurs, and have animated the river with clubactivities. In fact, rowing is now very popularin Florence. The Canottieri Comunali Firenzeis located below piazzale Michelangelo, andthe Società Canottieri Firenze is between theUffizi and the Ponte Vecchio: their rowers arerecognisable by their red and white striped row-ing gear. The view in particular from the SocietàCanottieri Firenze is wonderful, so I highlyrecommend a visit to their restaurant for dinner.They have tables right on the lawn overlookingthe river with a one-of-a-kind view of PonteVecchio. You can also eat lunch there as well,but you must book a table.

FLORENCE ROWIN SOCIETY

The Società Canottieri Firen-ze is just next to the PonteVecchio near the Uffizi.Lungarno Anna Maria Luisade Medici, 8Tel. 0552381010LAT: 43.76805LONG: 11.25468www.canottierifirenze.it

RISTORANTE ACQUA 8TTO

Open for lunch Thurs-Sat,and for brunch on Sundaysby reservation only (no walk-ins!). Lungarno A.M.Medici, 8Tel. 055211093 / Mob.3387507562 or3332067116

COMMUNAL ROWINGASSOCIATIONLungarno Ferrucci, 2 Tel. 0556812151LAT: 43.76395LONG: 11.28062www.canottiericomunali-firenze.itRENAIOLI

The original navigators of the ArnoRiver were called renaioli. Theseworkers pushed their boats with polesand were responsible for digging the sand upfrom the river bed that was later mixed intomortar for the construction of all the Florentinepalaces, walls, roads, etc. In the Renaissance,during the rebuilding of the town centre, therenaioli dug out from the riverbed, loaded it

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onto their boats, and then rowed it to the river-bank, with sweat and toil and a pittance forpay. From there, carts would go back and forthfrom the banks of the Arno to the centre ofFlorence, maintaining a constant supply of thisessential river sand.Today you can get a feel of this ancient profes-sion thanks to a new initiative, which let’s youpunt down the Arno River with a professionalguide. After a spin around the river, you canhave a romantic dinner at the private rowingclub on the riverbank with its breathtakingview.www.renaioli.it

FIRENZE RAFTING in FlorenceOffers guided tours on theArno and Sieve Rivers withthe choice of three differentroutes.The trips are open to schoolgroups, families, touristsand Florentines themselveswho want to discover, in amarriage of sport and cul-ture, stunning scenery andunusual perspectives of thecity and territory. Tel. 3490921540www.firenzerafting.it

GOLF CLUBSGOLF CLUB PARCO DI FIRENZEA 9-hole course only 4 km from piazza delDuomo, it is located along the Arno River onthe southwest side of the Cascine Park. Comingfrom Porta a Prato, cross the Alla Vittoria bridgeand turn immediately right, following thecourse of the Arno for 3 km. Follow the signsfor GOLF. From the Viadotto dell’Indiano(airport area), take the Isolotto exit and followthe GOLF signs (2 min. distance). From thetrain station, take bus number 9 towardsIsolotto and get off at the Esselunga/Argin-grosso stop.Via dell’Isolotto, 10Tel. 055785627www.parcodifirenze.it

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EVENTS IN TOWN- SPORTMay 10Guarda Firenze, A Look AroundFlorenceEnd of MayMille Miglia, Histocal Car RaceTuscany Last Sunday of SeptemberCorri la Vita, Florentine Marathon Last Sunday of NovemberFirenze Marathon, Florentine Marathon

EVENT AROUND TUSCANY-SPORTNature Train: All year long Siena-ValdorciaFirst Sunday in JuneRegata Storica in Arno, Historical Boat Race Calcinaia (Pistoia) Beginning of JuneItalian Grand Prix, Motorcycle RaceScarperia (Florence) 1st week in JuneCoppa Risi’atori, Historical Boat RaceLivornoSeptember 8thFiera di San Celestina, Hot Air Balloon Launch - SanMarcello Pistoiese (Pistoia)

EROICA Vintage Bike RaceA series of legs along the white dirt roads in the hills andvalleys of Chianti and the Crete Senese, the Eroica race,held at the end of September-beginning of October,is open to riders exclusively on vintage bikes.www.eroica-ciclismo.it

GOLF IN TUSCANY

COSMOPOLITANGOLF & COUNTRYCLUBViale Pisorno, 60Tirrenia (Pisa)LAT: 43.62647LONG: 10.30569www.cosmopolitangolf.it

LE PAVONIERE GOLF& COUNTRY CLUBVia Traversa il Crocifisso Prato Tel 0574620855 LAT: 43.84765LONG: 11.06331www.golfclublepavoniere.com

POGGIO DEI MEDICIGOLF AND COUNTRYCLUBVia San Gavino, 27Scarperia (Florence)Tel. 0558435562LAT: 43.99096LONG:11.33634www.poggiodeimedici.com

UGOLINO GOLF CLUB Via di Poggio Ugolino, 1Ugolino (Florence)Tel. 055230551LAT: 43.69530 LONG: 11.29317www.golfugolino.it

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Food & Wine Events

ALL MONTH LONGTRENO DEL VINOThe Wine TrainMontalcino (Siena) From Siena to the Montalcino-Torrenieri Station Two train cars travel from the Siena train stationto Torrenieri-Montalcino, the site of the Wines-tation. The train crosses the heart of the emeraldVal d’Orcia, and its enchanting panoramas.The classic Wine Train includes a visit to theabbey of Sant’Antimo and the medieval hilltown of Montalcino, while the Tuscany SlowTrain is a day trip from Florence to visit Siena,the Winestation, Montalcino and then backto Florence.www.winestation.it

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BREAD

“Cum sale panis, latrantem stomachum bene leniet”(Bread with salt quiets the angry stomach)

Horace, Satire (2,2,17 s.)

A curiosity of traditional Tuscan bread is that it isunsalted, which comes as a shock the first timeyou try it! The reason for this is that centuries agothe Florentine Government placed a tax on salt.The bakers of the city, to to keep prices low, leftthis ingredient out. Tuscans are proud of their un-salted bread, and it is perfect as a scarpetta (littleshoe) for mopping up the last of the sauce onone’s plate, or simply with fresh olive oil and asprinkling of salt. Bread is used in many famousFlorentine dishes. As an ingredient, it usually worksbetter if it’s a little stale. Two days old is perfect formaking panzanella, a typical summer salad withtomatoes. There are many varieties of bread, createdin different towns, and even more than one varia-tion in the same town!

Fried Dough: CoccoliAll regional cuisines in Italy have dishes based onfried dough, but in Tuscany it’s a downright pas-sion. Each area has its own speciality: in Florencethey have small, round coccoli (literally ‘cuddles’),while in Prato they have ficattole (these deliciousmorsels can be found at the restaurant San-t’Agostino 23 in Florence!), in Versilia panzanelle,in the Lunigiana a specialty called sgabei, and lastbut not least, in Siena there are rivolti. Coccoli

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are a savoury treat that used to be eaten fresh atfriggitorie as a snack at midday. Nowadays there aren’t too many friggitorie andcoccoli are not so easy to come by. The friggitorie were also known for fried stripsof polenta (with a more crunchy surface thanthe cubes you usually find), bomboloni (dough-nuts), and the holiday treat, rice fritelle.

Piazza del Grano

Cosimo II de’Medici built theLoggia del Gra-no, the marketplace for grain,in via de’Neri

where this important busi-ness was supervised by theUfficiali della Grascia. Thesegrascini kept an eye on thequality and the quantity ofthe grain, as well as the reg-ularity of the prices, an im-portant duty since breadwas the basis of the averagediet and couldn’t undergolarge fluctuations in price.In fact jail time or exile wasthe normal penalty for anybakers who dared to alteror stretch the bread theysold with other substances.The spiano was the measureof grain allowed each bakereach month, and when allwas well (that is, there wereno plagues or wars), theywere allowed the entire spi-ano. On the contrary, dif-ficult times could cause therations to be halved to amezzo spiano. From this,the expression a tutto spiano,referring to the full ration,is now used to mean ‘to themax,’ or ‘with abandon.’

LOGGIASThe term loggia describes the arched, pillaredporches and covered squares of the city.There are many beautiful loggias hidden awayin private courtyards or monasteries, but manycan also be seen from the street.You should know that loggias were used asshelters for poor people and pilgrims, thoughthey were also places to celebrate power andluxury. Large public loggias had specific pur-poses, like the Loggia del Pesce (the fish market)and the Loggia del Mer-cato Nuovo (the locationof the New Market) todaycalled ‘del Porcellino.’The covered markets and manyof the public loggias were established in frontof hospitals or hospice houses like the Loggiadel Brunelleschi in piazza Santissima Annun-ziata, in front of the Hospital of the Innocents(Spedale degli Innocenti). Close to elegant andimportant buildings, there were loggias wherecelebrations were held, such as banquets, wed-dings and funerals. A typical loggia of this type

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is the luxurious Loggia dei Priori, also called‘dell’Orcagna,’ in piazza Signoria. The signoria(the governing body of Florence) used thisbeautiful place for public ceremonies and theproclamation of new laws. It later becameknown as the Loggia de Lanzi due to the nameof the guards, the Lanzichenecchi (lancers),that Cosimo I established here after the Re-public ended in the mid-1500’s.Recently, the government has restored some ofthe public functions of the Loggia dei Lanzi,and sometimes there are municipal ceremoniesand classical music concerts held under it.

PAN DI RAMERINO Rosemary BreadThis is a soft bread bun with sultanaraisins and rosemary, sold only in theperiod before Easter. Not all that longago, the buns were sold by the Floren-tine bakers only on the day before GoodFriday and then blessed by the localpriest. These special buns belong to ageneral European tradition; every coun-try has its own version. In Great Britain, hotcross buns were sold only on Good Friday. Theoriginal recipe was medieval, and naturally ithas been modified over the centuries. Thesedays sugar is added, and it’s possible to findthese buns all year round. Rosemary Breadshould be set to rise for about an hour. Thebuns are brushed with olive oil, using a sprigof rosemary and then cooked until the surfacebecomes deep golden and shiny.

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The Legend of the BakerOn the top of a column on the left side of theDuomo, there is a statue of a bull’s head. Itwas placed there to honor the many animalsthat labored throughout the centuries to buildthe Duomo. However there is also a legend at-tached to this particular sculpture.It is said that a local carpenter took the baker’swife as his lover. When the baker (whose shopwas opposite the carpenters) discovered the af-fair, he reported the lovers to the Tribunale Ec-clesiastico (Ecclesiastical Court), which con-demned them for adultery, putting an end totheir relationship. The carpenter, to avengehimself, erected the bull’s head in front of thebaker’s business to remind him every day ofthis episode.So you might say, why would he do that? Well,in Italy, when one has been the victim of un-faithfulness you are considered cornuto (withhorns) and an object of ridicule, especially fora man, proof that he is unable to satisfy andcontrol his wife!

BEST BAKERIES INTOWN

PUGI

Considered thebest bakery in Florence.Pugi is famous for theirschiacciata (flat bread bakedwith olive oil) and pizzawith various toppings. Piazza San Marco, 9 b Tel. 055280981Via S. Gallo, 62 rTel. 055475975Via De Amicis, 49 rTel. 055669666www.focacceria-pugi.it

SARTONI

This bakery, known locallyas the forno on via de’ Cer-chi, sells bread, pizza andpastries. It’s well worth thewait in line to buy a sliceof pizza topped with sea-sonal vegetables. Be sure totry the schiacciata (flat breadbaked with olive oil).(Closed Wednesday after-noons)Via de’Cerchi, 34 rTel. 055212570

GIOVANNI GALLI

Two stores in town andone is even open on Sun-day.(7:30 a.m.-8 p.m.)Via M. Palmieri, 24 rTel. 0552480336 (7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; Sun. 8 a.m.-7p.m.)Via S. Agostino, 8 rTel. 055219703

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MAMA’S BAKERY, American BakeryLocated in the Oltrarno area, the bakery is a few stepsfrom Santo Spirito, Pitti Palace and Ponte Vecchio. Hereyou find all kinds of American goodies such as bagels,muffins, quiches, brownies, cheesecake, club sandwiches,chocolate chip cookies, American coffee and pumpkin pieduring the holidays. Open Mon. to Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Satto Sun. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (Closed Sundays)Via della Chiesa, 34 rTel. 055219214www.mamasbakery.it

EVENTS AROUND TUSCANY-BREAD Second to last Sun. of May‘Pane e Companatico’ Bread Festival Marradi (Florence) www.pro-marradi.it

ARTE DEI FORNAI

Art of the BakersMembership to this groupwas only given to the bestbakers of the city. Bread hasalways been an importantstaple in the Tuscan diet,and no table is completewithout it.Saint Lorenzo (who mar-tyred by being baked alive)is the Patron Saint of theart of bread making, andhe is portrayed in a frescoin the church of Orsan-michele, where the Consolidell’Arte (the guild’s guid-ing body) made offeringseach year on August 10th.

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RIBOLLITA or MINESTRA DI PANE or ZUPPA DI PANE

Bread, Vegetable and Bean Stew

¼ of a cabbage1 leek1 onion finely chopped2 potatoes2 carrots2 zucchini2 celery sticks300 gr cannellini beans, soaked2 peeled tomatoesextra-virgin olive oilsalt and pepper250 gr of 1- to 2-day-old Tuscan bread

DeCeMBeR ReCIpe

In a pot, saute the onions in olive oil. Add all the other chopped vegetables and cookslowly for about 10 minutes. Add half of the beans and their liquid. Incorporatethe other half of the beans slowly. Add salt and pepper and let cook at a low tem-perature for two hours. At this point, add thesliced bread, mix well and cook for another 10minutes. Serve in earthenware bowls and topwith olive oil. Ribollita literally means reboiled,because its also great reheated the day after.

La BertaAs you look up on the side of the Duomo whilestanding in via Cerretani, you can see a whitemarble bust of a woman. The story goes thatthis is Berta, la cavolaia (the cabbage seller), amarket worker from the 13th century who nevermarried or had any children. Upon her death, she left all her possessions tothe monks of the Santa Maria Maggiore church,who used this money for the casting of a churchbell. It tolled every sunset to mark the end ofthe working day for the market workers. As asign of their gratitude, the people in the neigh-bourhood erected this bust to remember andhonour her.

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January Events

Art, Crafts & Music Events

JANUARYPITTI IMMAGINEFashion shows and conventionsFlorenceOne of the most important appointments infashion, Florence comes to life with thousandsof visitors, fashion shows and parties all aroundthe city for Pitti Uomo (men’s collections), PittiW (women’s pre-collections) and Pitti Bimbo(children’s collections).www.pittimmagine.com

FASHION IN FLORENCEFlorence has a long tradition in fashion, makingit one of the most active hubs of the businessin Italy and the world. Historic and well-knownfashion houses the likes of Pucci, Salvatore Fer-ragamo and Gucci as well as Roberto Cavalli,Enrico Coveri and Patrizia Pepe all have rootshere. The highest concentration of luxury bou-tiques are in the luxury district along via de’Tornabuoni and via della Vigna Nuova, withother stores around the centre and in factoryoutlets in the Tuscan countryside.

FASHION MUSEUMSThe city has a museum dedicated to fashionand its history called the Galleria del Costume,the only museum of its kind in Italy.It gives a history of the many phases of fashion

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throu the centuries with over 6,000 pieces suchas clothing, accessories, theatrical and cinemacostumes of great importance from Italian andforeign designers such as Valentino, GiorgioArmani, Gianni Versace, Emilio Pucci, OttavioMissoni, Yves Saint Laurent and many more. In the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum in PalazzoSpini-Feroni (in via de’ Tornabuoni), there areover 10,000 Ferragamo shoes as well as photo-graphs, newspapers, sketches and wooden lastsbelonging to celebrity clients. The Museo Capucci opened in 2008 to housemany of the designer Roberto Capucci’s piecescreated since 1950, including those created forthe Biennale di Venezia in 1995.Other museums related to fashion and its in-dustries include the Fondazione Arte della SetaLisio (silk museum), the Museo Della Paglia edell’Intreccio in Signa (straw weaving museum),the Museo Degli Argenti and Museo Torrini,dedicated to gold, silver and jewels. There areadditional examples of period clothing in theMuseo Stibbert and a short drive away in Pratois the Museo Del Tessuto (textile museum).

EVENT IN TOWNFASHION

End of January and JunePitti ImmagineFlorencewww.pittimmagine.comOne of the major yearlyappointments in fa-shion, the city comes tolife with thousands of vi-sitors, fashion showsand parties all aroundthe city for Pitti Uomo(men’s collections), Pit-ti W (women’s pre-col-lections) and Pitti Bim-bo (children’s collec-tions).

End of January Beginning of February Vintage Selection Florence www.stazioneleopolda.com

FASHION SCHOOLS POLIMODA, the International Institute forFashion Design and Marketing, one of the bestfashion schools in Italy and in Europe, is righthere in Florence. Renowned for professionaltraining in all areas of fashion design and mar-keting, the school has summer courses andmasters’ degrees. Their campus is spread outaround the city including Villa Strozzi in via

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Pisana, the Design Laboratory in via Bal-dovinetti, the Castello dell’Acciaolo and in viaFaenza. ACCADEMIA ITALIANA in Palazzo Pittiholds courses in styling, graphic design andcommunication, textile design and masters’ inthe art of fashion as well as industrial and fur-niture design.SCUOLA DEL CUOIO in piazza SantaCroce, which was opened after the IInd WorldWar, has courses and workshops for learningthe art of working with leather. FONDAZIONE ARTE DELLA SETA LI-SIO holds courses in traditional textile design,velvet in particular, and the IED MODA LABin Florence has yearly courses in fashion designand marketing.

Fashion LibraryThe Centro di Documentazione Matteo Lan-zoni di Polimoda is a very large archive availablefor those working and studying fashion fromstudents to designers, professors and techni-cians.

SILKSilk arrived in Florence in the XIV centurywhen master weavers were exiled from the orig-inal centre of silk production in Tuscany, Lucca,that had been captured and sacked by Pisa in1314. In the XV century the Florentines began culti-vating silk worm, and more importantly, it wasin this century that they developed the velvets,

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damasks, brocades and the lampas that werehighly sought out in all corners of Europe.

Via Por Santa Maria

This is considered the oldestroad in Florence, becauseit’s the extension of the Ro-man road that led up tothe city on the oppositeside of the Arno. The namecomes from the passagewaythrough the first city wallscalled Porta Santa Mariafor the namesake churchthat burnt down centuriesago. During the FlorentineRepublic, this road was thehotbed of the silk trade.

Via VaccherecciaThe name of this ancientstreet comes from a timewhen the Vacca (literally,cow) family had their homein the area where Palazzodella Signoria was later builtin the 14th century.

ARTE DELLA SETA OR ARTE DI POR SANTA MARIA

Art of the Silk MastersThe Arte della Seta regulated the silk economy in Florencefrom the 1400’s through the 1700’s. These artisans workedtapestries fashioned from gold, silver and other exotic vi-brant colors, experiencing the greatest popularity duringthe second half of the 1400’s. Silk became synonymouswith the great families of Florence, and on the occasion ofparticularly important birth, the family would choose afabric with a particular design and a precise color thatwould take the name of the newborn. The fabric was theexclusive property of the person to whom it was dedicated,and only after his death, could it returned to being pro-duced freely. Toward the middle of the 18th century, around the timewhen the Arte della Seta was disbanded, some families,among them the Guicciardini, Della Gherardesca, Pucci,Corsini and Bartolozzi, combined efforts, creating a com-mon workshop. They put the looms and designs that hadpreviously been housed in their respective palaces togetherin one location. Serving to aid these families in the occa-sional replacements for wall decorations in their palacesand for costumes, the fabrics eventually brought such ad-miration that production was then expanded to satisfy re-quests pouring in from aristocratic palaces all over Europe.This establishment was located in Via de’ Tessitori (Streetof the Weavers).

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ANTICO SETIFICIO FIORENTINOThe Setificio is where the ma-jority of silk production tookplace during the growth of theindustry in the late 18th cen-tury. In 1958 the MarquisEmilio Pucci di Barsento, a part-ner in the Setificio, took control of production,originally started by a group of noble families.After WWII, the business grew steadily againabroad, working out of the same location in viaBartolini. Today the Setificio is still owned by thePucci Family.Besides continuing the tradition of weaving antiquedamasks, brocades, lampas and ermisini (specialtaffetas), the Setificio creates fabrics in thousandsof shades, even for the most modern projects, withhand-dyed silk thread. You can find accessoriesfor the home like picture frames, velvet pillows,notebooks, photo albums made in Spinone or inSaia Fiorentina (typical Florentine patterns) as wellas silk and cashmere doublée scarves, small taffetahandbags, silk bags for poutpourri, miniatureboxes, jewellery cases and more. Via L. Bartolini, 4Tel. 055213861www.setificiofiorentino.it

FONDAZIONE ARTE DELLA SETA LISIOLisio Silk FoundationFidalma Lisio created this foundation in 1971with the scope of perpetuating the technicalknowledge and ancient methods involved inthe manufacture of silk fabrics. The foundation

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houses a valuable library and a collection ofancient fabrics with examples dating from theMiddle Ages to the early 19th century. Overthe years, fruitful collaboration has been estab-lished with important designers from the worldof fashion such as Valentino, Versace, Gucci,and Fendi, for whom Lisio has created severalexclusive, highly-prized fabrics for bags, and inparticular for Fendi’s Baguette model.Via B. Fortini, 143 Tel. 0556801340www.fondazionelisio.org

LISA CORTILisa Corti’s home textile emporium is bright,colorful and modern, with fabrics, home goodsand clothing that reflect her eastern interpre-tation of the west. At the shop there are hand-made goods like cushions, curtains, quilts, bed-spreads, dresses, coats, skirts, as well as babygarments, furniture and pottery.Piazza Ghiberti, 33Tel. 0552001860Via de Bardi, 58 rTel. 0552645600www.lisacorti.com

FONDAZIONE ROBERTO CAPUCCICapucci FoundationThe foundation, in the 17th century Villa Bar-dini, boasts an incredible quantity of docu-mentary materials on the career of the greatRoman designer, who maintained close tieswith Florence since his debut in 1951. TheMuseum houses over 60,000 artifacts with sev-

ARTE DEI MERCATANTI

or ARTE DI CALIMALA

Art of the Great Merchants

In the Middle Ages, theCalimala (situated in viaCalimala) was the most im-portant of all the guilds,controlling the shops andmerchants that importedtextiles from foreign coun-tries, which they would re-work and resell. Some say the origin of thename comes from kalima,a raw material importedfrom Arab countries thatwas used to dye the textiles.But most think that itcomes from the Latinphrase callis mallus (direstreet). The malus may havereferred to either the poorcondition of the road orperhaps the poor quality ofsome of the people (thieves,gamblers, prostitutes, etc.)that frequented the busystreet.In fact, back then the oldwomen who kept bordellosin the area would light thestreets at night with largetorches to show off theladies at their disposal. Thisis the origin of the phrase‘reggere il moccolo’ (to holdthe candlestick), similar tothe English ‘third wheel’concept.

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eral hundred couture creations and illustrationsplus thousands of sketches that give insightinto his dressmaking process.Costa San Giorgio, 4www.fondazionerobertocapucci.com

GALLERIA DEL COSTUMECostume GalleryThis is the first state-operated museum dedi-cated entirely to the study and preservation ofcostumes, accessories, and fabrics. Opened in1983, you can find it in the neoclassical Palazz-ina della Meridiana (commissioned by DukePietro Leopoldo of Lorraine in 1776) on thesouth side of Palazzo Pitti. Today the museumpreserves more than 6,000 items, includingancient and modern garments, accessories, andcostumes for the theatre and cinema of greatdocumentary value. An important collectionis from the Medici family, one of the world’soldest of its kind. Space is also dedicated tocontemporary fashion.Open Tues. to Sun. 8:15 a.m.-6:50 p.m. (ClosedMondays, New Year’s Day, May 1st, and Dec. 25)Palazzo PittiPiazza Pitti, 1Tel. 0552388801 / Bookings: 055294883www.firenzemusei.it/moderna/index.html

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MUSEO DEL TESSUTO Prato Textile MuseumPratoThe Textile Museum of Pratois one of the most importantcentres in Italy for the study,preservation and exhibitionof textile heritage. It is housedin the Cimatoria Campolmi& C, an extraordinary example of industrial architectureof the XIX and XX century near the city centre. The build-ing, a complex 8.500 square meters wide, originally usedto finish raw fabrics, is the symbol of the Prato textilemanufacturing story and also houses the city library. TheMuseum exhibits a collection of textiles fragments withexamples from ancient Peru (pre-Columbian), Egypt (Cop-tic fabrics), as well as from Italy, Europe, Middle and FarEast, India, China, Japan and more, dating from the XIVto XX centuries. An introductory area with a “touch andfeel” exhibition of fibres helps visitors to understand thecomplex process of textile production.Also very interesting are the sections dedicated to localproduction, whose origin goes back to the Middle Ages.Today textile production represents the most importanteconomic activity in the area and the museum offers thepossibility to see a selection of contemporary fabrics, pro-duced by companies in Prato, for the most important in-ternational fashion designers and firms. The museum alsoorganizes temporary exhibitions, guided tours and activitiessuch as practical workshops for adults and families.Via Santa Chiara, 24 PratoTel. 0574611503LAT: 43.87739 – LONG: 11.09852www.museodeltessuto.it

MUSEO STIBBERT

Stibbert Museum

This historic home andmuseum is dedicated toFrederick Stibbert (1838-1906), an English citizenborn in Florence. It preserveshis living quarters, remod-elled to resemble a neo-Gothic castle, and his ex-traordinary collection of ex-otic and applied arts, puttogether over the course ofa lifetime of journeys andresearch, ranging from ar-mour to porcelain, furnitureand costumes.Hours: Mon. to Wed. 10a.m.-2 p.m.; Fri. to Sun. 10a.m.-6 p.m. (Closed Thursdays)Via Frederick Stibbert, 26Tel. 055475520www.museostibbert.it

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SHIRTSLA BOTTEGA DI SETTIGNANO Located on via Fra’ Bartolomeo,Leonardo Bugelli takes measure-ments, prepares paper patterns, cutsthe cloth by hand, and bastes it, before thefinal fitting and finishing touches (buttonholes,hand-embroidered monograms, etc.). Leonardouses only the finest fabrics: cotton, cotton-linenblends, silk and pure linen, and the buttonsare made of Austrian mother-of-pearl. Via Frà Bartolommeo, 21 rTel. 055577600www.leonardobugelli.it

END OF JANUARY, BEGINNING OF FEBRUARYVINTAGE SELECTIONVintage Fashion FairFlorenceHeld in the former train station, StazioneLeopolda, this fair was created for vintage cloth-ing, accessories and designer objects. Frequented by a large public of collectors andenthusiasts alike, fashion designers and styleoffices browse the stands for a dose of creativeinspiration.www.stazione-leopolda.com

GERARD LOFTVintage store in FlorenceVia de’ Boni, 5 rTel. 055282491www.gerardloft.com

GERARD shopVia Vacchereccia, 18Tel. 055215942

GERARD COMPANYVia Lambertesca, 24 rTel. 0552654234

FLOW STOREVia VecchiettiTel. 055215504www.flow-store.it

RASPINI VINTAGEOUTLET

The Raspini Vintage Outletis located near piazza Sig-noria in via Calimaruzza.It carries famous brands ofshoes, accessories and cloth-ing for men, women andchildren at sale prices allyear round.Via Calimaruzza, 17 rTel. 055213901www.raspini.com

RASPINI shopVia Por S. Maria, 72 rTel. 055215796

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The Baths in Via delle Bombarde

This small street betweenvia delle Terme and borgoSantissimi Apostoli probablyowes its name to the Bom-barda family that ownedhouses in the area. The ur-ban legend goes that thebaths were once a meetingplace for all the citizens ofFlorence, where they wouldspend hours relaxing andbathing in large pools, whileinstead the public toiletswere right on via delle Bom-barde (‘bombings’), whichmakes people think thatthe name may be due tothe unpleasant sounds onceheard in the street!

Food & Wine Events

SECOND HALF OF JANUARY1ST WEEK IN FEBRUARYVINO & PIZZAWine & PizzaEmpoli Wine and pizza, a match made in heaven, starin this nearby event; it’s the perfect excuse togo out for a fun evening in the quiet days thatfollow the holidays.www.empolese-valdelsa.it

THERMAL BATHS, SPAS IN TOWN and GYMSThe Terme were the Roman bathsof Florence, built in the second cen-tury but then destroyed by a fire inthe fifth century. They were located in BorgoSantissimi Apostoli in front of Piazzetta delLimbo.

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FONBLIÙPiazzale di Porta Romana, 10 rTel. 0552335385www.fonbliu.com

KLAB WELLNESS CENTREVia G.B. Lulli, 62(also in Via de Conti and on the Marignolle hill)Tel. 055333621www.klab.it

IL VORTICEVia Lambertesca, 16Tel. 055280212www.clubilvortice.com

OLYMPUSVia di Ripoli, 88Tel. 055689618www.olympusclub.it

SOUL SPACEA magic place just a few steps from the Duomoof Florence, Soulspace offers treatments usingnatural products like olive oil, wine and choco-late.Their inviting atmosphere, with delicate fra-grances, soft lights and gentle music are a wel-come respite for the city dweller (or explorer!)with treatments focusing on wellness, beauty,rest and relaxation. They have a day spa with aheated indoor pool, exfoliating and smoothingTurkish bath, spa lounge, and reading library.Treatments include aroma soul ritual massage,Indian (relaxing and detoxifying), Oriental(tranquillizing and rebalancing), and Mediter-

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ranean (draining and revitalizing) massages.They also offer a light and delicious spa menuwith special herbal infusions, fruit, vegetablesand yogurt.Via Sant’Egidio, 12Tel. 0552001794www.soulspace.it

TROPOSVia Orcagna, 20 a Tel. 055679746www.troposfirenze.it

YOGA SANCTUARY in the heart of Florence

Experience the peace andtranquillity of private yogasessions, suitable for indi-viduals or small groups, giv-en in an air-conditionedstudio in a private gardenwithin the San Fredianodistrict of old Florence (a 5minute walk from the SantoSpirito Church). Michela,a certified yoga teacher withextensive international ex-perience, will personally tai-lor sessions to your needsand abilities to ensure thatyour session is a memorableone. Private Yoga Sessions byMichela PaciniPiazza Piattellina, 2www.yogaflorence.com

HAIR-DRESSERBH SALONNicoletta is a top hairstylistwith a passionate team thatis ready to take care of theirclients’ every need. Tigiproducts are used exclu-sively.Borgo Ognissanti, 12 rTel. 0552645561www.bhsalon.it

VIRGIN ACTIVE FIRENZEAn all-out fitness complex just a short bus rideaway from the centre of town.Via Generale dalla Chiesa, 11Tel. 800914555www.virginactive.it

Just outside the city…HIDRONVia di Gramignano, close to Esselunga, CampiBisenzio (Florence)Tel.055892500LAT: 43.82022 – LONG: 11.12306www.hidron.it

THERMAL BATHS IN THESURROUNDINGS OF FLORENCETERME DI BAGNO VIGNONIBagno Vignoni, San Quirico d’Orcia (Siena)Tel. 0577887365LAT: 43.02817 – LONG: 11.61800www.termedibagnovignoni.com

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CIALDE DI MONTECATINIMontecatini Almond-filled Wafer Cookies arethe gastronomic specialityof Montecatini.

BARGILLI is the place tofind the best cialde in Mon-tecatini.Viale G. Verdi, 92 (and theother in Viale P. Grocco, 2) Montecatini (Pistoia)Tel. 057279459www.cialdedimontecatini.it

GROTTA GIUSTIVia Grotta Giusti, 1411 Monsummano Terme (Pistoia)Tel. 057290771Lat: 43.86619 – Long: 10.83081www.grottagiustispa.com

TERME DI GAMBASSI STABILIMENTO ACQUA DI PILLOPiazza di Vittorio, 1Gambassi Terme (Florence)Tel. 0571638141LAT: 43.53962 – LONG: 10.95419

TERME DI FIRENZEVia Cassia, 217Impruneta (Florence)Tel. 0552020151LAT: 43.68540 – LONG: 11.21407

TERME DI MONTECATINIThe thermal baths of Montecatini are thelargest in Italy and among the best in qualityin Europe. The spa offers a complete list oftreatments overseen by experts and qualifiedmedical personnel. This makes Montecatinithe ideal city for getting back into shape andenjoying a pleasant and energising vacation.Viale Verdi, 41Montecatini Terme (Pistoia)Tel. 05727781LAT: 43.88410 – LONG: 10.77223info@termemontecatini.itwww.termemontecatini.it

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TERME DI SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI FONTEVERDELocalità Terme, 1San Casciano dei Bagni (Siena)Tel. 057857241LAT: 42.86583 – LONG: 11.87514www.fonteverdespa.com

TERME DI SATURNIAVia della Follonata, Saturnia Manciano (Grosseto)Tel. 0564601061LAT: 42.65849 – LONG: 11.51588www.termedisaturnia.it

TERME CALIDARIOVillage of Venturina Campiglia Marittima (Livorno)Tel. 0565851066LAT: 43.03947 – LONG: 10.59159www.calidario.it

TENNIS CLUBS IN TOWN

ALLECASCINEViale Visarno, 1Tel.055354326

S. QUIRICHINOVia S. Quirichino, 8Tel. 055225687

MATCH BALLVia della MassaCandeli (Florence)Tel. 055631572

MICHELANGELOViale Michelangelo, 61Tel. 0556811880

RELAIS CERTOSAVia Buca della Certosa, 1Tel. 0552047171

ZODIAC SPORTVia A. Grandi, 2Tavarnuzze (Florence)Tel. 0552022847

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JANUARy ReCIpe

ARISTA ALLA FIORENTINA

Florentine-style Roast Pork Loin

1 kg boneless, centre-cut pork loin roast (about 2 pounds) 3 tsp fresh rosemar,y chopped 3 large cloves of garlic, minced½ tsp salt½ tsp ground black pepper2 tbsp olive oilcooking string

Mix the rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper to-gether. Make deep cuts into the pork roast,stuff the incisions with the garlic mixture andspread any remaining mixture over the surfaceof the meat.pour the olive oil into a saucepan and heatover a medium flame. Add the pork roastand roll it around until you’ve browned allsides. Now place the roast on a baking dishand place it in the oven to cook at about350°F (180°C) for about an hour and a half.Check the roast periodically and baste withthe pan juices, turning the roast over everyonce in a while. Remove the roast to acutting board, cover loosely with aluminiumfoil and let stand for 15 minutes. Slice themeat and serve with the pan juices.

TastyTidbitThe term arista describes pork tenderloinroasted with rosemary and garlic. The namecomes from the Greek word aristos, mean-ing best; in fact it is considered the best cutof pork. According to tradition, a Greek cler-gymen visiting Florence in 1430, was servedthe Tuscan-style roast pork, and found itaristos. The dish has been called this eversince and easily lives up to its name.

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