The Florentine: Year One

Transcription

Anno 2 numero 31 - Firenze
Thursday 20 April 2006
H A P PY B I RTH DAY
‘Monster’
Journalist
Imprisoned
Milan boss out
to catch Juve
Where Polo
Turns Tuscan
An
Interview
with
by Marco Del
Pasqua
Nita Tucker
see pg. 4
see pg. 7
see pg. 16
English language newspaper celebrates first anniversary
by Marco Badiani
see pg. 21
ITALIAN
STALLIONS
179th Corsa dell’Arno
races for research
T
T
welve months, ten thousand
copies per issue, more than
two hundred points of distribution. In Florence, every fifteen days
‘they wait’ for their freshly printed
copy. Over twelve thousand people
have visited the website over the last
six months, and a hundred subscriptions have been sent to readers in the
United States, Canada, Australia and
throughout the rest of Tuscany. 24
pages - soon to be 32 - of international news, interviews, cultural features on lifestyles, art and tourism.
These are the statistics sustaining the
editorial adventure that began on
April 21, 2005.
300,000 copies of the full-colour
newspaper have been distributed in
one year, reaching and informing the
50,000 Anglophones who out of love
for Florence, or love of a Florentine,
currently live in this city or the surrounding area. There are managers
of multinational and international
companies here with their families.
There are professors and students
from dozens of language schools,
not to mention forty American and
foreign universities. There are the art
lovers and the artists who populate
galleries and craftsmen’s workshops.
During its first year of life, The Florentine has become a link between
the city and those who are living in
Florence or just passing through for
a slice of its beauty. Thanks to the
news and features, the newspaper
has become not just useful but neccessary. It has also become a way to
counteract the culture shock of the
newly-arrived by means of an inforsee pg. 3
he oldest horse race in Italy,
the Corsa dell’Arno, combines
the excitement of horse racing, the
timelessness of tradition and the
warm-and-fuzzy feeling of a good
cause. The event will take place
on Monday, April 24 and Tuesday, April 25 at the Ippodromo
Le Cascine di Firenze. Entrance
on Monday is free of charge, and
guests will be able to enjoy various
exhibits, an antiques’ market and
an organic products’ market. And
if strolling through market stalls
on a mild April day is not exciting
enough, you can return the next
day for the real event. The Corsa
dell’Arno began in 1827; this year,
the race will feature some of the
world’s most famous jockeys, and
even if you aren’t quite so familiar
with the equestrian celebrity scene,
there will be one face you’re sure
to recognize: Luca Toni from the
Fiorentina soccer team.
see pg. 3
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News
Florence NEWS
��
via santa maria 32r - 50125 Firenze
tel. fax 0552306616
info@theflorentine.net
editore
Azimuth s.r.l.
direzione: via dei Fossi 14c. 59100 Prato
direttore responsabile
Fabiana Ceccarelli
Editor in Chief
Nita Tucker
managing editor
Linda Falcone
contributing editors
Marco Badiani, Elia Della Chiesa,
Giovanni Giusti, Antonio Lo Iacono,
Kate Bolton, Tony Tucker
contributing interns
Mari Kenton Wright, Brooke Carey,
Alessandra Reisner, Leslie Parker
graphics and layout
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continued from pg. 1
The Florentine: Year One Table of CONTENTS
mation network and constant ‘survival advice’ that helps readers understand
and make the most of Florence, a city that does not always allow itself to be
easily interpreted.
The Florentine has quickly ‘captured’ the attention of residents as well as tourists. According to the APT, 1 million tourists visit Florence each year. The paper
has become a friendly face for the traveller who finds The Florentine in the
hall of their hotel, or sometimes right on the bed-side table of their own guest
room.
Want some evidence of ‘The Flor’s’ popularity? Go to the Odeon on a Thursday
night, and see what’s playing in original language. You’ll find half the audience
leafing though The Florentine as they wait for the show. Follow the paper’s
distributors as they cross the city in The Florentine Van, and watch Englishspeaking pedestrians hail them down in the middle of the road, desperate for
a fresh copy right off the front seat. Wander the halls of the city’s universities,
you’ll find The Florentine’s junkies waiting for their bi-weekly English-speaking
fix. Its readers are everywhere. An American family, planning to stay in Florence for six months, insistently asks the concierge at their residence for the new
issue. A mother-tongue professor looks for copies to share with her students
during lesson. These are the incidents that crop up around Florence on Thursday afternoons. These scenes, along with the 6,000 emails received from readers and friends, feed the enthusiasm of the people who make The Florentine
happen. Twenty months of creative encounters between a tightly-knit group
of mixed personalities. From writers to communication managers and graphic
designers, diverse nationalities, each with a different temperament and unique
but complementary skills. English-speakers and Italians of all ages, who have
enhanced this periodical’s slant and point of view, thus setting the stage for the
world of The Florentine.
The Florentine is a new messenger who lives and breathes in Tuscany. It has
become a point of reference for international culture and language in a city that
fluorishes thanks to the open dialogue between those who love and need her.
ITALIAN STALLIONS
continued from pg. 1
In order to attend the Corsa, you will need to purchase a ticket. However, all
proceeds from the events on Tuesday will go straight to the Tommasino Bacciotti
Foundation, a non-profit organisation that raises money for research, treatment,
health assistance and information for juvenile brain tumours. The foundation is
dedicated to the memory of Tommaso Bacciotti of Florence who was diagnosed
with a particularly aggressive brain tumour, known as pinealoblastoma when he
was only nine months old. Although he underwent intensive chemotherapy and
surgery at Ospedale Meyer (Florence’s children’s hospital) the tumour resurfaced, and ‘Tommasino’ died on December 19, 1999. Tommaso’s parents, Barbara and Paolo, decided to create a foundation that would not only preserve their
baby son’s memory but also help find a cure for this terrible cancer so that other
children and families don’t have to experience the suffering that comes with the
sickness or loss of a child. Visit www.tommasino.org.
This event has been organised by Ippodromo & Città, the society that manages the two Florentine racetracks, Le Mulina and Le Cascine, and is sponsored
by the City of Florence through the Councillor for Sports and the Committee for
Florentine Popular Traditions. L’Ippodromo Le Cascine is 1,961.6 metres long
and 19.5 metres wide. There are 15,000 places for the public to observe the
race and 2,200 seats – plenty of room to sit back and cheer while the horses
zoom around the course. The tradition and excitement that surround the Corsa
dell’Arno prove that it is the perfect way to support a good cause and simultaneously enjoy a day at the races.
For more information, call 055 42259210 Fax. 055 42259244
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NEWS
1 FLORENCE
Italian Stallions
Journalist
Imprisoned
4 ‘Monster’
Florence To Swat Barflies
to my World, but
5 Welcome
Stay out of my Words
Florence More Lovable
NEWS
6 NATIONAL
To Have and to Hold
The Beast Behind Bars
NEWS
7 SPORT
Milan boss out to catch Juve
Ponte Vecchio challenge
golf event
PICKS &
9 TOP
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Events Highlights
FLORENTINE
14 THE
SCRAPBOOK
CLOSE & PERSONAL
16 UPAnNitainterview
with
Tucker
ANNIVERSARY
ISSUE
17 SPECIAL
‘Buon Compleanno, Baby’
Behind
18 Faces
The Florentine
& CUSTOMS
20 CULTURE
ITALIAN VOICES:
A Window on Language
and Customs in Italy
& LEISURE
21 TRAVEL
Where Polo Turns Tuscan
ARTS
22 THE
King of Infinite Space
23 ‘Corridors of Power’
REVIEW
24 BOOK
Successful Plotting
& WINE
25 FOOD
The oldest fast food in
Florence
26 Viva Vinitaly!
NUMBERS
27 USEFUL
CLASSIFIED ADS
4
News
5
News
Florence NEWS
News in BRIEF
Florence Gives Neptune
a Hand
140,000 euro have been raised
for the restoration of the ‘Biancone’ Neptune statue in Piazza
della Signoria. 90,000 euro come
from a fundraising gala organised
by the Rotary Club di Firenze and
the Associations of the Golden
Triangle, represented by via Strozzi, via Tornabuoni and via Vignanuova. Another 50,000 euro have
been provided by Florence’s city
hall. A part of the monies will be
used to restore Neptune’s injured
hand by May, and the rest will go
toward diagnostic investigations
about the statue, set to commence after the summer tourist
season winds down. All phases of
the process have been approved
by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure
in Florence.
Florence Takes Wing
After two months of dormancy,
Peretola’s Amerigo Vespucci
airport reopened last week. Florence’s travel hub had been closed
since 2 February to allow for a 10
million euro overhaul of the runway. Though temporarily deferring business to the nearby Pisa
airport, the construction project
now allows the airport to receive
more passengers. It can now host
two million two hundred thousand
travellers as opposed to the prerenovation million and a half. Both
national and international flights
have started taking off according to normal scheduling, and
the entire flight capacity will be
reached by 1 May.
Tournament for Tommy
Soccer tournament held in
honour of slain child
On the day of Tommaso Onofri’s
funeral in Parma, the municipality of
Pelago held a soccer tournament
in his name. Eighteen-month-old
Tommaso was kidnapped and,
after a month of searching, found
dead. The idea for the games in
his honour was supported by the
city administration and approved
by his family. Sports councillor
Manuele Pieraccioni stated, ‘We
want to raise children’s awareness of these dramatic issues and
remind them that their only job is
to have fun and be happy.’ Participating children received T-shirts
emblazoned with two pictures of
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Florence NEWS
‘Monster’ Journalist Imprisoned
Mario Spezi’s arrest sparks
international controversy
Mario Spezi
O
n Friday, April 7, journalist
Mario Spezi was arrested
and charged with slander
for his book Sweet Bloody Hills
(Dolci Colline di Sangue). The book,
which Spezi co-wrote with American journalist Douglas Preston, criticises the investigation surrounding
the so-called ‘Monster of Florence’.
This ‘monster’ killed 14 people in
the Florentine Hills between 1974
and 1985. The killer has never been
caught, and the case has become the
most expensive and longest-running
criminal investigation in recent Italian history. The book’s publisher,
Sonzogno, set the release date for
April 19.
Authorities charged Spezi with
slander and throwing the investigation off track by faulting those
in charge of it. In addition, some have speculated that Spezi’s intense
interest in the case stems
from the fact that he was
involved in the murder
of Francesco Narducci, a
doctor from Perugia who
was found dead in Lake
Trasimeno in October
1985. Narducci has been
suspected of being one of
the ‘monster’s’ victims,
even though his family
maintains that his death
was the result of an accident or
a suicide and was not connected
with the serial killer. Despite such
allegations, Spezi claims that he
only began studying the case out
of a purely professional interest.
On Tuesday, April 11, Spezi was
interrogated by judge Marina De
Robertis. Before his interrogation,
Spezi’s defence lawyer, Alessandro
Traversi, said that after the session,
the lawyers would present a petition for his release, or at least put
him under house arrest. Traversi
argues his client’s innocence. ‘The
truth is that Spezi fell in love with
the case, and he followed it closely’,
he said. ‘As Stendhal said, “Passion
is not blind, it is visionary”, but to
end up in prison is truly too much.’
Left by a Hair
Tuscany votes predictably while Italy splits
I
taly barely skirted a major
political crisis with the marginal victory of Romano Prodi,
the centre-left candidate for Premier. The centre left also won
the Chamber of Deputies with an
astoundingly close margin, 49.8%
of votes as compared to the right’s
49.7%. The six seats assigned by
Italians residing overseas gave his
party the slim advantage in the
Senate as well. Though voting
across Italy was split, it was ‘business as usual’ in historically leftwing Tuscany, with the centre-left
receiving overwhelming favour at
the voting booths.
87% of Florentines voted in the
election, a record turnout, while
Comune di Mugello boasted an
impressive 90% voter turnout
rate. For Senate elections, Prodi’s
coalition, L’Unione, earned 62.7%
of the vote against the 37.2% for
right-wing Casa delle Libertà, or
CDL. Prodi-ites garnered 63.3%
Romano Prodi
in the Chamber of Deputies
against CDL’s 36.7%. Within
the Unione coalition, democrats
received the most votes with
29.3%, but even the communist
party commanded 10.1% of the
vote, a rise from the 6.4% it had
achieved in the 2001 elections.
FLORENCE TO
SWAT BARFLIES
New initiative promotes
‘smart’ drinking
Welcome to my World, but
Stay out of my Words
Crusade to protect Italian language
from foreign invasion
T
hose ‘free shot’ flyers littering
Piazza del Duomo all weekend
long may soon be but a happy
memory. The new drinking tagline
may well become, ‘Go to bars with
intelligence.’ The Smart Bar project,
created in a collaboration between
the Union of Club Owners (SILB),
the Italian Federation of Public
Enterprise (FIPE), and the Association of American Universities in
Italy (which represents 35 schools),
aims to create a safe environment
in bars by discouraging excessive
drinking and providing assistance
to those who have over-imbibed.
The protocol of the project, cosponsored by the City’s Health
Councilor, the Questura, and the
Consulate General of the United
States in Florence, calls for the end
of happy hour, no more free or lowpriced shots, and no more in the
evenings free drinks. From now on,
Florentine bars participating in the
scheme will stop extending enticing invitations to try new cocktails
or to drink a lot at discount prices.
These bars and clubs are also dedicated to helping those who ignore
the good-natured warnings and
wind up drunk. Employees will provide on-the-spot assistance, such
as accompanying them to find a
taxi home. For now, 20 bars in Florence, most in the historical centre,
are adhering to the initiative. Participants will hang up a sign that
reads ‘Smart Bar - Safe Fun’ to
identify themselves as proponents
of the project.
Alcohol is considered the number one danger among young
people, especially for the 7,000
American students who swarm
Florence each year. Indeed, it was
the excess of drunk Americans
that sounded the alarm and called
for the creation of this ‘Smart Bar’
initiative. In the United States a
strictly enforced drinking age of 21
since alcohol is forbidden to many
at home, they begin to experiment
with drink in Italy and can easily go
overboard.
M
arco Grossi, a Florentine
poet and language teacher,
and Paolo Matteucci, a
mathematician and phonetics expert
from Pisa, have founded the Società
dei Cruscanti in hopes of preserving the Italian language to protect it
from the influence of what they call
Morbus Anglicus, or the Anglicisation of the native tongue. The pair
has employed researches and scholars from different universities and
disciplines in their crusade to protect Italian from foreign invasion.
Grossi and Matteucci maintain
that the use of foreign words by
native Italian speakers is steadily
increasing and that this phenomenon is putting the identity of the
Italian language and culture in danger. One of Grossi and Matteucci’s
main objectives is to translate English phrases that have been absorbed
into the language into Italian equivalents.
Some of the most potent ‘linquistic invaders’ have been associated
with English-language technologies
and the media; words such as ‘password’, ‘screensaver’, ‘audience’ and
‘talk show’ are all used in place of
Italian words.
The society has taken action in
response to a perceived risk that
Italian may become what Arrigo
Castellani has described as ‘a dialect used by a small minority of the
great Anglophone community. To
adopt a foreign word when there is
an equivalent Italian one amounts
to despising our culture in favour of
the Anglo-American one,’ said Castellani.
Francesco Abatini, president of
Accademia della Crusca, an association that has historically considered
itself the protectorate of the Italian
language, congratulates the founders
of this new society, but warns them
to be careful, as there are some sectors, like computer science, where
the refusal to adopt foreign terms
would amount to isolation.
The Hanging’s on the Wall
Centre opens for restoration of tapestries
A
new censuch as direct
tre for the Antonio Paolucci
light. The new
conservastructure includes
tion and restoraa vat for cleaning
tion of tapestries
the carpets and
has been crea laboratory for
ated in Florence.
disinfection and
The two million
dust removal.
euro facility was
The seven feafinanced by protured tapestries,
ceeds
earned
on loan from the
from Florentine
Pitti Palace and
museum ticket sales. Seven tapes- the Uffizi galleries’ collection of
tries will be showcased during an some 1012 such pieces, were creexhibit to mark the centre’s opening. ated in the second half of the 16th
The object of the exhibit, announced century. The Medici collections
by Antonio Paolucci, superinten- were first commissioned by Cosimo
dent of the Polo Museale Fioren- I in 1545 and executed by local
tino, is to call attention to the need manufactures. Work on tapestries
to conserve this precious tradition. continued in Florence until 1742.
Often, these intricate and histori- The exhibit is on display until 4 June
cally telling works are damaged due in the Galleria degli Uffizi’s San Pier
to exposure to harmful conditions, Scheraggio Hall. Entrance is free.
FLORENCE MORE LOVABLE
Amo Firenze campaign implemented
O
ne of the world’s most deeply
loved cities is aiming to be
treated with a little more respect.
Host to thousands of faithful citizens and innumerable starry-eyed
tourists, the city of Florence takes
its newest step towards hospitality.
Part of the Amo Firenze (‘I Love Florence’) campaign, this new initiative
is designed to assist both tourists
and locals. The association, which
began its work in January 2005,
will start placing hostesses and
stewards in the major piazzas and
streets in the city centre to ensure
people respect the decorum of the
city. If they catch you littering, they
will direct you to the nearest rubbish
bin, and they may even scold you
for polluting. These ‘hosts’ will also
be able to direct you to a museum,
public monument or the nearest
public restroom.
Citizens in need will be able to
spot these young men and women
by locating the campaign logo and
sponsor’s logo (Fondaria-sai) on
their jackets. They will also be distributing gadgets and pins in order
to strike up conversations with
passers-by in efforts to make their
presence known.
The service began on April 13 and
will continue until June 25. From
10am to 7pm, 23 students from
the Istituto Datini of Prato will serve
various shifts in groups of two and
monitor the following areas: Piazza
Signoria/Uffizi, Por Santa Maria/
Ponte Vecchio, Via Calzaiuoli, Piazza
della Repubblica/Via Calimala/Via
Roma, and the Piazza Duomo/San
Giovanni.
For Better or
for Worse,
Unless…
Annulment requests
overwhelm regional
courthouse
A
record high number of annulment cases are being filed with the
Etruscan Ecclesiastic Regional Courthouse, leaving regional
church officials in a quandary over how to help couples enter into
and remain in healthy marriages. In 2005, there were 583 cases of
annulment presented to the court as well as 355 cases from Umbria
and the Marche, areas under the same judicial branch. Of the 583
cases, 126 were given a final decision and 97 were approved. The
Conference of Tuscan bishops has expressed grave concern over
this increase and has spoken out about an urgent need to provide
‘pastoral and more incisive preparation for marriage and support
for married couples’ to quell what it describes as ‘a grave crisis for
families’.
Former president of the Regional Ecclesiastic Court, Monsignor
Andrea Drigani, described the difficulties the clergy face regarding
the solving of this issue. ‘It’s not so much the fault of priests,’ Drigani
said. ‘The problem lies in the difficulty of getting to know the couples
well before performing the sacrament, especially in large cities.’
The most frequent grounds for annulment include one spouse
having a ersonal conviction that marriage is not a binding sacrament, one spouse refusing to have children, or one spouse’s inability
to fulfil marital duties or their psychological incapacity to deal with
marital issues.
Officials like Drigani feel that the Church must be proactive in
stopping the rise in marital discord. ‘We need to prepare couples for
marriage, better than we are doing at present’ he said.
6
News
7
Sports
National NEWS
News in BRIEF
Versace Designs Join
Mile High Club
‘Versace is not only fashion it’s
exclusive luxury in all fields,’ says
Giancarlo Di Risio, manager of
Gianni Versace S.p.a. Versace
is expanding the practice of this
philosophy to a new project:
interior decorating for private
jets. The firm recently signed an
agreement with Tag Group, the
world leader in the creation and
management of private jets, that
would allow Versace personally
to oversee the interior designs of
the Tag clients’ jets. The project
makes Versace the first fashion
house to translate its exclusive
glamour to the aeronautical field.
The venture will be presented
during the Home Collection
2007, in the Furniture room of the
Milano Rho-Pero fair.
Controversy of the Cross
There has been a recent controversy concerning the presence
of crucifixes during election functions, culminating in protests
about their removal on voting
day. The issue became controversial in Senigallia, where a voter
requested the director of the voting site to take the cross off the
wall. His request was refused
and, as a result, he refused to
vote saying that he could not
vote in the presence of a symbol
representing the Roman Catholic
faith in the voting booth. In Treviso (Cornuda), a protesting voter
made the same request, and the
crucifix was removed. The head
of ‘Forza Italia’ in the region
complained that the mayor of
Cornuda did not make efforts to
‘put back one of the most important symbols of our culture in its
place.’ The mayor responded by
saying that the decision to take
down the crucifix is the responsibility of the voting site director.
Tempers and Temperature
Hotter in South
According to recent figures,
Italy’s most disagreeable neighbours live in Naples and Catanzaro. These figures, which
were released by ANACI, the
National Association of Condominium Administrators, show that
together these cities accounted
for nearly a third of Italian disputes which eventually went to
court. These battles were waged
over excessive noise, animals,
the cost of maintenance work
and the use of common space.
In 16% of cases, the quarrelling neighbours only manage to
patch things up after letters of
complaint have been sent back
and forth between lawyers .
Sports NEWS
To Have and to Hold
New law reduces penalties
for drug possession
A
new law has squeaked by just
before the election allowing
drug users to do just that:
squeak by. Recently passed legislation has increased the amount of
certain substances a person may
possess without committing a criminal offence. Under former law, one
could carry only what amounted to
a ‘daily dose’ or risk facing jail time.
Now, a person may carry up to 20
marijuana joints, 5 doses of cocaine,
10 of heroin, 5 pills of ecstasy and
3 stamps of LSD, provided the substances are intended for personal
use.
The established maximum quantities are based on the average quantity of active principles, or the per-
centage of drug, in a single dosage,
that produces a ‘stupefying and psychotropic effect.’ For cannabis, 10%
active principle was calculated while
cocaine showed 45%. The new law
thus put soft and hard drugs on
the same level, using this scientific
approach to determine how much
of which drug is active as opposed
to relying on arbitrary groupings or
rankings of severity.
If a person caught with drugs is
within these parameters, punishment may only amount to minor
administrative fines, license revocation, or forbidding of scooter use.
Fines may be revoked if the drug
user accepts and undergoes ‘successful’ treatment. If a person is found
to have more than these established
quantities or deemed to have intent
to sell (if caught, for example, with
large sums of money), he or she can
incur a prison sentence. These regulations were declared by the Minster
of Parliamentary Relations, Carlo
Giovanardi, who added, ‘Harsh
punishment, from 6 to 20 years
in prison, is reserved for criminal
groups and drug dealers.’
Terrorist Attacks Thwarted
Italian Secret Service provides
effective security
Minister Pisanu
A
ccording to Interior Minister
Giuseppe Pisanu, Italian Secret
Services prevented terrorist attacks
planned against the Milan subway
and a Bologna church. Pisanu,
speaking at a Forza Italia rally in
Cagliari, provided no details on
when the attacks were supposed
to be carried out, but did say that 7
people were thought to be involved.
Out of the suspects, 3 had been
expelled from the country, two
had been arrested, one was being
watched and one had not yet been
located. ‘I can talk about it now’,
Pisanu said. ‘there was a terrorist
plan which was to have been carried
out in our country but the surveil-
lance and preventive action of our
security forces thwarted it.’
In recent years, extra attention
has been given to anti-terror operations and intelligence gathering,
especially since Italy sent soldiers
to the war in Iraq. Since the war,
Islamist groups have sent threats to
Italian authorities via the internet.
Pisanu added that security had been
strengthened in the weeks leading
up to the elections on April 9-10.
Some feared that the elections might
provoke an increase in threats and,
possibly, attacks.
The church in question, San Petronio in Bologna, is thought to have
been a possible target for Muslim
extremists because it features a 15thcentury fresco depicting demons
torturing the prophet Mohammed
in hell. Politicians from both sides
praised Italian authorities for their
quick action in preventing the
attacks in Milan and Bologna. ‘The
police and our intelligence should be
complimented,’ said Enzo Bianco, a
centrist opposition MP who heads
Parliament’s Secret Services committee. ‘They have worked carefully
and effectively in a period of great
risk for our country.’
THE BEAST
BEHIND BARS
SERIE A
Milan boss out to catch Juve
Notorious mafia boss
finally arrested
Ancelotti
A
Provenzano
T
he reign of Bernardo Provenzano has come to an end. The
‘boss of mafia bosses’ went out
with a whimper, captured in a
rural house in Corleone. His
arrest closed the curtain on his
43-year criminal career of disappearing acts and dodging the law.
The heir of Luciano Liggio and
Totò Riina, he was known as the
‘Beast of Corleone’. His pursuer,
Renato Cortese, led a 30-man
team, hired to trace the godfather’s tracks. Provenzano was
ultimately arrested and brought
by helicopter to the mobile headquarters in the Sicilian capital,
where hundreds of furious people
were awaiting his arrival.
The house where he was finally
cornered proves a stark contrast
to his rich and notoriously illustrious life, a very poor dwelling for
such a wealthy and powerful man.
‘It was the price he had to pay to
continue to lead the organisation,’
explained Pietro Grasso, ex-head
of the proxy office of Palermo and
current head of the Anti-mafia
Commission. The rural hut was
virtually empty and had no heating, indeed it had little more than
a typewriter which Provenzano
used to write up tiny slips of
paper in order to communicate.
These were then passed around
from the hands of his faithful
‘postmen.’ He did not have a
cell phone because it could be
traced, though in the end it would
not have mattered.
‘Provenzano was not betrayed
by anyone,’ said Palermo police
commissioner Giuseppe Caruso.
No repentant ex-mafia members or informants assisted with
or brought about his arrest.
‘We caught him thanks to traditional methods of investigations,
through having him followed and
interceptions. At a certain point
we decided to intervene.’ At the
moment of his arrest, Provenzano
seemed ‘absolutely immovable.
He didn’t show resistance and
didn’t say a word,’ Caruso said.
C Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted the Scudetto
title race was wide open after
Juventus played against struggling
Cagliari on Saturday. Juventus was
seconds away from a humiliating
defeat against the Sardinian team
when Fabio Cannavero scored in
the last kick of the game to earn
Juve a 1-1 draw. That failure to
come away with a win reduced their
advantage at the top of Serie A to
five points. Milan had temporarily cut the gap to four points with
Friday’s 1-0 derby win over Inter at
San Siro. For Inter, now four points
shy of their archenemies, it spelled
the latest reverse in what has been a
difficult month. April has seen them
dumped from Europe by Villarreal
and then attacked by an angry mob
of their own fans last weekend.
Inter fans boycotted Friday’s derby
in protest at the team’s failure to
make it to the last four of the Champions’ League. The Fiorentina won
3-1 against bottom club Treviso,
overtaking Roma for fourth position. Roma slipped a place after a 33 draw with Palermo. With the club
immediately below them, Lazio saw
off Livorno 3-1.
Sebastien Frey will stay
G
oalkeeper Sebastien
Frey has admitted
that a number of clubs
have shown interest in his
services, but has vowed to
stay with the Fiorentina.
Parma owns the stopper,
but Frey has spent this season on loan to the Tuscan
club where he impressed
the team before suffering
a knee injury that ruled
him out for the rest of the season.
Despite frustration, the Frenchman
still wants to stay with the Fiorentina
and is desperate to sign a permanent
contract with the Viola this summer.
‘I hope that my future still lies in
the purple shirt,’ said the Frenchman.
‘I want to stay here, but
I will not be the only
one to make that decision. For now, all I’m
focusing on is getting
back into shape and
starting to play football
again after my injury.
I admit that there are
a number of teams
who want me (including Arsenal, Milan and
Inter), but everyone knows the affection I have for the Fiorentina.’ Frey
continued, ‘It doesn’t even matter
whether the Fiorentina only qualifies for the UEFA Cup rather than
the Champions’ League, I want to
stay with them
Ponte Vecchio
challenge golf event
O
n Sunday, April 9, the Golf
Club Firenze Ugolino hosted
the first edition of the
‘Ponte Vecchio Challenge Golf
Event.’ More than one hundred golfers were present at the event including Romano Boretti, President of the
Conte di Firenze and sponsor of the
eponymous event. Nicola Forcignano, Vice Director of Milan’s Il
Giornale, was also there bright and
early to tee-off.
An awards ceremony following the competition honoured
the following players: 1°Net winner of 1° category: Carlo Cobianchi p.38; 1°Gross: Claudio Gagli
p.33; 2°Net winner of 1° category:
Camilla Tolome; 1°Net winner of
2° category: Antonio Pellegrini
p.39; 2°Netto di 2° categoria: Lucio
Lussu p.38; 1°Netto di 3° category:
Daniela Hauda p.42; 2°Netto di 3°
categoria: Leonardo Ramagli p.38;
FORMULA 1:
SERIE A Results 14-15 / 4
SCHUMACHER
ARGUES THAT
FERRARI IS IN
GOOD SHAPE
sat
sat
sun
sun
sun
sun
sun
sun
sun
sun
Juventus
Messina
Siena
Livorno
Udinese
Inter
Roma
Ascoli
Parma
Fiorentina
1-1
2-0
2-1
3-1
1-2
1-0
3-3
2-0
1-2
1-3
SERIE A Standings
M
ichael Schumacher is confident that Ferrari’s woeful
performances during the last two
races are not a fair reflection of the
team’s potential. A double retirement in Melbourne and fifth and
sixth place finishes in Malaysia has
raised a few eyebrows of late. ‘We
are certain that we’ll be in better
shape than it may seem from the
outside,’ insisted the seven-time
world champion. ‘The potential is
there, now we have to improve
even more and be consistent.
We are working towards this goal
as part of our development programme.’ Schumacher believes
that the San Marino Grand Prix,
Ferrari’s home race, will see a
marked improvement. With home
support, Schumacher believes
Ferrari will raise their performance. ‘Supporters always help in
hard times. There is nothing better
than hearing the fans. It’s obvious
that we would like to give them a
reason to cheer for us.
Moto GP:
ROSSI:
‘WE’LL KNOW
BY JUNE’
S
1°Lady: Fiammetta Foscardi p.36 e
1°Seniores: Vittorio Nencetti p.37.
The ‘Nearest to the Pin’ prize
went to Gian Paolo Funaro (17cm)
who received an invitation to participate in the ‘Ponte Vecchio Challenge’ event which has been celebrated in Florence annually for
the past six years. ‘Ponte Vecchio
Challenge 2006,’ sponsored by the
Conte di Firenze, will take place on
December 15/16/17.
Cagliari
Chievo
Empoli
Lazio
Lecce
Milan
Palermo
Reggina
Sampdoria
Treviso
round 34
even-time Moto GP world
champion Valentino Rossi has
announced that he will make the
decision to continue or quit racing his beloved Moto GP for the
Formula One sometime between
now and June. Testing regularly
for Ferrari, Rossi has impressed
many a critic with his incredibly
smooth transition from two to four
wheels, but he is not holding back
about his reservations. In light of
reports that seven-time Formula
One world champion Michael
Schumacher has signed a new
contract with Ferrari for 2007 and
2008, the Scuderia crew may
be more willing to take a risk on
the two wheel champion. Having
veteran Schumacher at his side
to guide and advise him would
surely make for a more successful
transition.
team
points
Juventus
Milan
Inter
Fiorentina
Roma
Lazio
Chievo
Palermo
Parma
Livorno
81
76
71
65
64
52
51
46
44
44
Round 35
team
points
39
38
38
38
38
36
34
31
24
16
Empoli
Sampdoria
Ascoli
Udinese
Reggina
Siena
Cagliari
Messina
Lecce
Treviso
22 / 04 2006
date hrs
home team
sat
sat
sat
sat
sat
sat
sat
sat
sat
sat
Ascoli
Cagliari
Fiorentina
Empoli
Inter
Reggina
Juventus
Lazio
Treviso
Lecce
Livorno
Palermo
Messina
Milan
Parma
Siena
Sampdoria
Roma
Udinese
Chievo
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
Round 35
opponent
30 / 04 2006
date hrs
home team
sun
sun
sun
sun
sun
sun
sun
sun
sun
sun
Cagliari
Parma
Chievo
Roma
Empoli
Inter
Lazio
Lecce
Milan
Livorno
Palermo
Fiorentina
Reggina
Messina
Sampdoria Udinese
Siena
Juventus
Treviso
Ascoli
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
opponent
Top 5 scorers
player
1. Toni
2. Trezeguet
3. Scevchenko
4. Suazo
5. Tavano
team
Fiorentina
Juventus
Milan
Cagliari
Empoli
goals
28
20
19
18
18
FORZA VIOLA!!!
8
Movies in English Showing in Florence
Weeks 20 April - 4 May 2006
by James Douglas
ODEON THEATRE
THE PINK PANTHER
Steve Martin as Inspector
Clouseau seems like a reasonably good idea. But Steve Martin as Peter Sellers as Clouseau
doesn’t work. The Pink Panther
is a prequel to the Blake Edwards/
Peter Sellers series, and is unable
to establish its own identity. Intermittently funny, but derivative in all
the wrong ways.
Tuesday april 25
ODEON THEATRE
INSIDE MAN
Monday april 24
ODEON THEATRE
THE SECRET LIFE OF
WORDS
There are echoes of Breaking the
Waves in Isabel Coixet’s English
language film La vida secreta
de las palabras. Set mostly on
a North Sea oil rig, it deals with
the mysteries of nurse-patient
intimacy and the burden of the
past. It also involves an amusing
Spanish chef and a goose. An arthouse meditation on a woman’s
silence and pain in a claustrophobic and isolated men’s world. It
stars Sarah Polley and Tim Robbins as the damaged couple.
The latest Spike Lee flick is Inside
Man, the story of a New York bank
heist that goes wrong and develops into a hostage situation. It is
a tense thriller (with one or two
detracting plot implausibilities).
Denzel Washington is Detective
Keith Frazier, in charge of sorting
out the complexities of the gang’s
motivations. An almost permanently masked Clive Owen is Dalton Russell, the gang’s leader. It
is a little off Lee’s beaten track,
perhaps, but his trademark dazzling stylistic mastery is present.
But reviewers have also called it
boring, pretentious, nonsensical
and overblown.
MUNICH
Probably best described as a
meditative thriller, Steven Spielberg’s Munich tells the story of
the aftermath of the 1972 Black
September terrorist attack on
Israeli athletes at the Munich
Olympics. The Israeli government’s response to the atrocity
was revenge, and Spielberg’s
lengthy movie follows the specialist hit squads and their activities
(the thriller vein), at the same time
posing difficult questions about
the wisdom of such an undertaking in the context of Israeli Palestinian relations (the meditative
vein). Never one to dodge difficult issues in his ‘serious’ movies, Spielberg delivers suspense
a little short on thrills and issues
a little difficult to digest in a blend
that is only partially successful.
Wednesday april 26
BRITISH INSTITUTE
Evelyn Waugh Revisited
BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS
First in the new series of adaptations of works by the English novelist, famous for his mastery of the
English language and his satires
on the upper middle classes of
the 1930s and 40s. Vile Bodies
was adapted as Bright Young
Things (Waugh’s original working title) by Stephen Fry in 2003,
a breathless satirical exposé
of 1930s romance and frivolity
brought dramatically to an end by
war. Britain’s Jazz Age is given the
whirlwind treatment in fine period
detail and an excellent cast. Fry’s
modifications may raise eyebrows.
ODEON THEATRE
FAILURE TO LAUNCH
‘To leave the nest, some men just
need a little push’, goes the tagline.
The pusher is Paula (Sarah Jessica
Parker) and the overgrown fledgling
is Tripp (Matthew McConaughey) in
this breezy romantic comedy from
sitcomland, Failure to Launch.
Courageously tempting fate in its
damp squib title, the movie in fact
never really lifts off, due mainly to
an inadequate, unfunny script and
despite the glamorous stars’ hard
work (and MM’s titillating nudity).
FRIDAY 21
n DANCE
OUR TOP PICKS
t tt
Stile con Stile
Closing day
Teatro di Rifredi, via Vittorio Emanuele II
303, tel. 055.4220361, www.toscanateatro.it, €12/14 21.00
HITTING THE RUNWAYS: PRADAS IN TRAINING SHOWCASE THEIR
STYLE - April 21
n EXHIBITS
Arnolfo. At the Origins of the Florentine Renaissance
A collection of the major works of Tuscan
architec t and sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio
Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, piazza del
Duomo 9, tel. 055.2469600, www.arnolfoafirenze.it, 9-19.30 daily, €10-5, last day
Photos by Bernard-Reymond and
Nguyen
Opening.
French Institute, Piazza Ognissanti 2. April
21st -July 14th, Mon-Fri 10.00-18.00; FSM
Gallery, Via San Zanobi 19r, April 21st-June
10, Mon-Sat 15.00 -18.30, Free Admission
Hitting the Runways: Pradas in training showcase their style
Dolce Zucchero, Via Pandolfini 38R. 24:00
INTERNATIONAL HANDICRAFT TRADE FAIR: THE ART OF MAKING
- April 21-May 1
On April 21st, Florence’s Fortezza di Basso will host the 70th edition of The Handicraft
Trade fair. A fair which showcases the ART and innovation of companies from five different
continents. The themes for the exibition include; Interior Scenes, Territories, Visions,
Harmonies of well-being, Fashion Scenarios, Handicraft and surroundings. If you are
looking for ideas to create your dream house, or just simply curious about styles from
around the world, then mark your calender for this event! For more information go to www.
mostraartigianato.it
n MARKETS & FESTIVALS
THE IRIS GARDENS OF PIAZZALE MICHENLANGELO - April 28
70th International Handicrafts Fair
giftware, furnishing and home accessories,
textiles, cosmetics, Italian and international
food, artisan creativity in clothing and accessories from Italy and around the world,
fine jewelry, gemstones, costume jewellery,
body ornaments, creative gadgets, fashion
accessories
Fortezza da Basso, Viale Filippo Strozzi,
Florence 055-49721 10:00-23:00; last day
early closing at 20:00, April 21 – May 1 €
7,50 reductions € 6,50, weekdays € 4,00
www.mostraartigianato.it
On April 28th The Italian Iris Society will open their Iris garden near Piazzale Michelangelo
for the public. Created in 1954, the Iris Garden tour has become one of Florence’s most
beautiful springtime events! Don’t miss your chance to walk through and observe one of
nature’s most spectacular flowers. Free Admission. For more informations go to www.
irisfirenze.it
Wednesday may 3
BRITISH INSTITUTE
Evelyn Waugh Revisited’
A HANDFUL OF DUST
A fine cast complements Charles
Sturridge’s ‘faithful’ adaptation of
Waugh’s novel of the same name,
A Handful of Dust. Impeccably polite cruelty is at the heart
of this ensemble of superficially
restrained but selfish and venal
monsters. The bitterness and pain
Waugh suffered in his own life is
reflected in the movie as a devastating critique of sexual hypocrisy
and betrayal. James Wilby and
Kristin Scott-Thomas play the
couple at the centre of this sad,
small world.
Thursday may 4
Tuesday may 2
mbership card necessary
If you love fashion, here’s your chance to see new styles for the next generation. Young
designers before they start charging thousands of dollars for a handbag. On Friday, April 21,
20 of the third-year students from Polimoda, will present a fashion and art show dedicated
to their original work. Typically, Polimoda hosts a show that features the work of students
in their final year. However, these enterprising designers, who study at the Fashion Institute
of Technology in New York, wanted to jump-start their careers by organizing their own show.
This event, brought to you by Florence for Fun, will take place at Dolce Zucchero Disco
in via Pandolfini 38r. Doors open at 10.30 pm. Show starts at midnight. Entrance free for
students and fashion show guests.
Thursday april 27
ODEON THEATRE
Events in FLORENCE
Movie REVIEWS
Thursday april 20
9
What’s on & Where to Go
VELOSLOW - April 30-May 1
This year, on April 30th through May 1st, Florence will be hosting a very unique event;
‘Veloslow’. Brought to us by Cittaslow, Associazione Italiana Città Ciclabili, Federazione
Italiana Amici della Bicicletta, and Slow Food. ‘Veloslow’ is a lunch tour, on bike, throughout
all the main squares of Florence. This special lunch is dedicated to living heathly, eating
well, the tradional tastes of Florence, and all that is ‘slow’ in oppose to the fast pace of our
daily lives. The tour will begin at 9.00 in Piazza Santa Croce, and conclude there at 17.30.
The maximum number of participants is 1000, So sign up before it’s too late! For all details
and complete program schedule go to www.firenzeinbici.net
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
K.K. Null - live
Ambasciata di Marte, via Mannelli 2, tel.
055.6550786, www.ambasciatadimarte.
org., 22.00
SHAKESPEARE WEEK - May 2-5
Celebrating the Birth of William Shakespeare. Numerous events have been organized to
celebrate the birth of William Shakespeare including an exhibition, lectures, plays and films.
The events are organized by the British Institute with the support of several sponsors. For the
complete programme visit www.britishinstitute.it or call 055/26778270.
TRR trio Jazz Eat
Spazio Espositivo Vallecchi BZF, via Panicale 61r, tel. 055.2741009, www.bzf.it,
aperitivo 20.00, concert 21.00
Ammar - Baracchino Duo
Ottorino Jazz Bistrò, via delle Oche 12/16r,
tel. 055.215151, 21.30, free admittance
Estemporaneo
Jazz Club, via Nuova de’ Caccini 3, tel.
055.2479700, 22.15, € 7
Eugenio Corsaro - Silvia Bolognesi Andrea Melani
Caruso Jazz Café, via Lambertesca 16r, tel.
055.281940,
www.carusojazzcafe.com,
21.30
Bongoman 15th Anniversary (1st part)
Reggae music
Auditorium Flog, via Mercati Michele 24b
tel. 055.487145, www.flog.it, 21.30
THE FLORENTINE GENIUS 2006 - April 22-May 14
The Genio Fiorentino is back. The event is sponsored by the Province of Florence together
with its forty-four municipalities. Citizenship, innovation and hospitality are the key issues
being promoted during the 2006 edition. After the success of last year’s edition, this year’s
event aims to increase citizens’ awareness and curiosity about the territory and develop
quality tourism within the Province. Saturday, April 22 marks the beginning of several
weeks packed with exhibits, exhibitions, shows, recitals, conventions, fashion shows,
concerts, guided readings and food and wine tastings. For details, visit the event’s official
website at www.geniofiorentino.it
AMICO MUSEO – A CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE PRIVATE MUSEUMS
IN TUSCANY - April 22-May 6
This initiative is a great way to get to know Tuscan museums. The objective of this
extraordinary opening is to raise the cultural awareness of visitors. The idea behind the
event is that a more profound knowledge of the area’s cultural wealth is the first step towards
protecting the region’s artistic patrimony. The programme, which has been hosted in the
region for seven years running, offers three ways to enjoy the initiative Open for you, At the
Museum with the family, and A Masterpiece, a Story. For more Information and details visit
www.cultura.toscana.it
n THEATRE (in Italian unless otherwise noted)
ODEON THEATRE
TRISTAN + ISOLDE
The Dark Age lovers, familiar to
most people courtesy of folklore
and Wagner, are reincarnated in
the courtly action romance Tristan + Isolde. The plus in the title
recalls Baz Luhrmann’s film about
Shakespeare’s later star-crossed
lovers, but the style could not be
more different. The Scott brothers (Ridley and Tony) are the film’s
producers. Kevin Reynolds directs
James Franco and Sophia Myles in
a handsome and rewarding picture
with a pristine pre-Raphaelite intensity that lightens the Celtic gloom.
APR 21 TO MAY 4
Gianni Schicchi (Giacomo Puccini)
Conductor: Bruno Rigacci. Performers:
Opera Festival Orchestra
Teatro Verdi, via Ghibellina 99, tel.
055.212320,
www.teatroverdifirenze.it
Dates and Times: Fri 21:00; Sun 17:15. €
17/44, Tickets online: www.boxol.it
Grecia, mia cara Grecia
Teatro della Pergola, via della Pergola, 18,
tel. 055.22641, www.pergola.firenze.it,
21.00, €15/29. Buy Tickets ondine.
Vino Dentro. Viaggio surreale nel mondo del vino
Teatro Everest, via Volterrana 4 c/d , tel.
055.2321754, www.teatroeverest.it 21.00
€12
Italiani Cincali!
Teatro Puccini, via delle Cascine 41, tel.
055.362067, www.teatropuccini.it 21.00
PALLE!
Teatro del Sale, Via dei Macci 111r, tel.
055.2001492,
www.teatrodelsale.com,
19.00 buffet, 21.30 show, € 24, membership mandatory
SATURDAY 22
n EXHIBITS
Amico Museo
Museo Marino Marini, piazza San Pancrazio
1, 10-12
n GUIDED TOURS
La raccolta Alberto della RagioneForte di Belvedere, porta S. Giorgio, info
055.461428, at 16.001st Flavours Biodynamics Fair
See April 21st
1st Flavours Biodynamics Fair
Selling of agricoltural tuscan products
Piazza della Repubblica, Florence, 10-21,
www.agricolturabiodinamica.it/
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Godfathers
org., 22.00
Milva in “ El tango de Astor Piazzolla”
20.45, €15/29. Buy tickets online.
Dilettanti... che coraggio!
Charity show by Angela Mauro.
Saschall, Lungarno Aldo Moro 3, tel.
055.6504112, www.saschall.it, 21.00.
Sultans of Swing
Shadows and Light
A Tribute to Joni Mitchell
055.2479700,22.15, € 7
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10
Events in FLORENCE
Burma Jazz Trio
055.281940,
21.30
Offlaga Disco Pax
tel. 055.487145, www.flog.it, 22.00
Elianto
055.2001492,
n SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
Fiorentina Baseball vs. Baseball Team
Verona
Stadio Baseball Cerreti - viale Manfredo
Fanti, 18 – Florence
15.30 and 20.30, Free admission
Piaggeliadi
Polisportiva Firenze ovest, via Lombardia,
tennis competitions at 9.00, 14.00, 17.00,
info 055.27681
Mondi Aperti – Il Calcio per la Solidarietà. 3rd Multi-ethnical Soccer Championship
20 teams representing as many communities living in the area will take part in the
tournament.
Various soccer grounds throughout Florence, tel. 055.2399533, on April 22, 23, 29,
30 and until June 11
Vino Dentro. Viaggio surreale nel mondo del vino
See April 21st
Beppe Grillo in “Incantesimi”
Nelson Mandela Forum (ex Palasport), viale Pasquale Paoli, tel. 055.678841, www.
mandelaforum.it 21.00 € 18/27
Amleto, uno. Tutto
SUNDAY 23
n DANCE
Trio Lumière
Circolo Arci Faliero Pucci, via G. D’Annunzio 182, 21.00
Torneo della Rosa, giostra equestre
A spectacular event organised by the agricultural company ‘La Forra’ of Metegonzi
(AR). In the saddle of their Maremma horses, these cowboys offer the spectacular
equestrian event of the ‘Rose Tournament’
which is a typical historical folkloristic event
of Grossetto.
Cooperativa Agricola di Legnaia, via Baccio
da Montelupo 180, 10-12.30, 15-19
See April 21st
See April 22nd
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Giovanni direttori d’Europa
J. F. Haydn, L. van Beethoven
Chiesa di S. Stefano al Ponte Vecchio, via
Por Santa Maria, tel. 055.477805, 21.00,
€ 8/10
Duo Gazzana
055.2001492,
19.00 buffet, 21.30 show, � 24, membership mandatory
Fiorentina-Empoli
Football game
Stadio Comunale Artemio Franchi, Viale M.
Fanti, 4/6, Campo di Marte, Florence, 0555030190 www.acffiorentina.it/
L’anello di Settignano
Dog and Trekking, 7 km walking with your
dogs
Starting point Cave di Maiano, Fiesole at
9.30, info & bookings 055-2767841, free
Cus Firenze Giunti - Cus Verona
Rugby Match
Beppe Grillo in “Incantesimi”
See April 22nd
Gianni Schicchi (Giacomo Puccini
See April 21st
MONDAY 24
n CINEMA
The Secret Life of Words
Cinema Odeon, Piazza Strozzi, tel.
055.214068, www.cinehall.it 16.00, 18.30,
21.15.
See April 21st
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Socialismo e Barbarie - CCCP tribute
band
tel. 055.487145, www.flog.it, 21.30
Duo Gazzana
See April 23
179th Arno Race - “Together for Tommasino Bacciotti”
Solidarity, Sport and Show. On behalf of
Tommasino Bacciotti Foundation Onlus, to
fight against childhood brain tumors.
Le Cascine Race Course (flat racing), P.le
delle Cascine, Florence 055-422591, www.
tommasino.org, www.ippodromifiorentini.it
Orienteering by night
Orienteering is a sport, a game and a way
to experience outdoor fun; it’s an exciting
discipline that is good for the body, mind
and spirit.
Info & booking 338.3466555, track: LondaValico Croce ai Mori, www.ikprato.com
TUESDAY 25
n CINEMA
Inside Man
055.214068, www.cinehall.it 15.15, 17.45,
21.15 From 20.00 apericinema
See April 21st
Mostra Primaverile di piante e fiori
See Ongoing
Giardino dell’Orticoltura , Ponte Rosso, 919
Cerimonie in celebrazione della Liberazione Nazionale
8.00 – Palazzo Vecchio, exhibition of the
national flag
10.30 – Piazza dell’Unità, offering of
flowers, prayers and parade for Palazzo
Vecchio.
11.00 – Salone dei Cinquecento, celebratory speeches
17.00 – Arengario, concert for citizens
Florence city center, all day
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Franco Battiato + Regional Orchestra
of Tuscany
055.212320,
21:00, by invitation only.
Concert for the 61st Anniversary of the
Liberation of Italy
Piazza della Signoria, 17:00
The elegant gypsy trio
South American Flamenco Music
055.2001492,
179th Arno Race - “Together for Tommasino Bacciotti”
See April 24th
WEDNESDAY 26
n CINEMA
Bright Young Things
British Institute of Florence, Lungarno Guicciardini 9, tel. 055.26778270, 20.30, membership €5, entrance €5
n LECTURES & CONFERENCES
The Strange death of Tory England
Geoffrey Wheatcroft is a journalist and historian, whose recent The Strange Death
of Tory England tells this story of rise and
fall, as the Tories were undone by their own
success, and tore themselves needlessly
apart over Europe.
British Institute of Florence, Lungarno Guicciardini 9, tel. 055.26778270, 18.00. Free
Admission
See April 21st
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Joy De Vito Quartet
055.2479700, 22.15, € 7
Scarinzi - Pieri Duo
Trio
055.2001492,
Note di passaggio
Auditorium dell’Accademia Musicale di Firenze, via Adriani 27/29, tel. 055.680487,
18.00
THURSDAY 27
n DANCE
Munich
055.214068, www.cinehall.it 14.30, 21.15
n GUIDED TOURS
Villa Le Balze
See ongoing
Flower Marker
Via Pellicceria 8-13
See April 21st
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Caparezza
tel. 055.487145, www.flog.it, 21.30 €12
Regional Orchestra of Tuscany
055.212320,
21:00 €17/44, Tickets online: www.boxol.it
65days Of Statics
org., 22.00
Francesco Maccianti Trio
Groovin’ Trio
055.281940,
21.30
Perfidia Quartet
Cuban music
055.2479700, 22.15, € 7
Ben venga il Maggio
From 7 pm, guided visits around the Laboratories and Gipsoteca of the Art Institute.
At 9 pm the opera concert of the Maggio
Events in FLORENCE
APR 21 TO MAY 4
Campo Padovani, Viale Pasquale Paoli, 21,
Campo di Marte Florence 055-573821
www.cusfirenzerugby.it/ 15.30
Golfitaliano.it Cup 2006
Golf Club Ugolino - Grassina (FI) For more
information: www.golfitaliano.it
See April 22
11
Musicale Fiorentino
Istituto Statale d’Arte di Firenze, p.le di Porta Romana 9, free
Storie d’amore e di bicicletta - La rivoluzione su due ruote
Dove danzano i draghi e gli dei - La
Cina di Tiziano e Angela Terzani
20.45, €15/29. Buy Tickets ondine.
FRIDAY 28
n DANCE
Florence Tango Festival
The Tango Club will be hosting 4-day tango workshop at the Saschall theatre.
055.6504112. For more information and
registration go to www.tangoclub.it
n GUIDED TOURS
Opening of the Iris Garden
A walking tour through the beautiful Iris
Garden of Piazzale Michelangelo.
Piazzale Michelangelo, East Balcony, Oltrarno, Florence. Everyday 10:00-12:30
and 15:00-19:00 Free Admission. www.
irisfirenze.it, until May 21st
See April 21st
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Sister soul - No time Jazz Band
STAZ - Stazione di Confine, via Attavante 5,
tel. 055.7320812, www.stazionediconfine.
it, 21.00
Stefania Scarinzi Duo
055.2479700, 22.15, € 7
Akasaka Duo
Villa Peyron, Via di Vincigliata, 2, Fiesole.
055-264321 17.00, www.bardinipeyron.it/
Tickets online www.boxol.it
On The Brink Quartet
Vallecchi BZF Exhibition Space, via Panicale, 61r, San Lorenzo, Florence. Aperitif/dinner from 20:00; concert 21:00, Information:
055-2741009
Bongoman 15th Anniversary (2nd part)
- Beres Hammond
tel. 055.487145, www.flog.it, 21.30
Tipnotizz
org., 22.00
Gary Smullian Quartet
Burma Jazz Trio
055.281940,
21.30
See April 27th
Plaza Suite
Teatro 13, via Nicolodi 2, tel. 055.2767822,
21.00 www.accademia-teatrale.it/
SATURDAY 29
n DANCE
See April 28th
See April 22nd
See April 21st
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Doctor 3
055.281940, www.carusojazzcafe.com,
Ilaria Santini Quartet
055.2479700, 22.15, € 7
Gary Smullian Quartet
See April 28
Piaggeliadi
Polisportiva Firenze ovest, via Lombardia,
Go-Back and tennis competitions, info
055.27681
See April 22
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Travelling with Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart
See April 30th
Veloslow
See April 30th
Il processo
20.45, €15/29. Buy Tickets online.
TUESDAY 2
n CINEMA
Failure to Launch
Cinema Odeon, Piazza Strozzi,
055.214068, www.cinehall.it
tel.
n THEATRE (in Italian unless otherwise noted) nEXHIBITS
See April 27th
SUNDAY 30
n DANCE
See April 28th
Flea Market
Piazza dei Ciompi, All day
See April 21st
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Opening Concert of Maggio Musicale
Orchestra
Wagner - Prelude and Isolde’s death
Mahler - Symphony n. 9
055.212320,
20:30
MetalmilitiA - Metallica tribute band
tel. 055.487145, www.flog.it, 21.30
Travelling with Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart
Florentine Chamber Orchestra
Chiesa di Orsanmichele, via Calzaiuoli, tel.
055.783374, www.orcafi.it, 21.00
Nicola Raciti Show
org. 22.00
Veloslow
Bicycle ride around Florence’s main squares with food-and-wine tastings.
For more information; 328-5348548 www.
firenzeinbici.net/onlus/iniziative/veloslow.
aspx
Don Lorenzo Milani e la scuola di Barbiana
A wonderful outing to the Mugello area and
the famous opera of don Milani
Starting point: Stazione Santa Maria Novella at 9.15, info 055-2767816 / 2341040
See April 22
MONDAY 1
n DANCE
See April 28th
Fair for the 1st of May
Cascine Park, All day
Festa di Calendimaggio
Pecorino, beans, and wine, music, theatre,
and folk dances
Parco dell’Anconella, via Villamagna 1519 and San Salvi, via di S.Salvi 12, after
20.00
See April 21st
Baggiani Bop Quintet in “Around the
Bop”
055.2479700, 22.15 ,€ 7
The exhibition comprises editions of Hamlet
in English, Italian, French and German, published between 1785 and 1912, the year
in which Hamlet was staged at the Moscow
Art Theatre, directed by Konstantin Stanislavsky (1863-1939) and designed by Edward Gordon Craig (1872-1966).
Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze,
Piazza dei Cavalleggeri , tel. 055.249191,
www.bncf.firenze.sbn.it, until May 20, MonFri 9-18.30, Sat 9-13
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Jam Session + House Band
055.2479700, 22.15, € 7
THURSDAY 4
n CINEMA
Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh, 1996)
British Institute of Florence, Lungarno Guicciardini 9, tel. 055.26778270, 19.00
Tristan + Isolde
Cinema Odeon, Piazza Strozzi,
055.214068, www.cinehall.it
tel.
n GUIDED TOURS
Villa Nieuwenkamp
One of the Fiesole Gardens
Fiesole, 17.00. Price: € 4,00 (booking required), information: 800-414240
Reading Shakespeare
Reading Act II & III.
Act IV & V on May 5th
MARKETS & FESTIVALS
n THEATRE (in Italian unless otherwise noted) n
Flower Market
Il malinteso / Frammento di Regia
Teatro 13, via Nicolodi 2, tel. 055.2767822
21.00
Carlo Conti presents “Aria fresca 10
anni dopo”
055.6504112, www.saschall.it 21.00
Jam Theatre - Theatre Improvisation
Varart Gallery Via dell’Oriuolo 47r, Florence
055-284265 21.15
WEDNESDAY 3
n CINEMA
A Handful Of Dust
British Institute of Florence, Lungarno
Guicciardini 9, tel. 055.26778270, 20.30,
membership, € 5, entrance, € 5
Reading Shakespeare
They will be reading the entire play of Hamlet over 3 days. Reading Act I
On Playing Hamlet
British actor Jack Shepherd will discuss
the challenges faced by actors in playing
Hamlet and will read from the play. Jack
Shepherd has been a mainstay of British
theatre since the 1960s and for many years
ran a drama studio in North London with
the actor Richard Wilson. He was a member of the National Theatre from 1978 to
1986.
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Mozart e L’italia
Students of Maggio Fiorentino
Teatro Goldoni, Via Santa Maria 15, tel.
055.2335518, 21.00
Deus - Club Tour 2006
tel. 055.487145, www.flog.it, 21.30
Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina
Villa Peyron, Via di Vincigliata, 2, Fiesole.
055-264321 17.00, www.bardinipeyron.it/
Tickets online www.boxol.it
Via Pellicceria 8-13
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Opening Concert of Maggio Musicale
Orchestra
See April 30th
APR 21 TO MAY 4
Sud Sound System
tel. 055.487145, www.flog.it, 21.30
Perfidia Quartet
Cuban music
055.2479700, 22.15,€ 7
Studio drammaturgico “Casa di Bambola”
Teatro 13, via Nicolodi 2, tel. 055.2767822
21.00
Violaine
Cantiere Florida, Via Pisana, 111, Oltrarno,
Florence 055-7135357, 21.00. €12,00 reductions: €10,00 / 8,00, www.elsinor.net/
Il ventaglio
Teatro dell’Istituto Francese, P.za Ognissanti 2, Florence, 055-2718801 11:00 and
18:30 www.istitutofrancese.it/
Storia di Ye Xian - narrazione poetica
Saloncino del Teatro della Pergola, Via della Pergola, 12/32, Florence 055-2264335
10.30 www.pergola.firenze.it
ONGOING
n CINEMA
Florence Film Festival
Festival dedicated to cinema and new visual medias, with a special section dedicated
to Sergio Leone
Several places in Florence, Sesto Fiorentino and Pistoia, www.firenzefilmfestival.
com, March 5-April 27
12
Events in FLORENCE
n COMPETITION
Pencils for Peace. 2nd National competition for young cartoonists
A national competition for young cartoonists aged 14-30
Deadline August 31, info www.scuolacomics.it, tel. 055.218950 or www.portalegiovani.comune.fi.it, tel. 055.218310
n EXHIBITS
Fiorello Tosoni paintings
Sala Costantini del Museo Archeologico,
Fiesole, tel. 800.414240, until May 1st
The Paths of Time by Giuliano Ghelli
Maison Enrico Coveri , Lungarno Guicciardini 19, tel. 055.281004, until April 29
Photos by Bernard-Reymond and
Nguyen
French Institute, Piazza Ognissanti 2. April
21st -July 14th, Mon-Fri 10.00-18.00; FSM
Gallery, Via San Zanobi 19r, April 21st-June
10, Mon-Sat 15.00 -18.30, Free Admission
Fuori alla polvere - Stele etrusche e
antichità fiesolane
On show archeological works of Tuscany
never seen before.
Museo Civico Archeologico, Via Portigiani,
27 - 50014 Fiesole 055-59477 www.fiesolemusei.it/
Bar/expo
Photo exhibition by Heiko Mattern
La sosta del Rossellino, via del Rossellino
2r, Settignano, until June 30, from 19.00
The shape of the mind by Isaac
Abrams
FYR Arte Contemporanea , borgo degli Albizi 22, tel. 055-2343351,www.fyr.it, until
May 20, 16-19
Wagner Verner paintings
Gruppo Donatello, via degli Artisti 2r,
055.579207, until May 1, 17.30-19.30
Miniatura Umbra del Rinascimento
Museo di San Marco, Piazza San Marco 3
tel. 055.2388608, www.polomuseale.firenze.it/musei/sanmarco, until June 25, 8.1513.50, Sat 8.15-18.50, Sun 8.15-19
I Targioni Tozzetti tra ‘700 e ‘900
Accademia dei Georgofili, Logge degli Uffizi Corti, tel. 055.213360, www.georgofili.it,
until May 19, 15-18
Carnet de voyage
Watercolors by Roberto Magnolfi about
Marocco
Chiostro di Santa Maria degli Angeli, via
degli Alfani 39, until May 7, 17-19, Sun 1012.30
Mi hanno cercato by Giuseppe Chiari
Galleria Il Ponte, via di Mezzo 42 b, tel.
055.240617, www.galleriailponte.com, until
May 6, 16-19.30
Nemico in vista by Nicola Foletti
Teatro Puccini Foyer, via delle Cascine
41, tel. 055.362067, until May 31, 15.3019.30
Gold jewels, costumes and weapons
from Sergio Leone’s films
Sala d’Arme, Palazzo Vecchio, piazza della
Signoria, tel. 055.27681/4201580, www.
firenzefilmfestival.it, until April 25, Tues-Sun
11.00-18.00
Dal disegno alla scena by Anna Anni
Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Palazzo Pitti, Piazza Pitti 1, tel. 055.294883, www.polomuseale.firenze.it, until July 7
Terramare by Anna Kapor
The Serbo-Croat painter depicts imaginary
monuments standing in landscapes that
evoke existing places such as Castel del
Monte, Monteriggioni, the Croat Islands,
etc.
Galleria Falteri, via della Spada 38r, tel.
055.217740, www.falteri.it, until May 13,
10-13.30 and 16-19.30
The Mind of Leonardo. Universal Genius at Work
Galleria degli Uffizi, Piazzale degli Uffizi, tel.
055.2388651, www.uffizi.firenze.it, until January 7, 2007, 8.15-19.00, Tues-Sun
The Renaissance Man: Leon Battista
Alberti and the Arts of Florence between
Reason and Beauty
Palazzo Strozzi, Piazza Strozzi, tel.
055.2776461, www.palazzostrozzi.info, until July 23, 9.00-20.00, Fri until 23.00
Giambologna: Gods and Heroes
Genesis and Fortune of a European Style
n GUIDED TOURS
Guided visit s to gardens in Fiesole
April-June, September, October on Thursday, info tel. 800414240, www.comune.
fiesole.fi.it
The progress of the restoration of the
cycle of frescoes by A. Gaddi in the
Cappella Maggiore
Chiesa di Santa Croce until December 31,
Fri and Sat at 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16; Sun
at 14, 15, 16
Guided tours of the Bargello Museum
Until June 15, free guided visits of the
museum every day at 15.00, 16.00 and
17.00, in Italian and English (entrance to
the Giambologna exhibition is charged), tel.
055.294883
Artisans of the Oltrarno, in search of
artistic craftsmanship
Discover and bring home the artisan heart
of Florence, savouring the finest genuine
Florentine artisan traditions
Info 055.3036108, www.firenze-oltrarno.
net, all year
Hortibus Collection & Garden tours
Starting point: piazza S.Trinita, every Thur
and Sat at 15.00, info 348.9100783, www.
hortibus.com, € 25
Gli appuntamenti del Planetario: meetings with the public
From January to May and from October
to December (on Thursdays and on Sundays)
Planetario, via G. Giusti 29,
tel. 055.2343723, www.fstfirenze.it
Bandini Gardens
Opening hours: 15.30 in via dei Bardi n° 1
R, angle of piazza dei Mozzi, until October
31st
Streets around Basilica San Lorenzo, every
day, all day
Ciompi Antique fair
Piazza de’ Ciompi, tel. 055.3283550, every
week day and last Sunday of the month
Mercato del Porcellino
Florentine crafts with straw, hand-made embroidery, leather and woodwork, flowers
Logge del Porcellino, every day, all day
Mostra Primaverile di piante e fiori
Great exhibit/market for local and exotic plants and flowers
Giardino dell’Orticoltura , Ponte Rosso, 919, until 1st of May
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Organ and instrumental concerts
Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Ricci, via del
Corso, tel. 055.289367, all year, Mon-Sun
21.15, Sat 18.00, €11
Concerts at St. Mark’s English Church
The “Orpheus Ensemble” presents sacred
music, Italian opera arias and Neapolitan
Songs with piano and voice
St. Mark’s English Church, Via Maggio 1618, tel 340.8119192, every day at 21.15,
€15, for The Florentine readers € 10 (Mondays free piano recital). Special concerts
with free entrance: April 28, Tempus Floridum Choir, 18.30; May 26-27, Tempus Floridum Choir, 18.30
Events in FLORENCE
APR 21 TO MAY 4
in Sculpture
Museo Nazionale del Bargello, via del Proconsolo 4, tel. 055.294883, www.polomuseale.firenze.it, until June 15
Nella cartella dei nonni
Old school books and pictures from the
Marucelliana collection
Biblioteca Marucelliana, via Cavour 43-47,
tel. 055.2722200, www.maru.firenze.sbn.it,
until May 31, 9-6.30; Sat 9-13.30, free
Bramante and the others. The history
of three codex and one collector
Gabinetto di Disegni e Stampe degli Uffizi,
via della Ninna 5, tel. 055.2340940, until
May 7, 8.30-18.30
Close Up by Martin Schoeller
Extreme close-ups of the faces of actors,
singers, athletes and politicians
Gallery Hotel Art, Vicolo dell’Oro 5, tel.
055.27263, until May 2
A Dance Pace through the Centuries
200 graphic and painting works dedicated
to the history of dance and costumes from
the 16th century onwards
Firenze Art Center, via Cavour 35, tel.
055.6540228, until June 15, Mon-Fri
10.30-13.00
Ceramics by Paolo Staccioli
Palazzo Pitti, Museo delle Porcellane, tel.
2388709, until June 25, Ap-May 8.1518.30, closed first and last Mon of the
month, €4
Mythologica et Erotica
Art and Culture from Antiquity to the XVIII
century
Museo degli Argenti, Palazzo Pitti, until May
15, Ap-May 8.15-18.30, closed 1st and last
Mon of the month, €4
Food and Flavours in the Ancient
World
Museo Archeologico, via della Colonna 36,
tel. 055.294883 /23575, www.cibiesapori.
it, until May 1st , Mon 14-19, Tues, Thur
8.30-19, Wed, Fri, Sun 8.30-14, €4
Cycling through Time
An exhibition of antique bicycles in the
new ground-floor exhibition spaces of the
Museum.
Museo di Storia della Scienza, piazza dei
Giudici 1, tel. 055.265311, www.imss.fi.it,
until December 31, Mon-Sat 9.30-17, Tues
9.30-13, 2nd Sun of the month 10-13
13
UP COMING
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Jethro Tull
055.210804, www.saschall.it, May 8
Carmen Consoli
Nelson Mandela Forum, , www.boxol.it, May
15
Pino Daniele
Michele Zarrillo
Ligabue
Stadio Comunale Artemio Franchi, viale M.
Fanti 4/6, tel. 055.210804, www.boxol.it,
May 31
n SHOWS
Cirque du soleil “Alegria Tour Plan”
Rome, Area Spettacoli, April 27 - May 28.
Info www.cirquedusoleil.com and Box Office
CHILDREN
n GUIDED TOURS
Il Giardino di Archimede, Mathematics
Sundays
Guided visits and surprise events at the
THEATRE (in Italian unless otherwise noted) Museum
Il Giardino di Archimede, Museo per la MaLe sorelle Materassi
tematica, via S. Bartolo a Cintoia 19°, tel.
Teatro di Cestello, Piazza del Cestello, 4, 055.7879594, www.archimede.ms, on the
tel. 055.294609, www.teatrodicestello.tbo. first Sunday of every month
it, until May 7, Sat 21.00, Sun 16.30
Gli appuntamenti del Planetario: workshops for the schools
Planetario, via G. Giusti 29, tel.
055.2343723, www.fstfirenze.it, Jan-May
and Oct-Dec,
Mon-Fri
KFFL r 13734
18/4/05 17:51 Page
1
n
Did you know that Knight Frank has
five offices in Tuscany and Umbria?
The little joiner’s shop
Workshop to create wooden games, develops creativiy and dexterity. For children
age 4 to 10
Il Cappello di Merlino, via Mazzetta 14r, tel.
055.264471, every Wed, 17.00
The amazing circus of Merlin the Wizard
Workshop to create circus equipment. For
children age 4 to 11
055.264471, every Thur, 17.00
The world through the senses
Experimenting with the senses (taste, sight,
hearing, touch, smell) through games and
book-readings. For children age 2 to 5
055.264471, every Fri, 17.00
Ludoteca Il Castoro
- Every Monday: let’s play together
- Every Tuesday: Handi-craft lab and
painting with Chiara
- Every Wednesday: let’s use the videocamera
- Every Thursday: inventing and acting
out stories
- Every Friday: fun and games in English
- Every day: book loaning and story-time
for children and parents
c/o Ludoteca Il Castoro, Via U. della Faggiola 68/A (Scuola Villani), tel. 055.6810517
Puppet show
055.264471, every Sat, 17.00
Mimi e saltimbanchi
Il Palco Theatre, Piazza Elia dalla Costa 26,
Gavinana, FI 055-6810496, 14.30 www.
teatroilpalco.com/
Mago Ulà e i suoi giochi di prestigio
Meyer Hospital, Via Luca Giordano, 13 ,
Cure, Florence. April 28th 15.00, www.
meyer.it
Un sabato piccolo piccolo
Circolo Vie Nuove, v.le Giannotti, until May
27 only on Sat 16.00
Le avventure di Calandrino e altre novelle divertenti del Decamerone
Meyer Hospital, Via Luca Giordano, 13,
Cure, Florence. May 3rd 15.00, www.
meyer.it
OUT OF TOWN
n EXHIBITS
Giovanni Lastrucci graphics
Cassero Medievale, Prato, info until 0574
1835025, until April 30, 10-13 and 16-19,
Tues closed
Paintings by Marco Lami and Davide
Feligioni Pantaleoni
Confartigianato Sede di Maliseti, Via.
Saccenti 19/21 Prato. 0574-623956.
Mon-Thurs 8.30/13.00 - 14.30/18.00, Fri
8.30/13.00 Closed: Sat. & Sun. Until May
25th. Free admission
Display of the Holy Girdle
Santo Stefano Cathedral,
Piazza del Duomo, Prato.
May 1st 18.00
Il Mare Tuo Ritorna Tenerezza Interazioni Contemporanee
Works by Luca Serasini, Graziano Ciacchini and Massimo Magrini
Cantieri Culturali Ex-Macelli, piazza dei Macelli, Prato, tel. 0574.616753, until April 28,
Mon-Fri 15:00-00:00, Sat 15:00-19:00
Giacomo’s and the Group of Chiesanuova
Antiche Stanze di Santa Caterina, Via Dolce dei Mazzamuti, 1, Prato. 0574-33240,
10:00-13:00 and 15:00-18:00, Closed
Tues and Thurs. Free Admission. Last day:
April 29th.
Cosa vedi, Alberto? La Settimana della
Cultura Scientifica
Photo exhibition
Centro di Scienze Naturali, via Galceti 74,
Prato, tel. 0574.460503, until April 30, €4
Opera Austria. Prospettive distorte:
arte nel cuore dell’Europa
A unique occasion to discover the variety of
the Austrian artistic scene from the 1960s
to nowadays
Sale Espositive del Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci, viale della Repubblica 277, Prato, tel. 0574.5317, www.centroartepecci.prato.it, until May 28
n COMPETITION
Bonsai e Suiseki trees
Bonsai e Suiseki tree competition. Three
categories; Best Bonsai, Best Suiseki, and
Best demonsration of tree. Exibition and
prize giving April 22-23
All applications and trees must be turned in
by April 21st between 17.00-23.00. Palazzo
delle Esposizioni
p.za Guido Guerra, Empol 347-4888154
http://www.gbmv.it/mreg06.htm
n EXHIBITS
The Island of Treasures: Food and Flavours in the Ancient World
Archaeological exhibition
Antiquarium S. Appiano, Barberino Val
d’Elsa, tel. 055.8075622, until April 30,
Sat-Sun 15.00-19.00
The Island of Treasures: Food and Flavours in the Ancient World
Archaeological exhibition
Museo di Arte Sacra di San Pietro in Bossolo, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, tel. 055.80778322,
until April 30, Sat-Sun 16.30-19.00
n GUIDED TOURS
Guided walking tours around calenzano
From April to October, info 055.8833255,
www.comune.calenzano.fi.it
Quadreria del Palazzo Comunale
Assessorato alla Cultura del Comune di
Prato 0574-38207. April 29th-30th. Sat10:00, 11:00, 16:00, 17:00; Sun- 10:00,
11:00. Free admission
Ali in libertà - Liberazione di falchi e
altri uccelli curati e riadattati
Centro di Scienze Naturali, Via di Galceti,
74, Prato.
0574-460503. April 25th, 16.00
Special night opening of the Museum
Photograph Florence..and Fly to SARDEGNA!!
Whether you are buying, selling, restoring or in need of estate
management advice, you will always find a local Knight Frank agent
close at hand.
Send your photo to info@theflorentine.net
Each week Ryanair will be offering two round trip tickets
Pisa-Alghero (Sardinia), which will be awarded to the
photographer of the “Pic of the Week”.
For further information contact in complete confidence:
Rima Stubbs, Italian Head Office, 0577 731 120
London: Edward Rees, + (0) 44 20 7629 8171
The winner will be chosen by The Florentine editorial staff
Mercato San Lorenzo
Florentine crafts, hand-made embroidery
and paper, leather etc
Offices: London Florence Milan Rome Venice
www.knightfrank.com
...and the winner is...
author:
Clarissa Martens title: Oltrarno Laboratory.
74, Prato.
0574-460503. April 29th, 21.00
Free guided visit to the ”Area protetta
del Monteferrato”
74, Prato.
0574-460503. May 1st, 16.00
Guided tours in the Natural Reserve of
Fucecchio marsh
Padule di Fucecchio, tel. 0573.84540,
www.zoneumidetoscane.it/eventi/padeventi.html, until June on weekends
On the Scaffolding with Filippo Lippi
Visits to the restoration of Filippo Lippi’s
fresco (max 12 persons)
Cattedrale di Santo Stefano, piazza del
Duomo, Prato, tel. 0574.24112, www.restaurofilippolippi.it, by reservation only, every
Sat at 10, 11, 16, 17, Sun at 10, 11, €8
Abbey of San Salvatore and San
Lorenzo a Settimo
Badia
a
Settimo,
Scandicci,
tel.
055.7310537,
www.badiadisettimo.it,
Wed, Fri 10-12, Sun 15.30-18, closed July
and Aug
The Ceramics of Montelupo
Free guided visits of Archaeology and
Ceramics Museum and participation in
workshops
Museo archeologico e della ceramica, Montelupo Fiorentino, tel. 0571.518993, on
Thur from 10.00 to 14.00
Wine and Fashion in the Florentine
Mountains. Itineraries with guided visits, shopping
Tours to discover the beauty of the Florentine Mountains: the art, culture and
nature together with food, visits to artisan
workshops and local shopping centres
(Dicomano, Londa, Pelago, Pontassieve,
Reggello, Rufina, San Godenzo). Starts at
8.45, lasts 7 hours
All year Mon and Sat, Resco Travel, tel.
055.868009
Week-end of April 22-23
Spring festival. Flower market
Giardino di Villa Martinez, Calenzano, FI
April 23rd 8.30-18.30 www.comune.calenzano.fi.it/
“Il Pagliaio” Biological Little Market
Piazza Matteotti, Greve in Chianti
055-8545271 April 23rd
Mugello colours and tastes
Piazza della Vittoria Vicchio
www.comune.vicchio.fi.it/
16th Antiques Fair
Piazza Buondelmonti, Impruneta
22-04-2006 closing date 1-05-2006 All
day long
Week-end of April 29-30
Antiques Showcase
Piazza Matteotti, Scandicci 055-750072
April 29-30 www.comune.scandicci.fi.it/
16th Antiques Fair
Piazza Buondelmonti, Impruneta
22-04-2006 closing date 1-05-2006
All day long
APR 21 TO MAY 4
April Fair
S. Donato in Poggio, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa
April 30th
The Wines of the Castle
Castello di Montefioralle, Greve in Chianti
April 29-30, Sat 16:00-21:00 and Sun
10:00-21:00
n MUSIC & CONCERTS
Scialuppa di Salvataggio
Cencio’s Club, Via Strobino 1, Prato. 0574593239. April 27th 22.00. www.cencios.it/
La notte dello Zibaldone
Bayern, Piazza del Mercato Nuovo, Prato.
0574-24120. Saturdays only until April
27th. 22.30 www.bayernprato.com
Rock Show
0574-24120. Fridays only until April 26th.
22.30 www.bayerprato.com
‘The Cult’ a tribute to Nivana
Anomalia Club, Via Dino Campana 58, S.
Lucia, Prato. April 22. 23.00, free admission.
Triobliquo
Officina Giovani Cantieri Ex Macelli, Piazza
Macelli 4, Prato 0574-616753. April 24th,
21.30. Free Admission
Live music with the best Tuscan rock
bands
0574-24120. Thursdays only until May 25th.
22.30 www.bayerprato.com
Fab Foetus dj & Guest
Cencio’s Club, Via Strobino 1, Prato. 0574593239. Fridays until April 28th 22.00.
www.cencios.it/
16
An
Interview
With
Nita Tucker
Editor in Chief
The Florentine
“The Florentine is not
an accomplishment.
It’s a miracle.”
The Florentine: How did the
newspaper come about?
Nita Tucker: I came to Florence to fulfil my dream of living here. I was a management consultant working with several multi-national corporations, always
travelling and planned to continue, with
Florence as my base. My husband’s
carreer, as a financial consultant, was
not so flexible - but agreed to try it out
for a year. We soon realized that living
in this city is much harder than being
a tourist here. It was hard to find out
information, to know what’s going on,
and to find out how to do things. My
husband, Tony, would buy the Herald
Tribune every morning, but it didn’t tell
TF: Once you decided to do it,
how did you go about starting it?
NT: I knew my Italian teacher’s husband, Leo, did something with printing
and advertising. So I asked him how
I could go about getting something
printed. I was looking for something
like a Kinkos copy store. He asked me
what I had in mind so I told him the
newspaper idea and one week later, he
asked us to come to meet his partners
at their office because they might want
Special ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
him anything about Florence. Without a local paper, he didn’t feel connected to the place in which he was
living. He even tried reading the Italian
newspapers, but after several hours on
one article, and maybe mistaking ‘ne’
for ‘non’, he’d usually miss the whole
point. Frustrated, he said that Florence
should have a local English newspaper
like the weekly we had found in San
Miguel de Allende, a town in Mexico. It
was a real newspaper, not just a tourist
magazine, and had become a necessity
for the ex-pats living there. I thought a
city the size of Florence had to have
a similar publication, but while there
were some excellent magazines, there
was no current news. So I decided to
it myself.
17
to do the paper with us. That was in
November and our first issue came out
April 21. None of us had a background
in journalism, none of us knew exactly
what we were doing or how to do it,
none of us were fluent in both English
and Italian. And Tony and I didn’t have
a clue about doing business in Italy - if
we had, we probably never would have
done it. The Florentine isn’t an accomplishment. It’s a miracle.
TF: What do you love most about
doing the paper?
NT: It’s interesting because I think I’ve
done every job there is to do for it.
From delivering papers, to proof-reading, to selling advertising and writing
sports - so far there has been nothing I
haven’t enjoyed doing. I have to admit
I love the glamour side of it. I’ve met
everyone from the ambassador to the
mayor to Richard Branson. I’m invited
to the best parties and openings. I’ve
had the chance to visit incredible palazzos and eat as a guest at the fanciest restaurants. The paper has given
me an entrée into the community that
probably no one, Italian or foreign, gets
to experience so fully. I think I have the
best job in Florence. Glamour aside,
the most satisfying part of the job is
being part of something that is such a
great service and has the power and
privilege to make a tremendous contribution to this community. Eugenio
Gianni, the assistant mayor of Florence, thanks me every time I see him
for helping him get his job done. He
says that before The Florentine, there
was no comprehensive avenue for the
city to reach the foreigners living in
and visiting Florence. But the best,
most wonderful thing I love about the
paper is the people. The people I’ve
met, interviewed, become friends with,
the writers who have donated their
precious words to us, our editor, the
interns, the printer, and my partners…
We started this paper, not knowing
each other. We had no signed agreements, and could barely speak to each
other. As a management consultant, I
would strongly advise my clients that
this is not the way to start a business.
But I work with four men - each of them
unique, brilliant, creative, hip, hysterically funny, and drop dead gorgeous and our partnership is what I love most
about doing our paper.
TF: What has been the biggest
challenge?
NT: The pace of getting things done.
The other thing is, I really don’t understand the Italian culture, especially
how to do business. Without my Italian
partners I would be dead in the water.
Even after 20 years here, I probably
still won’t understand!
TF: What’s your vision for the
paper in the future?
NT: To me, the primary purpose of
the paper is to give English-speaking
people who have difficulty reading an
Italian newspaper a way to feel more
connected to the place where they live.
It’s not a paper for ex-pats to meet each
other. It’s meant to make it easier for
an English-speaker to go to concerts
or to understand the Italian passion for
calcio or politics. We want to help and
enhance the reader’s participation in
and appreciation of the community of
Florence.
‘Buon Compleanno, Baby’
The Italian version of how The Florentine came to be
by Giovanni Giusti
I
t was a tranquil November morning in 2004. The place, a graphic
design studio in Florence, nestled in the San Frediano neighbourhood. There we were, earning our
usual daily bread, when the Tuckers
suddenly burst into our office. An
American couple, they had arrived
in Florence in August. What did
they want with us? They had come
to denounce a very serious issue
that was ailing the city. A feeling
of dread immediately invaded my
perplexed partners and me. What
was the problem exactly? We’d certainly be willing to help if we could.
Signora Nita then asked how it was
possible that Florence didn’t have
an informative newspaper for the
city’s Anglophone community. With
so many English speakers living in
Florence, not to mention the tourists, she was appalled that the city
didn’t have an English-language
paper.
We, the partners at Agilelogica—that’s the name of our agency—
didn’t really know how to respond
to this outburst. Frankly, as Italians,
we had never even considered the
problem, nor had we ever felt the
lack of such a paper. Still unsuspecting and slightly confused, we found
ourselves pronouncing those fateful
words, ‘How can we help?’ Did they
want us to call them a taxi? Were
they in dire need of a plumber?
Were they looking for someone to
set up their computer connection?
The Tuckers’ answer was simple.
‘No, what we want is to create a
newspaper.’
And this is where Agilelogica
committed its second fatal error.
Two mistakes in less then twenty seconds constituted a company record.
But we made it anyway. ‘Okay,’ we
said, ‘we’ll help you do it.’
This off-handed declaration constituted the big bang, the moment
in which The Florentine was conceived. It was an entirely unexpected conversation that sealed the
destiny of a handful of adventurous
neophytes, diving into the unknown
world of publishing. It was a simple
exchange that would soon influence
the informative fate of an entire
community. Why? Because The
Florentine was born to inform. Its
purpose has always been to provide
information to a great number of
individuals who find themselves in
Florence. The Florentine wants to
help people truly live the city. No
more Americans waiting at the bus
stop for a bus that is on strike. No
more Englishmen fined for driving
in restricted-traffic areas. No more
Australians diligently waiting in line
for a show that was cancelled last
Friday. No more English-speaking Japanese or Germans missing
out on end-of-season bargains. The
news and events sections of the
paper are in charge of guaranteeing
said utopia.
The Florentine, born from the foreigner’s love for Florence and Italy,
also strives to be a springboard for
stories, experiences and reporting
which help readers understand and
capture the essence of this city and
its Bel Paese. As the project developed, the doors suddenly opened to
new and established writers whose
articles became fixed columns. We
start receiving a whole series of
manuscripts on a myriad of topics,
all of which were inspired by a love
for this land. Surely, it hasn’t only
been about getting loads of love
letters: there have been criticism,
complaints about unfortunate experiences, efforts to face up to stereotypes, and the struggle to deal with
the challenges of everyday life in
Italy. Nonetheless, the paper’s goal
is to promote understanding of a
culture and country, made up of the
good, the bad and the così così.
But let’s get back to that fateful
day in November 2004. After the initial act of love, the gestation period
that followed was quite brief. The
Florentine was born prematurely,
seven months later, on the morning
of April 21, 2005.
Today the paper is a year old and
we still don’t know whether it’s a
boy or a girl. But this detail doesn’t
worry us too much. What we can
say is that The Florentine represents
the perfect balance between multiple cultures, Anglo-American and
Tuscan, and it aims to reflect the
best and worst of those worlds.
The paper has its mother’s stargazing American eyes. Those eyes
shine with unconditional American
optimism and often clash with the
city’s restricted horizons. The Florentine’s feet are firmly planted on
solid ground, a character trait inherited from its many Italian fathers.
Admittedly, firmly planted feet are
sometimes seen as painfully limiting, but the paper was born in a
country infamous for being ‘difficult
and complicated’. But, complicated
or not, we continue to build it, day
after day.
As one of its good Italian fathers,
I’d like to take a little credit. I
fought tooth and nail so that our
baby wouldn’t be named Ciao Italia
or Buongiorno Firenze. The paper
deserved to have a more dignified
name. I looked for quality paper and
the best printer available so that our
little newborn would emerge beautiful. Believe me, it has not been
easy to cope with the baby’s mother
who’s prone to disturb our mentalità, like an elephant stomping
around a glass shop. Being used to
North American fields of business
and information, she often finds
this city’s alleys slow to expand to
new ideas and far-reaching projects.
We do our best to keep her plans in
check.
Personally, I find The Florentine
experience to be a small metaphor
for life: there are mistakes to be
made, moments of intuition, alternating bouts of success and defeat,
amicable encounters and personal
battles. The whole experience is
enhanced by the international composition of both our staff and our
readers. It’s the global and the local
working together in a small editorial
office in Florence. It’s a laboratory
where we’ve created a tiny Frankensteinthat we hope will one day
achieve the recognition it deserves.
Maybewe’ll get there. Maybe our
baby will grow up to be the first star
to leave its handprints on Hollywood
Boulevard turned via Tornabuoni.
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Workshop, Show Rooms and classes
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18
Life in Italy
Giovanni Giusti
The Linguist
Nita Tucker
The Enthusiast
Linda Falcone
The Writer
Nita is editor-in-chief and the lady with
the million-dollar idea. The paper was
her brainchild and she’s always searching for the best ways to take care of
the baby. It’s her job to tell us how the
world should be run. Her enthusiasm is
contagious and is the petrol that makes
the paper run; we’d stop in our tracks
without her. She’s bossy boots and a
breath of fresh air.
Linda, the paper’s editor, is a solo
musician who orchestrates a symphony of writers. Charmed by beautiful words and smart stories, it’s her job
to wrestle with the news and brush up
the features. Reserved but in love with
people, she tears the paper up and
glues it back together, as she waits
for writers to stop by her window and
speak. After that, it’s all about spit and
polish ‘til it shines.
One of the founding partners, Tony is
responsible for taking the dream and
translating it into a living, breathing
reality. Accomplished businessman on
the other side of the ocean, he brought
with him the essential nuts and bolts
of management and operation that we
needed to start up the paper. From
being the first paperboy to financial
executive, Tony does whatever is
needed.
Marco Badiani
The Magician
Our official publisher, money-maker
and administrator, there is always
something happening behind his eyes.
Smart enough to entertain himself,
Marco delights in juggling ten ideas
and seeing how fast he can make
them fly. He doesn’t listen, but has the
uncanny ability to hear you anyway and
do what you ask before you request it.
He is the Cat in the Hat and the Wizard
of Oz.
The Faces Behind
Tony Tucker
The Excel Man
19
Life in Italy
He is the paper’s public relations man,
and deals with issues of planning and
management. Giovanni is the book of
Tuscan proverbs and the Oxford dictionary incarnate. Partial to tweed and
wool, only his cosmic silver shoes give
his humour away. A strange combination of stoicism and mischief, he is both
the boy next door and il direttore, otherwise known as Giovanni the Good.
Antonio Lo Iacono
The Expert
Creator and keeper of The Florentine’s
website, Antonio is master of the keyboard and unfailing technical assistant.
One-task minded, he may not say a
word to you for hours. Don’t worry.
He is just collecting evidence that will
make you laugh at lunchtime. Often
temperamental but always dependable,
Antonio is best at untangling troubles.
After all, it’s his job to keep us running
and in the world.
Leo Cardini
The Artist
Graphic designer, illustrator, photographer and writer, Leo is the talent
behind The Florentine’s face. He’s the
paper’s physical father, the one who
stays up late the night before we print,
like a daddy pacing at the delivery room
door. Inexhaustible source of creative
energy, Leo paints in black and white
and lives in colour. Of few words and
many works, he is the giving tree and
where the sidewalk ends.
Cathy Gale
The Sweetheart
As graphic designer, she sees the
newspaper as space to fill with
coloured squares. Adaptable as water,
and calm in storms of change, her key
word is willingness. Cathy solves last
minute emergencies and always keeps
her windows open, just in case all other
doors are closed for the night. She is
Pollyanna and Glinda the Good Witch.
Elia della Chiesa
The Pragmatist
Innately efficient, Elia deals with logistics, events and distribution. All about
where and when, Elia sends The Florentine out into the world and its readers out on colourful local adventures.
Elia’s job reflects her role. The events
section is point of reference for readers, its coordinator is the staff’s constant compass. Frequent voice of reason, she is the seamstress who keeps
the circus tent from tearing.
Giacomo Badiani
The Deal-Maker
As sales representative, Giacomo
knocks on doors and makes our deals.
Conscientious, committed and slightly
obsessive, he is The Florentine’s pathfinder and its living historical archive.
Graduate in Architecture, he sees the
paper as a project to draft and carefully
build on. From foundation to rooftop,
many know where the paper should
go but Giacomo knows how to get it
there.
There are others, of course,
who build the paper each week:
copy editor Kate Bolton, our
token professional journalist,
who dots our is and crosses our
ts and makes us mind our ps
and qs. Last but not least, there
are sales representatives Alison Bell and Susan Fletcher
who pound the pavement to
make The Florentine a household word.
Thanks to all those who have contributed
to making The Florentine dream a reality!
Thanks to all of our wonderful
writers for sharing their words:
Carolyn Abney, Jacqueline Ahn, Julia
Fein Azoulay, Sarah Beck, Julie Birchley, Fred Birkhimer, Justina Blakeney,
Kate Bolton, Jenni Brooks, Angie Elizabeth Brooksby, Cassie Brown, Joseph
E. Calderone, Danielle Caponi, Brooke
Carey, Franco Cesati, Lee Cooper,
Nicoletta Curradi, Emiko Davies,
Rocelle Del Borrello, Lori De Mori,
Joseph P. DeVeaugh-Geiss, Sabine
Eiche, Walter Fortini, Ann Freeman,
Margherita Guarnirei, Amy Gulick, Elizabeth Hannah, Robert Heylmun, Kara
Hoffman, Howard Hudson, Miriam
Hurley, Rachel Imbrogno, Suzi Jenkins,
Deborah Kennedy, Gillian Kirkpatrick,
Alexandra Korey, Alexandra Lawrence,
Jo Linsdell, Victoria Mabbs, Vanessa
Manko, Robert Mann, Stella McCartney, Roisin McGuigan, Anna McNiel,
Victoria Miachika, Brenda MooreMcCann, Giovanni Morelli, Jocelyn
Morse, Margreta Moss, Paolo Necchi,
Ashton Nichols, Robert Nordvall, Sofia
Novello, Leslie Parker, Tim Parks, Kathy
Perunic, Tova Piha, Douglas Preston, Ann. J. Reavis, Alexandra Reisner, Carla Rossi, Alexandra Salomon,
Alberto Sarrantonio, Anthony Smith,
Nicky Swallow, Stephanie Tarnowski,
Sir Brian Tovey, Erin Townsend, Victo-
ria Trombetta, Anthony Tucker, Jared
Turkus, Adriana Varala, Elena Vignali,
Alexandre Vladimir, Judy Witts, Mari
Kenton Wright, and Melissa Wright.
Special thanks to Carla Rossi for being
our news editor for the majority of The
Florentine’s life-span. The passion
and care she has put into the paper is
greatly appreciated. Thanks to Janelle
Alexander, our first sales representative, who started to sell The Florentine
when it was still just a dream.
A heartfelt thank you to our advertisers for making it possible to provide
the paper especially Knight Frank and
Volvo, who have been with us since our
first issue. Thanks to our distributors
for helping us reach our readers. We’d
also like to acknowledge our printer La
Marina for providing consistent quality
and our publisher Azimuth and editor
Fabiana Ceccarelli for on-going support and advice.
Thanks to all our readers, for their
enthusiasm, praise, constructive criticism and efforts which have made
this paper the effective resource it is
for the English-speaking community in
Florence.
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Starbucks Coffees, CoffeeMate, Heinz Baked Beans, Jiffy Pie-crust & Cake Mix, Reeses Pieces,
Hershey’s Candies, Quaker Instant Oatmeal, Chips Ahoy, Squirt, Planters Salted Peanuts, Chef
Boyardee Soups, Betty Crocker Cake Mixes, Croutons and Stuffing, Pumpkin Pie Mix, Hellmanns
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20
Life in Italy
Culture & CUSTOMS
All of the articles found in the following pages are written by independent collaborators. The Florentine seeks to publish
stories that are interesting, entertaining, and useful to all of our readers. If and when a writer expresses opinions within his
or her work those opinions should be considered to be those of the writer and not necessarily those of the publishers of this
newspaper. If you wish to submit articles for consideration please contact us at redazione@theflorentine.net.
ITALIAN VOICES: A window on language and
customs in Italy...‘cara-bella-ciccia’
I
have a good friend
who assigns animals
to everyone she meets.
I, on the other hand, am
partial to fictitious characters. I currently work
with four Italian men. In
my mind’s eye, they are
the Wizard, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and
the Cowardly Lion.
‘Who’s Who?’ my colleagues wanted to know,
once I confessed my habit
of assigning roles to the
people I love.
‘You mean you can’t
tell?’ I asked, genuinely surprised.
The three seconds it took for them
to work it out reassured me that I
had cast them well. The characters,
they admitted, suited them well.
Only Antonio was unhappy. ‘Why
do I have to be the Cowardly Lion?’
he protested.
‘Because you over-react like he
does, and besides, the Scarecrow
and Tin Man are already cast.’
Resigned to the role of the temperamental King of the Forest, Antonio stopped protesting. It was my
whim, he was going to let me win.
‘So, if we are in Oz, does that make
you Judy Garland?’
‘Well,’ I said, ‘It’s a toss up between
Dorothy or the dog. But if you want
to make a woman happy, give her
ruby shoes and four complimentary
men to dance down the bricks with.’
‘You think we’re complimentary?’
‘Well, you are all certainly fond of
pet names.’
None of my co-workers had
noticed this, of course. I, on the
other hand, had been studying the
phenomenon for months. Vezzeggiativi, easily the ugliest word in
the Italian language, is how you say
‘terms of endearment.’ Affectionate
words are tossed around our office
21
Life in Italy
with astounding frequency. If you are
ever feeling blue, all you have to do
is reach up and grab one. There are
dozens of them to be had, and they
vary depending on the time of day.
Cara is my personal favourite. It
shows its face at the beginning of the
shift, when the morning is young and
the day is yet to be written. Quite
similar to dear, its English equivalent,
cara is best for kind negotiation and
amicable agreements. Safe and without much string attached, it is the
pleasant reminder that in Italy one
can be friends as well as colleagues.
Which brings me to an important
point. As far as I can see, the use of a
vezzeggiativo is not a sign of sexism
in the workplace. My four colleagues
shower each other with the same
type verbal affection that they use to
dote on female co-workers. For them
sweet words just make the language
lighter. In Italy, terms of endearment
should be taken as a sign of high
regard and respect rather than an
insult or means of condescension.
Why? Because they indicate you
are well-liked. And in Italy, if you are
well-liked you are also respected.
Bella, Italian vezzeggiativo par
excellence, is most often used at the
end of the day. After all, there is nothing smarter than sending a woman
Where Polo Turns Tuscan
by Linda Falcone
away feeling beautiful. Certainly
more common and less incriminating than its English-speaking equivalent, bella rolls quite quickly of the
tongue. More a sign of affection than
an aesthetic reality, bella knows
nothing of the high expectations
held to the adjective in English. To
be called beautiful in the Englishspeaking world you’ve got to wear
a striking red dress and raspberry
lipstick. To be beautiful in Italian all
you have to do is show up for work.
Yes, it’s lucky to live in Italy.
There are so many lovely words to be
had here. If the truth be told, however, there are some vezzeggiativi
that should be avoided at all costs.
Adorata, for example, is one of those
words. Beyond the shadow of a
doubt, a declaration that starts with
adorata ends in argument. Not that
I have any philosophical problem
with being adored. My aversion to
the term is purely practical. Adoration is the bearer of bad news. ‘Adorata, the deadline has been moved
forward and the budget has been cut
back. But surely you will find an easy
solution.’ When adorata pops up,
whatever is baking is burning. So, if
you happen to hear the term, either
flip on your problem-solving switch
or slip out the door. They may love
you, but their going to ask you to do
something difficult.
There is only one term of endearment that I fear more than adorata.
Antonio mistakenly used it with me
last week and the worrisome word
gave birth to this article. It was Friday afternoon and I called the office
about a fax that needed to be sent by
four o’clock.
‘Will you take care of it?’ I asked
Antonio.
‘Certo, Ciccia. Consider it done.’
Ciccia? His unfortunate vezzeggiativo hit me like a brick. What
did Antonio mean by calling me
‘Chubby’? Was my Lion friend
Travel & LEISURE
getting back at me for the ‘Cowardly’ comment? Or was he simply
unaware of the psychological repercussions of ‘chubbiness’ on the modern woman’s mind?
‘Listen Antonio,’ I told him, ‘Never
call an English-speaker Ciccia.’
‘Why not?’
‘Just don’t. It translates terribly.
You’ll loose a friend. She’ll worry
about her weight all weekend and
come to work on Monday, moody
and bitter.’
‘Ciccia is not meant to be insulting. Chubby women have always
been considered attractive. For centuries, fat was considered a symbol
of abundance. But, it’s not literal,
Linda. It’s just for affection.’
‘I understand, Antonio. But of all
the awful affectionate words in the
world, ‘chubby’ takes the cake.’
Antonio laughed. He has learned
to humour me and my linguistic
hang-ups. ‘Va bene. Have a good
weekend, Bella.’
I hung up happy. It’s true, I’m
sure of it. Beautiful is always best for
goodbyes.
Discovering new surroundings
for an ancient sport
‘A polo handicap opens the
doors of the world.’
Sir Winston Churchill
by Marco Del Pasqua
T
he origin of polo
remains
uncertain. The sport
probably originated in
the Middle East, where
it was played on a barren field by nomadic
warriors as early as
2500 years ago in Persia
and perhaps as far east
as China. The Afghan
sport ‘Buzkachi’ is considered a
primitive form of polo which is still
practised today. In the 16th century
AD a polo ground was built at Ispahan, then capital of Persia, by Shah
Abbas the Great. It stretched a total
of 300 yards, with goal posts placed
8 yards apart. The British cavalry
discovered polo in India during
the 19th century. Polo was considered the national sport in the state
of Manipur (Munipoor) and British
officials eagerly learned the game
from the area’s inhabitants. Indian
players had developed the sport by
imitating a Tibetan game, in which
the ball was called ‘pulu’. Known in
the Orient as the Game of Kings,
Tamer lane’s polo grounds can still
be found in Samarkand. In Lahore,
Captain Sherer’s eagerness to play
the sport was met by a warning from
the Maharajà. ‘Attention Sir! We
needed 2000 years to learn it!’
The first polo club in the world,
namely the Calcutta Polo Club, was
founded in 1862 by British tea planters at Silchar, west of Manipur. By
1870 the game was played all over
British India with local small ponies.
British tea planters in India had
come in contact with the game in
the early 1800s but it was only in the
1850s that the British Cavalry drew
up its earliest rules.
By the 1860s the
game was well established in England.
Soon
afterwards,
Hurlingham became
the most important
polo club.
Today,
Hurlingham is home
to the League of the
British Polo and it
defines the game’s official rules.
Polo spread throughout Europe,
the America and Africa. The sport
found a particularly warm reception
in Argentina, thanks to the infinite
Pampas, the extraordinary abilities of the gauchos and the limitless availability of horses. Polo has
been an Olympic discipline since
the Paris games of 1900. In Italy this
sport arrived later. Italian polo was
started in Rome in 1930 with the
foundation of the first Italian polo
club. The first national Italian polo
team was founded in 1940.
Polo has become a widespread
sport throughout Tuscany over the
past few years. Contrary to popular
belief, it was not the foreign community that introduced the sport to the
Tuscan region. The credit goes to passionate Italians who have begun to
build private polo grounds. Tuscany
has become one of the most popular
regions where polo is played. Two
important grounds are situated in
Monte Argentario and Punta Ala,
and there are many private polo
grounds in local villas, like the one
found in Villa a Sesta in Chianti.
The last ten years have seen the presentation of several spectacular tournaments at Le Cascine race course.
These tournaments have hosted an
increasing number of spectators over
the years. In 2005, a local polo club
was founded by a group of Florentine businessmen including Salvatore Ferragamo, Francesco Ricci and
Francesco Olivieri, honorary consul
of Luxemburg in Florence. The Florentine Polo Club’s headquarters
are located at the Consulate of the
Principality of Monaco and at the
racecourse, Le Cascine. In addition
to sporting events, this young club
sponsors social and cultural activities
including art exhibitions, and book
presentations. Proceeds tournaments
are given to charity. During the summer, the club organises open-air parties at the polo ground located near
the race course. On April 24 and 25
this year there will be a tournament
involving four teams that will host
players from every part of the world.
The Florentine Polo Club is also
particularly interested in bringing
this sport into the schools, making it
available to boys and girls of every
age. Initially children learn to ride
the polo bike and use a short mallet
during practice. They then are trained
to develop a correct approach with
horses.
For information about the Florentine Polo Club: infofi@olcilaw.it
Marco Del Pasqua has been writing
short stories and novels for 26 years. He
is also passionate about travel and the
Internet. He speaks four languages and
has studied in Germany and Ireland.
179° ARNO PROGRAM Ippodromo Le Cascine
Monday, April 24th
From 10 am to 10 pm – Free Entrance
Demonstration and sports exhibitions with introduction to polo, golf,
and archery for children
Mini carnival with sweets stands and cotton candy
Tuesday, April 25th
From 11 am to 7 pm
Entrance fee: 5 euro (proceeds from the event will benefit the charity
foundation “Fondazione Tommasino Bacciotti”)
h. 12,30 - International Polo Competition
h. 3,30 pm - 179th Corsa dell’Arno Horse Race and seven exciting
additional races
Demonstration and sports exhibitions with introduction to polo, golf,
and archery for children
Mini carnival with sweet stands and cotton candy
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ARTI e MESTIERI
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Traditional Tuscan Food
with a Unique Touch
Polo Room
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Private Dining
Via Palazzuolo, 80r. Firenze
ph. 055 294 661
22
Life in Italy
23
Life in Italy
The ARTS
The ARTS
‘Corridor of Power’
Exhibition honouring E.G.Craig and Hamlet
Entering Vasari’s secret passage
by Alyson Price
by Angie De Angelis
I
n celebrating the anniversary of the birth of
William Shakespeare the British Institute,
Biblioteca Nazionale and Gabinetto Vieusseux are holding an exhibition devoted to Hamlet
and to the figure of Edward Gordon Craig, a theatre designer who had a life-long discourse with
the play. Some of his greatest work was developed
while he was living in Florence.
‘That is what the title of artist means: one who
perceives more than his fellows, and who records
more than he has seen.’ Edward Gordon Craig
(1872-1966)
Edward Gordon Craig, one of the most innovative stage designers of the twentieth century,
spent ten years of his productive life in Florence.
He was born into the theatre, the son of the great
Shakespearean actress Ellen Terry and the architect Edward Godwin, remembered for his contributions to the English aesthetic movement.
Craig was born in 1872 and began his working life as an actor with touring companies and
at Henry Irving’s Lyceum Theatre. He appeared
as the lead in Hamlet in 1894 and again in 1896
when Irving, who had revived the play in 1874,
lent him one of his own costumes and a dagger
for the part. During the 1890s Craig became less
interested in acting and more interested in theatre
design and in the art of the woodcut: he produced
marvellous books around this time, including
Gordon Craig’s Book of Penny Toys, as well as his
first productions, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas for
the Purcell Society in Hampstead and Ibsen’s The
Vikings for his mother’s company at the Imperial
Theatre in London. In these productions Craig
began to apply his revolutionary theories of theatrical design, rejecting the realism and sentimentality of late Victorian productions. He emphasised
light and movement, simplicity and unity of concept, ‘The art of the theatre’ he wrote, ‘is neither
acting nor the play, it is not scene nor dance, but
it consists of all the elements of which these things
are composed.’
Financial support for his ideas was hard to find in
England and Craig left for Germany in 1904. There
he met the theatre director Max Reinhardt and the
mother of modern dance Isadora Duncan, and he
found support in patron of the arts Count Harry
Kessler. He published Die Kunst des Theaters - On
Fencer N.2
Hamlet,
Woodcut
the Art of the Theatre. In this profoundly influential
essay Craig proposed reclaiming the theatre from
the dramatist; too many dramatists, he suggested,
wrote for the ear and not the visual stage, theatre
could function independently of literature.
Craig came to the notice of Eleonora Duse
who invited him to Florence to design a production of Ibsen’s Rosmersholm. His first encounter
with the city was on the stage of the Pergola one
hundred years ago. On 5 December 1906 the curtain rose on what a contemporary described as, ‘a
new architecture of great height, ranging in colour
from green to blue. It was simple, mysterious, fascinating... it portrayed a state of mind.’
A few months later, Craig returned to Florence
which became his home and work place for the
next ten years. Here he worked with enormous
energy in two spaces. The Arena Goldoni (the
now closed Cinema Goldoni on via dei Serragli)
was then an open-air theatre; in 1913 he founded
his theatre school in this space. Adjacent to the
Goldoni, now the home of the publishing house
Polistampa, Craig took office space for his new
periodical, The Mask. Begun in 1908, and with
the assistance of Dorothy Nevile Lees, The Mask
was devoted to theatre arts. Innovative and beautifully printed Craig sent the first issue all over the
world and its arrival on the desk of the great Russian director Stanislavsky led to an invitation to
Moscow.
The Moscow Hamlet was staged in 1912, all
Craig’s preliminary work on his scenes having
been carried out in Florence. Although Craig was
not satisfied by the outcome, it was seen by others
as a triumph. The critic for The Times wrote, ‘By
the simplest of means Craig is able in some mysterious way to evoke almost any sensation of time
or space, the scenes even in themselves suggesting
variations of human emotion....the production is a
remarkable triumph for Mr. Craig, and it is impossible to say how wide an effect such a completely
realized success of his theories may have on the
theatre of Europe.’ And Craig himself, ‘There are
at least twenty different ways of producing Hamlet, all of which are fairly bad, for Hamlet cannot
be produced on the stage...’.
Craig left Florence in 1915 but he was to return
to Hamlet. Count Harry Kessler, as owner of the
Cranach Press in Weimar, had suggested an edition of the play as early as 1912. His Hamlet, published in German in 1929 and English in 1930, is
now recognised as among the most exquisite private press books of the twentieth century. Kessler
did the typographical arrangement himself, Craig
designed and cut on wood the illustrations, Eric
Gill designed the title-page and Edward Johnston
designed the type. Craig’s illustrations came from
that same technique he had worked out while
planning the Moscow Hamlet in Florence; simple
figures in relief cut from thin wood veneer were
used with ink for prints. A copy of this edition can
be seen in the exhibition.
The exhibition opens at the Biblioteca Nazionale
on May 3, 2006. During the same week the British Institute will be reading Hamlet (all readers welcome), showing film versions of the play and hosting
other events. See www.britishinstitute.it for the full
programme of events.
T
he scene at the Ponte Vecchio is the same one everyday.
Tour groups following the
flag of their country shuffle down
the bridge. Cameras pop up everywhere as people incessantly snap
pictures. Couples pose and students
group together. Shopkeepers clean
their windows, keeping them spotless for the curious people looking
at the dazzling displays of glittering
jewelry the bridge shops are famous
for.
Hidden above the bridge, however, is something many of these
people don’t realize is there.
An overhead passageway connecting the Palazzo Vecchio and
the Palazzo Pitti on opposite sides
of the River Arno, the Vasari Corridor runs over the Ponte Vecchio, sitting right above the bridge’s famous
shops. The corridor, which also
crosses through mansions, churches
and galleries, is almost one kilometer in length.
The corridor began as a passageway for Cosimo I de’ Medici, Duke
of Tuscany, and was designed in
1565 by Giorgio Vasari, Cosimo’s
official architect. In the 1540s
Cosimo and his wife Eleonora de
Toledo lived with their family in the
Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of Florentine government since the 13th century. Eleonora, who disliked living
in the Palazzo Vecchio, bought the
Palazzo Pitti across the river and
had the family moved there.
Each day Cosimo and his entourage of bodyguards had to travel
almost 500 meters through the
crowded Florence streets to reach
the Palazzo Vecchio.
Cosimo,
who wasn’t particularly fond of the
large crowds of the general public, especially disliked crossing the
narrow Ponte Vecchio every day.
In the 1550s the bridge was lined
with butcher shops and tanneries,
the stench of which greatly upset
Cosimo’s sensitive nose. In fact, the
reason the Ponte Vecchio is lined
with jewelry shops today is because
during the 1590s the butchers were
prohibited from doing further business there and so the shops were
taken over by gold and silver merchants instead.
Using the wedding between his
son Francesco I and Joanna of Austria in 1565 as an excuse, Cosimo
commissioned Vasari to build a
walkway connecting his home to
the government offices at Palazzo
Vecchio. Vasari, a Renaissance artist, architect and art historian, had
the corridor designed and completed in just six months, in time for
the wedding.
Cosimo claimed the corridor was
for the wonder and amazement of
the wedding guests but, in reality,
the corridor provided him with a
hidden escape route from work and
home away from the busy Florentine streets below him.
I
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Aperitivo, Dinner
Sushi and Sunday Brunch
open 7.00 pm - 1.00 am
Piazza S.M.Novella 9/10 rosso
50123 Firenze
PH 055 26 45 282 Fax 055 26 48 148
www.thelounge.it info�thelounge.it
this relatively unknown treasure of
Renaissance art and architecture
begins either in the Palazzo Vecchio
or in the Uffizi Gallery and goes
along the corridor all the way to the
Boboli Gardens of the Palazzo Pitti
where the tour and corridor end.
The corridor is frequently closed
for months at a time and it is
unknown when it will be reopened
to the public. Private tours can be
arranged through Città nascosta
([email protected]). When the
corridor is open for tours, tickets
usually cost about 28 euro with
reduced admission for European
Union citizens. For information
and future bookings contact Firenze
Musei, Tel: +39 0552654321.
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THE LOUNGE
F
Today the Vasari Corridor is home
to a collection of 17th and 18th century paintings by Italian and other
European artists. The corridor also
houses a large number of self-portraits, though only a small number
of them are on display at one time.
The collection was started in the 17th
century with additions made every
century up to the 20th. Self-portraits
by Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt and
Vasari himself are some of the many
in the collection.
In 1973 the corridor was restored
and opened to the public. A special
guided tour known as Il Percorso
del Principe is led by Uffizi personnel and takes small groups of usually no more than 30 participants
through the corridor. The tour of
LISA CORTI
HOME TEXTILE EMPORIUM
a Firenze in via de’Bardi 58 Tel. 055/2645600
e in via San Niccolò 95/97/r Tel.055/2001200
[email protected]
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Life in Italy
25
Life in Italy
Book REVIEWS
Food & WINE
Successful Plotting
Da Vinci Code captures ‘new audience’ in legal battle
The Oldest Fast Food in Florence
by Deirdre Pirro
by Ed Hayes
M
ore than two years after the
first letter of complaint was
lodged, the sensational trial,
Baigent and Leigh vs Random House,
came to judgement in London on
April 7. But a whiff of a mystery still
remains, fitting for the trial of Dan
Brown’s thriller The Da Vinci Code, a
book that takes conspiracy and deceit,
arcane symbols and hidden codes as
its raison d’être.
The court ruled against claimants Baigent and Leigh, who accused
Brown of copying the ‘central theme’
and the ‘architectural edifice of ideas’
of their 1982 work Holy Blood, Holy
Grail. But the trial was conducted
without a key witness - Brown’s wife
Blythe, credited as having done most
of the crucial research.
As a result of their defeat, the
claimants will have to cough up an
estimated £2 million - including their
own legal bills and 85% of those of the
defendant in the case, The Da Vinci
Code’s publisher, Random House.
The whole case was suspiciously
ridiculous from the outset. Copyright
protects the expression of an idea, not
the idea itself, and so it was no surprise to lawyers that the ruling came
out in favour of Brown.
During the trial, both parties were
exposed to a certain amount of ridicule. The presiding judge at the trial,
Mr Justice Peter Smith, thought that
Brown was hiding something, and
noted that his ‘exhaustive research’
was largely done by his wife, on the
basis of a handful of books. Meanwhile, Baigent and Leigh’s ‘central
theme’ was so incoherent that Judge
Smith wondered ‘if the Claimants do
not know with certainty what their
Central Theme is, how can anybody
else possibly know?’
A Taste Of Italian…
Title: ITALIANO A MODELLO
Dalla letteratura alla scrittura
(From Literature to Writing)
But it doesn’t take a two-year trial
to expose the Code’s plots as thin, and
its research base as dubious. Meanwhile both books have seen soaring
sales. The timing of the hype will no
doubt also favour the release of the
new film of the Code, and Michael
Baigent is just releasing his new book,
The Jesus Papers.
The real winner seems to be Random House. Judge Smith noted, ‘By
virtue of various mergers and acquisitions, Random House publishes both
Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Da
Vinci Code. It is a testament to cynicism in our times that there have been
suggestions that this action is nothing
more than a collaborative exercise
designed to maximise publicity for
both books.’
If they were after extra publicity, they have certainly got it. But
whatever the submerged secrets of
the case, it has been an entertaining
piece of legal theatre. Laying aside
Mr Brown’s more extravagant claims
about the book opening debate and
feeding spiritual dialogue (‘Much of
the positive response comes from
nuns’), the trial has certainly proved
that everyone likes a good conspiracy.
This one is likely to run for a good
while yet.
Numbers, Beauty, Nature And The Mona Lisa…
1
livello elementare e intermedio
ISBN: 88-7573-395-3
price: 14.00 euro
pages: 240
Italiano a modello 1 focuses on reception and production skills in writing.
Through a series of carefully selected short simple literary texts, it also implicitly develops a taste for reading and a critical appreciation of target language.
Each module helps the students with comprehension of the texts by working
on their vocabulary and use of language. In addition, students can recycle
aspects of the model to express themselves though simple pieces of writing, e.g. a journal entry, letter, description, narrative, dramatisation and poem.
In the process that goes from reading to writing, there are guided activities
which encourage student interaction, and inspire the exchange of information,
experiences and ideas.
The book can be used:
- for study of Italian as a foreign language, for levels A1, A2 and B1,
- for language courses looking for more stimulating content
- for secondary school courses
- for foreign university courses, for beginner to intermediate students
Italiano a modello 1 provides:
- a key to all activities
- biographical details of the authors
- references to useful web sites for further information and special interests.
The book contains excerpts form the following authors:
S. Agnello Hornby - D. Alighieri - N. Ammaniti - A. Baricco - A. Bevilacqua
I. Calvino - A. Camilleri - L. Cardella - M. Carlotto - G. D’Annunzio - F. De André
- D. Fo - N. Ginzburg - A. Gramsci - C. Levi - A. Manzoni - D. Maraini - Melissa
P. - A. Moravia - C. Pavese - E. Pecora - S. Quasimodo - P.V. Tondelli - G.
Ungaretti.
Bonacci editore
Via Paolo Mercuri, 8 - 00193 Roma (RM)
tel: 06.68.30.00.04 - fax: 06.68.80.63.82
e-mail: [email protected]
www.bonacci.it
Title:
The Golden Ratio:
the Story of Phi, the World’s
Most Astonishing Number
By Mario Livio
Broadway
Price: 15.99 Euro
Pages: 304
If you find your horizons could be a tad broader, if you enjoy tackling common
knowledge and are ready to find new and exciting ways to look at art, nature,
philosophy and even everyday life; here is the book for you. Take a breath and
start by rephrasing John 1:1 with ‘In the beginning was the number’ and you
will be ready to ride the universe. Phrases like ‘beauty and order’ or ‘aesthetic
perception and rationality’ will take on a new meaning as you ride along. Your
super travel guide will be The Golden Ratio, the un-put-downable book by
Mario Livio.
The doors of a surprising new realm will open wide thanks to phi or
1.6180339887_, also dubbed the Golden Ratio or ‘Divine proportion.’ Phi
explains the harmonious geometrical characteristics in everything from pentagrams to the petals of a sunflower. The Parthenon and Mona Lisa are indebted
to this old Euclidian number as well.
If you already had The Da Vinci Code in your suitcase, you might be interested to know that Dan Brown suggested that his ideal book club would be
reading Livio’s book: ‘To imply that a book club could get excited talking about
‘a number’ probably sounds far-fetched, but this book ties together themes of
art history, nature, mathematics, philosophy, and religion in an accessible and
eye-opening way. It’s sure to spark great discussions,” Brown says.
To know more about Mario Livio, a Senior Astrophysicist at the Hubble Space
Telescope Science Institute, and former head of the Institute’s Science Division, visit www.mariolivio.com. Livio’s last book, The Equation that Couldn’t
Be Solved shows how symmetry permeates everything from perception and
mate selection to art, music, and theories of the universe.
McRae Books Srl
Borgo S. Croce, 8 - 50122 Florence (Italy)
tel. +39 055 200.11.88 - fax +39 055 234.04.97
[email protected]
A
ny time from about 11:30 in
the morning until into the
evening, small crowds of
people can be seen standing around
mobile kiosks on street corners or
in squares dotted about the centre of Florence. With their boiling
cauldrons, marble or glass counters
and stools on the pavement, these
kiosks attract students, bankers,
housewives, bricklayers, pensioners
and, more and more often, discerning tourists - all with one common
desire. They are all impatiently
awaiting for the trippaio (tripe
seller) to hand them over a plate of
fast food Florentine-style: a dish of
tripe or steaming hot lampredotto
roll.
A sight very seldom seen in other
Italian cities, the trippaio has been
selling his delicious snacks on Florentine streets for well over one
hundred years and is an institution
in the city. Today, some of the best
known trippai include the trippaio
del Porcellino found at the back of
Piazza del Mercato Nuovo (commonly known as the Straw Market),
Marione, situated inside the San
Lorenzo Market and, my favourite,
the father and son tripe dynasty,
Sergio and Pierpaolo, who are strategically placed and unashamedly
do a roaring trade outside one of
Florence’s most fashionable restaurants near the market of Sant’
Ambrogio.
Sergio explained to me how he
came into the game. ‘I worked’, he
said, ‘in the retail clothing trade until
a little over ten years ago when the
pitch in via dei Macci became available. Of course, you can’t just set up
anywhere you like but you have to
wait until another trippaio retires or
wants to give up his licence. As the
idea of belonging to one of the ‘elite’
of the five or six trippai working
within the walls of the old city had
always appealed to me, I jumped
at the chance. In fact, there has
always been a stall on my site for
over a century and, in the future, my
son will be here to carry it on.’ He
added the only downside he could
see to the job was ‘when it’s freezing
cold and pelting with rain’ but, then
again, he reflected, ‘that’s when I do
some of my best business’.
The trippaio’s work involves
preparing and cooking tripe and
lampredotto, once considered poor
man’s fare but now a gastronomic
delicacy. Tripe is the inner lining of
the first of a cow’s four stomachs
whereas lampredotto comes from
the fourth and last stomach. Traditionally, lampredotto is said to take
its name from the lampreda, a fish
similar to an eel, because when it is
cooked, it has the same dark colour
and looks like the cooked fish.
Although decidedly ugly in appearance, lampredotto is the softest and
leanest part of the meat and is found
exclusively on tripe kiosks only in
Florence.
The basic equipment of the trippaio has changed over time thanks
to the advent of the small mini-van
instead of the heavy hand or pushcart he used to use for transporting his wares and portable gas or
electric hot plates used for cooking instead of a glowing brazier.
The end product has, nevertheless,
remained the same. The trippaio
spoons out a bowl of tripe or fishes
a piece of lampredotto out of the
one of the two pots of broth he has
had on the boil since early morning,
he cuts it into long strips, seasons it
with salt and pepper, puts it in a roll
which has been dipped in the broth,
dresses it with either a little green or
hot sauce and hands it to his customer in exchange for about 3 euro.
The customer then usually washes
this down with a glass of Chianti or
a cold beer whilst exchanging opinions on the latest football scores
or the upcoming elections with his
neighbour sitting on the stool next
to him.
In the past, Larousse Gastronomique tells us that the likes of
Homer, William the Conqueror and
Napoleon all enjoyed their tripe.
However, in some parts of today’s
overfed industrialised world, cooking offal has fallen from favour and
there are even those who express
‘horror’ at the very idea of eating it.
Despite this, tripe has always been a
popular dish in Tuscany. Part of its
appeal is that it can be prepared in
a variety of different ways and it can
be found on the menus of many typical restaurants and trattorie, one
of the best known being the restaurant Bella Ciao, located just outside
Florence. The most famous recipes
include trippa alla fiorentina (tripe
Florence-style) which is cooked in a
tomato sauce, and the version from
Lucca which has a butter and parmesan cheese base.
If, therefore, you have never
tasted tripe or savoured a lampredotto roll, I recommend you do
so because what you will be trying
is nothing short of a true Florentine
experience.
Deirdre Pirro is an Australian lawyer
who has lived and worked in Florence
for many years. Apart from her general
practice, she is currently working on
a book on particular aspects of art law
and she dedicates much of her time to
environmental protection. She also has
a special interest in food and its history,
particularly in relation to popular customs and traditions.
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26
News & Views
Food & WINE
Housing For Sale/Immobili Vendita
Located in the Municipality of Lamporecchio, (Pistoia) in the heart of
the Montalbano hills. Colonial house
includes 3 units plus 2 independent units. 32-acre lot with 4,000
olive trees, vineyards and woods.
Beautiful hilly location with view of
the valley. For information contact
[email protected]
International fair is wine-tasting paradise
by Carolyn Abney
I
Chianti – Lucolena, 110 sqm. restored apartments in farmhouse, garden, cellar, pool, parking, panoramic
view 360,000,00 Euro. Developer selling 347.8138814 – 055.2322242
Loft For Sale in Prato. 2 lofts near
historic centre, each 137 sq. m., ideal
for home office. We can show layout
and location. For information, e-mail
[email protected]
Housing for Rent/Immobili in Affitto
across Italy was by visiting the
Trendy Oggi/Big Domani (Trendy
Today/Big Tomorrow) area, where
fifty emerging national wineries
were located. These had been chosen at Vinitaly’s request by Luca
Maroni, the internationally known,
Rome-based wine writer and expert.
Although many were represented
elsewhere at the fair, this intimate
setting within the huge show was
an especially pleasant way to meet
wine makers and taste their production.
Italy has a long tradition of wine
consortia, where producers from an
area combine their grapes to make
wine or make their own wines but
market them together. For example,
at the Chianti Classico booth, wines
from 146 producers were available.
Another trend is for wine makers to
market their wines together, but not
on a regional basis. One example
is Consorzio Vintesa, whose warehouse is just outside Florence. The
Consorzio includes twelve wineries
in six regions from Alto Adige to
Sicily. Its clients – generally restaurants – can get wines from any or
all of the members with one invoice
and one shipping charge.
Another changing Italian tradition is that of only having wine with
food, as wine bars spring up across
the county. There you can taste
wines and meet friends, perhaps
with snacks or with a more substantial meal. Favorites in Florence and
the surrounding area include Enoteca Baldi in Panzano, Colle Bereto
on Piazza Strozzi, and the Frescobaldi Wine Bar and Restaurant, just
north of Piazza Signoria (and in
Rome’s Fiumicino airport). Tiziana
Frescobaldi, the company’s Communications Manager, mentioned
they are particularly pleased that
the Florence site draws both tourists
and Florentines to try their range of
wines.
My tasting companions noticed a
real move away from the heavy oaking of recent years, especially in the
white wines. Friulian winemaker
Elisabetta Bortolotto Sarcinelli of
Tenuta di Blasig agreed, saying that
the expansion of wine bar culture is
affecting production, as ‘wines that
invite you to have another glass’ sell
better than more complex ‘one glass
wonders.’
Popular
Sicilian
winemaker
Donnafugata has picked up on this
trend. Their Sedára is a red wine
made with 100% Nero d’Avolo
grapes. 30% percent of the wine in
each bottle of the 2004 vintage will
have spent time in oak. From 2005
forward, they have decided not to
use oak containers. Instead they
will showcase the fruit of the grape,
believing this will produce a more
elegant wine.
As everyone who attended Vinitaly reviews their notes to choose
their top red, white and sparkling
wine, or the best new producer, they
are probably also preparing for the
next big opportunity to taste lots of
wine, meet wine makers and have
a wonderful time in the world of
wine: 27-28 May. This is Open Cantina Day across Italy, promoted by
the Wine Tourism Movement.
For more info, see:
www.movimentoturismovino.it
Florentineflats.com offers quality
apartments in Florence city centre
at affordable prices, short and long
term rentals, minimum 5 days. Call
Rachel 348.0457857 / 055.685661,
[email protected]
Large, elegant two bedroom, two
bathroom apt. right off the Ponte Vecchio, view of the Arno, available for
long and short term rental. All modern
conveniences, affordable rent. Call
Rachel 348 0457857 or [email protected]
Two large, bright rooms, in a flat
equipped with every comfort, for rent
in via Mariti, 100 m. from University,
also for short periods. Non smokers
only. Tel. 055.353425.
Housing Wanted/I Cerco Casa
Lady, English teacher seeks 3+ room
apartment, bright and light in the
center. tel. 329.3389660
Business for Sale/Attività Commerciali
Children’s clothing manufacturer
looking to sell business. Thirty-yearold establishment produces clothing
for children from ages 1 to 12 and is
equipped with the necessary equipment for production. The company has
a large client portfolio with buyers in
Italy and abroad. For more information
send an email to [email protected]
Help Wanted/Offerte di lavoro
US Study Abroad Company seeks
experienced applicants for its Florence and Rome offices. Requirements: Fluency in English and Italian,
resident status in Italy, US citizens
with regular work permits. At least
one-year experience in field. Excellent organizational and communication skills. Please send a letter of
introduction, references and CV to
[email protected]
Scuola Lorenzo de’ Medici (LDM) is
seeking a Learning Support Coordinator to organise tutorial support for
undergraduates in need of help with
their English language writing. This
support will also be extended to students with learning difficulties such as
dyslexia. The Coordinator will teach an
English writing course entitled ‘College Writing’, and may also teach and
develop other courses in the area of
prose composition. The Coordinator
will be required to proof-read English
language texts for LDM. The candidate needs to speak English as a first
language, and have a postgraduate
qualification in a relevant field. Some
experience of undergraduate teaching
preferred. Please send CV and cover
letter to [email protected] with
the object: ‘Learning Support’.
Recently-opened, smart restaurant
in Florence urgently seeking: two
female hostesses for its bar/reception area (to share a 6-night a
week-shift evenly, on a half/half basis)
English as a mother tongue and fluency in Italian required. Working hours
(dinner only): from 7.30PM to around
midnight, except Sundays. Starting
date: May 01, 2006 (at the latest);
August closed. Monthly pay: 300 Euro
(worker benefits provided) Non E.U.
Candidates need a valid ‘Permesso di
Soggiorno’, or a ‘Carta di Soggiorno’,
if from the EU. Please send CV to:
[email protected]
teaching experience in Australia and Italy
Available for adult students for private or
semiprivate italian language lessons
��
English spoken fluently
Flexible Schedule Available Mon to Fri
Catia Ballerini
h: +39 055 604 000
m: +39 329 225 9764
mail: [email protected]
DITALS certified language instructor
Certification of Competence in Teaching Italian
to Foreigners - University of Siena
��
��
English /Italian mother tongue with
knowledge of French and basic Japanese seeks job as interpreter/translator available for hotel orienteering,
meetings and course teaching. Phone
Sharon 320.6713868
Mariam, 31, from Georgia, fashion designer (http://mariam.gol.
ge), speaks Italian, English, Russian. Looking for a host family in
Florence to work as child care assistant. For details please contact:
[email protected]
English Tutor Available. 26-year-old
college educated girl from Boston
with experience tutoring and teaching
children of all ages seeks job tutoring
or nannying. Responsible, fun, friendly. Contact sante.a.firenze@gmail.
com.
English / Italian speaking professional administrator with several
years experience seeks full-time work
in central Florence. Intelligent, personable, well-organized, excellent computer skills. [email protected]
23-yo girl with university degree,
bilingual in English and Japanese,
looking for any work available: experienced babysitter, can also do some
house cleaning, hotel work, personal
assistant, etc. Miki 333 883 6520
[email protected]
French Canadian fluent in English and intermediate in Italian is
looking for a job in Florence for the
summer. Available May 1st contact
[email protected]
Private Lessons/Lezioni Private
Italian individual lessons in Florence. Sharpen your grammar to enjoy
conversation. Fluent English, Japanese, French spoken. Call Alberto
and his Japanese wife Fumiko, tel.
055-475152, www.azlanguage.it [email protected]
Expert craftsman offers individual
or group classes in English or Italian. Introduction to chiseling and
embossing-theory and practice.
Introduction to technical design.
Call Fabrizio 338.5060720 or write
[email protected].
SAT classes now being given for
the May and June exam by experienced, successful American teacher.
Also available for writing tutoring
on any level. [email protected],
333.7863355
��
��
��
��
Jobs Wanted/Cerco lavoro
Leather Crafting Classes. Scuola del
Cuoio offers short-term (3 hours/1-2
days) & long-term (1 wk to 10 mths)
individual courses and classes under
a Master Leather Craftsman inside
the Monastery of Santa Croce, via
San Giuseppe 5 (thru the garden).
Enquiries: tel. 055.244.533 or
[email protected]. For more
info. visit www.leatherschool.com
20 Years
DO YOU
REALLY
SPEAK
ITALIAN
Classified ADS
Viva Vinitaly!
t’s a wine lover’s Disney World
where nearly all the ‘rides’ are
free. The 40th edition of Vinitaly
has just concluded in Verona, and
some 4,200 companies involved
in the world of wine were present.
Until you have been there, it’s hard
to imagine nearly 2.5 million square
feet (80 thousand square meters)
spread over 16 halls and tents
devoted to wine. But it’s there. What
an opportunity to walk from country
to country, region to region, grape to
grape, and sample them all.
Although a dramatic majority of
participants was Italian, 30 countries were represented, including
neighbors, such as Croatia and Slovenia; distant producers, including
Chile, Australia and the USA; and
even countries you don’t associate
with wine, such as India.
Around 144 thousand people
came through the gates over a fiveday period, representing more than
100 countries. One of the first
things I noticed was that the Americans (and other stranieri) were back.
After the events of 9/11 nearly five
years ago, thousands of orders for
wine were cancelled. The industry
suffered economically. Then, many
areas of Italy experienced unusually hot, dry weather – especially in
2002. This meant that many wellknown wines, which you would
have expected to see this year, were
simply not made. However, at this
fair there was a real feeling of faith
in the wine market and its future.
Early reports indicate that American, German and British buyers
were present in great numbers and
there was also a strong showing
from Japan and Russia. This is good
news for the wine industry.
One way to sample your way
27
Useful Numbers and Classified Ads
��
Private oil painting lessons in
English, Saturday/Sunday mornings
near Teatro Goldoni. Still life subject,
canvas, paints and easel supplied.
All levels welcome. For more information please contact Cathy at 055
2207171/ 338 1499392
Personals/Personali
Architect looking for foreign partners (like designers...) to create
a group that will participate in an
architectural competition. Official language is Italian. Fabrizio Funaro Tel.
333.8298893
Food a problem? Overeaters Anonymous offers free, confidential help to
anorexics, bulimics, and compulsive
overeaters. For meeting times and information call 334.712.0038 or email
[email protected]
Are you an English speaking mom
looking for other English moms? Join
our English- speaking Mom & Tots
Group. Mondays 10-12 at St. James
Church, info. Melanie 340.5131772
Leisure & Vacation/
Tempo libero e vacanze
Panoramic colonial house in the
hills of Chianti, only 15 km from Florence. Surrounded by a large park
and olive grove, swimming pool. 4-6
person flats for rent for brief periods, completely furnished. Quiet,
family-style atmosphere. Landlords
available on site for any needs. Tel.
333.2203265, e-mail [email protected]
Services/Servizi
Private Yoga classes in English.
Dynamic and rejuvenating postures
plus relaxation and breathing techniques. All levels welcome. Classes
adapted to suit individual needs and
requirements. Sandra 3894318427
or [email protected]
Do you have difficulties putting
together your resume and cover letter? I am a graduate of Cambridge
University, UK, and have helped numerous people get interviews for jobs
with the help of a well-written resume
and cover letter. For 50 euro, I will
meet with you, and write a resume
and cover letter. Contact Cassie at
[email protected]
Computer SOS will solve all computer/internet problems, including
ADSL. Will come to your home.
Speaks and reads English fluently.
Corrado 320.0932811
Housecleaner/handyman. Reliable
with references. Speaks English well.
Laundry, ironing, painting and experienced in Ikea assembly. 8 euro/hour.
Hiran 333.1590173
Getting married in Italy? Call an
American photographer experienced
in weddings and portraiture. Recently
moved here from the Newport, RI
area. Professional and unobtrusive.
Offers a unique photojournalistic
approach to wedding photography.
Contact Caroline 3356817632
area. Professional and unobtrusive,
offering a unique photojournalistic
approach to wedding photography.
Contact Caroline 3356817632
www.mcarthurglen.it
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The Florentine: Year One

Transcription

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