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anno 6 numero 120 firenze thursday 8 april 2010 subscribe +support don t just read about florence and tuscany experience them with the florentine www.theflorentine.net/subscriptions pg 5 florence news pg 16 expats in flo pg 18 culture custom pg 21 culture custom mapplethorpes stay in florence works donated to the accademia and uffizi dr john pietila enhancing the performance of the fiorentina soccer players by melinda gallo babbo inglese being a stay-at-home-dad in florence by dan woodford virtual tuscany confessions of an official blogger by alexandra m korey seven minutes in 2200 days rossi elected regional president tuscany in red v shuttle buses to move over 5,000 commuters per hour nce the new high-speed train tav station designed by norman foster located in the ex-macelli area is complete in 2016 it will be 1,300 meters away from the santa maria novella train station the city s two main transport hubs will be 7 minutes apart thanks to a new o fleet of shuttle buses with a maximum capacity of 400 passengers per shuttle bus this new urban transport network is expected to move some 5,000 commuters throughout the city each hour see pg.3 oters chose enrico rossi who represents the centreleft coalition composed of the democratic party and the allied parties partito socialista italiano italy of values federazione della sinistra and sinistra ecologica e libertà as the next president of tuscany reconfirming the region one of the last bastions of the `red left in italy rossi who was regional health councillor in the claudio martini administration garnered 1,055,751 votes 59.7 percent a wide margin from the 34.4 percent of votes gathered by his main rival and runner up monica faenzi the candidate for the people of freedom and northern league parties a few surprises came out of the election the right-wing northern league gained a seat in the regional council for the first time in tuscany s political history thanks to the vote of almost 10,000 tuscans while the pd lost a part of its electorate to allied party italy of values which earned almost 10 percent of the centre-left coalition s overall result see pg.3 april 22nd come celebrate tf s 5 8 pm thursday th year see page 2 for details five unforgettable years with you one unforgettable night with us dinner party live performances and raffle special thanks to wine and food merchants co florence italy

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pick-up points www.theflorentine.net/pods 150 points of distribution in town 10,000 copies bi-weekly bars cafes and restaurants 4 leoni restaurant accademia restaurant acqua al 2 restaurant bloom tea garden café deluxeé caffé pitti restaurant casa della creatività cuculia concept bar house of sizzle restaurant mama s bakery the oil shoppe old stove pub duomo porcellino signoria olio convivium opera et gusto restaurant palle d oro trattoria piansa café procacci red garter pub ruth s kosher vegetarian food sosta del convivium teatro del sale the lion s fountain irish pub the via dell acqua diner tijuana mexican restaurant vestri chocolate bookstores libraries bm bookshop british library edison bookstore feltrinelli international libreria del porcellino mandragora book art sores paperback exchange grand hotel hotel alba hotel continentale hotel david hotel kraft jk place hotel hotel lungarno hotel orto de medici plaza hotel lucchesi residence hilda lungarno suites riva lofts savoy hotel serristori palace palazzo antellesi apartments palazzo tornabuoni residence club plus hostel florence relais piazza signoria the westin excelsior hotel youth firenze 2000 come celebrate hotels b&b il salotto di firenze classic hotel four seasons hotel gallery art hotel golden tower hotel tf s shops salons and health clubs beaded lily handmade jewelry ethic fashion store casini leather shop container concept store contrasto-aveda salon klab conti wellness gym it s yoga firenze leonardo shoes lory copy store santa croce wine co skin aesthetic medical clinic wellness center pitti palace travel tourist apt florence airport arrivals desk apt headquarters apt tourist information apt tourist information fiesole florence for fun tours florencetown tour operator tourist information borgo s croce tourist information rail station square universities institutes and language schools abc school accademia del giglio accademia italiana aifs american institute for foreign study american language center angel art school api academic program int csu california st university cea florence clida dante alighieri language center eurocentres florence europass language school ese european school of economics farfield university firenze arti visive florence university of the arts fsu florida st university gia gemological institute of america gonzaga university harding university jmu james madison university kent state university koiné istituto europeo leonardo da vinci ldm lorenzo de medici new york university villa la pietra villa ulivi villa natalia palazzo spinelli art restoration perseo jewelry school fit polimoda richmond university saci studio art centers int sarah lawrence college squola center for contemporary italian studies srisa santa reparata int school of art stanford university suf syracuse university the british institute of florence the florence academy of art the institute at palazzo rucellai the international school university of michigan toscana giunta regionale st james church st marks english church the florentine unicef us consulate general five unforgettable years with you one unforgettable night with us 5 year th opera et gusto restaurant via della scala 17r santa maria novella area dinner party live performances and raffle 8 pm on thursday nd others british consulate il varco dei biffi ge nuovo pignone guess menarini odeon firenze regione april 22 where to find books by the florentine press new art libri via dei fossi 32r bm bookshop borgo ognissanti 4r cuculia via dei serragli 3r edison piazza della repubblica 27r feltrinelli international via cavour 12 giunti al punto florence airport via del termine 11 giunti al punto via guicciardini 51 libreria del porcellino piazza del mercato nuovo 6r mandragora book and art stores piazza duomo 9 martelli via martelli 22r paperback exchange via delle oche 4r uffizi art bookshop piazzale degli uffizi special dealers beaded lily via toscanella 33r ethic borgo albizi 37r florenceforfun via della pergola 10r mama s bakery via della chiesa 34r wellness palazzo pitti piazza pitti 14r four course dinner savoy cabbage rolls with a corn and balsamic vinegar sauce risotto with red wine sausage and onion sliced steak with garden-fresh salad chocolate cake with rock salt rosemary and spicy caramel sauce vegetarian menu upon request wine offered by birillo vermentino 2009 le corti chianti classico 2007 grappa riserva di chianti classico special live performances the florence international theatre company presents `try to remember by tom jones and harvey schmidt from the show `the fantasticks song by alessandro grisolini with james gray on the piano performance international and the il trillo school of music and firenze live present a mixed chorus of study abroad students local students and professionals with a selection of great music distributor of the week florencetown tours via dei lamberti 1 corner with via calzaiuoli tel 055 0123994 raffle win with your ticket your ticket will include a lottery number to win one of the following prizes first prize a one-night stay for two people including breakfast and a guided tour with a tasting of principe corsini wines at the le corti farm in san casciano val di pesa second prize day spa ­ hair and hands at wellness center piazza pitti by arthur piazza pitti 14r includes a spa manicure by opi exfoliate revitalize renew and protect for visibly younger hands spa hair a scalp massage and nutritional hair mask to protect your hair keeping it shiny and healthy for the summer months those who consider tourism a lasting resource in this city and tourists as deserving only the best treatment recognize the florentine as a media capable of offering a warm welcome to clients and guests when luca and urbano launched their business they had these same values in mind florencetown tour operator is highly specialized in offering regular tours of this spectacular city they offer unique experiences that show only the very best of florence and tuscany tours offered include i bike florence the original bike tour of the florence city centre the vasari corridor tour the one day vespa tour of tuscany wanna be italiano cooking class in florence and the one day bike tour of the chianti region don t forget to ask about florencetown s special concierge services in florence and tuscany concierge services constitute true v.i.p treatment including advanced reservations to the city s most popular musems private transfers and excursions and personal shoppers for tours of the region s world renowned outlets third prize 50 euro gift certificate for paperback exchange the anglo-american bookshop via delle oche 4r only 80 places available euro 42 instead of 50 euro if you buy tickets by april 15 buy tickets at the florentine office via dei banchi 4 s.m novella paperback exchange via delle oche 4r duomo santa croce wine co via da verrazzano 10r s croce mama s bakery via della chiesa 34r oltrarno if you d like to be a distributor of the florentine write to info@theflorentine.net for information 055/2306616 or info@theflorentine.net

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www.theflorentine.net news views thursday 8 april 2010 3 florence news news and views around florence quindicinale/every other week redazione via dei banchi 4 50123 firenze ph 055 2306616 fax 055 9060996 info@theflorentine.net www.theflorentine.net directed by marco badiani vice-director giovanni giusti graphic art design leo cardini managing editor brenda dionisi editor-at-large alexandra lawrence features editor devin tooma cultural editor jane fortune events marco badiani copy editor ellen wert intern/sports writer alessandra moss this issue s contributors james douglas deirdre pirro lisa clifford melinda gallo linda falcone francesco stefanelli neda motamedi-shad dan woodford suzi jenkins enrica guidato alexandra m korey pubblicità/sales giacomo badiani pubblicita@theflorentine.net classified subscription annunci@theflorentine.net subscription@theflorentine.net accounting/payments/invoices deborah bettazzi accounting@theflorentine.net layout cathy gale web antonio lo iacono direttore responsabile silvia bini editore b gruppo s.r.l via valentini 10 59100 prato iscritta al registro degli operatori di comunicazione roc al n 14773 del 17/11/2006 reg trib di prato n.4 del 12/09/06 seven minutes in 2200 days continued from pg.1 inbox@theflorentine.net letters to the editor officials from the tuscan region italferr rfi the city and province of florence adf and the city are also discussing ways to extend the shuttle bus network to peretola airport as well as to the other city train stations the tramvia lines and city parking lots used by commuters in the meantime as of april 2 certain parking lot tickets are valid to ride ataf buses the double-duty tickets are the result of an accord between ataf and firenze parcheggi to reduce motor vehicle traffic in the city private motorists who park their cars in the alberti pieraccini oltrarno fortezza fiera porta al prato parterre sant ambrogio platform 16 at santa maria novella train station europa and beccaria parking lots can use their tickets on ataf buses if the project proves successful after three months the service will be extended to other parking lots in addition to these local politicians have also been exploring transport solutions for two major upcoming infrastructure projects the tramvia lines 2 and 3 as well as for the new tav line and station tav tunnels construction of the two six-kilometer-by-20-meter tunnels one in each direction planned to connect campo di marte to the castello area along the new tav line is set to begin in 2011 with a one-year delay the project which would be the largest infrastructure project in florence s recent history is expected to take more than six years to complete the tunnels will be located 40 meters below the surface of florence it will take four years alone to complete the drilling for the two tunnels and another year to build the supports and electrical system the drilling machine is expected clear between 16 to 18 meters a day the foster-designed station will be completed a year after the tunnels more below the surface florence mayor matteo renzi recently said that the city is exploring more underground transportation solutions to keep piazza duomo free of all kinds of traffic he has proposed that a tunnel be constructed under the historic area of city for the tramvia line 2 route which is to connect peretola airport and santa maria novella train station renzi suggests positioning a stop for tramvia line 2 under piazza repubblica the city is also considering the possibility of a new underground bypass highway in the bagno a ripoli area to connect the northern and southern areas of the city and reduce congestion administrators suggest that if it were a toll road it would costs about 1.50 to 2 euro per vehicle send us your letters to the editor for the next issue of tf we want to hear from you send us your thoughts critiques and advice table of contents florence news national news sport news movie reviews events italian sketches giorgio la pira what s happening in florence 3-5 6 7 8 9 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 22-23 culture customs a quest for the truth tuscany in red the results were different elsewhere in italy where the centre-left generally lost ground the centre-right coalition claimed four regions that were previously governed by the centre-left piedmont in the north lazio in central italy and campania and calabria in the south maintaining veneto and lombardy the centre-right was the clear winner of the 2010 administrative elections held in 13 of italy s 20 regions on march 28 and 29 some centre-left votes went to other smaller centre-left parties like that of controversial comic beppe grillo which pulled votes from the traditional left on the national level and claimed seats in various regional governments additionally many politicians expressed concerned over the low voter turnout in these elections about one-third of the 41 million eligible voters stayed away from the polls even in tuscany which historically boasts one of the highest voter turnout rates in italy continued from pg.1 expats in florence dr john pietila distribution cmo group allegato prezzi 0 gratuito nei punti di distribuzione ufficiali/free copy in official points of distribution see complete list on website spedizione italia/home delivery italy 3 months 6 issues 15 6 months 12 issues 21 1 year 24 issues 36 international home delivery rest of europe 24 issues 81 north america 24 issues 87 australia 24 issues 96 methods of payment paypal credit card by email to subscription@theflorentine.net cash c/o our office bank transfer to b gruppo srl partita iva 01715830970 iban it67 e030 3221 5000 1000 0005 642 postal payment with bollettino on c/c 78620416 to b gruppo srl chiuso in stampa lunedì 05/4/2010 printer nova arti grafiche srl signa fi the florentine is printed on certified `wellmanaged forest eco-paper with vegetable-based biodegradable ink and varnish nationally turnout was recorded at 64.2 percent down from the 72 percent turnout for the regional elections five years ago in tuscany just 60.9 percent of the 3,018,408 eligible voters cast ballots a 10 percent drop since the 2005 regional elections celebrating the centre-left victory florence mayor matteo renzi commented `if there is high absenteeism it is the fault of politicians in the meantime let s celebrate the great results in tuscany this region is the capital of the centre-left as the votes were being counted outgoing regional president claudio martini stated `the people of freedom is at 28 percent in tuscany this is probably their lowest percentage in italy although the election results in tuscany were considered a important victory for the centre-left coalition observers wonder what the next several years will bring as the smaller parties at both sides of the political spectrum seem to be gaining influence in other words ready or not culture customs babbo inglese culture customs march of the condemned economics society pushing through the pain style fashion eco-fashions part i culture customs virtual tuscany tf wants to know what you think about the construction of two lng terminals off the tuscan coast do the benefits of the reliable and constant natural gas supply outweigh the potential risks and damage to the landscape and marine life we are preparing an update to the article gas terminals under fire published in tf 119 and we want your opinion send comments to inbox@theflorentine.net and we may quote you in an article in the next issue business cards classified ads

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thursday 8 april 2010 4 news views www.theflorentine.net florence news high art explained learn techniques under a great maestro firenze estate f or a contemporary artist to be commissioned to do a painting for the basilica of santa croce just as the great masters were centuries ago is an extraordinary and unique circumstance this is precisely what happened to domenico mileto an artist at the apex of his career who is now committed to teaching the techniques secrets and marvels of ancient painting to whoever is willing to learn them at his school the l arcimboldo located on via del lasca working for santa croce is an exceptional and privileged undertaking says mileto who has also created priceless pieces such as portraits of james and salvatore ferragamo and frescoes in the historic tenuta il borro estate believing that art and knowledge of techniques should be accessible to all mileto opened an art school organized on renaissance and neoclassical principles the school offers a varied curriculum for more information see www.florenceartacademy.it concerts performances and more t no more juve jerseys hree local politicians of the opposition francesco torselli mario tenerani and jacopo cellai recently presented the city council with a proposal to ban the sale of juventus jerseys and other paraphernalia of acf fiorentina arch-rivals juventus in florence the main aim of the proposal is to safeguard and further promote florence s unique identity as well as a way ensure public order especially in san lorenzo market where many non-florentine products and souvenirs cited by politicians as objects like the leaning tower of pisa juventus jerseys and kitchen aprons depicting the intimate parts of the david are widely sold the move should also be considered a provocation following the mayor and his governing party s recent comments about the san lorenzo market and how such products sold there seem to offend the city torselli told the council ocal councillors promise highquality entertainment this summer for florentines and visitors alike eighteen events have been selected for firenze estate 2010 which this year runs from may 15 to september 25 live music dance performances theatre shows and art exhibits on the theme of travel will be held in three major venues in florence cascine park the former-prison le murate and the oblate library outdoor events are also slated for piazza santa croce piazza signoria san niccolò and even city parking lots which will be turned into drive-in movie theatres the selection committee which included director of rolling stone italia carlo antonelli reviewed some 100 projects the 18 winning projects will receive from 5,000 to 20,000 euro in funding from the city among the winners fabbrica europa will hold a festival dedicated to sub-saharan africa in cascine park from july 1 to 3 the muv festival of l digital and musical art be held in the cascine the oblate and le murate from june 1 to 6 and transit from august 4 to 7 will features performances in various areas of the city including the coop supermarket in gavinana and on ataf bus 23 for a complete list of events see www.firenzestate.comune.fi.it/secondafase get a jump on summer florence s springtime all-night party white night takes place from dusk to dawn on april 30 the event will feature the results of a public competition which drew more than 200 proposals on the theme of `creative insomnia to be funded through the 60,000 euro the city allocated for the event officials are also seeking private sponsors to help cover costs in addition to performances and concerts throughout the city both indoors and out several public spaces and museums will remain open all night including palazzo vecchio and the oblate library call to the faithful online the florence archdiocese has revamped its website www.firenze chiesacattolica.it to mirror the times catholics can now check the site for information and events at parishes throughout the province learn more about ecclesiastical activities and access official documents of the catholic curia `we decided to revamp the site because of the many questions of our flock explained simone pestelli manager of the curia s information technology department `the most frequent questions are the times of masses and the contact information of parishes in the area pestelli also spoke of the possibility of launching a facebook profile to attract young followers as the naples diocese has recently done not so picture perfect on march 29 at approximately 2:30am a french tourist decided to scale the replica of the david in piazza signoria for a photo just as the 27-year-old in florence on holiday with her boyfriend and two friends posed for the camera carabinieri on patrol spotted her the woman was fined 166 euro ensuring green the tuscan region will soon have a new research centre on parks the result of an accord between the region and federparchi the new centre to be named after valerio giacomini one of italy s greatest naturalists and scholars will conduct important research on protected natural areas offer specialized courses for those working in national parks and compile a database for all protected areas in italy the centre the first of its kind in italy will include an archive and public library an appropriate host site tuscany has more than 170 parks associated with federparchi italia study space as of march 31 university students have a new space to study day and evening located in palazzo dei giovani in vicolo santa maria maggiore the facility features desks chairs and free wifi the center which is open until 11pm is sponsored by the municipal superintendent of higher education and youth policy sentinels of beauty to combat litter and other problems in piazza duomo florence mayor matteo renzi has organized a group of 30 local police officers to patrol the city s main square trangressors will be fined for littering and defilement `thanks to the sentinels and especially to citizens emails we ve been able to get a full picture of what creates blight in the city but now its time to introduce tougher regulations renzi commented palazzo vecchio says it is also working on measures to ensure that noise from bars and restaurants does not disturb residents and visitors in the city centre after hours with construction causing traffic jams and detours the city has decided to keep a handful of construction sites working through the night although putting crews on the job from 8pm to 6am will speed up construction and ensure that traffic moves more freely during the day some residents have voiced concerned about noise in response regional environmental agency arpat approved the plan but issued a memo stating that companies involved in overnight construction in the city centre `must reduce to the minimum the acoustic impact of the interventions news in brief pisa launches first `eco-music competition he environment that is imagined and expressed through music sounds and video the beat the structure and rhythms as if they were elements in a grammatical structure that is inscribed in dna a sonorous language that expresses modernity and that recalls emotions that are timeless this is the aim of italy s first eco-music competition music for planet the competition organized in pisa is part of the larger initiative parco libri dedicated to environmental publishing and promoted by the tuscan region and federparchi-europarc italia registration is open until april 10 participants main objective must be to demonstrate how sustainable habits can revive society and they must demonstrate this in a live performance thirty semi-finalists will be given the opportunity to perform in bars theatres and nightclubs in pisa four finalists will perform at pisa s stazione leopolda from may 6 to 8 special guests oto may 7 and paolo fresu may 8 will perform on the final days of the competition for more information call 3281898803 or email musicforplanet@gmail.com music for planet `t sacred sculptures revived t he pietà di palestrina a series of newly restored marble sculptures attributed to michelangelo in the galleria dell accademia will soon be unveiled and displayed in the tibuna del david on april 19 for the event the accademia proposes to project a video entitled emergence by famed contemporary multimedia artist bill viola screening a contemporary video alongside the restored works is meant to `induce reflection on piety a central theme in michelangelo s work the series of sculptures which arrived in 1939 from the chapel of santa rosalia in the palace of the barberini in palestrina has a complex history that differs from that of other sculptures kept in the accademia due to a lack of information on the provenance of the 16th-century works and their characteristics doubt remains about whether they can definitively be attributed to michelangelo pistoia diocese publishes `confession manual can t confess a group of catholic youth from pistoia have published a manual for peers on how to confess in a pocket-sized format the manual explains the catholic sacrament of penance and reconciliation `am i easily angered or am i a calm person do i enjoy watching immoral or pornographic performances and images these are just two of the 30 questions contained in the manual which is intended to stimulate youth to reflect on their behaviour and facilitate their participation in confession in addition to explanations about how to confess and the protocol of confession a section entitled `then what happens explains the sacrament of reconciliaton in addition to the 500 paper copies printed and distributed in pistoia s churches the manual can also be downloaded at the pistoia diocese s website www.diocesipistoia.it.

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www.theflorentine.net news views thursday 8 april 2010 5 florence news mapplethorpes stay in florence management of regional trains may change hands works donated to the accademia and uffizi doubts regarding our choice the image emanates such sensitivity in this photograph the soul of the artistsseems to bare and show all of its fragility said director of the uffizi antonio natali speaking of the selfportrait the two images donated to the accademia will be on display on a rotating basis in the gallery s salone dell ottocento the gifts follow a high-profile exhibition from may 2009 to january 2010 at the accademia entitled perfection in form the exhibit showcased some 90 of mapplethorpe s images trenitoscana t i taly s national railway company ferrovie dello stato may hand the management of five of tuscany s most frequented regional train lines to the tuscan region which will open a new company called trenitoscana the proposed transfer follows years of commuter protests and dissatisfaction with the state-run trenitalia s management of the regional lines largely focused on chronic delays and lack of cleanliness the tuscan region is currently in talks with trenitalia to assume the management of the five regional train lines that represent 20 percent of region railway traffic siena­florence siena­grosseto siena­arezzo the faentina and pisa­lucca should the talks be successful the new trenitoscana would be a public and private venture in the works by mid-2011 according to officials he mapplethorpe foundation recently donated three photos to the city s major museums the foundation donated the new yorkborn artist s von hackendahl 1985 a study of a male model posing as an ancient athlete and derrick cross 1985 a study of model derrick cross in a yoga pose to the galleria dell accademia a third image a 1980 self-portrait in which the artist is dressed as a woman was given to the uffizi gallery s prestigious collection of some 1,700 self-portraits according to the local press the photos were hand picked by florence curators `we didn t have any prato invention to help psoriasis sufferers illions of patients across the world suffering from psoriasis may soon find some relief from a revolutionary textile invented in prato the new textile which developers hope will repel oily substances and let the skin breathe may diminish the painful irritation of psoriasis thought to result from the contact of cloth on the skin the textile a synthetic fluorine-based fibre invented in the laboratory of the gruppo lenzi located in vaiano prato was tested in prato hospital s dermatological department with much success it is now being tested in some of italy s most prestigious medical facilities such as the centro gised in bergamo the university of tor vergata in rome milan s san raffaele hospital and the italian society of dermatology the tf community news column introduces english-speaking groups and associations and highlights news and events of specific interest to the english-speaking community in florence email us at community@theflorentine.net revolutionary textile m community news happy birthday ailo the american international league of florence onlus ailo is celebrating its 35th anniversary to mark the occasion it has organized a special event at palazzo vecchio s salone de cinquecento on april 13 at 4 pm ailo s anniversary happens to coincide with this association s annual donation day celebration during which 10 charities from florence city and province will receive the proceeds raised from its annual bazaar held last december 8 reservations are required for more information email mariateresamedri@libero.it or call 3928702097 ailo is an association of volunteers whose principal purpose is to raise funds to support specific projects of local non-profit organizations established in 1975 ailo has 200 members from all over the world the shared language is english inspiring ideas go global suf students team up with unicef for haiti last february unicef italy agreed to take on three american students at syracuse university in florence suf as interns for the entire semester the students blair benson ashley juavinett and samantha mcqueen explained the challenges they encountered when starting their job `it s a very different atmosphere here they speak no english and we had to be very proactive to get the ball rolling said mcqueen who explained how the students first task was to raise money for the haiti relief fund at different hotels in the city instead they proposed an entirely new campaign to achieve their goal the students benson an international relations major mcqueen an anthropology major and juavinett a neuroscience and sociobiology major agreed that the best way to raise money among youth in florence was to throw a party on wednesday april 14 from 11pm to 2am a fund-raiser will be held at club twenty one on via dei cimatori 13r to raise money on behalf of unicef for the women and children of haiti the students teamed up with florence for fun a local tour operator to secure the venue and help promote the event partygoers will be asked to donate three euro at the door and the money will go towards food shelter and other forms of aid for the devastated country on exhibit will be positive photos and facts to show haiti s potentially bright future provided enough money is raised to help the earthquake-hit country explaining why no images of death or destruction will be shown benson said `our main goal is to get haiti back into people s minds although the disaster may be slipping by joanna weinstein under news headlines there is still a lot to be done with this tragedy and we want to spread the word in the most positive way possible `we just want to have this issue on people s radar the need for houses food or anything in haiti still deserves our attention said juavinett although the fund-raiser s main target is american students in florence all are invited to attend a fund-raiser was also held as part of suf s talent show on april 6 the students noted that they are the first american students given the opportunity to create a project for unicef noting that their effort seemed to surprise unicef the students explained that non-profits in italy are rare unlike non-profits in the united states italy s unicef operates with oversight from national organizations `although we work in florence all of the unicef directors are from rome so many of the workers here just remain in accordance with what the directors say said benson `we had to build a relationship of trust with unicef here said juavinett the other two students agreed `still we are fortunate that unicef here was willing to work with students it is a big step said mcqueen the students note that this first effort with unicef already seems to have had an effect on italy s branch of the organization `there are many students studying here with a very keen interest in social justice policy so this internship is destined to grow although they do not have a set goal they hope to raise at least 300 euro `it s difficult to raise public interest for a cause half a world away said benson the students hope their fund-raising message will do just that via della chiesa 34/r firenze oltrarno ph 055 219214 www.mamasbakery.it mama s bakery

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thursday 8 april 2010 6 news views www.theflorentine.net national news news in brief vatican library goes digital a project to scan some 80,000 rare manuscripts in the vatican library will soon begin reports prefect of the library monsignor pasini the items to be digitalized include the oldest known nearly complete manuscript of the bible the codex vaticanus graecus 1209 and the secret history of procopius a vitriolic and scabrous account of the sixth-century roman emperor justinian discovered in the library and published in 1623 the process of digitalizing the vatican s rare books and manuscripts will take some 10 years free fruit in late march approximately 325,000 children at 1,700 elementary schools in eight italian provinces received free fruit as part of the government project fruit in schools good nutrition sponsored by the european union eu and the italian ministry of agriculture nearly all of the eu member states participated in the project which promotes nutrition and a healthy diet to children ages 6 to 11 according to statistics one in three italian children in this age group is overweight and the national farmer s association coldiretti estimates that about 41 percent of italian children are `junk food dependent best tippers the majority of europeans on holiday tip their servers according to a recent survey conducted by the online travel website tripadvisor the data results of a survey of 2,500 european users of tripadvisor.com revealed that 62 percent of english travelers tip regularly when on holiday as do 58 percent of french vacationers and 44 percent of italians about half do the spanish travelers surveyed think that tips should be included in the bill rome s ruins at risk culture minister sandro bondi said he was `very worried about the condition of the roman emperor nero s domus aurea in rome following the collapse of part of the structure s ceiling in late march bondi s words were echoed by major political figures and archaeology experts in rome and in italy and scholars noted that most buildings in rome s palatine hill are at high risk for similar structural damage the main culprit is erosion and flooding `the real emergency is on the palatine said commissioner of the domus aurea antonello vodret `there are some 150 houses that have not been protected against water he added palatine hill is where the city of rome was born and where its emperors later built their residences today it draws millions of visitors a year closed to cars locals wants eco-friendly tourism in the dolomites shroud on show curious and convinced drawn to turin `w e want cars out of the dolomites this announcement did not come from environmentalists or local nature lovers it came from the president of the trentino region lorenzo dellai politicians in trentino are currently discussing ways to make tourism in the world-famous dolomites even `greener and a lobby has formed to limit cars during the summer months `the territories that make courageous decisions in terms of alternative forms of transportation will create for themselves a new future made of high-quality tourism the others will have to live with whatever tourism they get said dellai he proposes a ban on pollution-causing motor vehicles at high altitudes one or two days a week in the summer months to keep the area clean and green this new vision of `green tourism has gathered support throughout the dolomites named a unesco heritage site in july 2009 supporters include local citizens members of alpine clubs in trentino the italian alpine club cai and some of the world s greatest mountaineers like reinhold messner the majority of people in the dolomites want to promote cleaner forms of tourism in the area however it may be difficult to forge an agreement as the dolomites span three provinces trentino bolzano and belluno although some politicians propose selling tourists a five-euro ticket to enter the area by car as some towns in austria have done the issue is not an economic one but an environmental one in the meantime some locals have already started to educate tourists on the benefits of leaving their cars parked michil costa hotelier in corvara says he will give his clients a bottle of sassicaia if they leave their cars parked during their entire stay t urin s iconic shroud is expected to attract some three million visitors while it is on public display in early april according to the italian catholic daily avvenire more than 1,000,000 people many of which from outside of italy have already booked to see the shroud of turin so far most of non-italian visitors are coming from paris and vienna in addition to some asian and middle eastern countries the majority of italian visitors are from the italian region of piedmont the controversial shroud which many christians believe bears the image of jesus christ s face will be on display in the city s fifteenthcentury cathedral of saint john the baptist from april 10 to may 23 reservations can be made at www sindone.org and 800/07463663 for callers from the united states and canada 011 800/07463663 the international number for mobile users is +39 011/4399901 laid-off workers occupy prison island in sardinia he event is already a hit on facebook and the participants are streaming live their adventure 24-hours a day on the stunning island of asinara off the coast of sardinia the phenomenon is not a tv reality show but a slice of real life believing that they had nothing to lose and no other options on february 24 a group of 15 men laid off from the petrochemical plant of the bankrupt vinyls company in porto torres sailed to asinara once the home of a maximum-security prison to stage a protest they have been there ever since the men set up their own web-based version of `isola dei famosi italy s `survivor calling it `laid-off island the real-life reality show has so far collected more than 50,000 supporters on its facebook page and its website links to that of sardinia s largest newspaper la nuova sardegna which features a daily `survivors journal the men vow to occupy the former prison building where they sleep and eat until they `know what s going to happen to them workers are currently in talks with italian fuel giant eni vinyls parent company to see if their jobs can be saved until then catch the action on laid-off island at www.isoladeicassintegrati.com a real reality t scientist warns of `dangerous underwater volcano mediterranean tsunami scare a internet banking on the rise trendiest among retirees h ome banking has started to catch on with italians but those who have taken to it the most are older rather than younger according to the italian banking association abi although 35 percent of home-banking clients in italy are 35 years and younger the majority of new homebanking clients in 2009 were over 55 over the last few years italy s internet banking sector has grown on average 11 percent each year the 55-to-64 age group represents 16 percent of users and those ages 65 to 74 represent 25 percent of home-banking clients in italy `e-banking which has always been popular among the younger generations and has opened up to a whole new set of clients no longer viewed with hostility online banking is now being considered even among older clients to be the most convenient way to simplify their lives the abi reported in a recent study according to abi most e-banking clients are educated 48 percent have a secondary school degree and 20 percent have a university degree two thirds of clients are men and the majority of clients live in northern italy t the bottom of the tyrrenhian sea off the southern italian coast of the campania region lies europe s largest undersea volcano the marsili volcano it is active but has not erupted in recorded history in an interview with corriere della sera an italian vulcanologist made international headlines when he spoke of the possibility that the volcano s `fragile walls could collapse `at any time causing a tsunami that would hit southern italy `a rupture of the walls would let loose millions of cubic metres of material capable of generating a very powerful wave said enzo boschi president of the national institute of geophysics and volcanology `our latest research shows that the volcano is not structurally solid its walls are fragile the magma chamber is of sizeable dimensions he explained `all that tells us that the volcano is active and could begin erupting at any time he added with no way to predict it the event would result in `a strong tsunami that could strike the coasts of campania calabria and sicily he warned measuring 70 kilometres by 30 kilometres and standing 3,000 meters high the marsili volcano s crater is approximately 450 metres below the surface of the sea 150 kilometres southwest of naples.

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www.theflorentine.net news views thursday 8 april 2010 7 sports leisure news viola corner by melinda gallo fiorentina loses after first minute facing catania on march 24 the fiorentina had their hearts set on winning another match to earn three more points and move up the rankings however after only one minute of play catania scored what proved to be the winning goal the viola was in control of the ball for the majority of the match but with a few unsuccessful shots by per kroldrup stevan jovetìc and babacar the team was unable to score coach prandelli a.mutu g antognoni s borgonovo live the city vivicittà firenze 2010 i fiorentina ties in parma after a tumultuous week of events for the fiorentina the team had high hopes of winning the match against parma on the day before easter viola defender lorenzo de silvestri marked his first goal in the serie a to give the team an advantage in the first half parma was aggressive in the second half and ex-viola bojinov scored a goal to tie up the match the viola earned one point for the tie and remained in eighth position sion about staying with the fiorentina as well as the slow progress for the development of the cittadella a new viola stadium and commerical and residential complex was behind della valle s change in plans it wasn t until the early evening that a final statement was issued diego della valle is stepping down from his role as president and would name his brother andrea della valle president of the acf fiorentina after easter to extinguish one last rumor the next day the viola s official website posted a statement that the team is not for sale florence honoring borgonovo even though striker stefano borgnovo played for the fiorentina for only three years he left his mark on the team and fans hearts his career came to a halt in 2008 when he was diagnosed with lou gehrig s disease during the italian cup semifinals match fiorentina­inter next april 13 the city of florence will be presenting him with the `fiorino d oro medal to honor him his wife and his family who are battling the crippling disease together mayor matteo renzi said that the honor is also an emotional tribute to borgonovo because he has always loved florence during the game money will be raised to fund more research in finding a cure for the disease viola on fire even with prandelli doubts at the beginning of the fiorentina­udinese match on march 28 the curva fiesole had one bold message for the team `tifiamo per la maglia we support the team a reminder to everyone that even if changes occur on the bench or in top management viola fans would nonetheless remain faithful to the `jersey amid more rumors about head coach cesare prandelli s possible departure to archrival juventus the viola was able to persevere and win the match 4-1 juan manuel vargas alberto gilardino mario alberto santana and jovetìc each scored a goal while udinese only succeeded once in getting the ball past viola goalkeeper sébastien frey the viola earned three important points and moved up to eighth position in the serie a rankings prandelli to stay until 2011 even after a press conference on march 12 when prandelli said that he was willing to sign another contract for five years as head coach of the viola more rumors surfaced after the events of march 30 prandelli issued a statement saying he was staying with the fiorentina `without doubts and perplexity until the end of his contract in 2011 in response viola fans posted a sign at the stadium saying `cesare florence loves you t s time to store your winter boots and put on your sneakers for the 27th annual vivicittà firenze half marathon organized by the uisp of florence in collaboration with the local sport and education superintendents the event features three races in honor of international solidarity dedicated this year to integration and the fight against racism vivicittà will collect funds to help build playgrounds in palestine refugee camps in lebannon and syria one euro from every registration will be donated to the cause on april 11 participants will make their way to santa croce to run in one of three races the classic half marathon 21 km a 12km non-competitive amateur run and the one-km non-competitive tommasino run for kids the half marathon and amateur race start at 9:30am and the tommasino run follows at 9:45am the tommasino run a new addition this year has already registered 700 children 12 institutions and 54 classes registration is free and each participant will receive an honorary prize schools with the most student runners will receive 10 free hours of motor education taught by uisp instructors registration for the competitive half marathon ends on april 9 those interested in either the 12km race or the tommasino run can sign up on april 11 by 9am in piazza santa croce for more information contact uisp firenze lega atletica c/o delegazione isolotto tel 055/9060156 email vivicitta@mediauisp.it www.uisp it/firenze or l isolotto dello sport tel 055/7331055 www.mediauisp.it one-year ban for mutu viola striker adrian mutu twice failed drug tests in january after matches against bari and lazio he tested positive to traces of sibutramin an appetite suppressant since january 20 mutu has been suspended from play in europe while waiting for his sentence on march 31 the italian olympic committee s antidoping prosecutor asked for a one-year ban the minimum penalty according to coni regulations for failing a drug test the sentence might have been higher had it been ruled that mutu had a relapse the final sentence,wich cannot be appealed will be pronounced in a few weeks if given a one-year ban the romanian forward who is still under contract with the fiorentina until june 2012 will not be able to play again until january 2011 his attorney hopes the sentence will be reduced so mutu can resume playing at the beginning of next season happy birthday to avramov and natali vlada avramov and cesare natali both born on april 5 celebrated their 31st birthdays this year serbian goalkeeper avramov has been playing for the fiorentina since 2006 and he has participated on the serbian national team viola defender natali arrived in florence last year he started his professional career in his home town of bergamo where he played for atalanta a special happy april 1 birthday to former viola captain giancarlo antognoni who was the team s midfielder for 15 years from 1972 to 1987 even though he was born in marsicano near perugia he returned to florence after ending his professional soccer career on his birthday he said `florence s love gave me more than winning any championship a day of misunderstandings and changes on march 30 the same day that bayern monaco and lyon the two teams that the fiorentina beat in the champions league played and won their quarterfinal matches viola fans woke up to some unsettling news word quickly spread that viola patron diego della valle was quitting the fiorentina with no motive explained in the announcement many feared that the fiorentina would be sold by the della valla clan there was also speculation that prandelli s indeci he yearlong party marking the 100th anniversary of the italian national soccer includes a game against european rivals france on may 15 and the opening of the italian soccer hall of fame headed by the museum of soccer in coverciano the festivities kicked off on march 24 with a symposium featuring the directors of the soccer museum and the museum of european sports also in the works is a traveling exhibition to promote italy s vast cultural and athletic heritage `the museum said president of the figc giancarlo abete `renews its undertaking to increase the value of the historical memory of soccer following a suggestion of the federale we will activate a course t celebrating italian calcio n march 24 a delegation of cycling enthusiasts travelled to rome to hand deliver florence s application to become host of the 2013 cycling world championships the delegation which included vicemayor of florence and sports councillor dario nardella the president of the committee claudio rossi and honorary president of the italian cycling federation alfredo martini the delegation has been working for months to promote the tuscan region as the ideal site for the prestigious international event the italian site candidate for the 2013 cycling world championships will be chosen in mid-april while the final decision will be made next september 29 in melbourne australia o promoting florence s cycling excellence

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thursday 8 april 2010 8 what s on where to go www.theflorentine.net shows in english movie reviews by james douglas odeon original sound at the odeon piazza strozzi 2 www.cinehall.it · 055 214068 april 8­april 22 2010 the book of eli shutter island monday 19 april 3.00 ­ 5.30 ­ 8.00 ­10.30 p.m 1954 us marshall teddy daniels is investigating the disappearance of an inmate from a hospital for the criminally insane on a remote island off massachusetts but things turn weird and exactly who is insane becomes a burning issue martin scorsese s retro thriller is awash with movie references and cryptic riddles unlikely to satisfy on one viewing it has divided scorsese fans and critics generally c]omes across as a bracing anomaly in which the cinematic perception of reality is riddled with uncertainty sight sound `dicaprio delivers a startling prettyboy-to-tough nut makeover but he has to play it close to his chest here for the storyline to play out once you get past the trickery shutter island offers sumptuous enthralling shivery gothic filmmaking with a hardboiled heart and a sly line in asylum humour if a pot is being boiled at least it s an intricately-decorated pot on a spectacular fire empire `scorsese is pushing i guess for something that combines a 40s horror-thriller with a contemporary psychological tragedy what he ends up with is more like a hardy boys mystery directed by david lynch salon com scorsese s best in years tuesday 13 april 3.45 ­ 6.00 ­ 8.15 ­10.30 p.m thursday 15 april 3.45 ­ 6.00 ­ 8.15 ­10.30 p.m violent end-of-the-world christian fantasy directed by albert and allen hughes the book of eli revisits the now rather familiar post-apocalyptic scenario but injects it with a christian ethos as our man eli denzel washington wanders across a desolate and amoral america in search of the word that will save the world `the film looks and feels good and washington s performance is the more uncanny the more we think back over it the ending is flawed as we critics like to say but it s so magnificently shamelessly implausibly flawed that a it breaks apart from the movie and has a life of its own or b at least it avoids being predictable roger ebert `starts out strong and boasts a convincing picture of the post-war world as an anarchic desert but it comes to ditch its fun stylization for vague themes of religiosity and morality leaving you with a disappointingly muddled movie premiere `the book of eli combines the maximum in hollow piety with remorseless violence the new yorker edge of darkness thursday 8 april 3.45 ­ 8.15 p.m thomas craven mel gibson is a veteran homicide detective for the boston police department whose daughter is murdered when he embarks on a mission to find out about his daughter s secret life the investigation leads him into the dangerous world of government and corporate collusions and cover-ups a brutal and violent crime thriller `campbell s film offers not surprises exactly but craftsmanship and low brute cunning satisfactions chicago tribune `onscreen much of the time thicker and more creased than you remember gibson can make this rather unshapely movie seem taut village voice `an uneven somewhat meandering thriller is given emotional pull by mel gibson s excellent comeback performance the lethal weapon hasn t lost it empire `edge of darkness is reasonably well executed but its competence reeks of fatigue another dead kid another angry dad another day at the office new york times fantastic mr fox friday 16 april 3.00 ­ 4.45 ­ 6.30 ­ 8.40 ­ 10.30 p.m saturday 17 april sunday 18 april 8.40 ­ 10.30 p.m wednesday 21 april thursday 22 april 3.00 ­ 4.45 ­ 6.30 ­ 8.40 ­10.30 p.m fantastic mr fox is wes anderson s first venture into stop-motion animation and an excellent adaptation of roald dahl s much-loved children s story with george clooney meryl streep and bill murray voicing the main roles in this battle between good the fox family and allies and evil the trio of nasty farmers once you adjust to its stop-and-start rhythms and its scruffy looks you can appreciate its wit its beauty and the sly gravity of its emotional undercurrents it is precisely the movie that a child smitten with roald dahl s fiction and fascinated by the enigmas of the adult world would dream of making something to amaze and terrify the grown-ups and win the envy and adulation of his peers new york times u tterly beguiling and entirely consistent with anderson s quirky homespun aesthetic his snappily offbeat dialogue and distinctive proscenium-style framing in its cheerful anarchy and brutality it s very dahlian in spirit anyway the guardian alice in wonderland tuesday 20 april 3.00 ­ 5.30 ­ 8.00 ­10.30 p.m there is a place like no place on earth a land full of wonder mystery and danger some say to survive it you need to be as mad as a hatter tim burton and lewis carroll must surely be a match made in wonderland and burton s reworking of the two stories alice s adventures in wonderland 1865 and the 1871 sequel through the looking-glass and what alice found there under the disney imprimatur surely spells success in alice in wonderland 19-year-old alice returns to wonderland reunited with all the familiar characters but with burton s distinctive creative originality bringing them to new life his wife helena bonham carter is the excellently ferocious red queen and regular johnny depp is the psychedelic mad hatter f lamboyance spectacle and a benign whiff of madness alice in wonderland provides all that in abundance it is a glorious feast for the senses that fades away when the credits roll leaving barely the trace of a hangover the guardian you re terribly late you know naughty don t miss it but don t expect too much chloe monday 12 april 4.30 ­ 6.30 ­ 8.30 ­10.30 p.m if the one you loved was lying to you how far would you go to find out the truth if you re catherine stewart julianne moore you ll go so far as to hire chloe amanda seyfried to spy on your suspect husband liam neeson and things might not turn out quite the way you wanted them to canadian director atom egoyan s erotic thriller chloe sets up the classic ménage but despite its seriousness of purpose and searing intensity lapses into an improbable finale `mr egoyan has shown off these etchings befor a solemn young woman in lingerie a handsome older man in the throes of erotic distress and the artistry he brings to the display feels tired and thin this time around chloe works hard at seduction but its heart isn t really in the game new york times `this sex thriller is trapped in a tepid zone between quality trash and pretentious psychodrama the new yorker u]nsmiling porno-farce time out new york 1 pizza drink ice cream for 10 euros at restaurant pizzeria piazza della signoria 32-33-34/r tel 055 294553 fax 055 264353 www.ristorantelorenzaccio.com

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www.theflorentine.net all events included in this section are edited by the florentine s staff the florentine is not responsible for programme changes if you would like to submit an event please follow the instructions at www.theflorentine.net what s on where to go thursday 8 april 2010 9 top picks site specific firenze 09 photos by barbieri and zacapa until april 11 palagio di parte guelfa this high-flying exhibit part of the project `a different altitude owes itself to an encounter between artist olivo barbieri and zacapa rum and their mutual love of heights for barbieri the altitude affection means taking his signature photographs from a helicopter while for zacapa it means being the only rum in the world distilled at 2,300 metres `a different altitude represents barbieri s and zacapa s artistic journey in photographing five italian cities from a never-before-seen isolated and stunning perspective for more information click www.rumzacapa.it/adifferentaltitude special events the florentine s fifth anniversary april 22 opera et gusto restaurant celebrate this incredible milestone with tf staff we re throwing a party and marking the occasion with a four-course dinner live performances a raffle and more for reservations email info@theflorentine.net or look for updates at www.theflorentine.net week of cultural heritage april 16­25 florence and surrounding area the most anticipated cultural event of the year is finally here for 10 days the ministry of cultural affairs offers free entry to all state-run monuments museums archaeological sites and libraries the 12th annual week of cultural heritage will also feature conventions exhibits guided visits and concerts making it a truly special occasion for all visitors eager to discover the rich cultural and artistic heritage the region has to offer for more information call 800/991199 or visit www.beniculturali.it st james annual spring fair april 18 st james church join the community of st james church in celebrating the season with its annual spring fair from 12:30pm to 5pm the event will feature a lottery bake sale barbecue lunch a jewellery and vintage clothing market children s activities and more for more information call 055/294417 or see www.stjames.it victorians and anglo-florentines a cultural weekend at casa guidi april 17 and 18 via di san felice a ema 8 for one weekend casa guidi the historic home of esteemed british poets elizabeth barrett and robert browning will be holding special events in honor of victorians and anglo-florentines events will kickoff on saturday at 5pm with a reading from il vittorianesimo a collection of essays on the victorian age edited by franco marucci on sunday casa guidi will be open to the public from 11am to 1pm and 3:30pm to 7pm with guided tours in english and italian at 11:30am and 5pm to make a reservation email elena.capolino@fastwebnet.it or call 3476968528 shows sonar international short film festival april 14­15 french institute of florence and faf sesto fiorentino quality controversy multiculturalism and innovation in short film will take centre stage in this 10th annual competition the festival celebrates the best in fiction experimental animated and documentary shorts cinephiles won t want to miss it for more festival and location information call 055/2718801 or click www.sonarfilmfestival.it metamorfosi di primavera omar ronda until april 26 palazzo medici riccardi gallery the province of florence is hosting an exhibit dedicated to two of history s most beloved beautiful blondes simonetta vespucci the most extraordinary beauty of her time and famed subject of many botticelli paintings and marilyn monroe the show curated by giovanni lazzi and francesco santaniello features nearly 70 paintings by omar ronda dedicated to these golden-haired icons for more information click www.palazzo-medici.it theatre shakespeare week april 19­22 british institute harold acton library four days dedicated to the masterpieces of william shakespeare are part of the 10th annual shakespeare week hosted by the british institute this year the event will focus on the merchant of venice and will feature not only a public reading of the work but also literary conferences shakespeare-inspired films and much more the event is free and open to all for more information call 055/26778270 or click www.britishinstitute.it late night with fitc teatro per sonnambuli salami salami april 9 and 10 teatro di cestello this side-splitting show written and performed by master puppeteer and clown bernard vandal is sure to entertain audiences of all ages for information call 055/213788 or see www florencetheatre.com exhibitions ansia d immagini photographer italo zannier 1952­1976 an ode to neorealism in italian photography the exhibit curated by angelo maggi features display the work of italo zannier a pioneer of the style for information call 055/216310 or email mnaf@alinari.it sette piccoli errori seven little mistakes april 9­june 19 museo marino marini piazza san pancrazio the exhibition curated by stefano collicelli cagol uses sculpture to redefine the `mistaken way we view and interpret the contemporary world the sculpture on display itself untraditional in nature encourages the viewer to reconsider the categories that `in-form featured is the contemporary sculpture of artists sunah choi kit craig isabelle cornaro simon fujiwara and tim davies falke pisano alexandre singh and simon wachsmuth for information call 055/219432 email info museomarinomarini.it or click www.museomarinomarini.it.

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thursday 8 april 2010 10 what s on where to go www.theflorentine.net events in florence apr 8 to apr 22 friday 9 n exhibits mbership card necessary no reservation is necessary contact mike at 3318815605 or mwiesmeier@gmail.com http sketchingintuscany.blogspot.com n lectures conferences lisa clifford at `meet the author lisa clifford will be talking about the research and intrigue behind her latest book death in the mountains which took her four years to write in her discussion she ll also cover the forgotten lives of tuscan farmers from 100 years ago april 13 at 6pm paperback exchange via delle oche 4r florence tel 055/29346 www.papex.it sonar international short film festival 10th edition see april 14 why in concert april 15 viper theatre tel 3351375562 ­ 3351375565 www.areazelig.it seven little mistakes opens at the marino marini museum on april 9 it features the works of seven international artists sunah choi kit craig isabelle cornaro simon fujiwara and tim davies falke pisano alexandre singh simon wachsmuth see ongoing sunday 11 n brunch angels american brunch a relaxed sunday in read-the-newspaper brunch mood angels restaurant and american bar via del proconsolo 29/31r starting at 10 euro for reservations call anna 3287290848 www.florenceforfun.org cuculia concept bar see april 10 j.k brunch have brunch in this uber chic atmosphere that features both a buffet and kitchen dishes featuring a great selection of tuscan organic farm products j.k place hotel piazza s.m.novella 7 tel 0552645181 info@jkplace.com 45 euro per person valet parking and baby-sitting available on request tijuana mexican restaurant mexican dishes and margaritas tijuana mexican restaurant via ghibellina 156r reservations tel 055 2341330 www.tijuana.it n nightlife n music concerts junior kelly warrior king jam vibranite reggae ska nights auditorium flog via mercati michele 24b tel 3496058627 www.vibranite.com 9:30pm price 12-10 euros n music concerts tropical night irie irish tropical cocktails and raggae music old stove porcellino via pellicceria 2r from 10pm to 2am n theatre in italian unless otherwise noted late night with fitc teatro per sonnambuli `salami salami theatre show written and performed by master puppeteer and clown bernard vandal dumb show april 9 and 10 teatro di cestello tel 055213788 www.florencetheatre.com samuele bersani `manifesto abusivo ­ 2010 tour april 13 saschall tel 0556504112 www.saschall.it n wine azienda poggio ai lupi free wine tasting april 15 5pm to 7pm alessi wine shop via delle oche 27/31 tel 0552396987 wednesday 14 n lectures conferences `written in water shelley and the death of keats in rome john keats died in rome on february 23 1821 at age 25 in this talk catherine payling director of the keats-shelley house in rome considers the posthumous idea that keats was killed by a variety of different agents and will look at each of these and at the immediate reactions of shelley and byron to his death she will go to explain how despite the total indifference of his contemporaries keats s reputation became established in the victorian period and enjoys enduring popularity in our own time friday 16 n music concerts litfiba in concert april 16 to 17 nelson mandela forum tel 055678841 www.mandelaforum.it saturday 10 n brunch café deluxeé brunch good music and a large buffet café deluxeé piazza indipendenza corner via xxvii aprile buffet price 14.90 euro open from 11.30am to 4pm tel 055485749 info@cafedeluxee.com cuculia concept bar heaping plate of samples of various dishes cuculia concept bar via dei serragli 3r fixed menu at 10 euro from 12 to 3pm tel 0552776205 saturday 17 n brunch café deluxeé brunch see april 10 cuculia concept bar see april 10 n theatre in italian unless otherwise noted alan bennett s talking heads a bad among the lentis aperitivo and english language theatre with italian subtitles chef steve madonna s aperitivo will delight your palate for every performance in april lochness lounge via de benci 19r buffet dinner starts at 7:30 pm showtime at 8:30pm reservations are required tel 0552399949 www.performance-international.net 6pm the british institute of florence library and cultural centre lungarno guicciardini 9 tel 05526778270 admission free n music concerts n lectures conferences victorians and anglo-florentines a cultural weekend at casa guidi historic home of the poets elizabeth barrett and robert browning ort concert directed by moshe atzmon steven isserlis cello music by olivero schumann beethoven april 14 teatro verdi tel 0552340710 www.orchestradellatoscana.it sonar international short film festival 10th edition april 14 to 15 istituto francese di firenze and other places faf sesto fiorentino and other locations tel 0552718801 www.sonarfilmfestival.it n nightlife karaoke night old stove signoria piazza della signoria 30r from 10pm to 2am made in italy italian and international student party in florence twentyone disco via cimatori 13r doors open from 11pm till late free admission n music concerts professor gigliola sacerdoti mariani university of florence will present `il vittorianesimo a collection of essays on the victorian age edited by franco marucci professor marucci teaches english at ca foscari university in venice and he is one of most remarkable scholars of english literature in italy concert season 2010 `careggi in music on sundays at 10:30am april 11 18 careggi auditorium clinica medica tel 3407164029 ­ 055580996 www.agimusfirenze.it fabulous sundays tales in music art workshops for children april 11 24 teatro everest and other places museo marino marini villa favard tel 0552321754 www.teatroeverest.it n dinners n sports activities fiorentina ­ inter national championship soccer serie a 3pm stadio comunale artemio franchi viale m fanti 4/6 wing night margarita party chicken wings special menu 50 cents wings house of sizzle via dei benci 33-35r tel 0552344904 or 3492968513 from 5pm live sports free reservations casa guidi piazza san felice 8 1st floor events start at 17 april at 5pm 18 april at 11am-1pm 3:30pm-7pm free admission for reservations elena.capolino@fastwebnet.it if you don t use e-mail call 3476968528 n markets festivals n music concerts la traviata by giuseppe verdi april 10 17 24 english church of st mark s tel 3408119192 www.concertoclassico.info late night with fitc teatro per sonnambuli `salami salami see april 9 monday 12 n cinema chloe with italian subtitles odeon cinehall piazza strozzi shows 4.30 ­ 6.30 ­ 8.30 ­ 10.30 p.m thursday 15 n cinema the book of eli odeon cinehall piazza strozzi shows 3.45 ­ 6.00 ­ 8.15 ­ 10.30 p.m fortezza antiquaria antique market no july august april 17 to 18 giardini della fortezza da basso tel 0553283550 n music concerts litfiba in concert see april 15 la traviata by giuseppe verdi see april 10 n theatre in italian unless otherwise noted n workshops n music concerts n lectures conferences animal drawing lessons at la specola natural history museum former walt disney animator and florence resident mike wiesmeier is offering lessons in animal drawing at la specola museum mike has been teaching painting and drawing for fourteen years no previous drawing experience is necessary and all ages are welcome this is a great outing and experience for families afroeuropa the political and religious participation of africans in italy a distinguished panel of representatives of the african diaspora in italy afro-italian politicians and scholars will debate the different forms of political and religious participation of africans in italy with the co-sponsorship of the city fo florence palazzo strozzi altana meeting room 5th floor tel 0555007 email lapietra.events@nyu.edu francesco renga orchestraevoce tour april 15 teatro verdi tel 055212320 www.bitconcerti.it glorytellers 2010 music review april 6 15 27 sala vanni and other places viper theatre tel 055287347 ­ 055416812 www.musicusconcentus.com le nozze di figaro by wolfgang amadeus mozart april 15 english church of st mark s tel 3408119192 www.concertoclassico.info melodies of spring orchestra v galilei nicola paszkowski conductor music by w a mozart b bartók april 15 auditorium cassa di risparmio di firenze tel 055597851 www.scuolamusica.fiesole.fi.it n nightlife karaoke night see april 27 made in italy see april 10 meditazioni musicali verso la pentecoste ­ musical meditations toward pentecost sacred and organ music april 17 chiesa madre della divina provvidenza tel 055583008 www.luciabaldacci.it la specola museum via romana 17 florence near palazzo pitti the first saturday of every successive month opening hours 2 to 4:30pm meet outside at 2pm lessons cost 20euros per person admission cost for la specola is not included but you can obtain a six-month pass for a reduced fee tuesday 13 n cinema the book of eli odeon cinehall piazza strozzi shows 3.45 ­ 6.00 ­ 8.15 ­ 10.30 p.m sunday 18 n brunch angels american brunch see april 11 cuculia concept bar see april 10

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www.theflorentine.net what s on where to go thursday 8 april 2010 11 events in florence apr 8 to apr 22 j.k brunch have brunch in this uber chic atmosphere that features both a buffet and kitchen dishes featuring a great selection of tuscan organic farm products j.k place hotel piazza s.m.novella 7 tel 0552645181 info@jkplace.com 45 euro per person valet parking and baby-sitting available on request tijuana mexican restaurant see april 11 of the outsider in the merchant of venice through performance of the courtroom scene in which portia s argument defeats shylock in his efforts to secure his bond a pound of flesh cut from antonio festa examines how a director s perspective and the actor s performance can influence the way shakespeare s text affects and is experience by the audience thursday 22 n cinema to be or not to be in this 1942 comedy featuring a group of polish actors outwitting the nazis in europe ernst lubitsch assigns shylock s hath not a jew speech a special place the speech is delivered no less than three times each time gaining in depth and strength until the lines acquire a new resonance burning with anger as well as sorrow proclaiming resistance and the will to survive rather than revenge the speech is given to the actor felix bressart himself a refugee in hollywood from nazi germany the film start jack benny born benjamin kubelsky and carole lombard in her last film she was killed in the year the film was released the mood is light but not flippant evil is lampooned but loses none of its horror for being lampooned alla maniera d oggi base a firenze until april 11 2010 various venues throughout florence animani a journey into the imagination of mario mariotti until april 11 2010 istituto degli innocenti piazza della santissima annunziata 12 inauguration on nov 28 6pm tel 0552478386 bottega@istitutodeglinnocenti.it www.mariottiafirenze.it hands in art a series of guided visits and educational tours to discover the symbols and meanings associated with hand gestures from antiquity to the renaissance until april 11 2010 museo archeologico nazionale and other places museo deli innocenti tel 0552478386 www.istitutodeglinnocenti.it site specific_firenze 09 a different altitude photos by olivo barbieri with ron zacapa curated by fondazione studio marangoni until april 11 palazzo di parte guelfa via del capaccio 1 from 3:30pm to 11:30 free entrance taiyo onorato nico krebs analog photographs until april 11 ex3 centro per l arte contemporanea tel 0556287091 www.ex3.it the cheerful vitality of the porcelain of betty woodman until april 11 2010 museo delle porcellane palazzo pitti tel 0552388709 www.polomuseale.firenze.it the great european photography paris 1920-1940 until april 11 mnaf museo nazionale alinari della fotografia tel 055216310 www.alinari.it bildung products and artefacts la clessidra of the complex form dialogue with many voices exhibition by various artists march 13 to april 13 galleria tannaz tel 055219274 il magazzino toscano until april 16 accademia dei georgofili tel 055212114 www.georgofili.it twentieth-century painters with picasso april 4 to 17 museo privato bellini tel 0552657940 www.bellinigallery.com 2nd international art exhibition in florence in cooperation with the museum of the americas until april 21 fyr ­ foyer degli artisti borgo albizi 23 florence tel 0552343351 opening hours 4pm to 7:30pm closed sundays and holidays solchi di antico mondo painting exhibition by chiara silva until april 22 2010 palazzo borghese tel 0552396293 ww.palazzoborghese.it painting exhibition by maestro andrea gelici april 10 to 23 caffè storico letterario giubbe rosse 055212280 www.giubberosse.it spring metamorphosis painting exhibition by omar ronda march 24 to april 27 galleria di palazzo medici riccardi tel 0552760340 www.provincia.fi.it afroeuropa photographs and videos depict and frame the diverse stories of african migrants galleria biagiotti arte contemporanea via delle belle donne 39r 6pm the british institute of florence library and cultural centre lungarno guicciardini 9 tel 05526778270 free admission free www.britishinstitute.it n exhibits adopt a picture on the occasion of the week of cultural heritage april 18 istituto degli innocenti tel 0552037331 www.istitutodeglinnocenti.it tuesday 20 n cinema alice in wonderland odeon cinehall piazza strozzi shows 3.00 ­ 5.30 ­ 8.00 ­ 10.30 p.m n markets festivals fiera di primavera april 18 zona stadio artemio franchi campo di marte tel 055203691 www.confcommercio.firenze.it fortezza antiquaria antique market not in july august see april 18 spring fair at st james church lottery barbecue lunch books for sale mary ann s treasure trove children s activities nearly new and vintage clothing and more st james church via rucellai 9 tel 055294417 info@stjames.it hours 12:305pm the little fair for home april 18 piazza s.spirito tel 055697747 n lectures conferences shakespeare and his contemporaries all-day conference showcasing the work of italian graduate students with professor paolo pugliatti and professor keir elam presiding 9:30am the british institute of florence library and cultural centre lungarno guicciardini 9 tel 05526778270 free admission www.britishinstitute.it n dinners april 22 at 4pm lungarno guicciardini 9 www.britishinstitute.it n music concerts n° 5 fifth birthday party of the florentine tf real social network ­ dinner and theatre to celebrate five years of the florentine come and celebrate this milestone with tf staff april 22 opera et gusto for reservations email info@theflorentine.net or look for updates at www.theflorentine.net così fan tutte by wolfgang amadeus mozart april 20 english church of st mark s tel 3408119192 www.concertoclassico.info n music concerts il barbiere di siviglia by g.rossini april 22 english church of st mark s tel 3408119192 www.concertoclassico.info n music concerts wednesday 21 n cinema the merchant of venice al pacino as shylock dominates michael radford s lavish 2004 adaption starring al pacino as shylock and set in venice in 1597 when the play was written the controversial matter of the play s alleged antisemitism is dealt with at the start in titles highlighting the discrimination and christian intolerance at the time pacino s red-hated bloody creditor expertly captures the complexity of shylock vengefully intransigent in his stand on principle learning the hard way that justice without mercy is not justice at all the film is powerful and winning and not as ambiguous on the central issue as promised at the outset n lectures conferences public reading concert season 2010 `careggi in music see april 11 alan bennett s talking heads a bad among the lentis see april 11 lochness lounge via de benci 19r buffet dinner starts at 7:30 pm showtime at 8:30pm reservations required tel 0552399949 www.performance-international.net n theatre in italian unless otherwise noted a reading of the merchant of venice in its entirety without props sets or costumes shakespeare is meant to be read aloud and participating in a group brings new meaning to the magic of hearing the lines spoken all are welcome to come and join in the reading in english or any other language or simply to listen texts will be available but bring your own if you have one n nightlife tropical night see april 11 6pm the british institute of florence library and cultural centre lungarno guicciardini 9 tel 05526778270 free admission www.britishinstitute.it n lectures conferences april 21 at 8:30pm lungarno guicciardini 9 www.britishinstitute.it victorians and anglo-florentines a cultural weekend at casa guidi historic home of the poets elizabeth barrett and robert browning n dinners special opening to the public of casa guidi during the day sirpa salenius whose research interests lie mainly in the 19th-century anglo-italian community on which she has published books articles and has given papers will lead two guided tours of the house the tours both in english and italian will start at 11:30am and 5pm wing night margarita party chicken wings special menu 50 cents wings house of sizzle via dei benci 33-35r tel 0552344904 or 3492968513 from 5pm live sports free reservations on going n cinema fantastic mr fox odeon cinehall piazza strozzi shows 4.30 ­ 6.30 ­ 8.30 ­ 10.30 p.m n lectures conferences a lover or a tyrant performing the merchant of venice n dance casa guidi piazza san felice 8 1st floor events start at 17 april at 5pm 18 april at 11am-1pm 3:30pm-7pm free admission for reservations elena.capolino@fastwebnet.it if you don t use e-mail call 3476968528 monday 19 n cinema shutter island with italian subtitles odeon cinehall piazza strozzi shows 3.00 ­ 5.30 ­ 8.00 ­ 10.30 p.m our annual shakespeare lecture professor kate mcluskie director of the shakespeare institute of the university of birmingham explores the way the great dramatist plays with the ideas of performance to complicate the connection between pleasure and judgement in responses to his play she will examine the story that shakespeare worked with to create the merchant of venice and how different directors and performers including some in italy brought their own creative powers to create merchants for their own time momix in bothanica created and directed by moses pendleton april 6 to 11 teatro verdi tel 055212320 www.teatroverdifirenze.it n exhibits painting exhibition by maestro nino senfett until april 9 caffè storico letterario giubbe rosse tel 055212280 www.giubberosse.it piero fornai tevini il viaggiatore incantato exhibition of paintings and collages until april 9 galleria il bisonte tel.0552342585 www.ilbisonte.it alla maniera d oggi base a firenze contemporary art by various artists until april 11 galleria degli uffizi and other places basilica di san miniato colonna di s zanobi chiostro dello scalzo,cenacolo d ognissanti galleria dell accademia museo di san marco ,palazzo sacrati strozzi tel 0574531828 www.centropecci.it n music concerts 6pm the british institute of florence library and cultural centre lungarno guicciardini 9 tel 05526778270 free admission www.britishinstitute.it o flos colende sacred music in florence 14th edition april 19 cattedrale di santa maria del fiore tel 0552302885 www.operaduomo.firenze.it n music concerts n theatre in italian unless otherwise noted the merchant of venice festa theatre company looks at the theme ort concert directed by david afkham roberto prosseda piano music by mendelssohn beethoven april 21 teatro verdi tel 0552340710 www.orchestradellatoscana.it

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thursday 8 april 2010 12 what s on where to go www.theflorentine.net events in florence apr 8 to apr 22 learning to read and write in italy in the postwar period spelling books primary textbooks and television march 6 to april 30 biblioteca marucelliana tel 0552722200 http www.maru.firenze sbn.it/eventi.htm#manzi magic india humanity and landscapes the colors of the soul photos by anna maria romoli and rino sica until may 3 museo archeologico nazionale tel 05523575 firenze scienza collections places people of the 1800s in florence until may 9 2010 palazzo medici riccardi via cavour 3 tel 0552346760 for palazzo medici riccardi contact sigma csc at tel 055243140 www.firenzescienza.it florence 1829 art science and society florence science collections places and personalities in the 19th century until may 9 2010 palazzo medici riccardi tel 0552760340 www.firenzescienza.it physics in florence in the 19th century florence science collections places and personalities in the 19th century until may 9 2010 istituto e museo di storia della scienza tel 055265311 www.firenzescienza.it the didactics in the sciences of the 18th century florence science collections places and personalities in the 19th century until may 9 2010 fondazione scienza e tecnica gabinetto di fisica tel 0552341157242241 www.firenzescienza.it the tribuna of galileo and the florentine specola florence science collections places and personalities in the 19th century until may 9 2010 museo di storia naturale sezione di zoologia la specola tel 0552288251 www.firenzescienza.it la linfa imperfetta painting exhibition by francesca scalisi march 20 to may 21 otel ristotheatre tel 055650791 www.otelvariete.com exhibit of sentimental art exhibition by students from the accademia di belle arti di firenze until june 11 2010 caffè storico letterario giubbe rosse tel 055212280 www.giubberosse.it ansia d immagini italo zannier fotografo 1952-1976 april 17 to june 13 mnaf piazza s m novella 14a/r tel 055216310 mnaf@alinari it opengin hours monday to thursday from 3pm to 7pm tuesday from 10am to 7pm friday saturday and sunday from 10 am to 7pm closed wednesday precious and beautiful cameos and intaglios of the medici march 25 to june 27 museo degli argenti palazzo pitti tel 0552388709-761 www unannoadarte.it/pregiobellezza value ad beauty cameos and carvings of the medici family march 25 to june 27 museo degli argenti palazzo pitti tel 0552388709-76 www.unannoadarte.it crystals the most beautiful exhibition in the world until june 30 2010 extended museo di storia naturale sezione di zoologia la specola tel 0552346760 www.mostracristallifirenze.it gianni colombo sculpture exhibition april 10 to june 30 galleria il ponte firenze tel 055240617 www.galleriailponte.com the currency of rome the power of the image in the roman world until june 30 museo archeologico nazionale tel 05523575 contemporary art exhibitions until july 31 casa della creatività palazzo dei giovani tel 0552381240 www.casadellacreativita.it gunther stilling sculpture exhibition until aug 30 fiesole archeological museum tel 055598720 ­ 0555978372 www.comune.fiesole.fi.it a question of style roberto capucci material and design exhibitions and meetings until dec 31 2010 fondazione roberto cappucci villa bardini tel 05520066210 www.fondazionerobertocapucci.com horti pompeiani ­ pompeiian gardens until dec 31 giardino di boboli boboli garden tel 0552388791 rotating art exhibitions art exhibition until dec 31 galleria gruppo donatello tel 055579207 http associazioni.comune.fi.it gruppodonatello/index.htm fashion itineraries art sites boutiques and ateliers free guided visits until june 21 various locations in florence tel 0552340742 www.florenceartfashion.com open studios visits to artists studios until june 30 various places in florence tel 0552776461 3488137701 www.strozzina org/open_studios vasari corridor uffizi gallery 3-hour tour available every tuesday and friday in april may and june starts at 3:30pm from florencetown tour operator office on via dei lamberti 1 tel 0550123994 info@florencetown.com cost 89 euro per person 50 up to 12 years free up to 6 years 10 discount for the florentine readers baluardo a san giorgio last sunday of every month 9:30am to 12:30pm tel 0552616051 free admission guided visits by associazione akropolis until dec 31 florence tel 055461428 it.geocities.com/associazione_akropolis planetarium meetings with the public all year except july and aug sundays at 3.30pm and 5pm planetarium tel 0552343723 www.fstfirenze.it the earliest history of man guided visits until dec 31 2010 museo e istituto fiorentino di preistoria tel 055295159 odeon operà l opera il balletto e il teatro al cinema until april 30 odeon cinehall piazza strozzi www.mediatecatoscana.it concert with italian opera love duets every wednesday and friday april 7 to july 30 english church of st mark s tel 3408119192 www.concertoclassico.info organ and instrumental concerts all year mon to sun at 9:15pm sat at 6pm chiesa di santa maria dei ricci via del corso tel 055289367 tickets 11 n sports activities firenze moms 4 moms network in english various events including playgroups mom s night out couples night out and much more for english speaking moms in florence and surrounding areas www.firenzemoms4moms.net infotiscali@firenzemoms4moms.net tel 3335728945 n theatre in italian unless otherwise noted elisabeth s last stand theatre show created by nola rae with simon mcburney of théâtre de complicité april 8 to 11 teatro di rifredi tel 0554220361 www.toscanateatro.it shakespeare week april 19 to 22 biblioteca dell istituto britannico harold acton library tel 05526778270 www.britishinstitute.it n markets festivals apre the italian exhibition for biohousing and interior design april 16 to 18 piazza della repubblica tel 3490536874 www.ruotati.com bimbofuturo creative workshops for kids april 22 to 25 piazza s.croce tel 3490536874 www.ruotati.com ciompi antique fair every weekday and the last sunday of every month piazza de ciompi tel 0553283550 porcellino market florentine arts and crafts with straw handmade embroidery leather woodwork and flowers every day all day logge del porcellino san lorenzo market florentine arts and crafts handmade embroidery paper leather and much more every day all day streets around basilica san lorenzo up coming n lectures conferences jane fortune and cristina acidini present invisible women contemporary passions conference english language about female paintings in florence s museum with jane fortune cristina acidini linda falcone 29 april 2010 ore 16.30 villa il palmerino via del palmerino 8 50137 firenze info@palmerino.it n guided tours series of guided visits and educational tours to discover the symbols and meanings associated with the hand gestures from antiquity to the renaissance until april 11 museo archeologico nazionale and other places museo deli innocenti tel 05523575 www.istitutodeglinnocenti.it religious services beato angelico holy masses of the artists april 11 18 25 basilica di san marco tel 0552679079 www.beatoangelicomedaglia com florence gospel fellowship international sunday service at 6:30pm evangelical via de benci 9 tel 3351505784 www.fgfint.blogspot.com jewish synagogue shabos 8:45am via farini 4 tel 055245252 san miniato al monte mass at 12pm with italian gregorian chants via delle porte sante tel 0552342731 santa maria del fiore mass in english on saturdays at 5pm piazza del duomo tel 055294514 santissima annunziata mass in english on sundays 5pm via cesare battisti 6 tel 055266181 shir hadash jewish reform/progressive congregation tel 3486913059 3489362564 st james american church episcopalian sunday smaller service at 9am eucharistic service with sermon and music at 11am via b rucellai 9 tel 055294417 please check http stjames.it for any alterations to times and dates hands in art series of guided visits and educational tours to discover the symbols and meanings associated with hand gestures in art from antiquity to the renaissance until april 11 2010 museo archeologico nazionale and other places museo deli innoseven little mistakes centi tel 05523575 april 9 to june 19 museo marino marini firenze piazza san pancrazio tel 055219432 www.istitutodeglinnocenti.it www.museomarinomarini.it opening hours open studios visits to artists studios 10am to 5pm closed sundays and tuesdays april 22 24 27 various locations florence tel 0552776461 3488137701 craftsmanship fashion itineraries art www.strozzina.org/open_studios sites boutiques and ateliers free guided visits until june 21 various locations in florence tel 0552340742 www.florenceartfashion.com the library on display díaita health rules in the manuscripts of the laurentian library until june 26 biblioteca medicea laurenziana tel 055210760 www.bml.firenze.sbn.it guided visits by associazione akropolis april 8 10 12 15 19 22 26 28 florence tel 055461428 akropolis.xoom.it mathematics sundays 2009-2010 guided visit and surprise activities for children until may 2 2010 il giardino di archimede un museo per la matematica tel 0557879594 www.archimede.ms fashion itineraries art sites boutiques and ateliers free guided visitsuntil june 12 various locations in florence tel 0552340742 n music concerts godspell a musical by stephen schwartz and johnmichael tebelak directed by stephen rothman with italian subtitles april 6 to 11 teatro di cestello tel 055294609 www.teatrodicestello.it théâtralisons ensemble 9th edition april 21 to 23 istituto francese di firenze tel 0552718801 www.sonarfilmfestival.it musica in maschera la traviata by giuseppe verdi april 10 17 24 teatro auditorium al duomo tel 3283562380 www.musicainmaschera.it concerts of the fiorentine chamber orchestra 30th concert season april 11 12 25 26 chiesa di orsanmichele tel 055783374 www.orcafi.it musica in maschera romantic opera arias and duets april 13 15 20 22 27 29 cenacolo di fuligno tel 3283562380 www.musicainmaschera.it

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www.theflorentine.net what s on where to go thursday 8 april 2010 13 events in florence apr 8 to apr 22 st mark s church of england spoken mass sun 9am tues/thurs 9.30am wed 10am fri 12.30am sunday 10.30am sung mass via maggio 16 tel 055294764 please check www.stmarksitaly.com for any alterations to times and dates anna meacci 25 years of acting photographic exhibition until may 21 teatro della limonaia sesto fiorentino tel 055440852 0554480628 www.teatrodellalimonaia.it nobody knows solo exhibition by paolo canevari until august 1 centro pecci viale della repubblica 277 prato tel 05745317 www centropecci.it opening hours 10am-7pm closed tuesdays entrance price 5 euro reduced 4 euro a treasure of florentine coins exhibition of florentine coins of the 16th century april 17 to sept 26 museum of religious art montespertoli tel 0571600228 ­ 0571657579 www.comune.montespertoli.fi.it spring festival flower market april 17 18 nome di gesù via del molino e via ponchielli calenzano tel 0558824512 www.comune.calenzano.fi.it antique and collector s market april 11 historical centre scarperia tel 0558468165 www.prolocoscarperia.it antique and collector s market april 10 piazza s.lucia incisa valdarno tel 0558334061 ­ 3385244641 www.comune incisa-valdarno.fi.it antique and handicraft market april 18 piazza boccaccio and via 2 giugno certaldo tel 0571661276 www.comune.certaldo.fi.it antique and second-hand goods market april 11 p.zza umberto i londa tel 0558352538 www.comune.londa.fi.it antique market and sugar-coated almonds festival april 11 mercatale val di pesa tel 0558256385 ­ 055821516 www.comune san-casciano-val-di-pesa.fi.it antique market in the centre april 18 historical centre montelupo fiorentino tel 0571518993 www.comune montelupo-fiorentino.fi.it aprilante market april 11 panzano in chianti tel 0558545271 ­ 0558546299 www.comune.greve-inchianti.fi.it country products market with local farmers april 17 piazza montanelli fucecchio tel 0571268226 www.comune.fucecchio.fi.it flower show and market april 18 grassina tel 0556390356-357 www.comune.bagno-a-ripoli.fi.it market fair 6th edition april 18 viale togliatti sovigliana vinci tel 0571568012 www.comune.vinci.fi.it organic products and handicraft market april 11 piazza matteotti scandicci tel 0557591374 www.comune.scandicci.fi.it organic products market il pagliaio april 10 piazza della repubblica san casciano val di pesa tel 0558256385 0558256259 www.comune.san-cascianoval-di-pesa.fi.it reggello in bloom flower exhibition and market april 18 reggello tel 0558669231 www.comune.reggello.fi.it cityvibe scandicci music review until june 21 teatro studio tel 0559061757 www.scandiccicultura.it april 18 piazza della repubblica san casciano val di pesa tel 0558229558 ­ 3381006543 www.comune.san-cascianoval-di-pesa.fi.it n wine children n culture the children s lending library of florence an english speaking volunteer run non-profit lending library members have access to books videos and dvds plus all library run activities all year via rucellai 9 located in st james american church building opening hours from sept to june sundays 10am 1pm mondays 11am 12pm wednesdays 11am 1.30pm and 4pm ­ 6pm tel 055577527 3283282757 www.childrenslibrary.altervista.org childrenslendinglibrary@gmail.com 12th mugello food and wine fair april 10 11 palazzo dei vicari scarperia tel 0558468165 www.prolocoscarperia.it wine-and-food delicacies and handicrafts fair april 11 piazza matteotti tavarnelle val di pesa tel 0558077838-824 0558077832 www.comune.tavarnelle-val-di-pesa.fi.it in tuscany n exhibits from jacopo della quercia to donatello art in siena in the early renaissance an exhibit of 30 works in sculpture painting gold manuscripts and textiles march 26 to july 11 santa maria della scala opera della metropolitana di siena-pinacoteca nazionale siena www.rinascimentosiena.it n guided tours n markets festivals guided visits to the gardens of the villas in fiesole april 15 22 29 various gardens fiesole tel 055055 ­ 055598720 www.fiesolemusei.it weekend guided tours in the nature reserve of the fucecchio marsh until june 30 nature reserve of fucecchio marsh and other places nature reserve of sibolla lake reserve of montefalcone colle di monsummano and other areas of montalbano tel 057384540 fucecchio@zoneunidetoscane.it www.zoneumidetoscane.it eventi/padeventi.html guided visit to the ambrogiana medici villa april 17 ambrogiana medici villa montelupo fiorentino tel 0571518993 www comune.montelupo-fiorentino.fi.it tour of the monte morello hills april 18 montorsoli train station vaglia tel 0555002426 ­ 055409465 www.comune.vaglia.fi.it walking tour of villas churches castles april 18 town centre montespertoli tel 0571657579 www.comune.montespertoli.fi.it un castello di giochi shows games and workshops for children april 18 historic centre castelfiorentino tel 0571686341 www.comune.castelfiorentino.fi.it n markets festivals n workshops ovomuseo free workshop for children april 3 museo di storia naturale,sezione di zoologia la specola tel 0552346760 www.msn.unifi.it librum arezzo book 2010 fair of independent publishers borsa merci di arezzo in the historic centre near the railway station n music concerts n theatre in italian unless otherwise noted teatrino del gallo puppet theatre pupi di stac cinema workshop concerts exhibition conferences meetings and talk shows all year with monthly planning limonaia del giardino della libreria libri liberi via san gallo 25r florence tel 3386024335 www.teatrinodelgallo.it woody allen new orleans jazz band march 29 nuovo teatro verdi viale verdi 45 montecatini terme pistoia tel 057278903 www.teatroverdimontecatini.it discount 10 off coupon tuesdays and fridays at 3:30pm out of town n exhibits toscana 2010 philatelic exhibition mart april 10 11 palazzo delle esposizioni empoli tel 0571757729 www.comune.empoli.fi.it national exhibition of minerals fossils and shells april 17 18 scuola media boccaccia certaldo tel 0571661276 www.comune.certaldo.fi.it contemporary art exhibition by athos faccincani april 10 to 25 galleria del teatro romano tel 055598720 ­ 0555978372 www.comune.fiesole.fi.it week of cultural heritage extraordinary openings of the historical figurine municipal museum and free guided visits to the castle april 16 to 25 historical figurine municipal museum cadenzano tel 0558827531 www.comune.calenzano.fi.it waves of colour waves of love exhibition of black-and-white oil colours and mixed painting techinques by daniele locci march 6 to may 4 pontassieve public library tel 0558360344-343 www.comune.pontassieve.fi.it comune di vetro april 17 to may 9 town hall sesto fiorentino tel 0554496235 ­ 4496357 www.sestoidee.it n markets festivals diotto festival april 10 11 circolo mcl scarperia tel 0558468165 www.prolocoscarperia.it tortello filled pasta festival april 10 11 foro boario borgo san lorenzo tel 05584966229 www.comune.borgo-san-lorenzo.fi.it wild boar food festival april 9 to 11 april 16 to 18 april 23 to 25 april 30 to may 2 centro polivalente certaldo tel 0571661276 www.comune.certaldo.fi.it wild boar food festival april 10 11 17 18 ronta borgo san lorenzo tel 055849661 www.comune borgo-san-lorenzo.fi.it exhibition and market of children s books april 10 to 17 conference hall of the san casciano public library san casciano tel 0558256380-1-2 www.comune.san-casciano-val-di-pesa.fi.it orti e horti spring festival of amateur vegetable gardens april 16 17 18 parco vivai belfiore lastra a signa tel 0558724166 ­ 3283847235 www.vivaibelfiore.it spring fair april 9 to 18 piazza vittorio veneto and other places in sesto fiorentino tel 0554496357 ­ 0554496235 www.sestopromuove.it the exclusive tour uffizi gallery and vasari corridor meeting point florencetown office via dei lamberti 1 corner with via calzaiuoli for reservations call +39 055 0123994 valid until 2010 june 30 reserved to tf readers who present this coupon at the ticket office or cash n lectures conferences italian espresso in english free coffee tasting course caffè mokarico via del bagnone 22 borgo san lorenzo fi at 2:30pm reservations required email info@mokarico.com tel 0558495085 fax 0558495086 discount coupon 2 euro off 10 euro instead of 12 n sports activities 26th national motorbikes rally in castelfiorentino april 10 11 historical centre castelfiorentino tel 0571686341-348-363 www.comune.castelfiorentino.fi.it energy days fair on renewable energies energy conservation and bio-housing april 15 16 17 18 foro boario borgo san lorenzo tel 05584966229 www.energydays.eu eccole di nuovo vintage cars and motorcycles meet valid until april 22 2010 in the following bookshop paperback exchange via delle oche 4 bm bookshop borgo ognissanti 4 reserved to tf readers who present this coupon at the ticket office or cash

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thursday 8 april 2010 14 life in italy www.theflorentine.net through `italian sketches readers will enjoy a brief `meeting with some of the men and women from all walks of life who have changed the face of italy italian sketches giorgio la pira the monk-like mayor by deirdre pirro i t is indeed a rare occurrence that the mayor of any city be considered a saint but in 1986 pope john paul ii began the process of beatification the third of four steps in the process towards sainthood for giorgio la pira twice mayor of florence first from 1951 to 1958 then from 1961 to 1965 although la pira was born in the sicilian town of pozzallo near ragusa on january 9 1904 he lived most of his adult life in florence at age 20 he experienced a profound religious calling that set the pattern for his entire life once in florence where he became a full professor of roman law at the university in 1934 he began putting his strong faith into practice he founded the mass of san procolo at the badia fiorentina for the city s poor and homeless after mussolini passed the racial laws he also became an active antifascist at one point fleeing to rome to avoid arrest after world war ii in 1946 la pira was elected on the christian democrat ticket to the constituent assembly and as a member of the commission of 75 contributed to drafting the new constitution in 1948 prime minister de gasperi made him undersecretary of labour in his cabinet together with his old friend amintore fanfani in 1951 when la pira first became mayor of florence coming into office on the heels of the post-war communist administration he inherited a city afflicted by high unemployment and a chronic shortage of housing nevertheless the chirpy bespectacled little man was not to be discouraged referring to himself as a `free apostle of the lord until the day he died his legendary largesse with the florentine treasury which kept the municipality on the brink of bankruptcy he was also called far less flattering names in a play on his surname one opposition party dubbed him la pirata the pirate not unexpectedly it was this magnanimity that ultimately cost him his mayoral sash nonetheless la pira s popularity in florence has never faded indeed when matteo renzi was elected mayor of florence in june 2009 in homage to la pira his first official visit was to la pira s grave at rifredi cemetery a lamp given by florentine israeli and palestinian children adorns the tomb bearing the words `peace shalom salaam a written testimony to la pira s lifelong objective il centro internazionale studenti `giorgio la pira giorgio la pira international centre for students the centre was created in 1978 by the roman catholic church in florence soon after the death of giorgio la pira the centre s objective is to welcome and socially integrate ethnic minorities immigrants and political refugees and to promote friendship mutual understanding and dialogue between peoples in addition to holding seminars and conferences it stimulates projects that foster international cooperation as one of its main focuses is education its activities include running italian language and history of art courses supporting intercultural exchanges and organising ethnic music and dance classes all as a means for bringing closer together people of different cultures for more information giorgio la pira international centre for students via de pescioni 3 50123 florence tel 055/213557 fax 055/219749 e-mail segreteria centrointernazionalelapira.com www.centrointernazionalelapira.com deirdre pirro author of italian sketches the faces of modern italy published by the florentine press is an international lawyer who lives and works in florence apart from the law her interests include modern italian history and the history of gastronomy see her blog at www.t5m com/deirdre-pirro she can be contacted at dpirro@gmail.com november 5 1977 he lived and worked in his adopted city his actions always guided and defined by his christian beliefs to achieve the post-war rebirth he sought for florence he adopted a lavish programme of expensive public works he rebuilt the alle grazie vespucci and santa trinita bridges that had been blown up during the war he created isolotto as a satellite suburb designed lowcost housing set up the local dairy plant constructed new schools refurbished the municipal theatre and repaved many of the city s streets sometimes bending legality to suit his purpose he requisitioned empty villas to house the poor or evicted as he believed everyone was entitled to `a job a house and music he even seized bankrupt factories to protect jobs his intervention to save the pignone factory and prevent the dismissal of 1,750 workers became legendary the result was however that some adversaries even in his own party accused him of statism or spurious marxism at the international level la pira worked tirelessly to promote florence on the world stage and as its first citizen his aim was to be an ambassador for peace he struck `sister city relationships with philadelphia kiev kyoto fez and rheims and he made then un secretary general maha thray sithu u thant and french architect charles-edouard jeanneret known as le corbusier honorary citizens between 1952 and 1956 he hosted five conferences for peace and christian civilisation in palazzo vecchio convening participants from all over the world in 1955 he organised the conference of mayors of the capitals and between 1958 and 1964 he held the four mediterranean colloquia that among other things laid the foundation for peace between france and algeria in 1959 he visited russia and in 1965 he went to vietnam where he met ho chi min and presented an outline for a peace plan that unhappily was not enacted for eight years and after much carnage it finally became the groundwork for the accord that ended the vietnam war in 1967 he was elected president of the world federation of united cities a bachelor la pira lived in a bare unheated monastery cell in the basilica of san marco in very cold weather he bunked in the office of a doctor friend florentine citizens called him `the saint not only did he attend mass every morning before going to palazzo vecchio but like a modern-day st francis he frequently gave his food clothes and most of his salary to the needy however for your day spa in the center of florence hair stylists aesthetic treatments cosmetics solarium spa treatments bridal service nail reconstruction the florentine press books have to have them body treatment promotion come get your body ready for the summer with a muscle toning massage only euro 45 call now to make your appointment wellness center pitti palace piazza pitti 14 r tel 055 285510 wellness.pitti@yahoo.it open monday through saturday from 9am to 7pm student discount 15-20 discount on aesthetic treatments and hair services the books are available in florence at the best international bookshops and news stands for worldwide shipment orders send an email to press@theflorentine.net leocardini.it

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www.theflorentine.net life in italy thursday 8 april 2010 15 culture customs a quest for the truth solving a true tuscan mystery by lisa clifford don t remember exactly when my italian mother-in-law told me that her grandfather was murdered i ve known my husband s mother for almost 30 years so it must have been during the early part of my romance with her florentine son that she mentioned that her grandfather had been beaten to death in the family barn what i do remember however was how surprised i was by her casual attitude towards the killing with a shrug and a `boh italian for `who knows she told me that the murder had never been reported to the police had never been investigated and that no one had any idea who would kill her grandfather or why `maybe it was the mafia i suggested in my naivety not sure whether the neapolitan camorra had a treacherous arm that stretched as far as tuscany `or i tried again `maybe he owed someone money all my mother-in-law would say was `no no you don t understand it happened 100 years ago when life was cheap in tuscany we were poor farmers no one could have cared less about my grandfather although i don t recall when i was told all of this i ll never forget how surprised i was that my italian husband s family could so nonchalantly dismiss their grandpa artemio s murder as `that was just the way things were following a long-distance relationship that see-sawed my boyfriend and me between sydney and florence for 18 years we finally married and i have been living in tuscany for 12 years but instead of accepting grandpa artemio s killing as a closed murder case i found that the passage of time only served to increase my interest in my mother-in-law s revelation the circumstances surrounding the killing did not make sense it was so strange to me that someone could be attacked in his own barn yet no questions were ever asked or answered how soul-destroying for grandma bruna to battle such a harsh life alone with seven children and without her husband i couldn t let the mystery go so with her permission i began to investigate the killing myself i first i had to learn about the old tuscan farming community according to the communità montana del casentino up to 70 percent of rural tuscany was farmed under the mezzadria farming system when grandpa artemio was killed in 1907 whole families worked as sharecroppers paying half of everything they produced to their land s owners once the owners had been paid the food left over for the mezzadro the farmer was barely sufficient to avoid starvation and so the first pieces of the puzzle and the focus of my book death in the mountains the true story of a tuscan murder began to fall together once i realised how few people really grasped the level of poverty in tuscany only one or two generations ago i felt compelled to tell the farmers stories the desire to recreate my husband s family so as to help people see what country life was like consumed me for another reason as well there is enormous international focus on tuscany and its glamorous villas that are renovated and turned into luxury holiday destinations buying and rebuilding the tuscan villa has been romanticized in so many novels and magazines but how many foreigners truly understand what went on behind those solid rustic walls before they were restored my husband s family like hundreds of thousands of other italian families was forced to abandon their country home to live in the city their only chance to make a decent living knowing this i felt a strong need to honour all those forgotten rural men women and children the tuscan villa or casa colonica is what it is today because of them yet in contemporary english literature set in italy their stories are rarely mentioned interestingly while writing the book it was not grandpa artemio who so captured my imagination it was grandma bruna it was through her that i was really able to give my readers the feeling of tuscany 100 years ago grandma bruna had a strong spirit and almost all the family stories that were passed down con cerned her not artemio she bound her babies from armpits to ankles until they were 18 months old to `straighten their legs and because it was the only childcare apart from the rabbit s cage that she could afford the tuscans called these babies salamini because they looked like little salamis all wrapped and swaddled it was grandma bruna who on sundays rose at dawn to attend a 6am mass said especially for the housewives so that she could go back home and spruce up her family for a later service which she missed because she had to stay behind to cook the sunday lunch grandma bruna was a complex mix of superstition and religious faith a woman who cared fiercely for her children and the land and animals that sustained them she gave me an insight into why the traditional italian woman of today appears submissive to her husband yet is not at all malleable in an emotional sense writing death in the mountains gave me more than i had bargained for the killing of grandpa artemio was a big event in the family village which is located in casentino the northeastern mountainous area of tuscany north of arezzo and east of florence when i talked to the old people cousins and elderly farmer folk who still live nearby they recalled with great clarity what their past relatives had said about the famous murder of artemio bruni in 1907 almost everyone who worked the land was illiterate so there was a lot of gossip but no letters or journals to refer to it was only by talking with people that i could figure out what happened in the months leading up to grandpa artemio s murder i spent three years chatting with locals and then reinventing the characters of artemio and bruna from the anecdotes and memories of those around me subsequently i became so entranced by this long-ago family that i almost forgot my main aim was to discover the murderer who would have thought after years of trying to imagine their thoughts and reactions that i would have grown to love them both so much perhaps that s what all writers feel for their characters as their novel takes shape a growing tenderness as you nurture your protagonists from imagination to the page still nothing prepared me for the genuine grief i felt when one day fate led me to the one cousin who held the key he told me who killed grandpa artemio and why it was a heartwrenching moment discovering the assassin s identity my mother-in-law was with me and i felt her sadness keenly nonetheless she felt that it was a story that should be told but she insisted that her real name never be used she said it was important not to upset the family of the man who killed her grandfather you see they still live nearby and till this day they have no idea that their grandfather murdered grandpa artemio on april 13 at 6pm at the paperback exchange via delle oche 4r florence tel 055/293460 lisa clifford will be talking about four years of research and intrigue behind death in the mountains including her findings about the forgotten lives of tuscan farmers 100 years ago for more information on this and other `meet the author evenings see www.papex.it a version of this article appears as the preface to lisa clifford s book death in the mountains the true story of a tuscan murder published in 2009 by macmillian press lisa clifford was born in sydney australia following a career in radio and television journalism she now contributes opinion pieces guides and lifestyle articles on italy to international magazines and newspapers she is the author of walking sydney the promise an italian romance and death in the mountains ristorante accademia open 7 days a week for breakfast lunch and dinner for the past twelve years brothers aldo and gianni iacovitti have been serving authentic tuscan cuisine and other regional dishes to both locals and visitors in the warm congenial setting of their well known and reputed ristorante accademia homemade pasta brick-oven pizza fresh soups bistecca alla fiorentina wine tasting fresh baked bread daily specials piazza san marco 7r 50121 firenze tel 055217343 fax 0552729399 accademiarestaurant@virgilio.it

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