Florence
There is plenty going on in Florence by the way of entertainment throughout the year. The warm summer months see a concentration of events from traditional festivals, classical concerts and dance performances to open-air films and live music in alfresco bars. The areas of Santo Spirito in the Oltrarno and Santa Croce are home to lively bars and restaurants, while clubs tend to be situated on the edge of town. Opera lovers will not be disappointed; Florence's Teatro del Maggio, on of Italy's best, hosts dome fine operas and concerts.
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Local newspapers such as La Nazione and the Florence section of La Repubblica, carry entertainment listings. The monthly magazine Firenze Spettacolo, with a short section in English, lists local events, entertainment venues and places to eat and drink. Look out too for the free, bi-lingual, Concierge Information, which is a useful source of listings, and the twice-weekly English newspaper The Florentine. |
Box Office is a ticket agency for concerts, opera and ballet nationwide. Tickets for performances at the Teatro del Maggio can also be purchased at their box office. It is advisable to buy tickets for opera in advance, but for other events, tickets are generally available on the door.
Facilities For The Disabled |
Most major concert halls and music venues in Tuscany are now fully wheelchair accessible. However, churches, villas and gardens, which hold occasional performances, are unlikely to be so well equipped. If in doubt, always check in advance. There is a booklet published by the Province of Florence available at tourist offices, which details the accessibility of many outdoor venues in the area.
Opera And Classical Music |
The most important musical event in Tuscany is the annual Maggio Musicale festival, held at Teatro del Maggio in Florence between late April and late June, and features opera, concerts and ballet. The theatre also puts on a year-round programme, while Orchestra della Toscana give several concerts a month at its base in Teatro Verdi. From October to April the wonderful 18th century Teatro della Pergola in Florence hosts world-class chamber music concerts.
Estate Fiescolana organizes opera, dance and music events from July to August in Fiesole's atmospheric amphitheatre. The rest of Tuscany also celebrates the arts. Puccini's lakeside villa on the shores of Lago di Massaciuccoli makes a spectacular setting for the Puccini Opera Festival, held every July to August. The Opera Barga festival showcases little-known works in the restored Teatro dei Differenti. |
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| In July and August, Siena hosts the Estate Musicale Chigiana in the magnificent abbeys of San Galgano, Monte Oliverto Maggiore and Sant Antimo. The Incontri in Terra di Siena festival is known for its excellent chamber music and the recently established Tuscan Sun Festival is based in Cortona. |
Films in English are shown three times a week at the Odeon Original Sound in Florence, and several other Tuscan towns near cater for the huge number of foreign visitors by screening English-language films.
Theatre has a long and distinguished history in Tuscany, performances in English are rare, and as such, the genre attracts few non-Italian speaking visitors.
However, Tuscany's 300 local theatres- many of them now restored- are worth a visit.
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Dance is popular throughout the region and several festivals, including the Florence Dance Festival, feature classical and contemporary dance.
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Florence will not disappoint jazz fans. A great season of progressive jazz concerts, often featuring international names, is staged in the Sala Vanni, while several bars regularly hold live jazz sessions.
Big name rock concerts are mostly held at the 7000 seater Nelson Mandela Forum or at the city's football stadium. For smaller, more intimate venues go to clubs such as Auditorium Flog, Tenax or Saschall. Firenze Spettacolo has a detailed list of bars and clubs hosting live music.
In summer, Florence's piazzas and gardens become the venues for alfresco bars and live music. Summertime also see open-air jazz and rock concerts taking place all over the region.
Blues fans should look out for Pistoia Blues, a mid-July weekend jamboree of open-air blues concerts, which attracts well-known names. |
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Unique to Tuscany are the many traditional festivals celebrated through the year, the most famous being the Palio di Siena, which is a horse race held twice a year on the 2nd July and 16th August in Siena, in which ten horses and riders represent ten of the seventeen Contrade, or city wards. A magnificent pageant precedes the race, which attracts visitors and spectators from around the world. |
| The events held here may be attended by thousands of spectators to tiny little village sagre. Commonly defined by food, drink and music, these events are a great way to see the Tuscans at play. |
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While Florence and Tuscany are extremely child-friendly, child-orientated entertainment is lacking so parents need to be inventive. As far as museums are concerned, only the Museo dei Ragazzi in Palazzo Vecchio has a specific programme for children, but several other museums, such as Museo di Storia della Scienza and Museo "La Specola", are fun too. For children below ten years, Mondobimbo Inflatables Parterre has bouncy castles and Giardino di Boboli is good for a run around.
Outside Florence, there's a small zoo in Pistoa and Parco Preistorico, with its gigantic model dinosaurs, is near Pisa. Pinocchio Park at Collodi, is dedicated to one of Tuscany's most loved characters. Parco Giochi Cavallino Matto is a huge funfair with plenty of rides to keep the kids amused. |
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