ACM Multimedia 2010: 25-29 th October, Florence, Italy

ACM Multimedia 2010 is the worldwide premier multimedia conference and a key event to display scientific achievements and innovative industrial products. ACM Multimedia 2010 offers to scientists and practitioners in the area of Multimedia plenary scientific and technical sessions – with keynote speeches, oral, poster and video presentations, technical demonstrations and exhibits -, opportunities for deepenings – organized as discussion rooms, symposiums and tutorials and panels with worldwide recognized scientists and opinion leaders -, and competitions of research teams on relevant and challenging questions about the industry’s two-five years horizon for multimedia. As a companion event, the Interactive Art program will provide the opportunity of interaction between artists and computer scientists and investigation on the application of multimedia technologies to art and cultural heritage. Workshops associated to ACM Multimedia 2010 will provide in-focus forums of discussion on some of the most relevant and timely scientific topics in the field.

Palazzo dei Congressi in Florence,extremely close to Hotel Mario's

Hotel Mario's is situated in a fantastic position. Wich position could be better than this? So close to the Palazzo dei Congressi, so close to the Fortezza da Basso usually used for the fair in Florence, so close to the railway station of Santa Maria Novella.It's convenient come here, because is an incredible opportunity to start your day being only few metres from your destination.
The Palazzo dei Congressi is housed in the nineteenth century Villa Vittoria which the Strozzi family from Mantova had built between 1880 and 1914 and which was completed in 1931 when it was passed over to the Contini-Bonacossi family.
In 1964 the Villa was purchased by the Azienda Autonoma di Turismo (the tourism board) whose intention was that it should become Florence’s convention centre.
The renovation project was commissioned to Architect Pierluigi Spadolini.
There were various difficulties to overcome in order to maintain the villa and garden in compliance with the Fine Arts protection laws.
The work finished in 1969 (already in 1966 the ground floor rooms began to host conferences) and was celebrated with the grand opening of the entire conference centre.
Despite the renovation work, the first floor of the villa remained as it was with monumental panelled ceilings, hand carved walnut doors decorated with patterns from drawings by Cosimo Feltrini and del Vasari and their frames sculpted and inlaid with coloured marbles.
The Palazzo dei Congressi, which is one of the most important and well-equipped facilities for conferences and events in central Italy, also enjoys a privileged position in the heart of the city in the shopping, hotel and monumental area, in the immediate vicinity of the railway station and the airport terminal and just a few kilometres away from the motorway junctions.
When you have a conference in Florence, join Hotel Mario's, the place where to stay, only 1 minute walking from the Palazzo dei Congressi.
Visit the website www.hotelmarios.com or contact us : info@hotelmarios.com

Settignano, a magic place up to the hills of Florence

When you'll be at Hotel Mario's, from our very convenient position in the city, you could walk to the train station of Santa Maria Novella and catch the bus line 10 that will get you up to the hill of this nice small and panoramic village.
Settignano, a tranquil residential district located on one of the hills overlooking the city of Florence, shares its artistic fame with nearby Fiesole. The original village was probably founded by an important Roman family, thus fundus Septinianus, when Florentia was chosen as the residence of the united regions of Etruria and Umbria.
The name of Settignano is famous in the whole world thanks to her natural and adoptive sons, sculptors, architects and painters whose works of art adorn many museums. Desiderio da Settignano, Antonio and Bernardo Rossellino, Luca Fancelli, Meo del Caprina, the Ciolis and the Lorenzis were all born in Settignano, as was the painter Bartolomeo Bimbi. Other artists and scholars, such as Michelangelo, Niccoló Tommaseo, Telemaco Signorini and the poet Gabriele d'Annunzio lived in Settignano and were inspired by its harmonious landscapes.
Because of its vicinity to the famous quarries of Maiano and Trassinaia, Settignano also produced a multitude of lesser known artists, artisans, quarriers, carvers and stone masons who embellished the palaces of Florence during the Renaissance and introduced Florentine Renaissance artistic theories into many other cities in Italy as well as France and Spain.
Settignano is a lovely village, go in one of that little restaurant just around the main square and enjoy a good Chianti red wine and a bistecca alla fiorentina ( the steak ); enjoy the life, come to Italy.


information about Settignano are taken from the website www.settignano.com