TASTE 6: 12-14 March 2011_Stazione Leopolda_ Florence

Choose your stay at 
MARIO'S HOTEL
for Taste 6

Pitti Immagine presents the sixth edition of Taste, the event devoted to excellence in Italian food - featuring about 200 specialist and niche companies: three days of sampling, discovering, buying, events and lifestyles dedicated to taste.

Taste is a fun and absorbing experience for members of the gastronimic and catering trade as well as the general public, who can discover the myriad ways to express and experiment with taste today.

Taste describes and presents the roots of Italian food and wine culture, its extraordinary diversity and ability to become an international heritage. For this reason it represents a unique meeting place for italian and international high-end food professionals, always looking for genuine, original flavors.
The last edition was attended by over 10.000 visitors, and obtained great press and TV coverage.

FUORIDITASTE

Fuoriditaste is a program of off-site events: a schedule of food and wine events involving the whole city of Florence, featuring the city's restaurants, specially food stores and boutiques, art galleries, theaters and museums. The last edition of Fuoriditaste in March 2010 was a great success with public and critics alike, and presented over 100 events in some of the city's top locations.

XXVII FIRENZE MARATHON - 28th november 2010

STAY AT HOTEL MARIO'S:

OUR STAFF WILL OFFER YOU A NICE STAY FOR THIS UNIQUE EVENT!!!

FIRENZE MARATHON, A 42 KILOMETERS AND METERS LONG EMOTION.

Meeting on Sunday November, 28th 2010

 with the 27th edition of the International classic road race

The wrapping glamour of centuries of art, history and culture accompanies you step by step along the 42 kilometres and 195 meters of the Florence Marathon. A unique emotion which can be told only by those who have run in Florence and which has made the classic race of Florence an appointment that cannot be missed by thousand of sportsmen and enthusiasts who each year punctually come from all over the world on the last Sunday in November. The Florentine event has gained exponential importance during the recent years, so much that on last November 29th on the occasion of its XXVI edition a new record of participants has been achieved with over 10.166 runners (7.425 Italians and 2.741 foreigners) coming from 57 countries.

The record of the men’s race has been established by the 24-year old Kenyan James Kutto who won his race in 2h08’41”: fourth time ever for the winner of an Italian marathon. A record has been achieved also with regard to the number of athletes crossing the finishing line: 8.206 runners. Amazing numbers, in witness of a development both numerical and qualitative, which has transformed the Florence Marathon into the second Italian marathon second to the Rome race.

An event, which is not only a sport event, but also a custom and cultural enchanting event. This is the common feeling joining thousands of runners and shared by the large audience of Raitre channel, watching the three-hour live broadcast of the XXVI Florence Marathon by Tgs-Raisport. This is the fifth consecutive year dedicated by Rai to the live broadcast of the Florentine event, as well-deserved appreciation of the growing importance this event has achieved during the recent years. Mentioning numbers only, however, won't convey the right value to a marathon which has now reached full excellence as to its organizational level and which can boast an exceptional stage such as the city of Florence, unique in the world for its beauty and atmosphere.

The Florence Marathon is the main road race event taking place in Tuscany, which together with Rome is rightly by now the most important international marathon in Italy and among the first 20 marathons in the world as far as quality and number of participants. The event inaugurated by Orlando Pizzolato, multi-winner of the New York Marathon, has been attended during the years by some of the main Italian athletes such as Giacomo Leone, Francesco Ingargiola, Michele Gamba, Fabio Rinaldi, Denis Curzi and Angelo Carosi, in the men’s field, Tiziana Alagia, Gloria Marconi, Florinda Andreucci, Bettina Sabatini, Anna Rita Incerti and Vincenza Sicari, in the women’s field, just to mention a few, besides top-ranking foreign runners. James Kutto, Kenyan beginner over the long distance, who crossed the finishing line in 2h08’41 “, exceeding the record established by his compatriot Daniel Kirwa Too in the year 2001, with 2h10’38”, has established the men’s record of the event in the year 2006. On the contrary, the women’s record has been established during the 2002 edition by the Slovenian Helena Javornik, winning with the excellent time of 2h28’15”.

THE ROUTE

The Florentine route follows landscape views and monuments of singular beauty, which made the city famous worldwide. A route touching the most fascinating places in Florence, such as piazza del Duomo, piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio and many other roads and squares rich in history and culture, before ending in the solemn majesty of piazza Santa Croce. The path is fully surfaced and ramp-free, exception made for the slightly sloping stretch of road at the start. Those characteristics make it particularly flowing and appreciated by all the athletes.

VIEW OF FLORENCE

Hotel Mario's............the place of Florentine style!!!

Florence has a legendary artistic heritage. Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian painting, lived in Florence as well as Arnolfo and Andrea Pisano, renewers of architecture and sculpture; Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio, forefathers of the Renaissance, Ghiberti and the Della Robbias, Filippo Lippi and Angelico; Botticelli, Paolo Uccello and the universal genius of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Their works, together with those of many other generations of artists, are gathered in the several museums of the town: the Uffizi Gallery, the Palatina gallery with the paintings of the "Golden Ages", the Bargello with the sculptures of the Renaissance, the museum of San Marco with Fra Angelico's works, the Academy, the chapels of the Medicis, Buonarroti' s house with the sculptures of Michelangelo, the following museums: Bardini, Horne, Stibbert, Romano, Corsini, The Gallery of Modern Art, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, the museum of Silverware and the museum of Precious Stones.
The "Circumcision of Jesus", a Renaissance painting by Andrea Mantegna.

Great monuments are the landmarks of Florentine artistic culture: the Florence Baptistery with its mosaics; the Cathedral with its sculptures, the medieval churches with bands of frescoes; public as well as private palaces: Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Palazzo Davanzati; monasteries, cloisters, refectories; the "Certosa". In the archeological museum includes documents of Etruscan civilization. In fact the city is so rich in art that some first time visitors experience the Stendhal syndrome as they encounter its art for the first time.
The 15th century early-Renaissance frescos in the Cappella dei Magi in the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi.

The Florentines – perhaps most notably Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1466) and Leon Batist'Alberti (1404–1472) – invented both Renaissance and Neoclassical architecture, which revolutionized the way Rome, London and Paris and every other major city in Europe – from Barcelona to St. Petersburg – were built. The cathedral – one of the largest churches, topped by Brunelleschi's dome, dominates the Florentine skyline. The Florentines decided to start building it – late in the 13th century – knowing they did not know how they were going to do it. It was "technology forcing" – like the Kennedy Administration's decision to put a man on the moon. The dome was the largest ever built at the time, and the first major dome built in Europe since the two great domes of Roman times – the Pantheon in Rome, and Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. As a matter of fact, as mentioned in sections above, the Santa Maria del Fiore dome remains the largest brick dome of its kind in the world. In front of it is the medieval gem of the Baptistery, where every Florentine was baptized until modern times. The two buildings incorporate in their decoration the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. In recent years, most of the important works of art from the two buildings – and from the wonderful Bell Tower, designed by Giotto, have been removed and replaced by copies. The originals are now housed in the spectacular Museum of the Works of the Duomo, just to the east of the Cathedral.

Florence has large numbers of art-filled churches, such as San Miniato al Monte, San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Trinita, the Brancacci Chapel at Santa Maria della Carmine, Santa Croce, Santo Spirito, SS Annunziata, Ognissanti and many more.
The Palazzo della Signoria, better known as the Palazzo Vecchio (English:The Old Palace).

And that is without mentioning any "artists". From Arnolfo and Cimabue to Giotto, Nanni di Banco, and Uccello; through Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Donatello and Massaccio and the various della Robbias; through Fra Angelico and Botticelli and Piero della Francesca, and on to Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, the Florentines have dominated the visual arts in a great way. And this list does not include many who, in any other place would be considered among the greatest of artists, but in Florence must be considered among the near-great: Benvenuto Cellini, Andrea del Sarto, Benozzo Gozzoli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Fra Lippo Lippi, Buontalenti, Orcagna, Pollaiuolo, Filippino Lippi, Verrocchio, Bronzino, Desiderio da Settignano, Michelozzo, the Rossellis, the Sangallos, Pontormo, just to name a few. And this list does not include the prolific Ignoto. Nor does it include the near-Florentines, such as Raphael, Andrea Pisano, Giambologna, the wonderfully nicknamed Sodoma and so many more, such as Peter-Paul Rubens — all of whom spent time in Florence and were nurtured by it.
The statue of Perseo by Cellini in the Loggia dei Lanzi.

Then there are the art galleries. The Uffizi and the Pitti Palace are two of the most famous picture galleries in the world. But the heart and soul of Florence are in the two superb collections of sculpture, the Bargello and the Museum of the Works of the Duomo. They are filled with the brilliant, revolutionary creations of Donatello, Verrochio, Desiderio da Settignano, Michelangelo and so many other masterpieces that create a body of work unique in the world. And, of course, there is the Accademia, with Michelangelo's David – perhaps the most well-known work of art anywhere, plus the moving unfinished statues of the slaves Michelangelo created for the tomb of Pope Julius II.

In all, Florence has a great and numerous amount of museums. Among those at the top of most lists – other than those above – are: the impressive medieval city hall, the Palazzo della Signoria (a.k.a Palazzo Vecchio), a wonderful building with magnificent rooms and some great art; the Archeological Museum, the Museum of the History of Science, the Palazzo Davanzatti, the Stibbert Museum, St. Marks, the Medici Chapels, the Museum of the Works of Santa Croce, the Museum of the Cloister of Santa Maria Novella, the Zoological Museum ("La Specola"), the Bardini, and the Museo Horne. There is also a wonderful collection of works by the modern sculptor, Marino Marini, in a museum named after him. If photography is your interest, you should not miss the superb collection of works by the early photographers, the Alinari brothers. The magnificent Strozzi Palace is also the site of many special exhibits.

Top 5 Things to Check Out in Florence, Italy

Hotel Mario's is very near to the most important spots in Florence!!! Ask the staff and your stay will be amazing!!!

Santa Maria del Fiore:
The fourth largest church in Europe, its length being 153 metres (502 ft) and its height 116 metres (381 ft).

San Giovanni Baptistery:
Located in front of the Florence Cathedral, it is decorated by many artists, notably by Lorenzo Ghiberti with the Gates of Paradise.

Basilica of Santa Maria Novella:
Located in Santa Maria Novella square (near the big Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station) this contains works by Masaccio, Paolo Uccello, Filippino Lippi and Domenico Ghirlandaio. The great façade was made by Leon Battista Alberti.

Basilica of Santa Croce:
The principal Franciscan church in Florence, Italy, and a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about 800 metres south east of the Duomo. The site, when first chosen, was in marshland outside the city walls. It is the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Foscolo, Gentile, Rossini, and Marconi, thus it is known also as the Temple of the Italian Glories (Tempio dell'Itale Glorie).

San Marco:
A complex comprising a church and a convent. The convent, which is now a museum, has three claims to fame: during the 15th century it was home to two famous Dominicans, the painter Fra Angelico and the preacher, Girolamo Savonarola. Also housed at the convent is a famous collection of manuscripts in a library built by Michelozzo.

Basilica of San Lorenzo:
One of the largest churches of Florence, Italy, situated at the centre of the city's main market district, and the burial place of all the principal members of the Medici family from Cosimo il Vecchio to Cosimo III.

Santo Spirito:
Located in the Oltrarno quarter, facing the square with the same name. The building on the interior is one of the pre-eminent examples of Renaissance architecture.

Orsanmichele:
This building was constructed on the site of the kitchen garden of the monastery of San Michele, now gone.

Santissima Annunziata:
A Roman Catholic basilica and the mother church of the Servite order. It is located on the north-eastern side of the Piazza Santissima Annunziata.

Ognissanti:
Founded by the lay order of the Umiliati, this was among the first examples of Baroque architecture built in the city. Its two orders of pilasters enclose niches and windows with fantastical cornices. To the left of the façade is a campanile of thirteenth and fourteenth-century construction.

Santa Maria del Carmine:
in the Oltrarno district of Florence, it is famous as the location of the Brancacci Chapel, housing outstanding Renaissance frescoes by Masaccio and Masolino da Panicale, later finished by Filippino Lippi.

Santa Trinita:
It is the mother church of the Vallumbrosan Order of monks, founded in 1092 by a Florentine nobleman. Nearby is the Ponte Santa Trinita over the river Arno. The church is famous for its Sassetti Chapel, containing notable frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio.

Medici Chapel in San Lorenzo:
The Medici Chapel are the resting place of most of the Medici as Grand Dukes of Tuscany. One is the Sagrestia Nuova, the "New Sacristy", designed by Michelangelo. The other is the Capella dei Principi, the 16th and 17th-century "Chapel of the Princes", which is entirely covered with a revetment of colored marbles inlaid with pietra dura.

San Marco:
Comprises a church and a convent. The convent, which is now a museum, has three claims to fame: In the 15th century, it was home to two famous Dominicans, the painter Fra Angelico and the preacher, Girolamo Savonarola. Also housed at the convent is a famous collection of manuscripts in a library built by Michelozzo.

Santa Felicita:
is a church in the downtown, probably the oldest in the city after San Lorenzo.
Badia Fiorentina
Famous as the parish church of Beatrice Portinari, the love of Dante's life, and the place where he watched her at mass, for Dante grew up across the street in what is now called the 'Casa di Dante', rebuilt in 1910 as a museum to Dante.

San Gaetano:
One of the most important examples of the Baroque style in Florence, a city better known for its Renaissance architecture.

San Miniato al Monte:
Standing at one of the highest points in the city, this has been described as the finest Romanesque structure in Tuscany and one of the most beautiful churches in Italy.

Florence Charterhouse:
A charterhouse, or Carthusian monastery, located in the Florence suburb of Galluzzo, in central Italy. The building is a walled complex located on Monte Acuto, at the point of confluence of the Ema and Greve rivers.

Great Synagogue of Florence:
A magnificent synagogue built between 1874 and 1882. The design integrates Islamic and Italian architectural traditions.

EXPLORING FLORENCE..........

Reserve a room at Hotel Mario's!!! The staff is very helpful and gives you many advices!!!

The city lies on the River Arno and is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the richest and wealthiest cities of the time, Florence is considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance; in fact, it has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. It was long under the de facto rule of the Medici family. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.

The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Florence is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and its artistic, historic and cultural heritage and impact in the world remains vast up to this day. The city has also a major European impact in music, architecture, education, cuisine, fashion, philosophy, science and religion. The historic centre of Florence contains numerous elegant squares (piazzas), Renaissance palaces (palazzi), academies, parks, gardens, churches, monasteries, museums, art galleries and ateliers. The city has also been nominated, according to a 2007 study, as the most desirable destination for tourists in the world.

The city boasts a wide range of collections of art, especially those held in the Pitti Palace and the Uffizi, (which receives about 1.6 million tourists a year). Florence is arguably the last preserved Renaissance city in the world and is regarded by many as the art capital of Italy. It has been the birthplace or chosen home of many notable historical figures, such as Dante, Boccaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Niccolò Machiavelli, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Donatello, Galileo Galilei, Catherine de' Medici, Antonio Meucci.

Fashion at the central market in Florence?

There is the possibility to see the beautiful building of the Central Market in Florence,that stalls inside the San Lorenzo central market, in Via dell'Ariento you'll find the best food market of the city. Walk in and discover. It opens every morning from 7.00 to 14.00, except for Sunday and public holidays. Instead of as only a place for food, the city council is studying a different use, or at least, also a different use of this historical market. As in London at Covent Garden, maybe also at the central market of Florence, in a very busy and typical are of the city,full of hotels, museums and restaurants, there is gonna be the project to change the use of the market:shows, music,fashion,theatre and many other ideas are coming out. At Hotel Mario's the staff should be very happy of this possibility, we like when in Florence there are such wonderful ideas. We'll see if this will be realized.
Don't forget to book your room at Hotel Mario's, in via Faenza 89, 50123, Florence ( info@hotelmarios.com or www.hotelmarios.com or telephone:+39055216801
Hotel Mario's, the place where to be!

Strozzi Palace in Florence

Palazzo Strozzi is a palace in Florence, Italy. The Palace was begun in 1489 by Benedetto da Maiano, for Filippo Strozzi the Elder, a rival of the Medici who had returned to the city in November 1466 and desired the most magnificent palace to assert his family's continued prominence and, perhaps more important, a political statement of his own status. A great number of other buildings were acquired during the 70s and demolished to provide enough space for the new construction. Giuliano da Sangallo the Younger provided a wood model of the design. Filippo Strozzi died in 1491, long before the construction's completion in 1538. Duke Cosimo I de' Medici confiscated it in the same year, not returning it to the Strozzi family until thirty years later.
Palazzo Strozzi is a splendid example of civil architecture with its rusticated stone, inspired by the Palazzo Medici, but with more harmonious proportions. Unlike the Medici Palace, which was sited on a corner lot, and thus has only two sides, this building, surrounded on all four sides by streets, is a free-standing structure. This introduced a problem new in Renaissance architecture, which, given the newly-felt need for internal symmetry of planning symmetry, was how to integrate the cross-axis: the ground plan of Palazzo Strozzi is rigorously symmetrical on its two axes, with clearly-differentiated scales of its principal rooms.
The palazzo has mullioned paired windows; the radating voussoirs of the arches increase in length as they rise to the keystone, a detail that was much copied for arched windows set in rustication in the Renaissance revival. Its magnificent cornice is typical of the Florentine palaces of the time.
The palace was left incomplete by Simone del Pollaiolo (il Cronaca), who was in charge of the construction of the palace until 1504. Also by Cronaca is the cortile or central courtyard surrounded by an arcade, inspired by Michelozzo. The famous wrought-iron lanterns that decorate the corners of the palace exterior, are by an iron-worker named Caparra.

HILLS AROUND FLORENCE: FIESOLE

Fiesole (Vipsul) was probably founded in the 9th-8th century BC, as it was an important member of the Etruscan confederacy, as may be seen from the remains of its ancient walls.

The first recorded mention on the town dates to 283 BC, when the town, then known as Faesulae, was conquered by the Romans. In pagan antiquity it was the seat of a famous school of augurs, and every year twelve young men were sent thither from Rome to study the art of divination. Sulla colonized it with veterans, who afterwards, under the leadership of Gaius Mallius, supported the cause of Catilina.[1][2]

Fiesole was the scene of Stilicho's great victory over the Germanic hordes of the Vandals and Suevi under Radagaisus in 406.[3] During the Gothic War (536-53) the town was several times besieged. In 539 Justinus, the Byzantine general, captured it and razed its fortifications.

It was an independent town for several centuries in the early Middle Ages, no less powerful than Florence in the valley below, and many wars arose between them; in 1010 and 1025 Fiesole was sacked by the Florentines, before it was conquered by Florence in 1125, and its leading families obliged to take up their residence in Florence.

By the 14th century, rich Florentines had countryside villas in Fiesole, and one of them is the setting of the frame narrative of the Decameron, also Boccaccio wrote the poem "Ninfale fiesolano". Robert Browning also mentions "sober pleasant Fiesole" several times in his poem, Andrea del Sarto.

FLORENCE, 6-8 JULY 2010: PITTI FILATI

Design Watching will be the theme of this summer
edition of Pitti Filati: the world of fashion will be making a
curious – and indiscreet – foray into the world of design
through the ideas and visual-acoustic-verbal notes gathered by a
platoon of “design watchers”, the spearhead of Pitti People, the
international community of the Pitti Uomo buyers, journalists
and opinion leaders. They will choose, between tradition and
contemporaneity, their preferred design object and will be
coordinated by Cristina Morozzi. The settings, designed by
Patricia Urquiola will create an ideal continuity between the
outdoor and indoor areas of the fair, and will offer a new
concept for the lounge areas and special refreshment-food
points. It’s just one more and new proof of a clear calling and
the across-the-board nature of Pitti Immagine events that are the
ideal venue for launching new projects and presenting special
previews in the most important areas of contemporary fashion,
lifestyle and design.
Hotel Mario's is 3 minutes walking far from Fortezza da Basso.

THE FLORENCE FLOOD: 4th of November 1966

"On November 4, 1966, in Florence the Arno river swollen with dark, muddy waters, spilled over sweeping away everything in its way. When the waters subsided, only destruction enveloped the city." (main source: the book "Florence flood 1996")

This flood, happened between the 3rd and 4th of November, was the worst of all in Florence and in the surrounding villages, due to the big quantity of water that flowed into all of the region, about the third part of the annual average ( about 200 litres for square metre ) and also because of the fact that the level of the Arno rose up to 11 metres.
The 4th of November flood, damaged not only the historic centre of Florence but also the zone of the Arno’s dock. Moreover, the surrounding fields continued to be flooded for many days after the disaster and a wide range of smaller communes were damaged heavily and also isolated.


The Chronicle Of The Drama

The last few days of October and the first ones of November were characterized from intense rainfalls, interrupted only from short clearings during the All Saints’ Day.
Even if during the following days the rainfalls continued and increased in intensity, the inhabitant of Florence weren’t worried because they can’t imagine the catastrophe that will happen, above all because they are accustomed to the autumnal floods of the near river and watercourses.
The victims were relatively few, because the horrible flood didn’t overtook them while they are going to work or while they are working in the fields, but the majority of them was at home to pass the 4th of November with their families.
3rd of November
In the evening: the first worrying news come from the Mugello and from the province of Arezzo ( Casentino, High Valdarno),where river and torrent have flooded.
At the Midnight: The River Arno begin its work of destruction, firstly in the zone of Casentino and High Valdarno , secondly in the zone of Incisa, where have to be interrupted the motorway of the Sun and the railway to Arezzo and Rome. In a second moment, the waters of the Arno flood the surrounding villages such as Montevarchi, Figline Valdarno, Incisa, Rignano sull’Arno,Pontassieve and many more. An episode to remember with sadness, happened in the zone of Reggello, is that of an habitation, where lived seven persons, completely destroyed by the flood.
4th of November
1:00: the Arno overflows in the zone of “la Liscia” in the commune of Lastra a Signa . The state road Tosco-Romagnola and the secondary ways between Florence and Empoli were interrupted.
3:00: the fury of the Arno reaches Florence.
3:30: The Arno breaks the levees in the zone of Rovezzano. Moreover, many quarters of Florence are flooded and there is the first victim of this natural catastrophe, a man called Carlo Maggiorelli, who was an overseer of the water establishments. In the historic centre the sewers and the cellars are being flooded.
From this moment, during all the night and also during the next day the situation becomes even more critical. In fact, the destructive strength of the water causes problems to the things and to the persons; maybe, among the damages to the things, those to the National Library and to the well known quarter of Santa Croce can be considered the most serious.
12:00: The worst moment of this drama for the artistic town of Florence, because the water reach the first floor of the buildings and the first victims are made known ( a couple of old persons and a young prisoner ) .
18:00: the River Arno begins slowly to return into its levees.
Finally, a strange image of a fact happened during the flood and filmed from all the means of communication, has been considered the symbol of this tragic day, that it is the image of a group of cows gathered at the first floor of the “Casa del popolo” in the zone of San Donnino, due to the attempt to save them.


About The Rescue Work - the "Angeli del fango"

The flood was the first episode in Italy that underlined the absolute lack of an efficient body for the civil protection. In fact, in this critical situation the first official helps arrived six days after the beginning of the catastrophe.
Luckily, there were some non-official helps that tried to solve the problems caused by the flood, such as a multitude of young voluntaries of various nationalities, called “ the angels of the mud “ , who came to Florence to save the books and the works of art from the destruction. However, the damage to the artistic and historical heritage was considerable, in fact in the storerooms of the National Library, thousands of precious volumes were completely destroyed and the world famous picture by Cimabue, the “ Christ Crucified “ was destroyed at its 80%, in spite of the subsequent restoration.
The only financial help from the government was of five- thousand-lira to the traders.
Finally, we haven’t to forget the documentary about the flood by the world-famous Franco Zeffirelli , very useful in the work of sensitisation, with the sorrowful call by the English actor, Richard Burton.

Florence, June 24: Florence celebrates the feast of its patron, San Giovanni.

THE HISTORY: FROM GOD MARTE TO SAN GOVANNI BATTISTA The choice of San Giovanni Battista as the Saint Patron of the city of Florence, comes only after the total transformation of the city to Christianity. Initially, the Patron (or Protector) of the city was the God Marte whose statue was located at the north entrance of Ponte Vecchio and remained there until 1333, when it was completely destroyed by the Arnio flooding.

Feast of the Patron of Florence: old cartIt was however in the Longobard period (6th to 7th century), that San Giovanni Battista was recognize as the Saint Patron of Florence. San Giovanni Battista was already chosen as the Saint Patron of the Longobard people. In fact, it is in this period that the San Giovanni Baptistery was reconstructed in Florence (6th-7th century) over the rubbles of what it once was the Marte Temple.

The selection of San Giovanni wasn't only first and foremost for his clear and brief pedagogy, but also for his strong and courageous personality. However, it was until June 24th in the 13th century that the first celebration dedicated to San Giovanni Battista took place.

Thanks to these celebrations the San Giovanni Baptistery and the Duomo Square became the city heart of the Religious and Political life of Florence. In fact,it is in front of the Baptistery that the festivities of June 24 end. History narrates that an ancient tradition asked to the Noble people of Florence to donate their big candles richly ornamented which had then to be burned in front of the Baptistery. Originally, the festivisty ended with a large candle that was transported in a wagon from Piazza Signoria to the front of the Baptistery. That same wagon named Carro di San Giovanni (San Giovanni's Wagon) gave birth to the Scoppio del Carro festivity (Wagon's Outburst); however, at a second stage, this festivity was devoted only to Easter ceremonies instead to the Patron.

Florence, June 24, 2010: Fireworks for Saint John

June 24th, it's a day where several festivities take palce in Florence throughout the day such as parades, the Rowing Club competition along the Arno river, fireworks, etc.

The final game of the Calcio in Costume (football soccer in costumes) was played on this same day. The famous Historic Florentine Football, was a peppy Medieval version of football, usually played in Santa Croce square. In 2006, the event was cancelled because an article of a document from the fifth council commission of sport and culture prohibits sporting events that cause violent celebrations by its fans. “The unjustify events that took place on the opening match of the 2006 edition, forced the Municipality of Florence to take action on this important sporting event.”

Along with the Historic Florentine Football, another sporting event is celebarted on this day. The Notturna di San Giovanni (night run marathon), it's one of the oldest marathons in Italian history.

Firework show in Florence for the feast of the PatronIn order to salute the Saint Patron, at around 9:00pm, you can admire a firework show in Florence. The best spot to see them it's in Ponte Santa Trinita (Santa Trinita Bridge). From there you can see Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), and behind it the beautiful fireworks reflecting in the Arno river. The bridge and its surrounding streets gets jammed of people, so it is recommended that Florentine people having houses with view towards Piazzale Michelangelo open their doors to their friends and relatives, so you can enjoy the show in company of your loved ones.

Again, during the same weekend it is usually organized another funny event, concerning just one side of the city: Nottarno, la notte bianca in Oltrarno (Nottarno, the White Night in the Oltrarno zone). This year, the event is expected for Saturday 27 of June 2009. Various and different events will be organized and dislocated along the streets and squares of the city district, and have been already inserted in the program of the night (download the pdf of the program): music, exhibitions and various kinds of entertainment. On the occasion, shops, pubs and restaurants of the Oltrarno district stay open all night long and arrange tables on the streets of the centre.

Florence, Italy: One Day Itinerary

Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with 367,569 inhabitants (1,500,000 in the metropolitan area).

The city lies on the River Arno and is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the richest and wealthiest cities of the time, Florence is considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance; in fact, it has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. It was long under the de facto rule of the Medici family. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.

The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Florence is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and its artistic, historic and cultural heritage and impact in the world remains vast up to this day. The city has also a major European impact in music, architecture, education, cuisine, fashion, philosophy, science and religion. The historic centre of Florence contains numerous elegant squares (piazzas), Renaissance palaces (palazzi), academies, parks, gardens, churches, monasteries, museums, art galleries and ateliers. The city has also been nominated, according to a 2007 study, as the most desirable destination for tourists in the world.

The city boasts a wide range of collections of art, especially those held in the Pitti Palace and the Uffizi, (which receives about 1.6 million tourists a year). Florence is arguably the last preserved Renaissance city in the world and is regarded by many as the art capital of Italy. It has been the birthplace or chosen home of many notable historical figures, such as Dante, Boccaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Niccolò Machiavelli, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Donatello, Galileo Galilei, Catherine de' Medici, Antonio Meucci, Guccio Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, Florence Nightingale and Emilio Pucci.

Panorama of Florence, Italy from Piazzale Michelangelo

Piazzale Michelangelo is a famous square with a magnificent panoramic view of Florence, Italy and is a popular tourist destination in the Oltrarno district of the city. The view from this most famous observation point of the city landscape has been reproduced in countless postcards and snapshots over the years.

It was built in 1869 and designed by architect Giuseppe Poggi on a hill just south of the historic center, on completion of retraining of the left bank of the shore. From that fact, Florence was the capital of Italy and the whole city was involved in an urban renewal, the so-called rehabilitation, or the rebirth of the city middle class: they were created lungarni; on the right bank, instead of the fourteenth-century walls were open the avenues of the ring of a boulevard, on the left bank was traced, wind on the hill of San Miniato, the Viale dei Colli, a street tree overview 8 kilometers long, at whose climax the square was built as a terrace with a panoramic view inside the city. The chronicle of the early construction of the company has been described in detail by the Italian journalist Peter Ferrigno (known under the name of Yorick) that does not fail to report as a part of Florence is dispiacesse "for the excessive spending of the construction.
The square Michelangelo square, dedicated to the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo, has copies of some of his famous works in Florence: the David and the four allegories of the Medici Chapel of San Lorenzo. These copies are made of bronze, while the originals are all in white marble. The monument was brought up by nine pairs of oxen on 25 June 1873.
Poggi designed the loggia in the neoclassical style that dominates the whole terrace, which today houses a panoramic restaurant. Originally it was supposed to house a museum of works by Michelangelo, ever. In the wall of the balcony, under the loggia, an epigraph is a banner characters reminiscent of his work: Florentine architect Giuseppe Poggi turn around here is his monument MCMXI.
The panorama encompasses the heart of Florence from Forte Belvedere to Santa Croce lungarni through the bridges of Florence and in sequence, especially the Ponte Vecchio, are the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, the Bargello and the octagonal bell tower of the Badia Fiorentina, without forgetting opposed to the hills north of the city with the center and Settignano Fiesole.

FIRENZE: PIAZZA DELLA REPUBBLICA

Piazza della Repubblica is a city square in Florence, Italy. It is on the site, first of the city's forum and then of the city's old ghetto, which was swept away during the city improvement works or Risanamento initiated during the brief period when Florence was the capital of a reunited Italy, work that also created the city's avenues and boulevards. The ghetto's remains may still be seen in the square, as may the Mercato Vecchio, the Loggia del Pesce. Among the square's cafes, the Giubbe Rosse cafe has long been a meeting place for famous artists and writers, notably those of Futurism.
The present appearance of the square is the result of the city planning announced and carried out on the proclamation of Florence as the capital of Italy (1865-71), with particularly intense activity in this Piazza between 1885 and 1895. In this period, known as the Risanamento in the commemorative nineteenth-century terminology (or, by its detractors, the sventramento or ruining), large parts of the city centre were demolished.
The decision to broaden the square allowed the total destruction of buildings of great importance: medieval towers, churches, the corporate seats of the Arti, some palaces of noble families, as well as craftsmen's shops and residences. The demolition was presented as a necessity if the area's insanitary conditions were to be improved, but was in reality led above all to building speculation and to legitimization of the will of the emerging middle-class emergente, protagonist in the events immediately prior to unification.
The town in fact underwent an enormous loss, minimally compensated for by the rescue of monuments like Vasari's Loggia del Pesce that was dismantled and reassembled in piazza dei Ciompi. The appearance of the square before the nineteenth-century demolitions is documented in prints, paintings and drawings in the Museo di Firenze com'era in Via dell'Oriuolo. A plentiful supply of works of art and architectural fragments fed the antiquarian market, and only some of them could be saved for the Museo nazionale di San Marco, whilst others were returned to the town as donations such as those that allowed the founding of the Museo Bardini and Museo Horne. Artists like Telemaco Signorini depicted with melancholy this disappearing part of town.
In 1888, after the demolition of the hovels in the center of the Mercato, the old piazza del Mercato Vecchio reappeared, with the Loggia, the Column of Plenty and the church of San Tommaso, but the shrewd restorers preferred to proceed with a more radical demolition yet.
On 20 September 1890, with the building-sites still open to rebuild the palazzoni in the square, the equestrian monument to Vittorio Emanuele II was inaugurated in his presence. This monument gave the piazza its original name. An old photograph taken on the day of the inauguration show the buildings of the square still incomplete and covered for the civil ceremony in scenery representing good luck. The statue, a commemorative and rather rhetorical work which did not please the Florentines, was mocked in a biting sonnet by Vamba, entitled Emanuele a corpo sciorto. Today the sculpture is in piazzale delle Cascine.
The palaces that rose in the new square, painted bitterly by the young Telemaco Signorini, followed the eclectic fashion of the time and had been planned by already well-known architects: Vincenzo Micheli, Luigi Buonamici, Giuseppe Boccini. Following this transformation, the square became a kind of "lounge" for the town; since then refined palaces, luxury hotels, department stores and elegant cafes have sprung up around it, among which the known Caffè delle Giubbe Rosse, where famous scholars and artists met and clashed.
The inscription on the arch
The porticos with the triumphal arch, called the "Arcone", was designed by Micheli and was inspired by the most courtly Florentine Renaissance architecture, even if its additions to that style seem to be distant from the true ancient style. The pompous inscription that dominates the square was dictated, it seems, from Isidoro del Lungo, or another literary source:


L'ANTICO CENTRO DELLA CITTA
DA SECOLARE SQUALLORE
A VITA NUOVA RESTITUITO
(The ancient centre of the city / restored from age-old squalor / to new life)

On top of the Arcone is an allegorical group of three women in plaster, representing Italy, Art and Science. The Florentines instead nicknamed them after three famous prostitutes of the era, la Starnotti, la Cipischioni e la Trattienghi. Having deteriorated, the group was removed in 1904.

PITTI W Florence, ex-Dogana Via Valfonda, June 15-18, 2010

A special platform to launch new products
previews and capsule collections

The sixth edition of Pitti W_Woman Precollection, the Pitti Immagine fair-event devoted to women’s collections will be held in Florence from 15 to 18 June 2010 concomitantly with Pitti Uomo 78. A selected group of about 60 international brands will present exclusive previews of their 2011 spring-summer collections in the Dogana on via Valfonda.

Pitti W has already made a name for itself as a strategic event, and it is chosen by exhibitors for preview launches, for capsule collections and for specific projects linked to new approaches to female elegance. In response to a need expressed by many buyers, this edition of the fair-event will focus even more on collections built around a selection of key items. The reason behind this is to generate greater impact in terms of sales and communications, by starting the game early when buyers’ budgets are still open. In parallel, the Pitti W offer is becoming broader – with more space in the sections dedicated to vintage items and fragrances – with a refreshed layout designed by Olivero Baldini and a new approach to how the space is used – everything is more open to enhance dialogue among the products.

At the Dogana, the third edition of Vintage for Pitti W
and the special area dedicated to artistic perfumery

After last season’s success, Pitti W will once again feature the “Vintage for Pitti W” area produced in cooperation with A.N.G.E.L.O. Vintage Palace and dedicated to…vintage, of course!. A special setting will host a selection of some of the best from this unique world who will be showing their collections of vintage couture, accessories, jewels and signature scarves.
The area for Fragranze, with the latest developments from the world of artistic and selective perfumery - important lifestyle components of the contemporary woman’s wardrobe – will feature some of the exhibitors from the Pitti Immagine September event with the same title. The participating brands will include: Biehl, Calé Fragranze d’Autore, Histoires de Parfums, La Maison de la Vanille, Laboratorio Olfattivo, Profumi di Pantelleria and Solange.
The area “Vintage for Pitti W”, includes the project dedicated to the vintage universe, in cooperation with A.N.G.E.L.O. Vintage Palace. A special setting will show a selection of some of the best operators for the vintage fashion that will bring in Florence their best selection of vintage couture, accessories, jewelry and foulard.

The special section: Designer Collections

And, once again, Pitti W will host Designer Collections, the special area for brands that best interpret the concept of design research in feminine elegance. The buyers who come to Florence will have the opportunity to see preview showings of the collections by well known and young designers.

The brands participating in Pitti W n.6 will include:
1-one, 50100 Firenze, A.N.G.E.L.O., A-Lab Milano, Alberto Fasciani, Amazonlife, Banci Gioielli, Barbara Boner, Bhcrafts, Bibi Chemnitz, Biehl, Bloch, Bp Studio, Brebis Noir, Ç Les Maçons Danseurs, Calé Fragranze D’Autore, Cappi Vintage Bijoux, Carta e Costura, Mario Caruana, Charlottenborg, Chic Appeal by De Pio, Cloli', Cocchi, Collection 00, Collezionando, Coral Blue, Cut It Out, D.L.& Co, D. Del Cima, Dominique Aurientis, Es’ givien, Emak Bakia Vestirsi Vintage, Fabi, Gaudelis, Get U, Gherardini, Gilli, Giora' by Giovanna Raspini, Gossip, Gotha, Grange Yard, Henry Beguelin, Histoires De Parfums, Insideout, It Is di Cut It Out, Juicy Couture, Un Dimanche A Venise Par Kalliste', Kartell, Key-Tè, Komlan, La Maison de la Vanille, Laboratorio Olfattivo, Lika, Mary Frances, Mauro Gasperi, Monica Bianco, Ok.tober, Paolo Pecora Donna, Peridot London, Piera, Pierre Ancy, Pinkmemories, Profumi di Pantelleria, Roberta Guercini Fashion, Sara Roka, Solange, Star Chic, Stephen Venezia, Tarina Tarantino, Urbanikab, V.Level, Venturino Vintage, Veronica Bettini Mood, Violanti Stone, Youdith, Yrusha.

Hotel Mario's is 5 minutes walking far from this important fair-event!!!

Basilica di Santa Croce: Firenze

The Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) is the principal Franciscan church in Florence, Italy, and a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about 800 metres south east of the Duomo. The site, when first chosen, was in marshland outside the city walls. It is the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Foscolo, Gentile, Rossini, and Marconi, thus it is known also as the Temple of the Italian Glories.
The Basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world. Its most notable features are its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs. Legend says that Santa Croce was founded by St Francis himself. The construction of the current church, to replace an older building, was begun on 12 May 1294, possibly by Arnolfo di Cambio, and paid for by some of the city's wealthiest families. It was consecrated in 1442 by Pope Eugene IV. The building's design reflects the austere approach of the Franciscans. The floorplan is an Egyptian or Tau cross (a symbol of St Francis), 115 metres in length with a nave and two aisles separated by lines of octagonal columns. To the south of the church was a convent, some of whose buildings remain.
In the Primo Chiostro, the main cloister, there is the Cappella dei Pazzi, built as the chapter house, completed in the 1470s. Filippo Brunelleschi (who had designed and executed the dome of the Duomo) was involved in its design which has remained rigorously simple and unadorned.
In 1560, the choir screen was removed as part of changes arising from the Counter-Reformation and the interior rebuilt by Giorgio Vasari. As a result, there was damage to the church's decoration and most of the altars previously located on the screen were lost.
The campanile was built in 1842, replacing an earlier one damaged by lightning. The neo-Gothic marble façade, by Nicolò Matas, dates from 1857-1863.
A Jewish architect Niccolo Matas from Ancona, designed the church's 19th century neo-Gothic facade, working a prominent Star of David into the composition. Matas had wanted to be buried with his peers but because he was Jewish, he was buried under the porch and not within the walls.
In 1866, the complex became public property, as a part of government suppression of most religious houses, following the wars that gained Italian independence and unity.
The Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce is housed mainly in the refectory, also off the cloister. A monument to Florence Nightingale stands in the cloister, in the city in which she was born and after which she was named. Brunelleschi also built the inner cloister, completed in 1453.
In 1966, the Arno River flooded much of Florence, including Santa Croce. The water entered the church bringing mud, pollution and heating oil. The damage to buildings and art treasures was severe, taking several decades to repair.
Come and stay at Hotel Mario's and the staff will help you to visit the amazing city of Florence!!!

Battistero di San Giovanni - Baptistery of St. John

The Florence Baptistery or Battistero di San Giovanni is a religious building in Florence (Tuscany), Italy, which has the status of a minor basilica.
The octagonal Baptistery stands in both the Piazza del Duomo and the Piazza di San Giovanni, across from the Duomo cathedral and the Giotto bell tower. It is one of the oldest buildings in the city, built between 1059 and 1128. The architecture is in Florentine Romanesque style.
The Baptistery is renowned for its three sets of artistically important bronze doors with relief sculptures. The south doors were done by Andrea Pisano and the north and east doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The east pair of doors was dubbed by Michelangelo "the Gates of Paradise".
The Italian poet Dante Alighieri and many other notable Renaissance figures, including members of the Medici family, were baptized in this baptistery. In fact, until the end of the nineteenth century, all Catholic Florentines were baptized here.
The Baptistery has eight equal sides with a rectangular addition on the west side.
The sides, originally in sandstone, are clad in geometrically patterned colored marble, white Carrara marble with green Prato marble inlay, reworked in Romanesque style between 1059 and 1128. The pilasters on each corner, originally in grey stone, were decorated with white and dark green marble in a zebra-like pattern by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1293.
The style of this church would serve as prototype, influencing many architects, such as Leone Battista Alberti, in their design of Romanesque churches in Tuscany.
The exterior is also ornamented with a number of artistically significant statues by Andrea Sansovino (above the Gates of Paradise), Giovan Francesco Rustici, Vincenzo Danti (above the south doors) and others.
The design work on the sides is arranged in groupings of three, starting with three distinct horizontal sections. The middle section features three blind arches on each side, each arch containing a window. These have alternate pointed and semicircular tympani. Below each window is a stylized arch design. In the upper fascia, there are also three small windows, each one in the center block of a three-panel design.
The apse was originally semicircular, but was it was made rectangular in 1202.
The vast interior of the Baptistery recalls the interior of the Pantheon in Rome. The interior is rather dark, light entering through small windows in the ambulatory and through the lantern. The interior is divided in a lower part with columns and pilasters and an upper part with an ambulatory. The Florentines didn't spare any trouble or expense to decorate the baptistery. The interior walls are clad in dark green and white marble with inlaid geometrical patterns. The niches are separated by monolithic columns of Sardinian granite. The marble revetment of the interior was begun in the second half of the eleventh century.
The rectangular apse was faced with mosaics in 1225.

PITTI IMMAGINE UOMO 78: 15th - 18th June 2010

Si chiama Design Watching il tema generale di Pitti
Uomo n. 78. È un’incursione curiosa e indiscreta del mondo
della moda nel mondo del design attraverso le suggestioni e gli
appunti visivi / sonori / verbali raccolti da una pattuglia di
design watchers – buyer, giornalisti, curatori, designer e opinion
leader – individuati nella community internazionale dei Pitti
People. A questi è stato chiesto di individuare i loro nuovi
oggetti di design preferiti - tra spirito artigianale e
contemporaneità - con il coordinamento di Cristina Morozzi.
L’allestimento sarà curato da Patricia Urquiola, che creerà
un’ideale continuità tra layout degli spazi esterni e interni della
manifestazione, assieme anche a una nuova proposta di aree relax
e speciali installazioni dedicate al cibo, firmate con i prodotti di
Taste, la rassegna di Pitti Immagine dedicata alle nicchie di
qualità della gastronomia italiana. Una nuova testimonianza
della vocazione allo stile e al design e della trasversalità delle
manifestazioni Pitti, sempre più contenitori pensati per le nuove
tendenze del lifestyle oggi.

Design Watching will be the theme of this summer edition
of Pitti Uomo: the world of fashion will be making a
curious – and indiscreet – foray into the world of design
through the ideas and visual-acoustic-verbal notes gathered by a
platoon of “design watchers”, the spearhead of Pitti People, the
international community of the Pitti Uomo buyers, journalists
and opinion leaders. They will choose, between tradition and
contemporaneity, their preferred design object and will be
coordinated by Cristina Morozzi. The settings, designed by
Patricia Urquiola will create an ideal continuity between the
outdoor and indoor areas of the fair, and will offer a new concept
for the lounge areas and special refreshment-food points.
It’s just one more and new proof of a clear calling and the
across-the-board nature of Pitti Immagine events that are the
ideal venue for launching new projects and presenting special
previews in the most important areas of contemporary fashion,
lifestyle and design.

June 2, 2010: Republic Day/Festa della Repubblica

Festa della Repubblica or, in English, Republic Day is celebrated in Italy on the second of June each year. The day commemorates the institutional referendum held by universal suffrage in 1946, in which the Italian people were called to the polls to decide on the form of government, following the Second World War and the fall of Fascism. With 12,717,923 votes for a republic and 10,719,284 for the monarchy, the male descendants of the House of Savoy were sent into exile. To commemorate it, a grand military parade is held in central Rome, presided by the President of the Republic in the role of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Prime Minister and other authorities attend too. Prior to the foundation of the Republic, the Italian national day was the first Sunday in June, anniversary of the granting of the Statuto Albertino.

La Festa della Repubblica italiana è la principale festa nazionale italiana. Viene celebrata il 2 giugno a ricordo della nascita della Repubblica.
L'emblema della Repubblica Italiana.
Il 2 e il 3 giugno 1946 si tenne, infatti, il referendum istituzionale indetto a suffragio universale con il quale gli italiani venivano chiamati alle urne per esprimersi su quale forma di governo, monarchia o repubblica, dare al Paese, in seguito alla caduta del fascismo. Dopo 85 anni di regno, con 12.718.641 voti contro 10.718.502. l'Italia diventava repubblica e i monarchi di casa Savoia venivano esiliati.
Il 2 giugno celebra la nascita della nazione, in maniera simile al 14 luglio francese (anniversario della Presa della Bastiglia) e al 4 luglio statunitense (giorno in cui nel 1776 venne firmata la dichiarazione d'indipendenza).
In tutto il mondo le ambasciate italiane tengono un festeggiamento cui sono invitati i Capi di Stato del Paese ospitante. Da tutto il mondo arrivano al Presidente della Repubblica italiana gli auguri degli altri capi di Stato e speciali cerimonie ufficiali si tengono in Italia.
Prima della fondazione della Repubblica, la festa nazionale italiana era la prima domenica di giugno, anniversario della concessione dello Statuto Albertino.
Con la legge 5 marzo 1977, n.54, soprattutto a causa della congiuntura economica sfavorevole, la Festa della Repubblica fu spostata alla prima domenica di giugno. Solamente nel 2001 su impulso dell'allora Presidente della Repubblica, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, il secondo governo Amato, con la legge n. 336 del 20 novembre 2000, riportò le celebrazioni al 2 giugno che divenne nuovamente festivo.