Nextech Festival,5th edition,Florence,September 2010

The fifth edition of the Nextech Festival, dedicated to the world of electronic sound, will be held in Florence at the Stazione Leopolda, from September 16th to 18th, 2010.
The festival aims to document the broad spectrum of electronic sound for audiences interested in new musical trends and cutting edge experimentation, as well as 'beat' dance enthusiasts, who enjoy music as a source of entertainment.
The presence already established the fifth edition of Nextech Festival illustrate many facets of contemporary electronic scene, with the expected duo between Alva Noto and Blixa Bargeld, which is about to exit the CD already announced as one of the highlight events of 2010, with presence of some of the most famous contemporary masters of the dancefloor, Erol Alkan, Agoria, Raresh, Visionquest (feat. Shaun Reeves & Ryan Crosson) Flabbergast (feat. Guillaume Coutu Dumont & Vincent Lemieux), Guy Gerber, in a sequence that will alternately mash-up, deep house and minimal techno, with a cult group which Lali Puna and their charming electronic pop, with attention to the new Italian scene in the presence of We Love, the duo hit the Tuscan Berliner Ellen Allien, that in September will release their debut CD on her label BPitch Control.
Hotel Mario's is very close to the Stazione Leopolda, where the event will take place.
For further information:
Tel.: +39 055 287347
Web site: www.nextechfestival.com
Email: info@nextechfestival.com
hotel : hotel Mario's www.hotelmarios.com info@hotelmarios.com
tel:+39 055 216801
just next the Stazione Leopolda and the train station of Santa Maria Novella

XXVII FIRENZE MARATHON - 28th november 2010, Running in Florence

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.

Hotel Mario's in the area of San Lorenzo Market

Just in the area outside the Central Market are numerous and are open every day from 9:00am to 7:00pm (except Mondays in winter). The vendors sell a great variety of products and you could spend hours roaming through them all.What about the histoy of the market? Because the population was growing and the New Market, under the Loggia del Porcellino was clearly insufficient, it was decided to create three new markets instead of one, taking advantage of the occasion to revitalize one of the older neighborhoods in Florence called the Camaldoli. The largest market would be constructed in San Lorenzo, the Herb Market in Sant’Ambrogio and yet another, which was demolished in the beginning of the 1900s, in San Frediano.
It was a great idea but San Lorenzo had no room for a new market. It was therefore necessary to open up a vast area in the labyrinth of narrow streets that had grown up outside of the first set of Roman walls and between the two sets of medieval walls.The ecclesiastical neighborhood centered around the city's original cathedral, San Lorenzo (it was outside the city walls, and, according to tradition, was funded by a pious Jewish woman), and the commercial neighborhood centered around the mercatino, the street market, and the Mercato Centrale, the city’s major produce market. The former, with Brunelleschi and Michelangelo’s Sacristies, Pontormo’s paintings, Michelangelo’s sculptures, and the Laurentian Library (also designed by Michelangelo) is one of Florence’s intellectual cornerstones. In these days the market is specialized in clothing, leather goods, gifts and souvenirs, and is one of several places in the city frequented by tourists; it’s possible to find a wide choice of leather jacket and bags, jeans, t-shirts, shoes…everything of reasonably good quality and at reasonable prices.However The main attractions of San Lorenzo (apart from shopping, of course) are the San Lorenzo Basilique (made up of several buildings including the San Lorenzo church, the Brunelleschi Sagrestia Vecchia, the annex cloisters, the Canonici area and the Laurenziana Library with the famous staircase by Leonardo da Vinci) consecrated by St. Ambrose in 393, it is the oldest church in the city. It was then rebuilt along Romanesque lines in 1060. The present building dates to 1423 and was designed and built by Brunelleschi) and the Cappelle Medicee (the Medicean Chapels – are a precious tomb which preserve the Medici family remains, representing the mausoleum of the big family).
Hotel Mario's is located between San Lorenzo Market, Central Market, Santa Maria Novella church and the central railway station Santa Maria Novella.This is a great opportunity to visit the city in a very fantastic location. Reserve a room in the old historic building at Hotel Mario's, you'll enjoy part of Florence's history.
Visit www.hotelmarios.com or write an email to info@hotelmarios.com

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.

Hotel Mario's a small cozy Hotel

Hotel Mario's is located in a perfect position in the city centre of Florence.It's close to the most important attractions and masterpieces. Very very close to the central train station Santa Maria Novella in a pedestrian street ( via Faenza 89 ), only one block from the Fortezza da Basso ( where there are the fairs ) and one block too from Palazzo dei Congressi. We only have 16 rooms, we absolutely want give to all the customers all the time they need. Clients are not a key of a door, a number, but somebody with their own history and need.People that come from all over the world can have at Hotel Mario's, the same ambient and warmth they have at home.
Don't choose a standart place, choose an Hotel that has history, that take care of you. Hotel Mario's in Florence, Tuscany, the right place where to stay.

Lorenzo de' Medici, a real Florentine Genius

Medici was the name of a great ruling family of Florence. Lorenzo, the Magnificent, was the most famous Medici. Lorenzo de Medici was the grandson of Cosimo de Medici, and he took the reigns of control over Florence from Cosimo in 1469. (Rabb and Marshall, 1993, p. 28). While Cosimo had taken a low profile approach to governing Florence, Lorenzo was not afraid of confrontation, and he took a more prominent position in Florence society.he was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists, and poets. His life coincided with the high point of the early Italian Renaissance; his death marked the end of the Golden Age of Florence. The fragile peace he helped maintain between the various Italian states collapsed with his death. Lorenzo de' Medici is buried next to his brother Giuliano in the Medici Chapel in Florence. Lorenzo de' Medici was ruling over Florence, but several parties had conspired against the Medici family, trying to overthrow and move them into a position of power in their place. Lorenzo hired Giovanni Auditore, an Assassin, to investigate. Giovanni successfully captured one of Rodrigo Borgia's men and hands him over to Lorenzo for interrogation. The man revealed an assassination plot to kill Galeazzo Maria Sforza, the Duke of Milan and a powerful ally of Lorenzo's. He then sent Giovanni to Milan in order to prevent the assassination. Unfortunately, Giovanni failed and the assassination was successful. However, Giovanni did manage to retrieve an encrypted paper from the thug that led the assassination. Michelangelo While still in his adolescence, he was given equally extensive exposure to the art and thought of the ancient world as a privileged protege of Lorenzo de' Medici, in whose palace he encountered a celebrated collection of classical works of art and conversed with the leading humanist poets and philosophers of the day, notably Marsilio Ficino and Angelo Poliziano. Neoplatonism espoused by Poliziano and Ficino, Michelangelo found his belief in rationalistic humanism tempered by the fiery sermons of the Dominican monk Girolamo Savonarola, whose fundamentalist attacks on pagan culture and corrupt church practices struck a responsive chord in the deeply religious young artist. During the last years of his life, Lorenzo fell under the spell of an Italian Religious reformer name Girolamo Savonarola. Savonarola preached that he strongly felt that Christians wondered too far into Roman Culture. Lorenzo Medici was the reason that Savonarola was brought to Florence. Lorenzo de Medici died on either April 8th or April 9th and one of his dying wishes was for Girolamo Savonarola could be taken to his death bed so they could have a final talk before Lorenzo died. A horrible rumor was created by an unknown source that Savonarola dammed Lorenzo in his dying moments but this rumor has been argued by many people. Witnesses of the account say that Savonarola blessed the dying Lorenzo de Medici and that he passed away a consoled man.
Lorenzo de Medici was known for his exceptional peace keeping skills rather than his assets in banking and commerce. Lorenzo maintained the peace between Italy and Florence from 1480 until his death in 1492.
If Florence is so important, in our opinion, is mainly thanks to Lorenzo De Medici," il Magnifico".

Florence: Palazzo Vecchio

Hotel Mario's is 15 minutes far walking. A nice way through the old city centre. The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, Italy. This massive, Romanesque, crenellated fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany. Overlooking the Piazza della Signoria with its copy of Michelangelo's David statue as well the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi, it is one of the most significant public places in Italy.
Originally called the Palazzo della Signoria, after the Signoria of Florence, the ruling body of the Republic of Florence, it was also given several other names: Palazzo del Popolo, Palazzo dei Priori, and Palazzo Ducale, in accordance with the varying use of the palace during its long history. The building acquired its current name when the Medici duke's residence was moved across the Arno to the Palazzo Pitti.

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