Lifestyle cult places in Florence
Contamination is the password that moves the lifestyle cult places in Florence. Anyone who arrives in the city of Dante, of Lorenzo the Magnificent, of Brunelleschi and of Michelangelo cannot miss some of the nerve centers of the under-30 social network that shows its best side where love of art, a passion for the contemporary and the lounging side of culture merge into a new way of being together. So, at the end of the day, you realize that Florence is much more dynamic than you would think, especially since some of the institutional cultural places have reworked their style and opened their doors and minds to new types of informal, relaxed events.
Palazzo Strozzi
The Palazzo Strozzi courtyard is one of these. Facing Via de’ Tornabuoni and Via Strozzi it is framed by the magnificent rooms of the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi which from 26 February to 18 July will be hosting the anthological exhibition dedicated to the masters of twentieth century painting “De Chirico, Max Ernst, Balthus. A Look into the Invisible”, and in parallel, the Fondazione Strozzina – the center dedicated to avant-garde contemporary culture – will be showcasing the exhibited entitled “Gerhard Richter and the Blurred Image in Contemporary Art” – from 20 February to 25 April. Surrounded by beauty and culture the Courtyard offers room to relax, a bar, an art store, site-specific installations, and classical, jazz and contemporary music concerts.
Hours: daily from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (ph. +39 055 2645155 www.palazzostrozzi.org).
All in all, it is an ideal piazza-gallery, a dynamic place with a multitude of things to do and see from morning to late evening.
EX3
The name is EX3, and it’s the new place in town focused exclusively on contemporary art. Conceived as an exhibition center with many faces, it features workshops, seminars and collateral events that make it a place to experience totally to discover and meeting interesting names on the young, international artistic scene.
Viale Giannotti 81/83/85, www.ex3.it
Bookstores
Moving over to literature, there are many bookstores in the city that have opted for a broader approach and have become the crossroads of Florence nightlight. The Florentine cultural scene has something new and very interesting – the Biblioteca delle Oblate that is now open until midnight every day except Sundays and holidays. The library now offers more time for reading, consulting books, studying, and using the PCs with Internet connections, or simply having a coffee or aperitif in the second floor bar with its magnificent view of the cathedral. The library is strategically located in the heart of the city at Via dell’Oriuolo 26 (www.bibliotecadelleoblate.it).
Monday evenings are a must if you want to hear live music surrounded by shelves filled with books of all types: the place is La Cité. Libreria Caffe, on Borgo San Frediano (www.lacitelibreria.info). It’s easy to recognize – lots of people outside the door – and it’s fantastic. In addition to the Monday evening jazz jam sessions, you can practice your Argentine tango on Wednesdays, laugh with the Thursday cabaret and hear concerts on Fridays… there is literally something for everyone.
Everybody knows it, it’s the bookstore par excellence where you can look at the books in peace, touch them, and read a page here and there, you can sit down, have something to drink and keep on reading while you wait for the clock to get around to whenever: Libreria Edison is all this, and it’s open daily until midnight.
Piazza della Repubblica, 27/r, www.libreriaedison.it
Restaurants
Now it’s time for food. On Via dei Serragli, in the lively Santo Spirito neighborhood, the young architect Giorgio Giuseppe Ferone has created an understated elegant setting for Cuculia: bookstore, cocktail bar and restaurant, and the prices are reasonable… that always helps.
Via dei Serragli, 1r, Florence ph. +39 055 276205
The restaurant on the terrace of Villa Bardini offers more than just a magnificent view of the spectacular gardens… and there is the café that features musical afternoons, jazz concerts and culinary-wine adventures.
Costa San Giorgio, 6, ph. +39 055 2008444, www.moba.fi.it
And, of course, you must tour the Villa and Gardens – the entrances are at Via dei Bardi 1/R and Costa San Giorgio 2.
Another outstanding duo – food and theater can be found at the Teatro del Sale (Via de’ Macci, 111/r, ph. +39 055 2001492, www.teatrodelsale.com).
You need a season ticket (€10) to enjoy the performances with dinner or buffet; reservations from 7:15 p.m., Showtime is 9 o’clock.
Opera et Gusto: is a really impressive place on Via della Scala for a dinner near the stage where diners become stars of the show.
Via della Scala, 17/R – 50123 Firenze (Italia) – ph. +39 055 288190, www.operaetgusto.com
