by VisitArt

An extraordinary exhibit at the Bargello National Museum is dedicated to Renaissance majolica, which features narrative scenes and figural subjects. On display is a precious Medicean group of majolica ware, which is enriched, for the occasion, by significant loans from prestigious Italian and foreign collections. The exhibition is divided into two sections: the first is dedicated to themes from classical mythology, while the second focuses on episodes from ancient history, through which visitors see the far-reaching dependence of majolica on the great Renaissance models, especially those borrowed from painting. To highlight this close relationship, the exhibition juxtaposes the majolica with medals, plaques, drawings, small bronzes and engravings. These works, particularly in the early 16th century, contributed to popularizing the great themes of painting and to providing the inspiration for the master painters of majolica, who, on their works, reproduced woodcut illustrations from the printed editions of literary texts, such as the Old and New Testament, the Metamorphoses by Ovid and the History of Rome by Livy.

The show will run until September 16, 2012, and is open from Monday to Sunday, 8:15 am to 1:50 pm; while it is closed on first, third and fifth Sunday of each month; and second and fourth Monday of each month. The Bargello National Museum is located on Via del Proconsolo, 4 in Florence. For more information, see http://www.uffizi.firenze.it/mostre

During your time in Florence, there’s no need to sacrifice the American tradition of brunch: that inspired combination between breakfast and lunch, which gives you the excuse to eat pancakes together with hamburgers and drink mimosas early in the day. The brunching trend has caught on in this Italian city, as the locals have also discovered the pleasure of waking up late on a Sunday and indulging in the succulent tastes of American diner food.

A selection of some of the Florentine locales that offer American brunch:

The Florence Diner
Crossing the threshold of this restaurant in the center of Florence, you’ll be immediately transported back to your favorite neighborhood diner, as the interior sports plush red booths and matching formica tables. The smells that waft from the busy kitchen are of pancakes, steak fries, bacon, eggs benedict, fried chicken, and a plethora of baked goods, such as muffins, bagels (with cream cheese, of course), and many others. The Diner serves American brunch food every day, from 8 am to 10:30 pm, and is located on Via dell’Acqua, 2/3. For more information, call 055 290748 or go to www.theflorencediner.com

Moyo
This bar in the Santa Croce area, frequented by many Italians and Americans alike, offers Special Brunch on Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 5 pm. Be overwhelmed by the huge selection of menu items, from hamburgers and french fries to bagels with salmon and cream cheese, from pancakes with maple syrup to apple pie and cheesecake, and from french toast to milk shakes. Moyo is located on Via de’ Benci, 23r. For more information, call 055 2479738 or see http://www.moyo.it/

Rifrullo
Tucked away in the charming San Niccolò area on the other side of the river, the bar popular with Florentines, Rifrullo, features a brunch buffet every Sunday from noon to 3 pm. With twenty euros, you receive a drink and coffee, as well as access to hot dishes like pancakes with maple syrup, eggs, bacon, and even lasagna. There is also the option of a “Brunch Junior” for 15 euros, as it is includes only the food. Rifrullo is located on Via San Niccolò, 55r. For more information, call 055 2342621 or visit http://www.ilrifrullo.com/

La Boulangerie del Rifrullo
Rifrullo’s other location, situated in the heart of Florence, is a boulangerie that also has a Sunday brunch for twenty euros. Receive water, juice, and coffee and choose from a buffet of meat, fish, vegetables, pasta, omelets, baguettes, and freshly baked cakes and pies. La Boulangerie del Rifrullo is located on  Via de’ Rondinelli, 24r and serves brunch from noon to 3:30 pm. For further information, call 055 281658 or go to http://www.ilrifrullo.com/

Ganzo
Ganzo is a gathering place, as well as a gastronomic, cultural, and artistic center located in the Sant’Ambrogio neighborhood. If you’re looking for a Saturday brunch, come to this eclectic locale for American fare from noon to 3 pm. Ganzo is located on Via dei Macci, 85r. For more information, call 055 241076 or visit www.ganzoflorence.it

PLAZ

For a lighter brunch of yogurt, muffins, fruit, eggs, deli meats, and juice, there’s PLAZ, where you can sit outdoors beneath the Loggia del Pesce in Piazza dei Ciompi. PLAZ is located on Via Pietrapiana, 36r and serves brunch on Sunday. For further information, call 055 242081/335 5792674.

Brac

There’s even a brunch geared specially toward vegetarians, as Brac, a hybrid between a vegetarian restaurant, a bookstore, a tea room, and a contemporary art center, offers brunch on Sunday from noon to 5 pm. Brac is located on Via dei Vagellai, 18r. For further information, call 055 0944877 or visit www.libreriabrac.net

Gallery Hotel

Gaze out onto the Arno and sip on freshly squeezed citrus juice, while sampling a mix of American hamburgers and Italian showcooking pasta, finishing it all off with a rich dessert. Art Brunch is every Sunday from noon to 3 pm and costs 44 euros, which includes coffee and water. The Gallery Hotel is located on Vicolo dell’Oro, 5. For more information, call 055 27266987 or go to www.lungarnocollection.com

Savoy Hotel

The Savoy now presents their Sunday Brunch, a gourmet mix of classic American breakfast, typical Tuscan cooking, and ethnic foods, with a rich selection of vegetables, all for 45 euros. The Savoy is located in Piazza della Repubblica, 7 and offers brunch from noon to 3 pm. For more information, call 055 27351 or visit http://www.hotelsavoy.it/dining/lincontro/sunday-brunch/

I imagine that it is difficult to escape the colossal shadow of the Italian Renaissance masters, in Florence no less. Nevertheless, art must go on no matter how hard it is for contemporary Italians. So it’s nice to have an exhibition dedicated to their output; if not in the Uffizi or the Accademia, the National Archeology Museum does just fine. The museum is currently showcasing works by over 60 Italian artists on the theme of artistic folding fans, with the museum’s own holdings as a point of departure.

The result is a varied conversation on what constitutes a fan, from its practical use to its symbolic undertones. They are emblazoned with poetry, cartoons, splashes of color, and bits of historical potpourri. More than a few look like impressions of a kindergarten art history lesson. Many aren’t even fans by practical standards, as several sculptural and installation-type works attest. One exceptionally clever example is shaped like a book, with two mirrors where pages might be. Cracked open just a bit, this open “book” reveals a cascading reflection of a fan.

We are presented with the fan as a blank canvas, or rather, as a template for a blank canvas that gives the artist nearly complete freedom. The show is haphazard, or so it seems from an English speaker’s perspective. It is presented in Italian, if at all: each piece is displayed mutely in absence of biographical information or an artist statement, which leads to a “take from it what you will” approach. From what I can tell, contemporary Italian art must run the entire creative gamut, from the bizarre and irreverent to the exquisitely crafted.

The show will run until September 30, 2012 and is open Tuesday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 7 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, from 8:30 am to 2 pm.

The National Archeological Museum of Florence is located on Via della Colonna, 38. For more information, see http://www.archeotoscana.beniculturali.it

On May 17, the Florence Queer Festival at the Odeon Cinema will present several films dedicated to observing the International Day against Homophobia.

The first film, Sasha (Germany 2010), directed by Dennis Todorovic, will commence at 8:30 pm and will recount the story of Sasha, a young and talented pianist whose life is divided by the traditional values of his family and his uncontrollable need to “come out”.

The second film, 80 Egunean (Spain 2012), directed by Jon Garaño and José Mari Goenaga, will be shown at 10:30 pm and follows the relationship between Axun and Maite, who meet 50 years later and pursue feelings that they previously never had the courage to express.

Both films will be shown in their original languages, with Italian subtitles.

The Cinema Odeon is located on Via de’ Sassetti, 1.

For more information, see http://www.florencequeerfestival.it/

This weekend, from May 18 to 20, the top male volleyball teams from Italy, the United States, France and South Korea will compete in the first round of the World League. The Mandela Forum of Florence will have the first serve in this premier annual international volleyball tournament, which is set to take place from May 18 to July 1, across 16 countries. A total of 16 teams will take center stage, with three weeks of top-class volleyball action. Each week will feature four pools in four cities and millions of volleyball fans will be able to watch the world’s best players compete for a place in the Finals, hosted this year by Sofia, Bulgaria.

The Mandela Forum is located on Viale Paoli, near the Campo di Marte train station.

For more information and to purchase tickets, go to http://www.mandelaforum.it/notizie.php?ID=520

On Sunday, May 20, the annual Cricket Festival will be held at the Cascine Park. This Florentine tradition finds its roots in the pagan festivals, which welcomed the return of spring and of May, the month of flowers, with the feast of Calendimaggio. For this pagan event, young men decorated the doors or windows of the homes of their beloveds with fronds or branches of flowers, while also bringing them small wooden cages with crickets inside, as, according to popular tradition, the cricket was held in great consideration as a protector of the domestic sphere or as a bringer of good fortune. Although today you cannot buy crickets, due to animal rights laws, the festival is still celebrated with booths selling miniature handmade houses for crickets crafted from paper, as well as the fixings for your own picnic in the park, with sandwiches and sweet treats.

For further information, go to www.comune.fi.it

Come take advantage of the Art&Tourism fair held in Florence’s Fortezza da Basso to plan your next weekend getaway or summer vacation, or to simply catch the travel bug. From May 18 to 20, the first fair dedicated to cultural and artistic tourism will present the main tourist agencies, as well as the best offerings in international and national culture, enabling you to discover the hidden artistic heritage of faraway lands, to explore the infinite possibilities found in traditional destinations, and to stay updated on the current calendar of events, as well as on the exhibitions and the newest museums and galleries that will be opening soon.

The fair will be open from 9 am to 6 pm on Friday and Sunday, while on Saturday, it will be open later, from 9 am to 10 pm.

Fortezza da Basso is located on Viale Strozzi, near the Santa Maria Novella train station.

For further information, visit http://artandtourism.it/

Florence toasts the opening of the festival Divino Tuscany, which will be held from May 17 to 20, featuring a spectacular mix between high-quality wines, special tastings, sensational locations, great food, and big ticket musical guests, such as Sting. The entire weekend will offer wine tastings, with the event kicking off with a flair on Thursday, as the Villa Cora, tucked into the Florentine hills, comes to life with a party featuring live music by Ernàn Lòpez Nussa, the most famous jazz musician in Cuba. On the following day, the top wine producers of Tuscany, such as Ricasoli, Antinori, Banfi, Frescobaldi and many others, will convene at the Villa Cora for a tasting, while that evening, the festivities will descend into Florence for a gala dinner at Palazzo Corsini.

On Saturday, the historic homes of Florence’s illustrious families will open their doors for elegant dinners.

Finally, the event will conclude with lunch on Sunday in Sting’s backyard at Villa Il Palagio, where the rock star will throw a barbeque.

For more information and to make reservations, email info@divinotuscany.com or go to www.divinotuscany.com

Recalling the historic Apothecary that once existed in the lower Botanical Garden of Boboli Gardens, the event The Perfumes of Boboli will be held from Thursday to Sunday, May 17 to 20. This exhibit-market is dedicated to the artistic and handicraft tradition connected to the world of botany and will host a selection of exclusive producers, some of which are lesser-known. The perfect chance to treat yourself or to find a special gift, the market will offer a variety of perfumes, soaps, candles, air-fresheners, essential oils and cosmetics, all extracted from aromatic herbs, spices, flowers and plants. The products and fragrances will merge seamlessly with the atmosphere of this one-of-a-kind garden.

The event will be open from noon to 8 pm on Thursday and from 10 am to 8 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The entrance to the Boboli Gardens is located in Piazza Pitti, 1 in Florence. To enter the market, you must purchase a ticket to the Boboli Gardens, which costs 7 euros, with free entrance for residents of Florence.

For more information, see  www.profumidiboboli.org

Hear the sounds of the city on Saturday, May 19 and Thursday, May 24 with nighttime soundwalks, offered by various Florentine institutions for contemporary music. These tours will take you on a discovery of the urban sounds, making you truly pay attention to the “music” generated by the city’s streets.

The first soundwalk will be conducted in English on the terrace of San Niccolò, below Piazzale Michelangelo, beginning at 11 pm on Saturday, while the second will meet at the column of Piazza San Felice, located near Palazzo Pitti, on Thursday at 11 pm.

For more information, go to http://www.temporeale.it, and to make reservations, call 055 717270 or 335 70 63218.