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Paco Neumann

Paco Neumann is a journalist, photographer, proofreader, flâneur and perpetual amateur currently living in between Florence, Berlin, Paris and Tenerife. He´s been a regular contributor to fashion, art, trend and lifestyle magazines and worked for news, advertising and communication agencies

María Muñoz´s Florence

María Muñoz´s Florence

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Trapped time in Florence

I have returned to Florence after almost thirty years. Although I had no corporeal memories of my presence in the different places, I did have visual memories, probably because Florence is one of the most photographed cities on the planet, and is part of the collective memory of many, at least in the West. My studies in art history and the monographs I did about Leonardo, Florentine himself, and Michelangelo, whose artistic life began in the Florence of the Medici, might have help to keep that memory. Apart from the spatial and visual experience, the latter of unquestionable beauty, which, according to Stendhal, even hurts; there is another characteristic that in my opinion, is explicitly Florentine. And I do not mean the public sculptures, nor the symmetrical facades of the churches and palaces, nor the marbles of different tonalities, neither the perspectives of their perfectly cobbled streets.

I’m referring to the ‘trapped time’.

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‘Heroes – Bowie by Sukita.’ Photo exhibition at Palazzo Medici-Riccardi

‘Heroes – Bowie by Sukita.’ Photo exhibition at Palazzo Medici-Riccardi

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The retrospective Heroes – Bowie by Sukita, curated by ONO Arte Contemporanea, features the pop icon David Bowie through the eyes and lens of the undisputed master of Japanese photography, Masayoshi Sukita. From March 30 to June 28, 2019, at the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi (via Cavour 3) the show presents 60 large-format photographs, including the iconic photos that illustrated the cover of the album HEROES, and photographs belonging to Sukita personal archive which document the friendship, that started in the 1970s, between the pop-rock legend and the photographer. With this exhibition, Florence pays tribute to Bowie and fuses, once again, the historical with the contemporary.

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In Memoriam | Franco Zeffirelli Museum, seven decades of treasures

In Memoriam | Franco Zeffirelli Museum, seven decades of treasures

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The career of Franco Zeffirelli as cinema director, designer and producer of operas, theatre, cinema and Italian television has been honoured since October 2017 with a museum in the city centre, where the old Court of Florence used to seat. «The venue houses seventy years of treasures collected and made alive,» says the director’s son, Pippo Zeffirelli, executive vice president of the foundation managing the artist’s legacy. The museum houses more than 250 masterpieces by Zeffirelli among sketches, drawings, paintings, costumes and even the planning of a great project that never took place: the film adaptation of The Divine Comedy. The exhibition, divided chronologically into prose narrative, theatre, opera and cinema, reflects upon the development of theatrical installations and film productions, through themes and authors, together with fixed images, exemplifying all the main stages of the artistic career of Zeffirelli.
Franco Zeffirelli died on June 15, 2019, at the age of 96.
More info

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Le Giubbe Rosse, the quintessential literary café in Florence

Le Giubbe Rosse, the quintessential literary café in Florence

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I feel a deep sadness every time I pass by the piazza della Repubblica; the modern and air-conditioned buildings and its terraces do not allow the contemplation of at least four classic splendorous cafes in the city: Le Giubbe Rosse, Gilli, Donnini, and Paszkowski. It is almost a total eclipse; there is no room for bias. As a general rule, the tourists are the ones using most of the modern facilities in town. Based on my regular visits to the premises of Le Giubbe Rosse, on the «outside» old terrace and in the interior you will always see mature local Florentines taking Amaro, Negroni or simply a cup of coffee. It touches me deeply that there are still some genuine places in this city. A city that increasingly chooses to please tourists instead of respecting its legitimate and long-standing culture.…

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Florence Cocktail Week 2019, fancy a drink?

Florence Cocktail Week 2019, fancy a drink?

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Following the success of previous editions, Florence Cocktail Week 2019 is back in May for a week dedicated to custom cocktails. The event, which runs from May 6 to 12, is promoted by Paola Mencarelli and Lorenzo Nigro and will feature masterclasses, roundtables, and tasting sessions at 30 cocktail lounges around town with notable bartenders such as Santa Rosa Bistrot, Mad: Souls & Spirits, Winter Garden Bar, La Menagère, and Rasputin.

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Russian Orthodox Church of Florence celebrates Orthodox Easter tonight

Russian Orthodox Church of Florence celebrates Orthodox Easter tonight

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Modern buildings stand out in Florence more than anywhere else, since most of the historic centre buildings come from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Built in Russian art nouveau style between 1899 and 1903 and declared Historical Monument, the Russian Orthodox Church was recently restored. Its unusual facade is characterized by its onion domes. This temple is the first Russian religious building erected in the Italian territory, thanks to the efforts of the parish priest Vladimir Levickij, to the donations of Demidoff family, some parishioners, and nothing more and nothing less Emperor Nicholas II.

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Italy on April 25 celebrates the Liberation Day

Italy on April 25 celebrates the Liberation Day

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Liberation Day is a national holiday in Italy that is annually celebrated on April 25. It marks the fall of Mussolini’s Italian Social Republic, the end of the Nazi occupation in Italy in 1945, and the victory of the Resistance towards the end of the World War II. Italy’s Liberation Day (Festa della liberazione) is also known as the Anniversary of the Liberation (Anniversario della liberazione d’Italia) or Anniversary of the Resistance (anniversario della Resistenza).

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Lo Scoppio del Carro: Sunday Easter tradition in Florence

Lo Scoppio del Carro: Sunday Easter tradition in Florence

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On Easter Sunday every year, Florence celebrates the religious holiday in a very special way. The Scoppio del Carro (Explosion of the Cart) dates back over three centuries. A particular wagon built in 1622 is pulled by a pair of oxen decorated in garlands through the streets of Florence to the square between the Baptistry and Cathedral. The Scoppio del Carro is a folk tradition of Florence.

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The Porta Romana State Art School celebrates its 150th anniversary

The Porta Romana State Art School celebrates its 150th anniversary

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The former State Art Institute of Florence, today the State Art School of Porta Romana (Liceo Artistico Statale di Porta Romana), celebrates in April 2019 a century and a half years since its inception. From 9 to 13 April, Porta Romana Art School students and teachers have prepared a series of events consisting of exhibitions, installations, performances, and documentaries to celebrate its 150th anniversary. The school was, and still is, an important reference for the artistic education in Florence specifically and countrywide in general.

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Lyric Dance Company presents «PIAF. Hymne à l’Amour» at the Puccini Theater in Florence

Lyric Dance Company presents «PIAF. Hymne à l’Amour» at the Puccini Theater in Florence

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«PIAF. Hymne à l’Amour,» the new choreography by Alberto Canestro performed on stage by the Lyric Dance Company, premiered on April 4 at the Teatro Puccini in Florence. After having explored great female figures, such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Frida Khalo, Tamara de Lempicka and Maria Callas, Alberto Canestro dedicates his latest work to Edith Piaf, the celebrated French singer. «The voice of Edith Piaf has always hurt my heart»— says the choreographer — «as well as her biography, which fluctuates between the numerous difficulties in her private life and the triumphs in the artistic sphere.» Through dance, the Lyric Dance Company creates an intense portrait not only of Piaf as a woman, but also as a unique and exceptional artist, who was always able to provoke emotions with her music.

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