Browsing AuthorPaco Neumann

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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
I have a date at Caffè del Verone in Florence
Wine & Food

I have a date at Caffè del Verone in Florence

12 julio, 2019 / By:
PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

Due to the tangle of streets that makes up the medieval layout in the historic part of Florence, with its narrow, winding and cobbled alleyways, it is not easy to find a terrace where you can sit and sunbathe, drink a beer, and read a short novel by Stefan Zweig or Italo Calvino. This is only possible in certain large squares and in the upper lodges of some Florentine hotels and palaces, such as the last floor of the Ospedale degli Innocenti (piazza Santissima Annunziata).
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Gian Gastone de’ Medici, the last homosexual of the Medici dynasty
Medici Traces

Gian Gastone de’ Medici, the last homosexual of the Medici dynasty

26 junio, 2019 / By:
PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

The last sovereign ruler of the Medici dynasty, Gian Gastone (1671-1737), Grandson of Ferdinando II, reigned fourteen years – from 1723 to 1737. He was a lonely pubescent man who spent most of his time isolated in the Boboli Garden, concentrated in his studies on flowers and plants and his collection of dainty, delicate objects and things. It is said that because of his homosexuality, he was affected with a deep melancholy. He was the second in the hereditary line since the first soon of the Grand Duke was Ferdinando. When Ferdinando died without heirs in 1713, Gian Gastone inherited the throne. In 1697 and for alliances and dynasties reasons, Gian Gastone was forced to marry a German-Bohemian princess, Anna Maria Franziska. The matrimony was a calamity from the beginning due to the lack of comprehension combined with a high degree of repellency and depressed resignedness on part of Gian Gastone. The marriage had no children thus consequently the option of a Medici heir vanished.

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María Muñoz´s Florence
Moments & People

María Muñoz´s Florence

25 junio, 2019 / By:
PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

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
Art & Culture

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

20 junio, 2019 / By:
PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

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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Le Giubbe Rosse, the quintessential literary café in Florence
Wine & Food

Le Giubbe Rosse, the quintessential literary café in Florence

23 mayo, 2019 / By:
PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

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?
Wine & Food

Florence Cocktail Week 2019, fancy a drink?

4 mayo, 2019 / By:
PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

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
Events & Entertainment

Russian Orthodox Church of Florence celebrates Orthodox Easter tonight

26 abril, 2019 / By:
PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

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
Events & Entertainment

Italy on April 25 celebrates the Liberation Day

25 abril, 2019 / By:
PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

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
Outdoors

Lo Scoppio del Carro: Sunday Easter tradition in Florence

21 abril, 2019 / By:
PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

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
Events & Entertainment

The Porta Romana State Art School celebrates its 150th anniversary

11 abril, 2019 / By:
PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

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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