PlanetEye

With a slow month of August, I found myself on a trip out of the city to the nearby town of Fiesole. This perfect half or full day retreat from the crowds and heat is easily accesible from Florence, approximately 30 min by bus (#7) from downtown.

So why make the trek? Besides the sweeping views of Florence, there is actually quite a lot to see here.

The Cathedral of Fiesole is a must, and amongst others: Fontanelle, a villa near S. Domenico where St. Aloysius came to live in the hot summer months, the Roman and Etruscan Ruins, Roman Theater, and of course S. Domenico, the novice-home of Fra Angelico da Fiesole and of St. Antoninus of Florence.

The Villa Medici di Fiesole is one of the oldest Renaissance residences and certainly one of the most well preserved. Unlike many villas of it’s time, the Medici Villa in Fiesole wasn’t created for farmwork, but rather an intellectual haven for the family. Orignally intended for the second Medici son (Giovanni), it was Lorenzo il Magnifico who turned it into a stomping ground for artists and philosophers of its time. The villa and garden are spectacular, although small, are well worth a walk through.

For those looking for a break in sightseeing and would rather have an active day out of the city, have a look at iBike Italy. Fantastic day trips from Florence to Fiesole for their Castles & Vineyards Bike Tour. Full day excursion, great food and wine and the views are stunning.

I have never been what you would call a chef. I don’t think a baguette and a slab of brie with a bottle of wine constitutes as a meal according to the Surgeon General. But after moving to Italy and finding a bit of time on my hands, I’ve decided to become what Harry Connick Jr might call a “Culinary Elf”. This for me, means learning how to cook at least one good Italian meal I can take home and be proud of serving to those friends and family that think Dominos Pizza is the end all of Italian cuisine.

I recently came upon a company called In Tavola here in Florence. A self proclaimed cooking association, I decided this would be a good start on my quest for better cooking. The society boasts “Our Association has as its intent the promotion of the rich Italian culture of food and wine from both Tuscany and other Italian regions.”. This I like.

They offer small group cooking classes as seen on their website, a hands on experience with classes ranging from easy courses to full day to fresh pasta making. They also offer wine tasting classes at their school which is accompanied by typical Tuscan salami, cheeses, bruschette, and cantucci di Prato.

You can even partake in a market visit before your cooking class to pick out the fresh produce you’ll be using.

The In TAVOLA Association is located in the historical center of Florence bein the district of S.Spirito. 3 minutes by foot from Old Bridge(Ponte Vecchio)

Via dei Velluti 18/20r

Tel. / Fax. +39 055217672

Cell. Ph. +39 3460343945

Having attended Berklee College of Music, I had the opportunity to hear some of the best up and coming jazz students in the world. Young and eager, there is something about being part of new talent, and attending a student jazz concert certainly doesn’t imply squeeky strings and wrong notes. You may find yourself at one of the most energetic concerts out there. 

The Siena Jazz Festival promises just that. After endless practicing and lessons, students from all around will perform to a live audience, with set standards and improvised jam sessions. They even have the opportunity to hear their own professors toot their own horn during the show. The goal for the students is to learn how to play for the public, so the more support they get, the better the tunes will be.

This year edition of Siena Jazz Festival and Workshop will be held from July 24th through August 7th. The focus is on the successive waves of graduate students who have been coming to this beautiful city in the green hills of Tuscany every summer.

All the concerts are to free admittance, except for the four evenings of the Enoteca Jazz Club (Entry: 8 Euro).

The Workshop will close with the "Final Concert" that concludes this edition of summer courses. The concert will be held in the suggestive Piazza Iacopo della Quercia, next to Siena’s Cathedral.

For anyone looking to explore the world of jazz through new ears, come to Siena this summer for the Summer Jazz Festival, it won’t disappoint! Concerts daily and nightly from July 24th until August 7th.

There aren’t many events in the world that is as creative and extraordinary as the Festival Sete Sóis Sete Luas. This world wide event in 30 towns spread out over 9 countries is a way to feel like you’ve seen the world in just 1 week. Celebrating its 16^th year in countries such as Cape Verde, Croatia, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Morrocco, Portugal, Spain, the 7 sois 7 Luas highlights popular music from around the world, theatre and cultural projets like you may have never seen. This year at the Arena Buondelmonti in Impruneta, from July 16^th-23rd you can see and hear spectacular music for free! Below you’ll find the schedule with the artists and location. Don’t miss out!

For more information about the program and its artists contact: 

http://www.7sois.eu 

July Schedule 2008:

16 July 2008, Pontedera, Villa Malaspina a Montecastello 9.00 pm, ingresso libero

Gialletta

21 July 2008 Montemurlo (Prato), Piazza della Libertà, 9.00 pm, ingresso libero

22 July 2008 Montescudaio, Piazza del Castello, 9.00 pm, ingresso libero

23 July 2008 Pontedera, Villa Malaspina a Montecastello, 9.00 pm, ingresso libero

7 Sóis Orkestra, with the singer Margarida Guerreiro 

22 July 2008, Impruneta (Firenze) Arena estiva del Cinema Buondelmonti, 9.00 pm, ingresso libero

23 July 2008, Montemurlo (Prato), Piazza della Libertà, 9.00 pm, ingresso libero

25 July 2008, Pontedera (Pisa), Villa Malaspina a Montecastello,9.00 pm, ingresso libero

21 July 2008 - Pontedera, Montecastello 9.00 pm, ingresso libero

22 July 2008 - Montemurlo, Piazza della Libertà, 9.30 pm, ingresso libero

23 July 2008 - Impruneta, Arena del Cinema Buondelmonti, 9.30 pm, ingresso libero

Many of us seem to find ourselves wandering around the museums looking at paintings and thinking, “well I could do that!” Why not put a paintbrush where your mouth is and give it a try? I was curious to see if any remaining summer courses that seemed interesting and away from your traditional tourists trap existed. I stumbled upon an article of a woman, Sue Kennington, a local Tuscan artist who is hosting a 6-day intensive workshop near Siena aimed at students who want to extend their understanding of color. Below you’ll find a bit more information on her course and a way to contact her. Don’t be shy when sending her an email. If you are already an art connoisseur, strut your stuff and ask the difficult questions to see if the class is right for you.

The course is project based, and aims to enhance and increase your sense of color awareness and sensitivity. Drawing on the teachings of Josef Albers, the course focuses on color interaction, relativity and how color can be used to describe light, space and form. 

During the week, there will be an illustrated talk, a film showing, and the opportunity to spend a day outside the studio, visiting one of the many visual sites/art treasures to be found in this fantastic luminous landscape, which was home and inspiration of the great colorists of the 14th Century, and is now a base for several international contemporary artists. 

Color Workshop - August 2 - 9, 2008

Sue Kennington has been teaching color workshops to students of all levels for 10 years. She is a professional artist who completed her MFA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths’ College London, UK. She was in the New contemporaries Show at the Tate Gallery Liverpool in 1996, and went on to have her first solo show in London in 1997. She now works in both London and rural Italy. Her paintings are in a number of private and public collections, and she continues to exhibit regularly in both countries.

Contact Sue Kennington for more information on her 6-day course and pricing: 

kennington.sue@gmail.com

 “Situated between Piazza Strozzi and via Tornabuoni in the heart of Florence, the Palazzo Strozzi is one of the finest examples of Renaissance domestic architecture.  It was commissioned by the Florentine merchant Filippo Strozzi and the foundations were laid in 1489 according to a design by Benedetto da Maiano.  A year later the project was given to Simone del Pollaiolo, known as Cronaca, who worked on it until 1504 but the Palazzo was only finally finished in 1538. The Palazzo remained the property of the Strozzi family until 1937, and since 1999 it has been managed City of Florence.  Since the Second World War the Palazzo has been Florence’s largest temporary exhibition space. Among the major exhibitions held at Palazzo Strozzi have been the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (1949), 17^th century Florence (1986),  Gustav Klimt (1992), La Natura Morta Italiana (2003), Botticelli and Filippo Lippi (Italy’s most visited exhibition in Italy in 2004) and Cézanne in Florence (Italy’s most visited exhibition in 2007).”

This newest exhibit will dazzle even the self proclaimed impressionist experts or art novices. The building alone is worth a visit. The focus (no pun intended) of the show is to examine the concept of “how did the impressionists paint?”. The subject of the art isn’t the only important aspect of these masterpieces, but rather the viewers looking for clues that might help us understand how, where and under what conditions these paintings were created. You’ll discover over 60 masterpieces in the last century by artists such as Van Gogh, Signac, Sisley, Berthe Morisot and Renoir and others. For any of you that have been to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, you’ll understand this is not something to take lightly. Be sure to plan ahead and schedule in a few hours to explore the world of impressionism seen through the eyes of the creators themselves. 

Info: +39 055 2645155

Opening hours: Daily 9 a.m - 8 p.m

Thursday 9 a.m - 11 p.m

Last admission to the exhibition 1 hour before closing

Admission

Full € 10,00

Reduced  € 8,50 € 8,00 € 7,50

Schools € 4,00     

There is nothing better than an outdoor concert in the summer, friends next to you, singing along, drinking some vino and taking in the music. But nothing tops a summer music festival in Italy. This year’s music festival in Lucca promises to be nothing less than exceptional. Every year in July, big names from around the world come to perform here on the mainstage in Piazza Napoleone in the center of town. The festival has had enormous success since its first edition in 1998. An idyllic setting inside a ring of Renaissance walls fronted by gardens and huge bastions has attracted guests such as Joe Cocker, Ray Charles, Joan Baez, Lionel Richie, Bob Dylan and Goerge Benson over the years.

Only 1 hour and 22 minutes from Florence, this is well worth the 4€ train ride out to Lucca. Tickets start from 35€-60€. Lineups this summer include: Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys, Hicago, Leonard Cohen and more. For official days and times contact the website: http://www.summer-festival.com/lucca/index.html