News & Events listings, rediscover florentine ancient arts and culture, but also concerts, plays, sporting events, festivals and theatre

Events	Event description
__________________ Where: Fortezza da Basso When: 30 apr-8 may, 2011 Phone: 055 49721 Fax: 055 4973237 More info: website	The International Handicrafts Fair (Mostra Mercato Internazionale dell'Artigianato) is the craft show not to be missed. You can enjoy Florence at its best in spring and take advantage of the many opportunities from discounts on the admission ticket and meals to the playroom for small children. ART 2011, organized by the FirenzeFiera, in collaboration with Artex, is one of the most prestigious showcases for the Artistic Arts and Crafts and traditional quality, at both national and international levels. ART exhibits many handmade products including clothing and accessories, silverware and jewelry, furniture, beauty and health products and food and wine. There is also an area dedicated to gastronomic delights where you can select the most delicious genuine specialities. These are nine days not to be missed and you will want to come back again next year!
__________________ Where: Fortezza da Basso When: 11-14 jan, 20-22 jan, 26-28 jan, (june - tba), 2011 (annual) Phone: 055 36931 Fax: 055 3693219 More info: website	Pitti Immagine organises some of the world’s most important fashion events: international quality clothing and textile fairs, communication happenings and cultural and research initiatives for the fashion system and fashion as the aesthetic expression and global evolution of taste. Pitti Immagine currently organises the following events: - Pitti Immagine Uomo (men’s fashion collections. In Florence, two editions a year) - Pitti_W Woman Pre-collections (women’s fashion precollections. In Florence, two editions a year) - Pitti Immagine Bimbo (fashion collections for the 0-14 age group. In Florence, two editions a year) - Pitti Immagine Filati (yarn collections for knitwear. In Florence, two editions a year) - Touch!, neoZone, Cloudnine (women’s fashion collections. In Milan, twice a year) - ModaPrima (fashion collections for men, women and children for large-scale organised distribution. In Milan, two editions a year) - Fragranze (collections of artistic fragrances and essences for the body and home. In Florence, one edition a year) - Taste (refined food and wine products and culture. In Florence, one edition a year)
__________________ Where: Teatro Comunale, Teatro Goldoni, Piccolo Teatro When: sep-oct-nov-dec, 2010 (annual) Phone: 055 2779350 Fax: 055 287222 More info: website	Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is an annual opera festival which was founded in April 1933 by conductor Vittorio Gui with the aim of presenting contemporary and forgotten operas in visually dramatic productions. It was the first music festival in Italy. The first opera presented was Verdi's early Nabucco, his early operas then being rarely staged. It now takes place between late April, May and into June, typically with four operas. The first festival's success led to it becoming a biennial event in 1937 with the presentation of nine operas, but after 1937, it became an annual festival, except during the Second World War. Performances take place in the Teatro Comunale and Teatro Piccolo (as the name suggests, for smaller-scale operas), plus the historic Teatro della Pergola. The present Artistic Director is Paolo Arcà and, since 1985, the principal conductor is Zubin Mehta.
__________________ Where: Fortezza da Basso When: 3-11 dec, 2010 (biennial) Phone: 055 4633385 Fax: 055 486034 More info: website	Every two years the Fortezza da Basso hosts the International Arts Biennale in Florence. It was started in 1997 by brothers Pasquale and Piero Celona as the need was felt for an important international venue that would make it possible for talented career artists to exhibit their latest works in a panoramic survey of contemporary art. The Florence Biennale is uniquely open to expansion and diversity as participants are chosen without prejudice as to style, theme or school. If you are in Florence in December then don't miss this chance to experience fresh, new art in a unique surrounding. The 7th Edition of Florence Biennale confirm the role of this exhibition in the world of contemporary art, with its 650 artists, 84 nations represented and more than 2500 artworks exhibited.
__________________ Where: Piazza Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella, San Giovanni, Santo Spirito When: june, 2011 (tbc) More info: website	The Calcio Storico Fiorentino (historical soccer tournament) was an early form of football that originated in 16th century Italy. The Piazza Santa Croce of Florence is the cradle of this sport, that became known as giuoco del calcio fiorentino ("Florentine kick game") or simply calcio ("kick"). The official rules of calcio were published for the first time in 1580 by Giovanni de' Bardi, a Florentine count. Just like Roman harpastum, it was played in teams of 27, using both feet and hands. Goals could be scored by throwing the ball over a designated spot on the perimeter of the field. The playing field is a giant sand pit with a goal running the width of each end. There is a main referee, six linesmen and a field master. Each game is played out for 50 minutes with the winner being the team with the most points or 'cacce'. Originally, calcio was reserved for rich aristocrats, who played every night between Epiphany and Lent. In the Vatican, even Popes, such as Clement VII, Leo XI and Urban VIII were known to play. The sport was not played for around two hundred years but then revived in the twentieth century when organized games began again in 1930. Today, three matches are played each year in Piazza Santa Croce, in the 3rd week of June. The modern version allows tactics such as head-butting, punching, elbowing, and choking, but forbids sucker punching and kicks to the head.
__________________ Where: Fortezza da Basso When: 21-24 oct, 2010 (annual) Phone: 055 2381240 Fax: 055 2678780 More info: website	Held at Florence's Fortezza da Basso, the four-day Creativity Festival is packed with exhibitions, concerts, shows, meetings, artistic performances and workshops. There are 400 culture-based events in total, attracting thousands of international artists, experts and art lovers. The festival is divided into sections which, in previous years, have included "Visions", a multimedia journey dedicated to historic figures; "Journeys", focusing on space and time and taking visitors through the art, culture and creativity of worldwide locations; and "Discoveries", looking at creativity as the originator of technological innovation.