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COMMUNITY

The Crying Plate: Editor’s Letter

This April issue is a tribute to Florence’s food—and, in particular, restaurant—scene.         Il piatto piange is an Italian expression, literally, “the plate is crying”, meaning that ...

COMMUNITY

Born for the upward flight – 700 Dante: Editor’s Letter

Children were cycling across the pietra serena slabs and locals were tucking into panini in piazza Santa Croce as I perched on a bench beneath Dante Alighieri’s stony stare. Ravenna-born ...

COMMUNITY

Picturing community from afar: Lithuanians in Tuscany

  The Lithuanian community in Tuscany celebrates its fourth anniversary in portraits.     Dovilė Bružaitė and Matteo Baldini met in piazza Santa Maria Novella in 2009. She, a tourist ...

COMMUNITY

Welcoming words with Reverend Richard Easterling

It was the sunniest of Florentine mornings when I sat down in the vestry with Reverend Richard Easterling and his husband David Wohlgemuth. Richard is the new priest-in-charge of St. ...

COMMUNITY

Whoever drinks Black earns color: Editor’s Letter

Black Madonnas occupied every landing in the Elba Island hotel where I retreated last summer. Beautiful to behold, sacred and ageless, the transracial religious art in an isolated corner of ...

COMMUNITY

The Great Synagogue and the Jewish Community of Florence

Standing on the piazzale Michelangelo on a painterly grey afternoon, I see an oxidized green dome not quite towering above the rest, just being “present”. I wonder about its construction, ...

COMMUNITY

We Saw the Stars Again: Editor’s Letter

Last Friday, I saw the stars again. In the pitch black of the Tuscan hills, the constellations studded the night sky. Overwhelmed, I couldn’t look away; months had passed since ...

NEWS

A Christmas message from the Mayor

This Christmas will be very different than usual: no showiness, none of the usual crowds, unfortunately no spending time together, which has always been traditional for the holidays.     ...

COMMUNITY

Until we meet again

All we really want this Christmas is the beginning of the end of the pandemic and a return to—or rather of—Florence. We miss our imperfect city’s pep, the myriad museums ...

VIDEO

Lady Ripple: Sustainability and circular prosperity | TF Together

  Allyson Volpe and Laura Shadden chat about Lady Ripple and their principles of sustainability, circular prosperity and their work in support of the local community including their craftsmanship initiatives ...

COMMUNITY

Meeting Ragini Gupta, US Consul General in Florence

Ragini Gupta has served as a US diplomat since 2002 with previous assignments in Jordan, Mexico, Pakistan and India, as well as serving as director of the Office of Broadcast ...

COMMUNITY

Beauty as antidote: Editor’s letter

Last Sunday was a quintessential autumn day: turning leaves, the occasional red vine and fast-paced clouds releasing rainfall or revealing sunshine. I was in Poggibonsi, halfway between Florence and Siena, ...

COMMUNITY

A thing of beauty

Europe is suffering and Italy is rallying once more to protect its health and economy from a second uptick of the pandemic. As we head into a troubling winter, beauty ...

COMMUNITY

Draw strength from beauty: Editor’s letter

Draw strength from beauty.   On Tuesday, I stood, masked, on Ponte alla Carraia for 10 minutes between appointments and drank in all of Florence’s perpetual possibilities. Horace coined carpe ...

COMMUNITY

Sense and sensibility: don’t let down your guard

A reminder of the Covid-19 rules in place in Florence and Tuscany.

VIDEO

Rental Diaries: The Book

  BUY THE BOOK: theflr.net/rentaldiariesbook   After an endless hunt for an affordable one-bedroom in Florence, Italy, ran her ragged, Mary Gray launched her “Rental Diaries” column on all things ...

NEWS

Healthcare coverage for study abroad students

An agreement has been signed to guarantee healthcare coverage for North American and Australian students in Tuscany.

COMMUNITY

Soon there will be flowers: Editor’s letter

“Soon There Will Be Flowers,” the June Issue of The Florentine will be out on June 4.

COMMUNITY

Virtually Florence (or “Phase Two”): Editor’s letter

“When will I be able to come back to Florence?” is the question I’ve been asked time and time again. Not knowing how to reply sums up the uncertainty with which we are all faced.

NEWS

The British Institute during lockdown

I’ll go back to Wednesday, March 4. I was administering Cambridge exams in the small, beautiful Tuscan medieval towns of Monteriggioni and Colle di Val D’Elsa. Halfway through the first ...

THINGS TO DO

Community events from a distance

The streets may be quiet, but people are still finding ways to unite in solidarity and get through quarantine with high spirits.      Placehold Open Mic Night Florence   ...

NEWS

How to help Italy during the Covid-19 pandemic

How you can help Italy during this time of unprecedented need

ART + CULTURE

FAF: a new collective is born

With March 8 a day dedicated to celebrating women, we herald the arrival of a new all-female artisans’ collective in Florence: FAF, an acronym for Female Artisans in Florence.   ...

COMMUNITY

Ripple effect

  Four powerful keywords brandish the central message on the Lady Ripple website: Seek, Create, Inspire and Empower.   Laura Shadden and Allyson Volpe, America-born friends, have lived in Tuscany ...

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