Special offers romantic weekend in Tuscany

From 24 to 27 august many concerts in Siena

a unique event this year for the Festival of the Crete Senesi, but
with an exceptional guest: PAUL SMITH will perform FRIDAY 'August 13 to
hours
21:30 at the Castle of San Giovanni d'Asso, with the show "Evening
of
dishonor "Directory anthology pataphysic and criminal.
The show, with the participation of Lucia Vasini provides music
performed
live by Emanuele Aquila - The Court Hospitable production.
Free admission.

Friday, August 6 at 18:00 inaugurated the exhibition of wine labels at the Museum of Old Grange in the village of Serre by the Italian Association of Collectors Wine Labels.
Following a gala dinner at the Granaione Serre.
The evening is dedicated to the new doc Grancia Senesi. Tuesday, August 10 in the center of town are open for tastings of local wines to the accompaniment of live music and a performance of tango.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010, in the beautiful town of Montepulciano (Siena), home of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and one of the most charming towns of Tuscany and Italy, the appointment Goblets of Stars will offer wine lovers a unique opportunity to explore the village.

From 17.00 in Piazza Grande, tasting Rosso di Montepulciano DOC and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG background with the performance of the group of flag-wavers of Montepulciano and the group's flag-wavers of San Quirico d'Orcia.
Following the eight districts of Bravìo barrels of its offices open to visitors to taste the typical local cuisine. Along the streets of the Arts and Antiques Market and live concerts to enliven the evening.

Rich program of events in the days preceding Goblets of Stars with classical music concerts, tours for wine lovers, guided tours of the movie set of New Moon for fans of the saga Twigliht. Ongoing until September 26, the exhibition "Macchiaioli in Montepulciano. Masterpieces and unpublished private. On August 11, Goblets of Stars continue to Valiano Montepulciano.

Also this year, from 1 to 6 august, the Accademia delle Crete Senesi's festival will take place. It was founded on the initiative of some musicians of the “Orchestre des Champs Elysées” and of the Collegium Vocale di Gent. As many of their colleagues these musicians give concerts all across Europe but mostly in big halls for an audience of more than two thousand people. However, nothing replaces the cosiness of an intimate location full of atmosphere.

It is the last Sunday of Augustn of the "Bravìo delle Botti" takes place. The original challenge between the eight Contradas (divisions) of Montepulciano who compete for a painted cloth banner by rolling barrels which weigh 80 kilos in an uphill race lasting around 1800 metres along the main street of the town. The barrels are rolled by two athletes called "spingitori" whilst the course of the race winds through the streets of the townis historical centre until it reaches the churchyard of the Duomo in Piazza Grande. The word "Bravìo" derives from the Vernacular language "Bravium" and is awarded to the winning Contrada, in the form of the Panno a beautifully painted banner bearing the image of the Patron Saint of the town San Giovanni Decollato, in honour of whom the Bravìo delle Botti takes place. The event is linked to a chapter of local history directly dating back to 1373 the year in which the reform of the Municipal Statute dedicated the entire chapter 30 to the arrangements of the Palio. It appears as its own institution in honour of the Patron of Montepulciano (29th August), perpetual and happy memory of the popular regime.

Firenze Upsidedown is an initiative with events and guided tours and a different way of visiting Florence: not just in terms of art and culture, but also in terms of experience. The initiative consists of two routes: UP and DOWN.
 

UP routes are designed to find out more about Italy’s great renaissance architects, with a Brunelleschi, a Michelangelo and a Vasari route, as well as an itinerary on artwork collection inspired to renowned Italian and foreign art collectors Bardini and Horne.
The tours end at the Caffetteria delle Oblate, with a cocktail, a series of lectures on architecture held by lecturers and experts from Florence University’s architecture department and dinner.

DOWN routes take place mainly under today’s road level and explore Florence in Roman and medieval times with a series of archaeological sites under Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, which used to be opened to the public during repaving works carried out on the square. 
The DOWN routes are titled: Palazzo Vecchio, a window on the story of Florentia; From one theatre to another (which includes a tour around Fiesole); and Archaeological memories from the past.

 
The tours are conducted by professional tour guides that specialise in archaeology. The tours are available in Italian and English on set days or can be arranged on flexible dates up until October 2010.

OPERA FESTIVAL

in the charming San Galgano Abbey from 26 June until 7 August

Don Giovanni - 26 June, 4/9/ 17 July
Malika Ayan's concert - 16 July
Carmina Burana - 23 July
Il Flauto Magico - 24/31 July
Le Stagioni di A. Vivaldi - 7 august

CHIANTI FESTIVAL
3/7 – 15/7
A journey through theatre and song in the towns of the Chianti Senese, with four events in the beautiful Piazzas of Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuo- vo Berardenga, Gaiole in Chianti and Radda in Chianti, and free classical and jazz concerts.

11° FESTIVAL DELLE CRETE SENESI
August
The eleventh edition of this cultural review offers a unique opportunity to experience great international music and auteur theatre in the enchanting setting of the Tuscan biancane landscape.

15° FESTIVAL DELLA VAL D'ORCIA
1/8 - 16/8
The five towns of the Val d’Orcia park - Castiglione d’Orcia, Montalcino, Pienza, Radicofani, San Quirico d’Orcia - play host to a grand review fe- aturing theatre, music, dance and film: a cultural itinerary that, as every summer, offers a wonderful opportunity to discover the piazzas, castles, hamlets and churches of Val d’Orcia.

79° ESTATE MUSICALE CHIGIANA
9/7 - 31/8
Siena, San Gimignano, Pienza, Sovicille, Chiusi, Poggibonsi, Chiusdino, Montalcino e Asciano
Concerts from the greatest internationally renowned maestros in the most evocative locations in and around Siena. The Music Week features the premiere of Andriessen’s Anais Nin, Pollini, Accardo, Bacalov and other exceptional artists in concert for the Chigiana Summer festival, with Belkin, Giuranna and Meneses among the “Maestri Chigiani in Terra di Siena” on stage in San Gimignano, Pienza, Sovicille, Chiusi and Poggibonsi.

35° CANTIERE INTERNAZIONALE D’ARTE
15/7 - 1/8
Montepulciano
This arts festival, created by Hans Werner Henze, features opera, concerts, workshops, multimedia performances, and theatre. Highlights include the Italian premiere of Sciarrino’s Luci mie traditrici, and two world premieres from Taglietti e Pasquini. The bill also includes two comic operas, four symphony concerts, and 30 chamber concerts and recitals.

1° SAN GIMIGNANO ESTATE

5/6-11/9

The first edition of this festival includes film, concert, theatre and dance reviews, as well as an opera season and other events in the old town centre of San Gimignano. Concerts include performances by Mario Biondi and the Orchestra della Toscana with Meneses and with Belkin, in colla- boration with the Accademia Chigiana, the open-air opera season features Rigoletto and The Barber of Seville, and there are open-air film screenings at the Rocca di Montestaffoli.

TORRITA BLUES FESTIVAL

25/6-26/6

Torrita Blues is one of the most important Blues Festivals in Italy. One of the special guests at this year’s Festival is the guitarist and original leader of Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green (26 June). Also on stage for the 22nd edition, Eugene Hideaway Bridges and Eric Sardinas (25 June), and 19th Street Red and The Fabulous Boogie Boys (26 June), who will keep you dancing into the small hours in Piazza Matteotti.

On the 5th of September the Giostra del Saracino will take place in Arezzo.

The Saracen Joust of Arezzo (Giostra del Saracino, Giostra ad burattum) is an ancient game of chivalry. It dates back to the Middle Ages.
The historical reenactment takes place every year in Arezzo on the last but one Saturday of June, by night (the so-called San Donato Joust, dedicated to the patron saint of the town) and on the first Sunday of September, in the afternoon (the September Joust). The protagonists of the event are the four quarters of the town of Arezzo:

    * Porta Crucifera know as Culcitrone(green and red colors),
    * Porta del Foro know as Porta S.Lorentino(yellow and crimson colors),
    * Porta Sant'Andrea (white and green colors) and
    * Porta del Borgo, today called Porta Santo Spirito (yellow and blue colors).

The Saracen Joust is organized by the Municipality of Arezzo through a special institution whose governing body (the managing council) which is chaired by the Major of Arezzo, but also includes the presidents ("Rettori") of the four competing quarters.

The jousting day starts in the morning, when the town's Herald reads the proclamation of the joust challenge, and then continues with a colorful procession of 350 costume characters and 27 horses parading along the streets of Arezzo. The topic moment of the parade is the blessing of the men-at-arms, which takes place on the steps of the Duomo and is given by the Bishop of Arezzo.

The knights' tournament is held in the precious scenario of Piazza Grande, guided by the "Maestro di Campo" and preceded by the costume characters and the town's ancient banners entering the square accompanied by the sound of trumpets and drums.
The jousters of the four gates (the real protagonists of the event) gallop their horses with lance in rest against the Saracen, an armor-plated dummy representing a Saracen holding a cat-o'-nine-tails in his hand ("Buratto, King of the Indies").

Piazza del Campo is still used today for the well known Palio horse race which is one of the most famous popular Italian manifestations. It takes place every year on July 2 and August 16. The Palio is run to celebrate the miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary near the old houses that belonged to Provenzano Salvani. The holy apparition was therefore called "Madonna di Provenzano" in whose honour the very first Palio was run on August 16, 1656. The Palio was run for the first time in 1701 in honour of the "Madonna dell'Assunta" the patroness and Advocate of Siena through all the tragic events since she protected the Sienese militia at the famous battle of Monteaperti on September 4, 1260, against the Florentines.

The Palio is a historical secular tradition strictly connected with the origin of the Contradas of Siena (districts into which the town is divided). The Contradas are spectacular agonistic institutions each having their own government, oratory, coat of arms, appellations, sometimes titles of nobility, emblems and colours, official representatives, festivities, patron Saints, with protectors, delimited territories and population which consist of all those people who were born or live within the topographic limits of the district, according to the proclamation issued by Violante Beatrice of Bavaria on January 7, 1730, at that time, Governess of the town.

Originally, there were about fifty-nine "Contrade"; now only seventeen remain, ten of which take part in the historical pageant and in the race at each Palio (seven by right and three drawn by lots).

This traditional popular manifestation lasts four days (from June 29 to July 2 and from August 13 to 16) and finishes in the streets of the victorious "Contrada" where the people celebrate the happy event in a most joyous way. Winner pays all.

Whoever happens to be in Siena during these exciting days can, but join in the enthusiasm of the people for the Palio and, of course, the final victory. Visitors, in fact, often go roaming through the winding streets of the ancient town sympathizing with the "Contrada" in which they are living; they do their best to understand the alliances and rivalries between the contradas and temporarily become fervent "contradaioli" (as the inhabitants of each Contrada are called) having much at heart the health of the race horse and of the jockey.

Monteriggioni di Torri si corona -medieval festival

 2-3-4 and 9-10-11 July 2010.

The Spa Antica Querciolaia in Rapolano from the 1st of May will be open every Tuesday until 1 op'clock am with also live music

Cantine Aperte is the most important event of the year , involving wine as the main protagonist together with the people who produce it and the territory where it is made. For the past 17 years during the last Sunday of May, the members of the association have opened their doors to the vast public establishing in this way an immediate and direct contact with all wine tourists and lovers.

From 1 to 16 May a lot of activities and guided visits in all Museums of the Siena province

"Masterpieces and private unpublished works". From on April 24th  to September 26th  the country of the Nobile wine of Montepulciano proposes an extraordinary event: 70 works tell one of the artistic movements that innovated the figurative language in the XIX century.

The exhibition is prepared in the Pinacoteca Crociani – the only museum of the Foundation Museums Senesi born from a private collection - and in the Loggia della Mercanzia. It intends to inaugurate a series of temporary exhibitions to emphasize the excellence of the collection activity both public and private.

Pievasciata, a tiny village in the heart of the Chianti region, is being transformed into a contemporary art centre.
The focal point, the Chianti Sculpture Park, a permanent exhibition of sculptures and installations, is an integral part of a mystical wooded area.
Inside the Park an Amphitheatre/sculpture has been created to offer visitors a rich programme of concerts and cultural events.
Opposite the Park there is a sculpture gallery in the old pottery workshop La Fornace while further down the road the wine bar My Way displays paintings.

And that’s not all… in the amphitheatre from May to September concerts each Friday.

Il Pagliaio

Greve in Chianti - the 4th Sunday of each month from February to November

special editions:

27th June - bread

22nd August - fruit juices

26th september - ceramics

26th november - olive oil

Aprilante, not only handicraft

Panzano in Chianti the first Sunday of each month

For over 40 years the fair has taken place on the first weekend of every month and has become an essential event for collectors and dealers alike, with an average attendance of 20.000 people each weekend.

From 27th March until 3rd October the exhibition dedicated to Marco Romano will take place in the Museum of Casole d'Elsa

The exhibition will be showing from 26th February to 18th July.

De Chirico, Max Ernst, Magritte, Balthus – uno sguardo nell’invisibile (A Look Into the Invisible)

The new exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence is dedicated to an Italian artistic movement of the 20th century that had a major and decisive impact, perhaps the last to do so, on the international art scene.
De Chirico, Max Ernst, Magritte, Balthus – uno sguardo nell’invisibile (A Look Into the Invisible) is the title of the exhibition, which features numerous works obtained thanks to international loans, bringing metaphysical painting “back home”.

It was in Florence, in fact, in Piazza Santa Croce in October 1909 that a young Giorgio de Chirico had the intuition of the mysterious relationship that exists between the things that appear and their meaning. 
The Florence exhibition, which brings together the works of de Chirico with those representing the European artistic movements that he in some way “unleashed” – Dada, Surrealism, Neue Sachlichkeit, Magical Realism –, offers visitors paintings by Giorgio Morandi, Carlo Carrà, René Magritte, Max Ernst, and Balthus, along with Arturo Nathan, Pierre Roy, Alberto Savinio, and Niklaus Stoecklin representing Magical Realism.

Following the spirit of metaphysical painting, the rooms of Palazzo Strozzi will play extensively on a psychological and introspective approach, especially in the part dedicated to children, now always present in the exhibitions that wish to open their doors to families.
The initiative will therefore include workshops for children, in both Italian and English; two Sunday events are planned for families, on 21st March and 20th June.
In concurrence with Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Palazzo Strozzi will also show a selection of drawings made by de Chirico in 1933 for the first edition of the most famous music festival of Florence, available exceptionally for public viewing (from May 1st to June 22)

Beato Angelico Pontassieve. Paintings and sculptures from the Florentine Renaissance

From 28 February to 27 June 2010, the Hall delle Colonne of the town of Pontassieve, presents an exhibition dedicated to Renaissance
Florence: Beato Angelico to Pontassieve. Paintings and sculptures from the Florentine Renaissance

From 6 March 2010 a guided visit tour of Arezzo will take place each saturday

Departure at 15,00 from the tourist office in Piazza della Repubblica

price € 10 per  person, children under 12 free