Florence Journal

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

The new movie "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" is playing Thursday night in English at the Cinema Odeon here in Florence (near Piazza Strozzi). Sounds like sort of a big deal - especially for kids. Don't know where I've been, I had never heard of it before!

Anyway, if you are in town for Easter and have children this might be an option for you :)

Easter brunch in Florence

If you are here for Easter and looking for Easter Brunch, this is one option:

Not sure of the time on this - call them if you are interested:

Grand Hotel & The Westin Excelsior | Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.
Piazza Ognissanti 1-3 | 50123 Florence (Italy) | +39 055 2716 3701| +39 055 268008

The "fancier" restaurant at the Westin has an alternative that is a little more expensive.

PIETRO MANZO at GALLERIA FALTERI

Falteri is a little gallery on Via della Spada that frequently has interesting contemporary art. An exhibit by Pietro Manzo is there until April 17th:

GALLERIA FALTERI
Via della Spada 38/r
50123 FIRENZE
Tel/Fax 055217740
Cell 3483812360

Alessi Wine Tasting Cancelled

I have been posting these from time to time - so thought I should mention this cancellation:

GIOVEDI’ 1 APRILE
Azienda Vinicola Inama
Soave Classico ‘08
Soave Classico Vigna du Lot ‘07

I am disappointed about this one - Inama is one of my favorite white wine producers, and I was really looking forward to trying these wines!

A beautiful day in Florence

Just an amazing day here today in Florence and Tuscany weather wise. I had a great visit with a friend today to Castello di Casole, a really unique place in the countryside near Siena. I will be writing more about it soon - below is one of the no horizon pools on the property:

Donatello's Madonna and Child on via Pietrapiana

This relief is attributed to Donatello, although in an older text I found online the author is pretty skeptical:

"The Madonna in the Via Pietra Piana at Florence belongs to a different category. Here again the design is Donatellesque, but the face of the Madonna has a dull and vacant look; not only is it without the powerful modelling of the Pazzi or Siena reliefs, but it shows none of the sentiment for which those two Madonnas are so remarkable."

It is hard to photograph behind the dirty glass case, which usually has a terrible glare. The other day with a bit of overcast sky I managed to get this shot:

And here it is on Google Street View:

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Florence Journal on Facebook

We made a fan page on Facebook for Florence Journal. Not much there now, but we plan to post links and photos, etc. soon. You can become a fan and post stuff too.

Cime di Rape & Ceci

This is what was going on in Florence last night:

Around here anyway... The cecci were from the val'Norcia - we bought them last September but I just soaked and cooked them this week. And the hot peppers were from an old man selling vegetables on the street in Lecce. The rape was from via dei Neri.

FAI - The National Trust for Italy - event this weekend

Divina Cucina had this on Twitter earlier - FAI or the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (The National Trust for Italy) is celebrating the "Giornata FAI di Primavera" this weekend. This event opens places of cultural heritage that are usually closed to the public. Here is what will be open in Florence (for more in Tuscany see this page):

Firenze
Palazzo della Banca d’Italia (già Banca Nazionale nel Regno d’Italia)
Via dell’Oriuolo, 37
Sabato 27 e Domenica 28, ore 10.00 – 17.00
Apertura straordinaria della parte monumentale, prima apertura assoluta
Visite guidate
Apprendisti Ciceroni®: Liceo Scientifico “G. Castelnuovo”, classi IIIª A, IVª A e IVª B

Villa Il Gioiello (ultima dimora di Galileo Galilei)
Via del Pian dei Giullari, 42
Apprendisti Ciceroni®: Liceo Scientifico “G. Castelnuovo”, classe IIIª B; Liceo Classico “N. Machiavelli”, classe IIIª B

Biblioteca degli Uffizi
Loggiato degli Uffizi
Apprendisti Ciceroni®: Liceo Scientifico “G. Castelnuovo”, classe IVª I; Istituto d’Arte di Sesto, classe IVª A sez. Porcellana

Per tutti i Beni apertura Sabato 27 e Domenica 28, ore 10.00 – 17.30
Visite guidate

Free wine tasting - ADESSO!

Free Wine Tasting

Dalle ore 17:00 alle ore 19:00

From 5 pm to 7 pm

GIOVEDI’ 25

Azienda Vinicola Guado al Tasso

Vermentino ‘08

Scalabrone ‘09

Bruciato ‘07

_{ENOTECA ALESSI}

VIA DELLE OCHE 27/29/31