Elitism Florence ::. Issue 7 .::

YOUR PERSONAL COPY www.readelitism.com issue n° 7 December 2018 ∙ January ∙ February 2019

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Welcome

ELITISM FLORENCE There’s beauty all around you Issue n° 7 December 2018 | January | February 2019 Quarterly ~ Florence ~ Italy EDITOR Francesca Querci VICE - EDITOR Francesca Cellini

If you’ve chosen Florence as your holiday destination, you will already know that however long your stay is going to be, in any case, it will always be too short to reveal the wonders of Florence, a city full of monuments, art, museums, squares, and unforgettable experiences. As locals, we’re the ones who experience the many gifts of the city first, and therefore Elitism aims to be a collection of suggestions, a notebook, a smart guide, to make your stay in the cradle of the Renaissance a piece of your life that you’ll always carry in your heart.

Every season offers enticing ways of starting afresh, but for those who like to hole up, winter is the ideal season to recharge the batteries, dream up grand projects and observe the world from home behind steamed up windows. We have to confess that we’re not great fans of winter, with all those hats, gloves, oversized sweaters and umbrellas. Instead we like riding our bikes through Florence’s neighborhoods in T-shirts and shorts, enjoying the sun till late in the evening. Still, it is true that winter means Christmas, warm fires, family gossip, a handful of roasted chestnuts with a nice glass of red wine, and endless games of Monopoly because outside it’s snowing.

Winter also means getting drunk on New Year’s Eve, vague expectations about something new, and sudden inspirations for life-changing resolutions for a new year full of hope. So enjoy this issue of Elitism Florence as well: we’re ready with our recommendations about everything nice, even if it’s cold out.

Elitism Florence: the quarterly magazine focused on discovering and experiencing the city and its magnificence. What to see, where to eat, trendy bars, historical places, architecture, shops, clubs with complete address lists and all the advice you need to enjoy the city the way Florentines do. And more, interviews with locals, details on the surroundings, highlights on what to buy, fun facts, and all of the top events you don’t want to miss out on in town.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails” - Mark Twain –

DESIGN + COVER Sally Studio CONTRIBUTORS Cinzia Azzerboni, Serena Becagli Marta Matteini, Liliana Antoniucci Cristina Tedde, Francesco Sani PHOTO CREDITS Matteo Vistocco, Francesca Nardoni TRANSLATIONS NTL traduzioni PRINTING IGV s.r.l. - Piazza Nasoni, 4 San Giovanni Valdarno (AR) PUBLISHER F Society SAS Via del Leone 37, Firenze p.iva 06722440481 Aut.Trib.

Firenze N. 6048 del 14 Aprile 2017 WRITE US AT General : info@readelitism.com Advertising : adv@readelitism.com ONLINE CONTENT www.readelitism.com You can follow us on:

@elitismflorence @elitismflorence

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“This issue is dedicated to Margherita Hack” Margherita Hack (Florence, 1922 - Trieste, 2013) was an Italian astrophysicist, academic and italian scientist: one of the brightest minds in the contemporary Italian scientific community. Known as the “Lady of the Stars”, Margherita Hack contributed in the fields of stellar spectroscopy and radio astronomy, and the asteroid 8558 Hack is named after her.

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In partnership with: Windows On Italy Doorways to Italy Apartments Florence Family Apartments Madeinitaly Holiday Home Dot Florence bb Charme Suite Florence FLOspirit Holiday Itaco Florence Concierge What about a house in Florence?

Florence Luxury Rent Incredible Tuscany haloria.com Acacia Firenze www.torremannellisuites.it

Le informazioni diffuse hanno finalità divulgative, le fonti utilizzate riflettono le esperienze e le opinioni degli Autori. I link citati e le immagini tratte da altri siti sono proprietà dei rispettivi Soggetti. L’Editore, che ha posto ogni cura nel citare correttamente la fonte, si dichiara disponibile a pubblicare eventuali rettifiche per involontarie citazioni improprie. L’Editore e gli Autori di Elitism declinano ogni responsabilità per uso improprio delle informazioni riportate o da errori relativi al loro contenuto.

Love every moment.

Designer brands for up to 70% less

2 for 1 on our shuttle bus from Florence railway station.* mcarthurglen.it/barberino Show this page when purchasing your tickets to claim. Valid until 31st December.

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CONTENTS December 2018~January~February 2019

TO DO

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TO SEE

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DRESS WELL&ACCESSORIES

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Five amazing things to do in Florence we selected and guarantee for you

First things you have to see once you arrive

What and where to shop in town

WHERE TO EAT

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WHERE TO DRINK

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SUGGESTED BY

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FLAIR

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NO YOU CAN’T MISS IT

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The staff of Elitism presents you the top 5 restaurants of the month selected after a fine and accurate test

Best wines and drinks around town.. raise your glass with style

Special advices from Mr. Lorenzo Bertini

Stefano Bemer , the Florentine art of shoemaking has a name

Find passion in all the city has to offer

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CONTENTS December 2018~January~February 2019

OUR SELECTION

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STYLE ICON

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THIS IS SO CONTEMPORARY

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LA DOLCE VITA

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Our selection of beautiful products

Marcello Mastroianni

Uliviero Ulivieri: discover his art with us

Design edition: Bialetti Moka

AGENDA

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From events and festivals to attractions and tours, find out what’s going on in Florence

NEARBY

Where to wonder around: Val d’Orcia

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WWW.SOTF.COM

VIA TORNABUONI 17/R, 50123 FIRENZE VIA POMERIA 1, 59100 PRATO

Via Tornabuoni

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You cannot miss the recently renewed Mercato Centrale, a real gastronomic melting pot, for those who want to taste emotions. The Loggia del Porcellino where you can buy genuine leather products and caress the famous luck charm bronze boar muzzle at the side of the market.

· Markets Tour

Enjoy the Diladdarno discovering San Frediano, snooping around workshops, antiques and art galleries. Piazza Santo Spirito is the right place for a typical dinner or a late evening drink. Piazza del Carmine with its mixed between sacred and profane atmosphere is another must-see.

· The Rive Gauche

To do

Arno River

Second Italian museum for number of visitors, the Accademia displays the largest amount of Michelangelo’s sculptures in the world. A must-see, where you can find the original Michelangelo’s David and probably experience the Stendhal Syndrome. Remember to book in advance!

Uliviero Ulivieri, “Il portapacchi”, acrilico su tavola

· Not just Art

Go for some top-level shopping in Via Tornabuoni: Gucci, Emilio Pucci, Tiffany, and many more are there waiting to fuel your vanity. Discover vintage jewels in Piazza Strozzi at Barducci Jewelry. Design and crafts lovers are welcome in Via della Spada where a tour is a must.

Taste tradition: a Lampredotto sandwich in Piazza de’Nerli, Bistecca alla Fiorentina at Cambi restaurant, extraordinary Pappa al Pomodoro at Santo Bevitore. Want some ice cream?

Sorbetteria in Piazza Tasso and the world-famous Vivoli near Piazza Santa Croce are waiting for you.

· Tuscan Food

Il ratto delle Sabine

Loggia del Porcellino

· Galleria dell’Accademia

Faustini Art Gallery

IL Dumo

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Ponte Vecchio

Piazzale Michelangelo

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Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of the city’s civil and administrative authority. Sight is surrounded by ancient marble, bronze and stone statues, like Donatello’s Marzocco, the lion leaning on the coat of arms, and the Nettuno fountain. Here, the most famous gallery: the Uffizi.

· Piazza della Signoria

Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, Campanile di Giotto and Battistero; with its white Carrara marble front, hallowed in the year 1436, the Duomo dominates the whole square and Giotto’s Campanile. The Cathedral’s dome, finished with red bricks, outstands everything around.

Links the main part of the historical city centre with the “Diladdarno”, with artisan goldsmiths that once were butcher shops lining the path to the scenic terraces. The Vasari Corridor, that crosses the Arno at Ponte Vecchio, was built in 1565.

· Ponte Vecchio

To see

Palazzo Pitti

· Piazza Duomo

Faustini Art Gallery

Piazza della Signoria

A 5 minute walk to embrace absolute beauty: the city sight from Piazzale Michelangelo. You can walk the ancient stairways “Rampe del Poggi” starting from San Niccolò to climb up toward Piazzale. Once there just a few more steps to fall in love with the Church of San Miniato.

· Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato

Residence of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, home to the Medici, the Lorena and the Savoia families. The palace hosts an articulated compound of different galleries and museums: Palatina Gallery, Appartamenti Monumentali, Modern Art Gallery, Boboli Garden.

Uliviero Ulivieri, “Il fioraio”, acrilico su tavola

· Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Garden

Campanile di Giotto

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OFFICINE PANERAI Giovanni Panerai opens his watchmaker’s shop on Ponte alle Grazie in Florence: serving not only as a shop and workshop but also as the city’s first watchmaking school, Officine Panerai’s history begins here. Today, after a meticulous refurbishment, Panerai’s historic boutique is reopened. This artisan’s workshop is a meeting point for brand collectors and enthusiasts, who can find not only pieces from the current collection, but also special edition watches and special productions that Panerai reserves exclusively for its boutiques. //Piazza di San Giovanni 14r www.panerai.com

ATELIER BARDUCCI In the heart of Florence’s historic center, at Piazza Strozzi 1, the new concept jewelry store, Atelier Barducci, is located on the top floor of Palazzo Mattei.

Over the years, four generations of the Barducci family have offered their customers one-of-a-kind pieces, created with meticulous care by the skillful hands of master artisans. The rigorous selection of the finest precious stones and superior-quality materials makes it a point of reference for lovers of Made-in-Italy luxury.

Creations born from a great expertise in the selection of raw materials joined with the unmistakable Barducci taste, that reflect uniqueness and tradition. //Piazza Strozzi, No.1 – 4° Floor www.barducci.com

Dress Well & Accessories SOTF | FIRENZE For sneakers addicts, but not only. The store combines the experiences of buying in store with the advantages of digital sales and is the result of over a year of research and experimentation with experts in e-commerce of fashion. By entering the fitting rooms, the system recognizes the choice of one or more products and shows the relevant selection details on an integrated screen-device. Innovative shopping experience. /Via Tornabuoni 17r www.sotf.com

SOTF | PRATO A huge open space on two levels covering an area of about 450 square meters, for an amazing shopping experience. Cor-ten, glass, wood and iron are the basic elements of an innovative and avant-garde design. Here, you’ll find a wide and careful selection of the most interesting brands on the world of man / woman ready to wear. //Via Pomeria, 1, Prato www.playgroundshop.com

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Barberino designer outlet a journey into beauty

Opened in 2006, the Barberino Designer Outlet is located in the heart of the Tuscan countryside and houses some of the most important national and international fashion brands in a retail space of 27,000 m² with 130 stores. Important numbers that testify to the increasing popularity of the McArthurGlen Mall that, after becoming almost a place of pilgrimage for the Florentines and the Tuscans in general, thanks to the opening of the Variante di Valico road, has become much closer even for people living in Bologna and, more generally, in Emilia. Reaching the Mall from Florence is very easy, given that there is shuttle service that runs every day with four buses a day (departure from Florence’s central train station). The Mall has facilities for families such as a play area and baby facilities as well as ample parking.

Non-European visitors can request tax-free shopping. The Barberino

Designer Outlet is a story of growth, challenges and successes: since opening the McArthurGlen Mall has attracted over 30 million visitors, becoming a fashion experience and a tourist destination at the international level. Infact, among the visitors, in addition to the Italians, there is an ever-growing number of foreigners (around 25%) thanks to the national and international fashion brands that continue to increase from month to month.

Visiting Barberino Designer Outlet is a sensory experience, an emotion that grows step by step. A pleasant journey in time due to the renaissance look that characterizes the entire building typical of a newly-designed ancient Tuscan village, with marvelous views where the haute-couture window displays alternate with small squares, cafés and restaurants. A fairly-tale setting, ideal for sophisticated clients, combining the pleasure of shopping with a unique environment.

The Mall’s core business is, in fact, making fashion accessible, with a portfolio of 200 of the best national and international brands that grow every year with new openings.

From Sportswear and Activewear, which includes the brands The North Face, New Balance and Skechers, to the womenswear proposals, with Italian brands such as Luisa Spagnoli and emerging brands like Aniye By. The Mall’s main category, Casualwear, hosted the first Italian outlet of Polo Ralph Lauren and has supported the development of outlets for brands such as Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger.

Micheal Kors, Coccinelle and Furla, just to name a few, are other popular brands. Barberino Designer Outlet, in conclusion, with the recent opening of Karl Lagerfeld, is a must-see destination. Retailers guarantee quality and convenience with discounts of up to 70% on sales prices: therefore shopping in Barberino Designer Outlet is truly a journey into beauty.

Experiences in Florence

“Unique tours for every traveller”

TOTAL SMALL GROUP FLORENCE FOODIES & APERITIVO TIME! TOUR Enjoy the entire afternoon until early evening learning and tasting a showcase of Florentine delights.Arrive on the ancient street of Via dei Tornabuoni to discover a Nobile wine family who have been producing wine for over 30 generations! visit their palace an architectural marvel along with other historical palaces along the street where you can gain an understanding of Florentine Renaissance families. Arrive at a local bakery to taste a few sweet delights. Learn about the 100% ancient Italian grains that are readily used in Italy.

Taste local pecorino cheese, prosciutto Toscano and fennel seed salami at a farm to table delicatessen where you will be welcomed by the friendly owner.

Taste artisanal gelato with seasonal sorbet as you make your way toward a local wine bar and food store. Enjoy a glass of Prosecco, petite Truffle panino called ‘Tartufato’ visit the wine cellars with a vast selection of National wines.

Enjoy a late afternoon stroll around town to discover three types of Aperitivo in Florence. We start with the most ancient street food in town ‘Lampredotto’ if you are game you can taste it in a small panino enjoy a local table wine, the next stop with include a Super Tuscan a full bodied tannic wine that is blended with our typical Tuscan ancient Grape called ‘Sangiovese’. Our last stop is at a local cocktail bar where you will gain insight about Italian mixology.

1-12persons 03.00pm -08.00pm 135 Euro per person TOTAL SANT AMBROGIO, SAN LORENZO MARKET AND MERCATO CENTRALE Prepare your taste buds for an epic food adventure. Experience to major markets in our city Sant Ambroggio & San Lorenzo. Our first stop is at the Growers market in the local district of Sant Ambrogio where Florentines do their daily shop for fresh produce.

Visit various stands including Butchers, bakers, cheese and salumi shops where you can enjoy delicious local tastings that include coccole a savoury donut typically served with stracchino creamy cheese and prosciutto perfect with a glass of chianti that we will enjoy at Urbanos stand with tastings of Tuscan and Emilian specialties including Pecorino & Parmigiano Regiano.

Arrive at the San Lorenzo Central Market and Mercato Centrale. The San Lorenzo Market historically was known as growers market.

Enjoy a walk around the original market place where we will visit some of the local food artisans of Florence.Taste Tuscan Pecorino cheese with honey from the Casentino Valley along with the craft beer made with saffron. In 2014 the top floor was transformed to one of the most ideal food halls in the world. You can find Region, national and even top international products from the local Chiana Beef Burgers to freshly made Sicilian Cannoli.

1-12 persons small group - 10.00am -02.30pm 130 Euro per person PRIVATE FLORENCE FOOD LOVERS TOUR Get ready for the perfect introduction to Florence. Our tour begins with a stroll around the main squares and sites we stop in to the oldest cafe in Florence for a morning cappuccino before heading to on the ancient street of Via dei Tornabuoni to discover a Nobile wine family who have been producing wine for over 30 generations! visit their palace an architectural marvel along with other historical palaces along the street where you can gain an understanding of Florentine Renaissance families. Arrive at a local bakery to taste a few sweet delights. Learn about our DOP breads and use of ancient grains and regional product.

Arrive at a delightful food store specialising in earthy truffles, where we’ll enjoy a glass of Prosecco with a truffle panini. Visit a local olive oil boutique before arriving at the iconic Ponte Vecchio. Cross over the Arno River to arrive in a quaint square for a taste of local gelato made fresh daily. Arrive in the Piazza della Signoria to witness the Town Hall and Uffizi Gallery. Stop at a local panino stop to enjoy a glass of wine with porchetta. As you make your way to the Duomo Complex we stop in to a chocolate store for a tasting.

We learn about the history of Florence’s local and regional cuisines while exploring the city’s small alleyways and walking through charming local suburbs.

10.00am - 01.00pm 125 Euro per person

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PRIVATE PIZZA MAKING CLASS Arrive at a restaurant in the historical centre of Florence. To meet up with Ciro a pizzaiolo born and raised in Naples. Naples is where the Pizza Margherita was invented in 1889. To make the pizza of your choice with Ciro you will learn about how to even out the base, the type of grain he uses and yeast. Then you will add the toppings that include fresh Mozzarella and Tomato from Napoli. Enjoy your pizza with a drink of your choice at the end of the class.

04.30pm - 06.30pm 115 Euro per person minimum 4 persons

SMALL GROUP TOUR HISTORY AND FLAVOR Our tour begins in the Piazza della Repubblica where Julius Caesar founded the city in 59BC. Today we can witness architecture from the unification of Italy in 1837 that represents a grand square where the original forum once stood.

Make our way along the Via Roma toward the iconic Ponte Vecchio once a very smelly bridge lined with butchers and fish mongers. See part of the Vasari Corridor a 800 m walkway used for the powerful Medici who ruled Florence for 350 years when Tuscany was a separate city state. The Corridor was a private passage from the town hall ‘Palazzo Vecchio’ to the Pitti Palace the last home of the Medici.

Arrive at Piazzale degli Uffizi you will stroll down the walk surrounded by the impressive Uffizi Gallery Designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560.

See the monuments of famous Florentine personalities that surround the museum including Dante Alighieri, Galileo Galilei, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Leon Battista Alberti to name a few. See the Lanzi Lodge an open air sculpture gallery that houses original sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini along with copies of sculpture by Giambologna.

Enter inside the Palazzo Vecchio to see the entry to the medieval town hall along with its room of maps with original paintings and layout of the city. Continue along the main street toward the Cathedral where you can witness architectural masterpiece Brunelleschi’s dome. The largest dome in the world.

Enjoy an aperitivo at the end of the tour a glass of prosecco or spritz with snacks.

1-12 pax 90 Euro per person 09.00 -12.00pm SMALL GROUP SAN FREDIANO BUTCHERS AND CRAFT BEERS The district of San Frediano is situated on the Oltrarno. Today this residential area is buzzing with cool bars and new locations and has become known as one of the ‘coolest neighbourhoods of Florence’. Although for Florentine’s San Frediano remains a residential area with its artisanal work shops and local grocers.

Enjoy a walk around the district where you will meet two of the most historical butchers of San frediano. Originally there were over forty butchers in the area.

Arrive at Alessandro and Giannis store second generation butchers. For the past Thirty five years this impeccable store with its original Carrara marble walls and benches and classic Berkel Salumi Cutting machines are well known for their salumi all made with 100% italian pork. See a selection of Regional meats typically very lean beef, rabbit, chicken, pork and Tripe.

Continue toward the historical door of San Frediano to arrive at one of the most traditional food trucks in Florence. If you are game you can try the Lampredotto at Simone La Buticche di’lampredotto situated in the heart of San Frediano. The ‘Trippaio’ the tripe seller is one of the most characteristic street foods of Florence. You can also taste tongue crostini and fried polenta.

Enjoy lunch at Leonardos restaurant that is directly next door to his parents butchers Gianni and Daniela have been selling prized meats for over 40 years. Enjoy a starter, first course, second course with Tuscan Craft Beer.

1-12 persons small group - 10.00am -01.00PM 140 Euro per person

FLORENCE URBAN ADVENTURES www.florenceurbanadventures.com - info@florenceurbanadventures.com Via Dei Sassetti, 6 - 50123 Florence - Italy readelitism.com

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Where to Eat Enjoying food is one of the best pleasures of life. The staff of Elitism presents you the top 5 restaurants of the month, selected after a fine and accurate test.

Trattoria Gargani

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The historical Trattoria Gargani is located right in the centre of the old town of Florence a few steps away from Santa Maria Novella square. The place is well-known for its artistic essence but also for its cooking proposing Tuscan dishes (cooked upon request) along with more unusual dishes marked by a personal touch, which can amaze the customers. All courses are prepared using seasonal and Km 0 ingredients. //Via del Moro, 48 www.garganitrattoria.com

Trattoria Napoleone

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Italian and Tuscan food traditions are the basics of our cuisine: a blended memory of contaminations topped with creativity that would not be possible without today’s interpretation of the traditional model.You can start with a drink, have an antipasto, a first course with truffle, a grilled main course, a special dessert… until your pleasure and taste are satisfied.

$$ Lungarno 23 Lungarno23 awaits you in the beautiful setting of Lungarno Torrigiani, along Arno river, in Florence, to delight you with taste and courtesy. Delicious hamburgers with authentic Chianina meat, exquisite first courses of fresh handmade pasta and other pleasures of our territory. Come and discover all specialties of Tuscan and Italian cuisine, prepared with fresh and genuine ingredients. From appetizers to magnificent desserts, made according to traditional recipes and scrupulous quality research. //Lungarno Torrigiani 23 www.lungarno23.it

//Piazza del Carmine 24 www.trattorianapoleone.it

Berberè

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Berberè was born in 2010 with the mission of serving delicious artisanal pizza, made only with living sourdough, digestible and without frills, in a welcoming atmosphere. They work with organic ingredients, and the pizza that they made is soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside: eight slices of a super special taste. //Via dei Benci 7

Torcicoda

Located just a few steps from Piazza Santa Croce and within close walking distance to the Ponte Vecchio, Toricoda offers a unique Tuscan dining experience in the heart of Florence. Founded by Stefano and Matteo Peruzzi, who share a great passion for food and wine, Torcicoda proposes two unique dining options: a pizzeria with a wood oven as well as a gourmet restaurant with the best Florentine steak, a full bar and a cantina with over 300 wine labels. The menus and selection are characterized by high quality, authenticity and research. //Via Torta 5 www.cucinatorcicoda.com

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Florence Factory shop via dei Neri 6/8 r, Firenze Opening Monday 13.30 - 19.30 Thusday - Sunday 10.30 - 19.30

www.florencefactory.it

Where to Drink Places to taste fine wines and artistic cocktails. Our top 5 selection, with some alcoholic degree.

AMBLE

KAWAII Kawaii is the italian reinterpretation of an izakaya, the typical japanese sake bar where one can consume food and drinks with friends or alone, at lunchtime or after work. Kawaii is a bar where it is possible to consume sake by the glass or by the bottle, with particular attention devoted to describing the characteristics of the beverages. The bar has about thirty types of sake which can be tasted in combination with a dish or alone.

A cozy space in one of the best hidden corners of Florence, Piazzetta dei Del Bene, a place hidden in the alleys of the city center, enclosed between the palaces that divide it only a few meters from Ponte Vecchio, out of the chaos and the typical frenzy of the streets crowded with contemporary cities. A place designed to enjoy special food and at the same time.. shop beautiful furnitures! // Piazzetta dei Del Bene, 7/a www.amble.it

LE VOLPI E L’UVA Le Volpi e l’Uva was opened in 1992 by Emilio Monechi, Riccardo Comparini, and Ciro Beligni with the intention of cultivating relationships with small wine producers and creating a locale where wine is accessible to all. 25 years ago this approach was an entirely new way of buying, selling, and presenting wine in Florence. Here you can find products selected directly from the winemakers. //Piazza dei Rossi 1 www.levolpieluva.com

//Borgo San Frediano 8r www.kawaiifirenze.it

MOYO Hot DJ sets and excellent cocktails in one of the coolest bars of the Florentine nightlife. Recently renewed, it stands out for an original drinks menu and the staff kindness. An external area and two inside rooms always crawling with people perfectly explain the great success that this place has. Groups should better reserve in advance. //Via dei Benci 23r www.moyo.it

RIFRULLO Constantly renewed with passion.

That is the philosophy that drives this historic bar in the San Niccolò area.

A hot spot for a pre-dinner cocktail or a drink at night. For Florentines this place is an institution. Rifrullo has an inner cozy garden where you can relax and drink something in an intimate atmosphere. //Via di San Niccolò, 55r www.ilrifrullo.com

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For more

www.florencefactory.it

www.lapprendista.it

Tell us something funny that you’ve discovered about Florentines regarding their customs and habits...

“Florence is too small. There’s nothing to do here.” Florentines say this so often that they’ve actually come to believe it. It’s true: Florence is small, but it offers an amazing variety of incredible things.

What’s your favorite store?

Florence Factory, of course. I’m in charge of the artistic direction together with Jacopo Lotti, who is the founder. It’s the first concept store dedicated to contemporary design and craftsmanship. Under the same roof we offer the opportunity of discovering the work of over 30 designers and artisans from Florence and Tuscany, who are selected to put together a constantly evolving collection, from jewels to leather goods, from design products to clothing.

What’s your favorite piazza?

Piazza Santo Spirito. Not a very original choice for someone who was born and raised in the Oltrarno, but it’s a unique piazza.

What about a nice place for an after-dinner drink, and one for an aperitif ?

I almost always go onto the terrace of Empireo: the view is breathtaking, and they have nice live music and highly skilled bartenders.

Where do you like to go for breakfast?

I prefer having breakfast at home, without rushing, with the children still in their pajamas around a table full of things that you can choose from in a perfectly intimate setting. At the same time a morning never goes by without me stopping in at Ditta Artigianale for an espresso made just right.

Your favorite restaurants I prefer small restaurants, where the atmosphere is informal and quiet, and where the owner is in the kitchen with a religious passion for the best ingredients. In Oltrarno there’s Cinque&Cinque in Piazza della Passera and Pizza del Vinaio in Via del Leone.

What do you like most about Florence?

Think of an old cashmere sweater that you come across in a drawer in your house in the country. You try it on and it’s too tight. Even so, it’s still a beautiful item: you don’t find materials like that anymore. And then the style! That’s exactly what I like about Florence: if you know where to look, you’ll still find nice places with people who know how to do their work right.

Male, 45 years of age, born and still living in the Oltrarno, with an incorrigible curiosity and faith in the future. Every day I do whatever I can to be a good babbo (as fathers are called in Florence), to find the time for a run along some path, and to develop Florence Factory, a concept store dedicated to design and artisanal products in Via dei Neri. When I can, I devote time to L’Apprendista, a micro brand of hand-sewn leather accessories which I both design and produce.

Suggested by: Lorenzo Bertini Tell us who you are and what you do

Centro Pecci ph: F. Guerra

Prato Musei: the network of city museums is born In February 2013 the four main museums of the city - Center for Contemporary Art Luigi Pecci, Textile Museum, Palazzo Pretorio Museum and Cathedral Museum of Prato - signed a memorandum of understanding that for the first time in the Prato area creates a institutional and formalized context of museum and cultural cooperation.

The goal of the network is to develop large territorial and organizational synergies, which gradually involve other city institutions, capable of strengthening the role of Prato among the cities of art with a touristic-cultural vocation.

As first area of ​​intervention, Prato Musei decided to concentrate its efforts on the educational activity sector, creating a unique and shared program of educational offers aimed at both schools and families, as evidenced by the dedicated sections of this site.

After, the collaboration between the museums can be carried out in all the main fields of intervention of the museum institutions: from the conservation and care of the collections to the various enhancement activities; from the planning and integrated management of cultural events and services to communication and marketing, up to professional training and more.

Project realized with the contribution of Tuscan Region within the 2013 Culture Plan.

Palazzo Pretorio

Museo del Tessuto ph: M. Badiani

Pratomusei card Pratomusei card is the new combined card for the four main Museum of the town of Prato: Centro per l’arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci, Museo del Tessuto, Museo di Palazzo Pretorio, Musei Diocesani.

Everyday of the week visitors will find at least an open museum which will be ready to receive them. It will be guaranteed, in fact, a complete accessibility to the public seven days a week because of the alternate closing.

The city of Prato is thus like the main Italian art cities with “the combined ticket”, designed as a modern mean for tourism promotion and enhancement of the museum and cultural heritage.

Pratomusei card – which is not refundable in case of loss or theft – has a validity of 3 consecutive days, calculated from the moment of its first use.

Individual card with holder’s name: 16 euros Family card for 2 adults and 2 children (up to 14 years): 28 euros The card can be purchased at the ticket office of the four partner museums, or in advance online on the CoopCulture website: www.coopculture.it/en/pratomusei-card Within the period of validity, the card gives unlimited access to the four museums, free use of town public transport (CAP Autolinee company), benefits, discounts and special deals with hotels, restaurants, carparks, shops and all facilities taking part in the agreement.

For more informations: http://www.prato-musei.it/en/

Musei Diocesani - Parapet of the Donatello pulpit

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Live, Love and Enjoy Prato You have never seen it like this before

Stemma Cardinalizio Ferdinando dei Medici

Giovan Francesco Maineri, Testa di San Giovanni Battista

The Galleria Comunale: a new display with 210 works of painting and sculpture

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he new Galleria Comunale will be open to the public free of charge every weekend from Saturday, December 8 until January 6, 2019. The museum has been completely rearranged to accommodate the 160 works of its first collection of paintings, which in 1858 were gathered in today’s “room of the mayor” of the Palazzo Comunale.

The collection of roughly 210 sculptures and paintings comes mostly from the Museo Civico of Palazzo Pretorio, and in particular from the museum’s storage rooms. Some of them were previously on display in various spaces of the Palazzo Comunale. The works have been restored and the preserved descriptive cards have been revised. Visitors will finally be able to admire works that for years had been stored in the Palazzo Pretorio and that are here exhibited for the first time. The new display involves various rooms of the Palazzo Comunale; it was conceived to grant visitors an improved experience of

their tour of the museum. Indeed the paintings and sculptures are arranged in homogeneous groups, based in some cases on their forming part of a particular collection or coming from a particular donation, or in others on their having been created in a certain historical period.

The collection on display in the new Galleria Comunale aims to include those works that were exhibited in the Palazzo Comunale in the previous century. It further allows visitors to gain a better idea of the artistic patrimony of the Museo Civico of Palazzo Pretorio, where masterpieces of Filippo and Filippino Lippi, Luca Signorelli, Lorenzo Bartolini and Jacques Lipchitz, among others, can be viewed.

Following the official inauguration on December 6, the Galleria Comunale, as we have said, will be open to the public free of charge on weekends until January 6. Visitors will only be able to see the museum on guided tours, which must be reserved in advance.

Tours will be given on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Reservations can be made by sending an email to visitepalazzocomunale@comune.prato.it or by phoning 0574/1836220.

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Le Cascine di Tavola a park to experience Le Cascine di Tavola, which takes its name from the village in which it is located, is a splendid park extending 300 hectares in an area to the south of the city, characterized by broad fields and wooded areas. Most of this area is open to the public: in addition to representing an important green space, it offers various tourist and recreational activities. A long network of avenues and walking and biking paths crosses the entire park, allowing visitors to discover true natural treasures and old structures from the Medicean era. There are also play areas for children as well as a much-used golf course which is perfectly integrated into its surroundings. A stable, finally, organizes horseback rides within the park.

Le Cascine was created in the 15th century at the behest of Lorenzo de’ Medici – known as the Magnificent – on the basis of a plan that called for the purchase and transformation of the Villa of Poggio a Caiano and the establishment of a vast agricultural estate reclaimed from marshland by means of a dense network of canals. At the time the main economic activity was raising livestock: indeed the production of cheese was able to meet the demand of all of Florence.

Surrounded by a large moat, the farmhouse is the main building on the estate. It was constructed between 1477 and 1479 by Giuliano da Sangallo and Giuliano da Maiano, two architects in Lorenzo’s service who took the project directly from

Cascine di tavola (1)

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Cascine di tavola (2)

Vitruvius’s De architectura. In the 16th century, experimental rice fields, the first of their kind in Tuscany, were planted in the area west of the estate near the Pasco and Pinzale farms.

The greatest extension and most rational organization of the agricultural estate was achieved at the beginning of the 17th century, when the main economic activities included livestock, cheese production, fish from the canals, rice from the paddies and other agricultural products.

Nonetheless, Le Cascine di Tavola was also a place of leisure and recreation: at the time of the Medicean grand dukes, the entire estate was connected by avenues along which coaches could run; there were areas for hunting and fishing; two large cages were constructed for trapping birds; a fenced area held peacocks; and a large space of 20 hectares was used to raise deer, which were used in the “deer race” in which the poor animals were chased by greyhounds.

In the course of the 18th century, the farmhouse was rebuilt, taking on its present appearance. In the Napoleonic period the rice fields were filled in, and during the 19th century the canals

were enlarged such that boats could be rowed along them. In addition a romantic walkway through wooded and wilderness areas was created.

After the Second World War, the farms saw a period of gradual decline and abandonment, in part caused by damage from the war, pollution and the obstruction of waterways that brought water to the canals.

The revival of the area, now a public park, began in the late 1980’s. From the late spring of 2019, Le Cascine di Tavola will once again be joined to the splendid Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano, as in the past. This will take place thanks to the construction of the new Ponte Manetti, a bridge for pedestrians and bikers over the river Ombrone Pistoiese that replaces the 19th-century structure, which was destroyed by the Germans during World War II. Of the old bridge the stone pillars that once supported the walkway will still be visible.

Future plans include the restoration of the architectural legacy scattered around the estate, beginning with the beautiful 15thcentury Medicean farmhouse.

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Flair

www.stefanobemer.it

STEFANO BEMER

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The Florentine art of shoemaking has a name and it’s Stefano Bemer.

n important name with a great story behind it, but over too soon.

Defining Stefano Bemer as “an artisan shoemaker” sounds too limiting. An entrepreneur, teacher, and pioneer of Italian excellence, with an iron will, humility, and courage, he managed to create an all Italian style code and quality, that made him famous throughout the world.

His life as a cobbler began in Greve in Chianti, in a small damp workshop. He was full of doubts, but definitely certain that he wanted to create wonderful shoes.

Today, we can also say that what Stefano Bemer managed to build will surely endure over time. From the small workshop opened in 1983 in Greve in Chianti, he moved to Florence in 1987. With the help of an expert master in the creation of bespoke shoes, he completed his artistic training. Since then, the shop has been transformed into a business, never losing sight of the quality and respect of exclusively artisan workmanship. Despite his untimely death in 2012, Stefano Bemer’s name currently stands alongside the best known shoemakers in Europe for quality and professionalism in the creation of “genuine” bespoke shoes. His customers include some of the most important names in finance and global entrepreneurship. This name, this brand, this code of style and comfort, will certainly endure over time and the highest quality products will continue to satisfy Stefano Bemer’s admirers [and others]. This is confirmed by the fact that the “Stefano Bemer” brand is one of the top seven world brands of bespoke men’s shoes. A few years ago, it was taken over by Tommaso Melani from the Scuola del Cuoio in Florence. He has been able to give it an even greater image and prestige: the Bemer name is and always will be the bright light of bespoke shoes.

by Marta Matteini 28 readelitism.com

On the right: Palazzo Capponi

No, you can’t miss it 1. Le Murate – An artistic and creative space. Not only that.

In spring and summer, it’s one of the liveliest spots for Florentines to chat, listen to music and eat. 2. Marino Marini Museum – You mustn’t miss a visit to this museum entirely dedicated to the sculptor, and after the visit, a piece of schiacciata at Forno Top, a stone’s throw from the Museum. 3.

Church of Ognissanti- To admire the gem of Ghirlandaio’s Last Supper, in person. 4. Sant’Ambrogio neighborhood - To relive the novels of Vasco Pratolini and visit Florence’s Synagogue 5. La Strozzina - The latest contemporary art exhibit? Here, right in the center. And after the exhibition, shopping on Via Tornabuoni, the high fashion street. 6. Fiesole Go up to cool off a little and visit the ancient acropolis, with the Basilica of Sant’Alessandro. 7. Visit Palazzo Capponi Where Hannibal was filmed, with Anthony Hopkins.

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Piazza San Marco

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Giardino dei Semplici

Galleria Dell’ Accademia

S.M. Novella Central Train Station

Mercato Centrale

Piazza dell’Unità

Piazza della S.S. Annunziata

San Lorenzo

Piazza S. Maria Novella Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore

Palazzo Strozzi

Piazza Goldoni Ponte Alla Carraia

Piazza della Repubblica

Piazza San Firenze

Piazza S. Trinita Ponte S. Trinita

Mercato Nuovo

Piazza della Signoria

Piazza Santa Croce

Galleria Degli Uffizi Piazza Ponte Mentana Vecchio

Piazza Santo Spirito

Arn o

Piazza Dei Pitti Palazzo Pitti

Piazza De’ Mozzi

Ponte Alle Grazie

ei

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Giardino Giardinodella della Gherardesca Gherardesca

a

Sinagoga

Piazza Piazza Dei Ciompi Dei Ciompi

Piazza Piazza S. Ambrogio Ambrogio

e

AArrnno Torre Torre G. G.Poggi Poggi

Get lost in Florence · Santa Croce Impossible not to stop to admire this gorgeous Church, that gives its name to the neighborhood. Walking the narrow streets and the small squares in the area you will find old workshops and small but precious museums like the Museo Horne and the Museo di Storia della Scienza. The first one displays a significant collection of paintings and sculptures collected by the art critic Horne itself, who lived there. The second is kind of a shrine to Galileo Galilei and hosts his telescopes and the lenses he used to discover the largest moons of Jupiter. Among the many peculiarities of this area, Michelangelo Buonarroti lived for a short period of his life right in Via Ghibellina. Time for the best ice cream in the world now, Vivoli! · Santo Spirito and San Frediano Workshops, goldsmiths, restorers and antiques shops make this two adjacent districts the area of the city in which still lives the old Florentine craftsmanship tradition. A visit to Church of Piazza Santo Spirito, Piazza del Cestello and to the Church of San Frediano in Cestello is in order. Walking through typical cobblestone small alleys named like the old jobs once exerted in the streets themselves (via dei Tessitori, via dei Cardatori, etc…) you can reach Piazza del Carmine. Don’t let the unfinished front side mislead you!

Inside the Church one of the greatest Renaissance masterpieces, the Cappella Brancacci, especially known for the astonishing fresco “Expulsion from the garden of Eden” painted by Masaccio. · Duomo and San Lorenzo San Lorenzo was one of the districts where the Medici family lived and where you can discover unbelievable beauties, strolling around the lanes maze. After the Duomo named Santa Maria del Fiore, the main city Cathedral, you can find the Cappelle Medicee, with their gorgeous marble and stone walls cladding and the first Medici palace, Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, at number one in via Larga (now via Cavour). If you are hungry, the best for a quick meal is the Mercato Centrale, that offers a wide food and drinks choice in a fine steel, glass and cast-iron Art Nouveau building.

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Piazzale Michelangelo Michelangelo Piazzale

· Sant’Ambrogio Lively, dynamic and always hot! The Sant’Ambrogio area usually surprises first time visitors. The main square, with the Sant’ambrogio Church, is one of the oldest in town and it is one of the locals favorite night-life places because of the plenty of clubs, bars, bistros and restaurants all around. A must-see is the Sant’Ambrogio covered Market where you can taste some of the traditional Tuscan products like “la Pattona”. This district is also home to the Synagogue and the Jewish Museum.

· San Niccolò It is not a district, not even a block, it is Via San Niccolò! In the Diladdarno is one of the oldest streets, and takes its name from San Nicola di Mira to whom the Church of San Niccolò Oltrarno is dedicated. The area is rich of notable historical buildings like the Palazzo del Rosso from the 17th century, the Palazzo Demidoff-Amici and the Palazzo GianniLucchesi-Vegni that shows on its facade a plaque to the memory of the Russian director Andrej Tarkovskij and his Florentine days. At number 99 Palazzo Stiozzi-Ridolfi, attributed to Baccio D’Agnolo, and at 107 the decorated front side of Palazzo Nasi-Quartesi with paintings from the 15th century.

· San Miniato al Monte and Piazzale Michelangelo The San Miniato al Monte Abbey is one of the most beautiful Romanesque Churches of Florence and is sacred to San Miniato, one of the first Florentine martyrs. Once you exit the Church, there you see it! The magnificence and the heart of Florence... Forte Belvedere, Santa Croce, the Arno, the Bridges...with the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, Bargello and the Badia Fiorentina bell tower standing out among the breathtaking panorama and, north-side, the smooth hills of Fiesole and Settignano. Piazzale Michelangelo can be reached from Viale Michelangelo, a lovely tree-lined avenue that climbs the hillside, or from the old stoop of the Rampe di San Niccolò.

info@readelitism.com www.readelitism.com Follow us Instagram: @elitismflorence Facebook: @elitismflorence readelitism.com

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Hear ye, hear ye!

Priscilla il musical January 18/20 Teatro Verdi

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RY∙ DE A FEBRU

“Tutù” - Chicos Mambo February 23 Teatro Verdi

ANUAR

Ara Malikian December 11 Obihall

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Peter Bence, December 7 Obihall

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CONCERTO A PALAZZO In Florence, in Borgo Santa Croce 6

An amazing evening in a privately owned magnificent Renaissance Palace where art and history from many centuries ago melt in total harmony with music and singing.

A magic atmosphere for a unique, sensorial experience right in the heart of Florence with the very talented Duo from Arte InCantoMusica, Pamela Burrini a very skilled and versatile piano player and Eva Mabellini a professional and very powerful Mezzo Soprano Opera singer.

Twice a week, every Tuesday and Thursday, Concerto a Palazzo offers you concerts with very fascinating programs, carefully studied and selected to accompany you through Arias and Operas which also reveal aspects of the Classic Music you may not know yet. Important is also to say that on each single evening the performances offer different programs from the previous ones, this to give you also the opportunity to repeat the experience if you wish, as it would be another enjoyable evening, always with a new program.

The location is exclusive, elegant and chic, in the oldest part of town, the true essence of the medieval city and the most lively neighborhood , in one of the most beautiful Renaissance Palaces, the Antinori Corsini Serristori Palace just a few steps away from Piazza Santa Croce.

During the evening you will be captured by the enchanting Arias from the most famous Italian Operas. The charm of the location combined with the skills and talents of the Duo will make your evening an incredible experience, and once you

tried it, you would want to repeat it.

The proposal is double for every single evening , the evening starts from 7.15 pm with an Aperitif “the Florentine way” at Palazzo, just before the first Concert which begins at 7.45 pm on time, or if instead you want to attend the second Concert which starts at 9.15pm , here the proposal is to have dinner before the Concert in one of the most characteristic and trendy restaurants in Florence “Cucina Torcicoda” overlooking Piazza Santa Croce and located at walking distance at only a few minutes away from Palazzo. After dinner a representative from the team will meet you at the restaurant to take you from the restaurant to Palazzo and while you will be guided through the stunningly beautiful Piazza Santa Croce, one of the oldest, and surely the most famous square in Florence, you will be narrated stories or curiosites which will intrigue you.

For the music proposal of every single evening and performance, please check on: Website www.concertoapalazzo.com Email info@concertoapalazzo.com Ph nbr +39 351 8200072, also Whatsapp Facebook - Concertoapalazzo Instagram - Concertoapalazzo Organized by: Ringtrade and Florence Fashion Apartments In collaboration with: Arte InCantoMusica, Mitayly Tasting Italy and Incredible Tuscany

Our Selection

03 / I VISIONARI

01 / DIXIE

02 / CALVANI

04 / GUCCI

05 / COMPTOIR DES COTONNIERS

01 / DIXIE | PULLOVER EGG-SHAPE | € 69 Via del Corso 52r www.dixiefashion.com

04 / GUCCI | SHOPPING BAG OPHIDIA GG SUPREME| € 1190 Via Dei Tornabuoni 73 www.gucci.com

02 / CALVANI FIRENZE | COSMOS TOMMY BLACKASH MAIN LINE | € 215 Via degli Speziali 7 www.calvanifirenze.com

05 / COMPTOIR DES COTONNIERS | TSHIRT MARINIERE OFF WHITE | € 50 Piazza Rucellai 9-11 www.comptoirdescotonniers.com

03 / I VISIONARI | ANDY WOLF / SABOL / C € 399 Piazza Nazario Sauro 14r www.ivisionari.com

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TEATRO FRAGRANZE UNICHE Boutique - Via Porta Rossa 11R ,Firenze +39 055 0649290 www.teatrofragranzeuniche.it

Together, forever.

Enjoy Arezzo and its charming atmosphere

A

rezzo, to say “Yes, forever”. The city opens up and the guest immediately feels at the center. It is an uphill city if you arrive from the station and go towards the Medici Fortress and downhill if you arrive from the parking lots of the same fortress and go towards Piazza Grande: a city to be conquered, just like Love that sometimes must be built up laboriously, uphill, step by step, and other times appears before you like the springtime that colors everything with high hopes, giving you the chance to dive in and run at breakneck speed.

Towers, palaces, streets and alleyways offer an immediate feeling of “elegant romance” for a slow itinerary that combines beauty, history and culture and that must include stopping at one of the many eateries, which are also intimate and therefore naturally romantic.

Arezzo is the perfect city for lovers who want to swear eternal Love while staring off into the sunset from the Medici Fortress. Or in front of the majestic and beautiful Cathedral that rises up from the highest part of the old town. From there you can easily reach the Basilica of San Domenico which houses the Crucifix of Santa Croce painted by Cimabue in the 13th century and that stands as a theatrical backdrop to the small, quiet square.

A few more steps hand-in-hand and you reach the Basilica of San Francesco where there are the frescoes by Piero della Francesca. And then Piazza Grande, one of the most beautiful squares in the world, the perfect set for a “happily ever after”.

It is no coincidence therefore that the town, along with its province, is often the subject of posts about fairytale weddings that foreigners and Italians choose to celebrate here. And Arezzo, from 2 to 4 June, will be the European capital of marriages, hosting popular wedding planners from all over the world. An event organized and promoted by Exito along with the Arezzo Intour Foundation and in collaboration with the Guido d’Arezzo Foundation, the Municipality of Arezzo and the Chamber of Commerce of Arezzo.

Fall in love in Arezzo and fall in love with Arezzo: the dream city for your dream day! Seeing is believing...

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By Cinzia Azzerboni

A real movie star and the unforgettable protagonist of so many masterpieces of the international cinematography. A great actor, very gifted and talented as well as a gentle, good and generous man. He acted in more than 160 movies, a very long career, 32 wins , 19 nominations in Europe and nominated for 3 Oscars. A life entirely dedicated, and very successfully so, to acting, his passion. He was loved and highly appreciated and had millions of fans all over the world.

In 1962 the Time acclaimed Marcello Mastroianni nominating him the most respected and admired foreigner in USA. Among his many movies we like to remember : “La Dolce Vita” (1960) The film that was the genesis of his latin lover persona.

A series of stories following a week in the life of a philandering paparazzo journalist living in Rome.

“Divorzio all’italiana” (1961) A married Sicilian baron that falls in love with his cousin and vows to wed her, but with divorce illegal at the time, he must concoct a crime of passion to do away with his wife.

“Ieri, oggi, domani” (1963) Stories about three very different women and the men they attract.

“Yesterday, today and tomorrow “ is the movie that in 1965 won the Oscar for the Best Foreign Film. Unforgettable and in the annals of the international cinematografy Sophia Loren’s very famous strip tease . Them both, Marcello and Sophia, performed this scene with rare and ironic elegance, and it soon became a cult scene known to most.

Marcello Mastroianni the Italian Latin Lover par excellence, even though he did not like to be labelled so, and honestly he did not think of himself that way. But there was nobody else that has ever embodied one as he did, and surely it is still the same through these days. Marcello Mastroianni was so naturally attractive and elegant as to become iconic. Flair and allure, the eternal cigarette, the tempting, seductive and melancholy look, the sartorial suits, this was the handsome Marcello!

A mix of all this and by all means a true sex symbol, the coolest and the hottest in a period when there were many other cool guys. But he stood out among them all, he had a light and a charisma nobody else had in that same special way. He also represented the epitome of the Italian “Dolce Vita”, in reality Marcello himself was “La Dolce Vita” . And then his secret gift was that, almost as a natural talent, he was simply extraordinary without doing anything, his magic worked just simply being always and only himself with his uncommon, irresistible, natural and unique charm.

Marcello Mastroianni.

The man every woman wanted. And to David Letterman Mastroianni once said he did his best to please as many as he can.

Marcello Mastroianni was also the perfect representative of the Italian style in the world and an internationally recognized Icon.

In Florence in January as usual it will be held “Pitti Uomo”, the most famous and important Italian meanswear fashion show. Among the exhibitors many vendors that are, still to these days, manufacturing with passion, professionalism and tradition delivering high end top quality products that bring the memory back to the perfect tailored suits that Marcello Mastroianni was wearing with his natural timeless and effortless elegance.

He has enjoyed close friendships with many beautiful actresses, including Sophia Loren, Faye Dunaway, Jeanne Moreau, Ursula Andress, Jacqueline Bisset, Monica Vitti, Romy Schneider, Natassia Kinski . Some, not all, have been his lovers.

Flora Mastroianni, the actor’s wife once said it was the nature of the Latin male ‘’He likes to wander, to feel potent and free. So you let him go, absolutely without strings - and sooner or later, he’ll come back home.’’

Married all his life to Flora, he had deep and important love stories with Catherine Deneuve and Anna Maria Tato, his companion till the end.

In Rome through February 2019 an exhibition in homage to his career with more than 600 testimonies.

In 1987 the New York Times wrote a long article about him “Still Mastroianni “ and among the many stories and anedoctes, it also talked about that one time when Audrey Hepburn was in Rome and of when she was informed that Mastroianni would have joined them for dinner she exclaimed “I have dreamed of this for years”. Hard to resist Marcello Mastroianni’s appeal!

David Letterman in a TV interview pictured him as “a romantic at the Italian way “. In that interview Marcello Mastroianni talking about women, said that : “I would want to make all of them happy, this is my intent. We think we are smart, but when you want too many of them, in the end you do not have any. It’s because we are generous, we are victims “

Undeniable his love for all women in general. He said “Women are beautiful, but they complicate life. At night, you don’t sleep, you talk, you argue, you make love at 5 in the morning, then drag yourself off to the studio - a madhouse! “

“ 8 ½” (1963) A harried movie director retreats into his memories and fantasies.

“Matrimonio all’italiana” (1964) The rich man Domenico and Filumena, a penniless prostitute, share great part of their lives in the immediate post WWII Italy.

Style Icon Marcello Mastroianni

ULIVIERO ULIVIERI 42 readelitism.com

- His art still flows against the current -

Florence under the wonderful touch of the Tuscan artist

by Rose Saville

W

ith clear blue skies on the banks of the Arno, Florence is the absolute protagonist of the world portrayed by Uliviero Ulivieri. Florence and its beauties, Florence and its streets, Florence and its rooftops under the wonderful touch of the Tuscan artist.

His characters send everything into disarray, the city, the coast and seaside villages. The protagonists leap about, sail small boats and sometimes fly through the sky. Streets and narrow alleys are suddenly populated, and windows open onto the city.

Newspapers announce good news, a giant moon hovers above the light blue days and at dusk, there are suddenly dances, pleasant chats, a kitten or dog enjoying the scene. At times, as if by magic, balloons float through the sky creating an ideal connection between heaven and earth. A daydream, a dreamed reality, a happy metaphysical place where time halts and makes way for imagination.

Anything can happen in the “Strafantasie” and Florence is always there, checking that everything is going well, maybe even laughing, behind the beauty of its monuments, waiting for, in any moment, Ulivieri’s brushstroke and touch to make something happen. The Ponte Vecchio with a smile on its lips observes its funny spectators. Brunelleschi’s dome is blissfully happy, even when snow falls on Florence and Ulivieri makes his “little men” fly through the sky, as if they were snowflakes.

A perennial youth with a sweet and slightly shy aspect.

Florentine by birth and by choice, he has absorbed from his city the art of digging deep within himself to bring out the best of

his ego. Born in Florence, Italy in 1934, between Santa Maria Novella and the Arno, he studied at the Art Institute of Porta Romana; later under the guidance of Pietro Annigoni, the “painter of Queens,” he perfected his hand and his line. On his palette, acrylics and china inks predominate.

At age 17 he was commissioned to paint an oil on canvas of “Christ” for the Savaiana Church of San Mommè. It is still on display today and admired by many of the artist’s followers. Years passed in which Ulivieri needed to listen to the voices within. To live in the quiet of the Tosco-Emilian Apennines where he frequently takes refuge, in the peace of the forest, broken only by the sound of the bells of San Mommè.

Uliveri’s paintings are immediately pleasing, with clear clean color but also shadows and transparencies which capture the spectator with their profound poetry. For years, Ulivieri resisted those who wished to launch him commercially in the art market. It went against the introverted and shy personality reflected in his art, in spite of his successes in those occasional national and international exhibitions that he rarely agrees to.

His first private solo exhibition was held in 1961 at the Popolare University at Pistoia, Italy.

Today Ulivieri is having the time of his life and is a success the world over. Monks, nuns, traffic wardens, and a boy scout are the main characters in the artist’s masterpieces. Ulivieri’s art flows against the current. The acrylics and drawings come spontaneously, guided by a firm hand that studies the lines while creating. Imagination becomes the component of his journey called “Strafantasie”.

As a maestro born in the same city as several geniuses such as Michelangelo, Botticelli and many others, his imagination is spurred on by continuous thoughts and creations.

His paintings are part of many private collections around the world, in Australia, Belgium, Dubai, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Shang Hai, Singapore, Spain, and the United States, among others.

Currently, Ulivieri’s works are found exclusively at Faustini Arte in the beautiful city of Florence, but there are great expectations that his magic will be expanding to different corners of the world.

FIRENZE Borgo Ognissanti, 21/23 r TEL. 055 218021 www.galleriafaustini.com info@galleriafaustini.it

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PITTI UOMO no. 95 Florence, Fortezza da Basso 8-11 January 2019 Men’s fashion and lifestyle collections for FW 2019/20 THE GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS FOR FASHION & LIFESTYLE Pitti Uomo offers an increasingly accurate editing of its geography, with new layouts and original presentations. Focus on its all-out comprehensive research taking to Florence and to the Fortezza both big fashion design names and projects with a contemporary soul.

Pitti Immagine Uomo, the key global fair dedicated to menswear and contemporary lifestyles will be held in Florence from 8 to 11 January 2019.

A world that evolves at every edition to represent the latest movements in fashion through projects with a unique style. An increasingly polished geography of the spaces that, on one side, reflects the careful process of perfecting the offering and, on

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the other, studies new modes of presentation, with new display solutions molded in such a way as to best portray original brand mixes as well as new stories. Plus, a focus on the sections that present menswear research today and an expansion of the more forward-thinking areas: projects that combine outdoor passion and fashion attitude showcasing the new souls of the athletic-minded wardrobe and revealing the creativity of young craftspeople from around the world. Alongside this there is the new generation of talents from Northern Europe, high range street style and the top names in cutting-edge design. Without ever forgetting the heart of the Pitti Uomo tradition, the rigor of the elegance and excellence of the new classic companies together with the brands that embody the modernity of sportswear. With the unique atmosphere of the Pitti Experience that is further emphasized on the digital front by e-PITTI.com which is bringing forward the moment when the stands go live to the last day of the fair.

www.playgroundshop.com

Viale Don G.Minzoni 31/A - 50129 Firenze

A COFFEE? YES, PLEASE!

T

THERE IS NOTHING MORE ITALIAN THAN A COFFEE

hat time when the famous tycoon Aristotele Onassis helped Renato Bialetti to promote and sell his Moka, and since then it all changed for him.

This is the story that Renato Bialetti, son of Alfonso Bialetti, the Italian engineer who became famous for the invention of the Moka Express coffemaker in 1933, loved to tell anytime he could. At the time Renato was a young guy , at the end of World War II, and his father wanted him to start working with him and to take charge and manage the Company, so he started travelling everywhere to show and sell as many of his Mokas as he possibly could.

One day he was in a hotel in the middle of quite a difficult meeting with potential french buyers which unfortunately were skeptical and were definitely giving him quite a hard time when Renato Bialetti, feeling hopeless and almost about to give up, suddenly saw Aristotele Onassis entering the hotel and walking down the hall. He was very fast to think and decided to try the impossible and so he excused himself and went to look for Mr. Onassis to approach him. He introduced himself as a young entrepeneur who desperately needed some urgent help. And at that point instinctively he had the guts to ask Onassis to pretend he knew him and also asked him to tell his buyers that he owned one of his Mokas and obviously loved it. And incredibly as it may sound, Mr.Onassis actually accepted and a little later he walked into the meeting , friendly greeted Renato Bialetti and told him that he was so happy with his Bialetti Moka , the best coffee he ever had in his life.

Needless to say that the meeting with the french buyers was a success and ended very well, and that since that day the young Bialetti was launched in the international business world and he became part of it , and belonged to it , for the rest of his life.

The iconic Bialetti Moka is 85 years old, does not show its age and still through these days it looks nice and modern. The secret lays mostly in its classic design elegance, a shape slightly deco, and its technological simplicity. From the early 1950s to the present day, Bialetti has manufactured over 300 million coffee makers and millions of happy consumers all over the world are daily enjoying the pleasure to have a great Italian coffee, an authentic tasty Italian espresso, ready at home in only a few minutes.

The Bialetti Moka, a style icon since the 1950s, is called in Italian “la macchinetta” “the little machine” or “la caffettiera” , and it has become the world’s most famous coffee pot also cited in the Guinness Book of World Records. The Moka is a coffee maker that brews coffee by passing boiling water pressurized by steam through ground coffee.Named after the Yemenite city of Mocha, made of aluminum, it has an unique and distinctive eight-sided shape. It was the Bialetti design together with the use of the novel metal which made the coffee-pot something rather special, reason why for the past 85 years till these days, it has the exact same unchanged design and because of its iconic design it is diplayed in Modern Industrial Art & Design Museums such as the MoMa in New York.

And then, what has made the Bialetti Moka an inimitable and unique one is the famous “L’omino con i baffi “ the man with a mustache so as it is represented in the Moka, and which is actually the drawing of Renato Bialetti himself.

Many of us Italians have grown watching the tv commercials of “L’omino con i baffi” which have become as legendary and iconic as the Moka itself.

Well, if you still do not own one, it’s time for you to go shopping for it while in Florence and make yourself a coffee at the true Italian way.

By Cinzia Azzerboni

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La Dolce Vita Design edition

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Here we present two tasty recipes, to be prepared with ingredients from the Coop.fi “vivi verde” and “fiorfiore” product lines.

4 servings Difficulty: easy Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 12 minutes Ingredients: • 400 g whole grain organic spaghetti vivi verde Coop • 200 g organic natural tofu vivi verde Coop • 150 g organic shelled walnuts vivi verde Coop • 1 glass soy milk • 100 g organic baby spinach vivi verde Coop • extra virgin olive oil • salt • pepper

4 servings Difficulty: easy Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour Ingredients: • 600-800 g guinea fowl cut into pieces • 1 bottle double malt red ale fiorfiore Coop • 3 celery stalks • red “tardivo” Trevisano radicchio “Italian chicory” fiorfiore Coop • 2 red onions • extra virgin olive oil fiorfiore Coop • thyme • rosemary • 1 pomegranate

We look forward to seei

Whole grain spaghetti with tofu, baby spinach and walnut cream sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a mixer, blend together crumbled tofu, 100 g walnuts, soy milk, baby spinach, salt and pepper.

Slowly add olive oil as mix is blending until a smooth creamy texture is obtained.

Heat the cream in a pan. Cook spaghetti al dente and stir cream into the pasta, adding a small amount of pasta water if necessary. Serve in pasta dishes and garnish with remaining walnuts.

Guinea fowl in ale with grilled red radicchio and pomegranate

INSTRUCTIONS:

Singe pieces of guinea fowl to remove any remaining feathers. Finely chop onions and celery and sauté them in a frying pan with olive oil. Once onion and celery are soft, add pieces of guinea fowl with thyme and rosemary and sauté them until evenly cooked. Add ale and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes without lid. Transfer to 180˚C oven and cook for 30 minutes. Add pomegranate seeds five minutes before removing from oven.

Meanwhile, cut radicchio into slices, dress them in olive oil and grill them on a cast-iron grill. Serve together with guinea fowl.

ing you at our supermarkets: for a complete list, see www.coopfirenze.it

Rocca di Frassinello A winery in Maremma by Renzo Piano

Tuscany is not just the home of cultural and architectural splendors. It is also pleasant, polite people.

Eating well and above all, drinking well too.

Towards the sea, in the Maremma area, there is the perfect combination of wine and archeology. The encounter between the editor Paolo Panerai and the architect Renzo Piano led to the creation of an elegant and fascinating wine cellar. Rich in history and culture.

When you reach the hill where it is located, you can breathe the sea air that comes from Castiglione della Pascaia. All round are the vineyards that have the typical golden hues of the Maremma.

Piano designed a wine cellar with simple shapes and that was not conceived as a monument to the customer or to the wine.

Rather, it exalts its functionality.

It highlights the factory. The place where the production occurs.

An almost sacred but at the same time humble ritual.

Wine cellars usually have a progressive horizontal layout to follow the production line: from the vat cellar, to the barrel room and then the warehouse.

Piano revolutionized this design by asking himself this question: where is the heart of a wine cellar?

The answer: the barrel room.

The place where the wine elevates and improves its quality while remaining in the barrel or bottle for the correct length of time.

Piano places it at the center of the wine cellar, below ground, to maintain the humidity and temperature levels stable naturally. One large square 40 meters by 40 meters with an immense loft that supports itself without the aid of any columns. All around, like a 20-meter frame, are all the parts of the production cycle. On two sides there are the steel tanks and, above each of these, there is a manhole that opens onto the roof above which is nothing more than a large square that covers the barrel room (Piano calls it the churchyard). During the harvest, the grapes are carried in small boxes to the selection tables, right next to those manholes, allowing

the grapes to fall, pulled by gravity, into the fermentation vats.

This avoids the use of pumps which would stress the grapes, reducing the quality.

On the other two sides there are all the other functions: bottling, storage, warehouse and logistics area.

Those who come here spend a few hours discovering the identity of Rocca di Frassinello.

A journey that starts from the encounter with the revolutionary architecture of Renzo Piano and then continues with the exploration of the Etruscan Exhibition set up by Italo Rota.

It goes deep into the roots of the magical art of producing wine that, in this area, started almost 3,000 years ago.

The tour ends with a wine-tasting session, which is enlivened by the chance to admire the creation of David LaChapelle, “Rapture of the Grape”, that the great American photographer produced inspired by the wines and landscape of Rocca di Frassinello .

Guests can, at the end of the visit, continue on to discover more about the Etruscans and the wine culture of this civilization by visiting the “Rocca di Frassinello – San Germano” archaeological site, freely accessible within the estate.

It will almost be like going on a journey within a journey.

An intense and enveloping sensory experience.

Cristina Tedde

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NY SKA JAZZ ENSEMBLE Let’s spend the night together in Florence

F

or those who are in Florence during the winter season, ideal for clubbing, the Christmas period opens with the exciting live show by the New York Ska Jazz Ensemble on 25 December at the FLOG Auditorium (Via M. Mercati 24; Tickets €12, at 10:30 pm).

An opportunity to go wild with the American music group who reworks jazz in a modern key with a potent mix of dance hall and rocksteady.

With their high-speed rhythms that infect the audience with their incredible energy, they have been bringing their show to stages all around the world without ever failing to meet expectations, engaging all audiences from small clubs to the stages of prestigious festivals for the last 25 years.

Born during the explosive ska period, the band has been able to integrate perfectly with others over time. All the members have collaborated with many eminent musicians of all genres, and for this reason the New York Ska Jazz Ensemble is unique in its mix of sounds.

The live show is therefore a step back into the fertile music scene of the Big Apple in the ‘90s, when the saxophonist Fred Reiter, member of The Toasters, ska band formed in 1981 and still in operation, devised a side project in which to experiment with new sounds starting from his background jazz musician. The Toasters at the time had become quite popular, thanks to the composition of music for Coca Cola adverts and long series of other kinds of successes in another genre, born from ska and appreciated by the general public: reggae.

Fred Reiter brought together a combination of multicultural and open-minded musicians, in particular Devon James and Cary Brown from the Jamaican Skatalites, veterans of the scene that he met in 1993 when they accompanied The Toasters in their tour. Among the founders there is also Victor Rice, the bassist of The Scofflaws, a young and popular band from Long Island that was part of the “third wave ska”, the evolution of the genre into punk sounds. They began to perform live in Manhattan offering creative interpretations of jazz classics and some original compositions that were immediately appreciated both in the US and in Europe, so much so as to be invited to many festivals including The North Sea Jazz Festival and The Bob Marley Reggae Festival.

To date they have released eight studio albums, all the records produced have received excellent reviews despite numerous lineup changes, and their live performances are highly appreciated and make them ideal for an alternative Christmas night.

By Francesco Sani 52 readelitism.com

ADESSO Ed abbiamo corso, in luoghi dove nessuno ci conosce.

Dove il tempo non esiste.

Dove non vi sono né l’età, né i ricordi.

Il passato, è una cosa lontana.

E con noi, gioca solo il presente.

NOW And we ran, to places where nobody knows us.

Where time does not exist.

Where there is neither age, nor memory.

The past is something distant.

And our only playmate, the present.

Cristina Tedde @cri.ted

La Val d’Orcia - Photo Simone Rae

Agenda: For information and to buy tickets: Box Office

www.boxofficetoscana.it - info@boxofficetoscana.it

DECEMBER:

December 2 | Sunday EDOARDO BENNATO Teatro Verdi – Firenze December 2 | Sunday DUO NANNONI PRESTIA Auditorium Santo Stefano – Firenze December 5 | Wednesday SALVIMAIO Teatro Puccini – Firenze December 6 | Thursday CorpoImmaginE performance experiences - serie II Tenax - Firenze December 6 | Thursday Dutch Nazari ‘Tour Europeo (in Italia)’ Combo Social Club - Firenze December 7 | Friday DREFGOLD Viper Club – Firenze December 7 | Friday PETER BENCE Obihall – Firenze December 7 | Friday BANDABARDÒ25 Nelson Mandela Forum – Firenze December 7 | Friday NEXTECH SPECIAL 2018 Padiglione Cavaniglia Fortezza da Basso – Firenze December 8 | Saturday PETITE MESSE SOLENNELLE Forum Fondazione Bertarelli – Cinigiano GR December 9 | Sunday MADAMA BUTTERFLY Teatro Politeama Pratese – Prato December 11 | Tuesday ARA MALIKIAN Obihall – Firenze

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December 12 | Wednesday MANESKIN Obihall – Firenze

December 26 | Wednesday LO SCHIACCIANOCI – balletto in due atti Teatro Puccini – Firenze

December 13 | Thursday MARIO BIONDI Obihall – Firenze December 15+16 | Saturday + Sunday IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA Teatro Politeama Pratese – Prato December 22 | Saturday LO SCHIACCIANOCI Teatro della Pergola – Firenze

December 29 | Saturday CAUCASIAN PASSION Teatro Politeama Pratese – Prato

December 25 | Tuesday NEW YORK SKA JAZZ ENSEMBLE Auditorium Flog – Firenze

JANUARY January 3 | Thursday LO SCHIACCIANOCI Teatro Politeama Pratese – Prato January | From Friday 4 till Sunday 6 LE CIRQUE WITH WORLD’S TOP PERFORMERS - ALIS Tuscany hall – Firenze January 12 | Saturday TEDUA Auditorium Flog – Firenze January 12+13 | Saturday + Sunday QUARTET Teatro Politeama Pratese – Prato January 19+20 | Saturday + Sunday INTERNATIONAL SKATE AWARDS Nelson Mandela Forum – Firenze January 19+20 | Saturday + Sunday GRAN GALA DELL’OPERETTA Teatro Politeama Pratese – Prato

FEBRUARY: February 1+2 | Friday + Saturday PISTOIA MAGIC – quinta edizione Teatro Mauro Bolognini – Pistoia February 2 | Saturday DE ANDRÈ CANTA DE ANDRÈ STORIA DI UN IMPIEGATO Tuscany hall - Firenze February 9 | Saturday RINO GAETANO BAND Auditorium Flog – Firenze February 21 | Thursday THE PINEAPPLE THIEF Feat GAVIN HARRISON + very special guests Viper Club - Firenze

HAPPY NEW YEAR

FROM THE CITY OF PRATO! Celebrate with us

Starting on the evening of

December 31, 2018,

there are loads of events to see out the old year and ring

celebrating on the first of January 2019 with €1 admission to the city’s museums and at 5 pm, two unmissable concerts: the traditional concert of gospel music at the Metastasio Theater and the Chiti Orchestra in the lobby of the central station. in the new. And we’ll still be

Live Prato Love Prato

NEARBY Val d’Orcia

Discover the green fields vineyards and rolling hills of the Val d’Orcia

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S M P iena

The silver thread is a color, the “Terra di Siena” (sienna), in an unforgettable balanced and smooth landscape. Let’s start your visit from Piazza del Campo, with its particular seashell shape, that is the focal point of town’s life since the 14th century. From this square you can admire the Palazzo Pubblico and the Mangia Tower. A must-see is the Museo Civico di Siena, where you find the “Allegoria ed Effetti del Buono e del Cattivo Governo” painting by Lorenzetti. Continue towards the Dome, the Battistero and the Opera del Duomo Museum to get as much as you can of the art and culture of this lovely city. Do not forget to taste typical sweets with wine...”Ricciarelli e Vin santo”. ontalcino

Montalcino is a medieval town crossed by narrow steep streets with breathtaking views. Preserved in its Diocesan Civic Museum of Sacred Art are masterpieces that are not to be missed. One of the most extensive collections of painting and wooden sculpture of the Sienese school is housed there. Noteworthy churches include the 14-century church of Sant’Agostino, the neoclassical Cathedral, the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Soccorso and Sant’Egidio - the church “of the Sienese.” The Palazzo Comunale (end of 13th century) is quite unique, with a slender structure flanked by a tall bell tower that stands out almost like a lookout tower. Surrounding Montalcino are dense woods interspersed with traditional vineyards and olive groves on slopes that draw the eye to those series of hills that have helped impress the Val d’Orcia in the collective imagination. ienza

Pienza is the best-known town in Val d’Orcia and known as the city of Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini here in 1405. Considered the Ideal City “born of an idea of love and a dream of beauty”, as Giovanni Pascoli wrote. In 1996, Pienza, with its distinctive features, and the whole Val d’Orcia, were recognized as World Heritage Sites. The Duomo or Cathedral of the Assumption houses important and remarkable paintings by the most renowned artists of the time, while the beautiful octagonal bell tower rises above the ancient crypt, pointing straight at the sky. Palazzo Piccolomini, a rare gem, was actually chosen by Franco Zeffirelli for the shooting of some scenes of his famous romantic film Romeo and Juliet; the two lovers meet here for the first time at the Capulet’s party.

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WE ARE A SUSTAINABLE CITY, WE TAKE CARE OF: INCREASE TAP WATER CONSUMPTION

Play Play with the App! You can wincan the win Florence Urban Water withWaste the Waste App! You the Florence Urban Water flas flask and pick it up at the tourist infopoints. Search with the APP the you can fill them up. You can also get the Urban Waste Florence map at t fountains,where you can fill them up. You can also get the Urban Waste Florence map at the tourist infopoints.

Project realized by Regione Toscana

nfo points. Search withProject the APP the fountains,where realized by Regione Toscana in collaboration with Publiacqua Spa.

sk and pick it up at the tourist info points. Search with the APP the fountains,where qua Spa. the tourist infopoints

a in collaboration with Publiacqua Spa.

F L O R E N C E

See it, snap it, share it.

There’s something magical around every corner.

#elitismflorence

See you next time in Florence.

We can’t wait to welcome you again. www.readelitism.com

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