What to do in Tuscany: Events in July-August 2011

Dear Friends,
Today I want to highlight some interesting shows and events taking place this summer in Tuscany, geared to both adults and children, especially for those who are just about to set off on their holidays in the coming weeks.

- The first event I´d like to mention is the classical music concerts taking place in Siena in the beautiful Accademia Chigiana in one of the most beautiful theatres of the Italian Renaissance. For the concert program see the following link: http://www.chigiana.it/

- Another popular event in Tuscany is the prestigious Festival de la Música de Radicondoli which begins on the 29th of July and continues until the 7th August. Here you will be able to enjoy pleasant evenings with music. Please visit the following site for more information: http://www.radicondoliarte.org/


- Another interesting festival is the Teatro Povero di Montichiello, where actors and musicians improvise to create a typically Tuscan scene. See the official website: http://www.teatropovero.it/

- I´d also like to recommend another interesting music festival, at San Galgano (see the above photo), an impressive roofless church situated in a spectacular enclave in Tuscany. Over the next weeks in this unique place various musical performances and operas will take place. A couple which particularly stand out are Carmina Burana and Swan Lake. For more information you can see the following webpage: http://www.festivalopera.it

- For something a bit different, from the 24th of July up until the 7th of August, in Siena, the jazz concerts are taking place. The Jazz school of Siena is one of the most important in the whole of Italy. For more information and the concert program visit the official website: http://www.sienajazz.it/


- Other notable musical events include: the Music festival of the Valdorcia (1st-16th August), the festival of the Crete Senesi from the 14th to the 22nd August and the Sarteano Jazz Festival from the 24th to the 26th August.

There are also events not exclusively devoted to music and particularly appropriate for children as well as adults.

- The Pontassieve: Summer in the Park festival overflowing with concerts, cinema, musical theatre, children’s events and dance takes place from 26th July until 13th September (Florence Province). See the following link: http://www.estatealparco.it/default.asp

- Finally, a 10 day festival of music, food, dance, markets, entertainment and shows to celebrate the Patron Saint of Borgo, San Lorenzo, will take place in the Borgo itself (Florence Province) from the 7th to the 15th August. Tel: 055 845 6230 / 84966229.

As always, I hope that this information is useful to those planning their upcoming holidays and that you enjoy any of the events you go to.

Emma.

The story of Sting and his Tuscan Villa

The first town where I spent my first 7 years of life was Figline Valdarno, a charming village that still preserves beautiful Medieval and Renaissance palaces, just at 20 km from Florence. Like all kids of my age I used to go to a public school, which like most Italian schools of those times were managed by nuns and priests.

At the school of Figline (called Seristori school) I met my first friend: the Duke Simone Velluti Zati di San Clemente.

Simone's family were dukes and they owned lands, houses, castles and villas along many kilometers between the cities of Florence and Arezzo.

Simone and his family lived in "Il Palagio" a beautiful Renaissance Florentine Villa located very near to the town of Figline. The Villas was spectacular and wonderful with its Italian gardens, a lake, a soccer field and tennis court in the forest next to Villa, and huge halls where I played with Simone.


The rooms of the house were fabulous and we enjoyed the most delicious meals carefully served by the maids of the Villa. I keep this house as one of my earliest memories and those times as the special moment of meeting my first friend.

At the end of the school year, Simone's parents thought it was very important for Simon learning English perfectly so they moved to Rome where Simone went to an English school.

The years went by, but Simone kept returning to Figliene and to the Palagio in the weekends, and every year for his birthday which was always a great party!

My family moved to Paris and we lost contact until 2008, when thanks to Facebook we got in touch again and then Simone told me the story of the Palagio and Sting.

Simone told me that maintaining such a large Villa was too expensive and one day they received an interesting offer from Sting so they decided to sell it.

Today Sting lives in the Palagio near Figline Valdarno.....in the house that was my kindergarten .... unbelievable!

So if you're in Tuscany and you feel curious about it just go to Figline Valdarno and look for the Palagio. Everybody in the town will tell you how to get there! But pay attention....I think Sting is very shy so better avoid ringing the bell ...

Arrivederci,

Giovanni

Summer 2008 The opera Festival , Opera and Theatre season

Florence – at Giardino dei Boboli (what a wonderful location!!!)

Shows start at 9,15 PM

June 11-12-13-14
CATS

June 25 and July 10-30
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA

July 3-17-29
LA BOHEME

July 8-23
LA TRAVIATA

July 11
SIGUR ROS

July 14-15
THE BEST OF MOMIX 2008

July 22
FIORELLA MANNOIA – Italian Pop Concert

July 24
CARMINA BURANA
BOLERO

July 28
FILM MUSIC – Camera Orchestra

August 5
O.R.T.-ORCHESTRA DELLA TOSCANA – PUCCINI E VERDI A PARIGI

Chiusdino (Siena) – at Abbazia di San Galgano (just magic..google it for pictures!!)

Shows start at 9.00pm

June 13 – July 26
CARMINA BURANA
BOLERO

June 18-21-28 and July 4
IL FLAUTO MAGICO

July 24
SULLE TRACCE DI DIAGHILEV

Barberino di Mugello – at Villa Medicea di Cafaggiolo

Shows start at 9.00pm

July 11
LE STAGIONI


July 6
FAVOLE with Paolo Poli

July 13 at Chiostro Cennaio
LE STAGIONI

July 16 at Chiostro Cennaio
LAUDARIO DI CORTONA

July 20
LA BOHEME

July 27
CARMINA BURANA
BOLERO

Yearly Music Events in Tuscany

Lots of Music in Tuscany

Througout the year the region of Tuscany funds a series of music festivals called "Toscana Musiche".
The festivals are the following:
Barga Jazz: for twenty years good jazz. Next Edition August 20 to 26, 2006. For more info call +390583 711044
Siena Jazz: National Italian Accademy of Jazz, a school and a source of concerts. For More info +390577 271401
Arezzo Wave: twenty years of concerts in Arezzo. The last edition was held between the 11th and the 16th of July. For more info +390575 401722.
Metarock: Raggae, funk, hip hop in Pisa, where the last edition was from the 15th to the 17th of June. For more info +39050 40821.
Musica dei Popoli: Thirty years after the first edition, the next one will be on October 2006, from the first to the 30th in Florence. For more info +39055 4220300.
Piero Ciampi Prize: In Livorno the next edition will be in December. For more info +390586 892984.
Festival delle Colline: The last edition was held between June 20th to July 14th, 2006. For more info +390574 5317
On the Road Festival: This contest in Pelago attracts many a street artist to compete with each other. The last edition was between the 6th and the 9th of July, 2006. For more info +39055 8327301.
Musica e Suoni dal Mondo: In Carrara this musical event reunites musicists from the 5 continents between the end of July and the beginning of August. For more info +390585 641393.
Vivere Jazz Festival: The last edition was between June 26th and July 4th, 2006 in Firenze, Fiesole, Sesto. For more info +39055 240397.
Pistoia Blues: Too much to say about this event. One of the protagonists of the last edition (July 12th to 16th, 2006) was Caetano Veloso. For more info +39 0573 994659.

For more info on other musical events throughout the year in Tuscany please visit: www.toscanamusiche.it

Caetano Veloso at Pistoia Blues

The Tuscan Blues Event in Pistoia

This year Caetano Veloso has decided to tour Italy and have a concert in Pistoia at the Pistoia Blues. Pistoia Blues has been running for over 26 years starting in 1980 with performers such as BB King and Muddy Waters.


Caetano Veloso will also stop at different cities in Italy, but the concert in Pistoia is going to be July 18, 2006. The singer has recently (5 years ago) composed a song in Italian after having composed so many in other Romance languages. The Brazilian singer, famous in Europe mostly after having participated to movies where he sang "Cuccurrucuccu Paloma" in Spanish, will surely receive great plause by the Italian public because of his eclectic and ever-changing music style.



The concert tickets are already on sale for 30, 35, and 50 Euros per ticket. The affluence at Pistoia Blues is greatly increased in the past few years, so I sincerely advise you to buy the tickets in advance and get at least the 35 Euro ones if you want to get to see Caetano Veloso live and not on screen.

Pistoia Blues is an event running from July 14 to July 16. Not to be missed!!
Other events are the Siena Jazz Festival in Siena every Summer.

Also, if you are looking for a place to stay when you are in Tuscany, I have found some websites that rent villas and apartments in Tuscany near Pistoia. Some are not expensive at all, and if you are a group and share it is even cheaper. Here is the list:
Holiday Apartment Tuscany