Tasting – Finding Florence

Dario Cecchini: The Butcher Who Honors the Beast

Inside the Tuscan Butcher Shop Where Tradition, Ethics, and Culinary Art Collide

written by Connor McHugh for SPEL Journalism

In the heart of Tuscany lies the small town of Panzano, where there is a butcher shop with a man dubbed “The Greatest Butcher Who Ever Lived.” Dario Cecchini has taken the occupation of being a butcher and turned it into an art form. Armed with a brass instrument that signals the opening of the shop each morning, Cecchini has become an icon in the world of food and animal rights.

While born into an eighth-generation family, Cecchini was originally never interested in the life of a butcher. He grew so attached to the cattle they raised that he moved to Pisa to become a veterinarian. After the early death of his father, Cecchini was forced to return to Panzano to take over the family business. Cecchini saw this as an opportunity to change the butcher world and its treatment of animals. He instituted non-negotiable rules for every cow that he used. These included the cattle living a full and happy life, only using free-range cattle, and requiring the use of every part of the animal. This ensured the best possible life for every animal used and that no death was in vain.

This unique and innovative approach to his craft has led him to collaborate with the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Jamie Oliver, and Gordon Ramsay. He has appeared on shows such as Chef’s Table on Netflix, where he uses his platform to advocate for the lives of animals that are used in cooking. Cecchini gained international attention when, in 2001, he held a televised mock funeral for cows after the EU banned the sale of beef on the bone, which caused meat producers to waste large amounts of beef. The funeral made waves around the culinary world and caused many butchers to follow in his footsteps by using the “head to tail” approach. The “head to tail” approach is a method that uses every single part of the cow, all they way from the head to the tail.

I had the opportunity to visit Antica Macelleria Cecchini during a wine tour to see for myself the amazing food that the best butcher alive can make. When I first arrived, the shop was surrounded by people waiting for the store to open. A few minutes later, Cecchini came out with his signature small trumpet and played a tune along with his famous “Carne Diem” chants to welcome the guests and signal the official opening of the macelleria.

As guests ushered into the macelleria, they were greeted with bread topped with solidified beef tallow, which comes from the fat of the cow. From the moment you walk in, Cecchini stays true to his goal of using every part of an animal to honor it. As most producers would throw away this part of the animal completely, Cecchini turns it into a savory starter that leaves the customer wanting more.

Heading down to the reserved table for our tour group, the table was set for a family-style dinner with a pre-made menu. The restaurant employs mainly special needs workers, as Cecchini wants to provide opportunities for work to a highly marginalized community in Italy. A message on the placemat informs guests that this is a special type of butcher shop, so you won’t find only traditional cuts of meat but rather any part of the cow that you could want. The restaurant also intentionally seats you at the same table with people not from your party to create a community around the food. My table had people from Texas, Minnesota, England, and Hong Kong. It was a new experience but one that truly did elevate the meal because of the chance to eat with people from all over the world.

Next came the meat. A lot of meat. The meat was flying around the table so fast it was hard to keep up. They brought out multiple dishes, family style, for people to take a little from each plate and pass it around. The objective was to taste the dish and try to guess what part of the cow it came from. Typically, the most common cuts of meat are taken from the loin and the rib. All of the beef that we were served was taken from the typically unused parts in traditional restaurants. There were parts from the neck, round, shank, and brain. These parts usually are not as fatty and more muscular, so they don’t inherently contain as much flavor.

I had high expectations because of the reputation the place… and Cecchini delivered. My expectations were shattered. If you told me that I was eating a $300 steak, I would have believed you. The craftsmanship required to turn “useless” parts of a cow into a high-end delicacy cannot go understated. It is a testament to decades of learning and loving an animal so much that you want to honor it, even in death.

As I left Antica Macelleria Cecchini, I couldn’t help but reflect on the experience—not just the meal, but the philosophy behind it. Dario Cecchini is more than a butcher; he is a storyteller, a craftsman, and a guardian of tradition. His passion for honoring animals, his commitment to ethical butchery, and his ability to turn forgotten cuts into culinary masterpieces make him a true icon in the food world. In a time when mass production often overshadows quality and care, Cecchini’s work is a reminder that food should be respected, shared, and, above all, celebrated.

Spilling the Beans: Comparing Café Culture Between Italy and America

Reflecting on the differences between the rushed attitude of coffee drinkers in America, to the relaxed nature of café culture in Italy.

written by Tyler Kirwan for SPEL: Journalism

Cafés in America are quite different to those in Italy on multiple different fronts. The reason why seems to stem from the difference in attitudes on leisure between the two countries.

In July 2023 I visited Italy for the first time. My trip was two weeks long and included four other countries in Europe. So many countries in such a short time that I normally forget to mention some when telling people of the trip. Still, it was amazing, and we spent the bulk of the trip traveling around Italy. We made Rome our home base while in the country, and traveled to Florence and Naples while we were here. Of the three cities, I would with 80% certainty say that Florence was my favorite of the places I visited. Luckily for me, I attended my school’s study abroad fair on a whim one day while walking through our Journalism building, and discovered they offered a semester in Florence with an Internship! How exciting I thought, and spoke with my advisor about the opportunity. Six months later I was applying for the abroad program, and four months after that I was packing my bags.

Working in coffee for over seven years, I would consider myself a pretty O.K. source of all things encompassing. When you take into account the fact that I am only twenty years old, I feel as though I am allowed even more merit points. I have worked in the coffee scene since I was thirteen. I’ll avoid the long explanation, but basically when I was in eighth grade, I opened up a coffee shop at my local mall and have been pretty interested in coffee and its culture ever since. Following my coffee shop, I was hired as a barista in a small café in my hometown. Six years later and I am still working there, so I feel I know the demographics of ours and other American shops. The types of people who spend time inside sitting down are students, remote workers, families, and friends / dates. (I can never really tell which group people fall into.)

My coffee shop also definitely affiliates itself with the younger audience; a place for self-described indie and emo kids.

The coffee scene in Italy though, now that is an entirely different scene. A ‘Brave New World’, if you will. On my first trip to Italy, it was what obsessed me the most. I remember walking through the train station in Rome after leaving the airport, and an Illy Cafè caught my eye. I was previously familiar with Illy having worked in coffee, but this was an entire shop dedicated to it, and even weirder, everyone was huddled around the counter. I walked over with my bags to see what all the commotion could possibly be over this seemingly-ordinary coffee shop, and was physically taken aback by what has to be the biggest differences between coffee in the States and coffee in Italy. Everyone was standing at a flat bar a little lower than the register and drinking ceramic cups of espresso. Ceramic cups at a train station. This was mind boggling. Why are they all standing around when they could just take it away in a paper cup I wondered. Aren’t they in a hurry?

I have come to learn during my time here that Italians have a different relationship with coffee. All this is gathered simply by being an observer, however I believe the following to be true. Italians use a café as a place that is not work, nor home, but its own third thing. When I say cafes, I actually mean bars, as that’s where you can find an elegantly crafted Italian espresso machine sitting alongside a liquor cabinet. They also tend to have pastries and snacks at bars. Tabacchi shops also tend to have espresso machines. The word cafe for me has become an all-encompassing term for coffee shop, bar, tobacco shop – all places in Italy with an espresso machine. The point of all this is to say that Italians treat these third places as hangout spots. These are places to escape work and school, talk to their friends or family, or chat with someone they haven’t seen in a while. They grab a little glass mug of espresso and stand at the counter and catch up. If they know no one there, they lean against the counter and drink their espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, or whatever their preference. It’s not about getting a caffeine boost in a plastic cup, and running as fast as you can to work. The culture is about getting a morning coffee to enjoy and wake up with. A daily ritual, even if short, that can be savored, not rushed.

Now we get back to my previously mentioned demographics. From what I’ve noticed there isn’t much need for cafes with affiliations. Most places offer similar vibes, with the outliers being specialty shops such as bookstores or record store cafes. For my coffee shop at home, to be successful we need an affiliation, a reason for people to specifically come to us. A marketability. Cafes here don’t have much of that. They offer relatively the same menu at the same prices for anyone to come in and enjoy. There are some specific coffee shops whose goal seems to fit a certain market, and one of those Ditta. Ditta Artiginale allows people to sit at tables or bars with laptops or books, and a lot of their customers take that opportunity. To me, they are a very American-oriented shop, and a lot less like a traditional Italian café. Ditta isn’t the only shop like this, there are other places with an American audience, such as Melaleuca, which is an Australian-American brunch café. On Melaleuca’s website, they even ask people to respect their laptop-free days of Friday-Sunday.

I hope that during the rest of my stay in Florence I can come to learn more of the cafe culture here and maybe a lot of my hypothesis will be disproven by nuances I have yet to uncover. I really do appreciate the way Italians separate life and work, and would love some of that relaxing energy when it comes to my morning coffee in the States.

A Culinary Tour of Florence: Beyond Traditional Italian Cuisine

Exploring the Diverse Food Scene of Florence, from Bistecca to Bao

written by Connor McHugh for SPEL: Journalism

Everyone knows that cultures are defined and characterized greatly by their food. When you think of any given country, your mind almost certainly first goes to the local cuisine of that region. Italy specifically is often considered to have some of the best cuisine on the planet. However, it is important to understand that even in a country like Italy, the local food is incredibly diverse. We are going to take a look at the many different sides of Florence food and where its place in the overall society sits.

First, it would be blasphemous to not start this with Bistecca alla Fiorentina. The absolute staple and most popular dish of Florence is a sirloin cut of meat that is taken from a young steer or heifer. It is always served rare, as is the tradition and truly the only way to experience it. This steak was one of the best I have ever had, served with grilled potatoes and a salad. By keeping the beef rare, you are able to maintain all of the natural juices and flavors mixed with the loads of salt and seasoning on top. Due to its technical grilling requirements and need to be aged for over two weeks, patrons have to order at least 2 kilos of the meat. So next time you and your gym partner are looking for a good post workout meal, Bistecca alla Fiorentina is the best option.

If you walk around Florence’s city centers, you will be met with endless pizzerias and trattorias which of course serve traditional Italian food. Venture a little farther out from the tourist areas, and you can be met with an entirely different world of amazing food options. For example, the thriving traditional Chinese cuisine of Florence. I was pleasantly surprised about the quality of the Chinese food and its authenticity. After a few orders of boazi and dumplings, I was extremely impressed. The outside was the perfect amount of savory and the texture was soft. The pork filling topped it off with its freshness and seasoning. What really sold the deal, however, was the duck rice. It is not often to see duck rice done correctly as many places don’t put much effort into their fried rice varieties. The rice was most definitely 24 hours old (the correct way to make fried rice) and the duck was cooked perfectly. It’s safe to say that I have eaten Chinese food in Florence more than pizza.

Of course, no European country would be complete without its local kebab spots. The kebab is a dish that can be seen all over the world but is uniquely different at each place. With roots originally in Turkey, the kebab is a simple dish that has an infinite amount of combinations. My kebab was a relatively traditional one, containing shawarma from a doner, and various fresh vegetables and sauces. The two new things that I especially enjoyed about this particular kebab were the jalapeños and fries in the wrap. Of all the different places I have gotten kebabs I have never seen jalapeños as an option. I always make sure to get every topping wherever I go to ensure that I am eating the food as it was truly intended. The jalapeños were a great touch as they added a certain level of acidity to the dish that sometimes kebabs are lacking. I was also surprised to take a bite and find that there were fries inside the wrap. It was an interesting yet welcome addition to the traditional kebab. Sometimes kebabs can be soggy and floppy due to the excess amount of sauce and wet ingredients, but the fries soaked a lot of that up making for an extremely firm and crisp kebab.

An underrated and often overlooked cuisine in European countries is Mexican. In The United States, you can’t go two blocks without seeing a hole in the wall family-owned Mexican restaurant (or at least a Chipotle). Mexican food in Florence needs to be sought out directly. So that’s what I did, because I cannot survive more than a week without a good burrito. I found a burrito stand and had to see what it was all about. I was both surprised and unsurprised. My hopes were not extremely high, but I was not very impressed with the finished product. My spicy chicken burrito was not spicy at all, which surprised me. Also, I am not sure if this is what I should expect in all tortilla wrapped dishes but there were also fries in my burrito. While I am all for innovation, fries in my Mexican burrito is not something I need. The rice was underwhelming and slightly overcooked. The beans and the chicken were both cooked nicely and tasted pleasant enough. Most likely not something that I would order again unfortunately.

As my first three weeks in Florence conclude, I am proud to have tried a multitude of different cuisines and food options. I know that with the eleven weeks I have remaining, I will find the best of each food that Florence has to offer. All of these different cultures are able to spread and be appreciated through their food, and I feel it is a civic duty to be as diverse in my food choices as possible. My taste buds are especially glad about my goal of being a world citizen.

Navigating No Meat in Florence

Written by: Isla Herring

When I stopped eating meat at 11 years old, I never anticipated the challenges it would hand me while in a foreign country. As someone studying abroad who speaks limited Italian, shopping for food and ordering at restaurants is a difficulty I did not quite prepare myself for.

Italy is commonly recognized for its food, whether it is pizza, pasta, cheese, sandwiches, or soup, the list can go on. I have always heard amazing recommendations about food from Italy and it was something that excited me when looking into studying abroad. Once I arrived here and was faced with menus in languages that I could not understand, I began to worry about how I would manage my diet in Florence.

My first night in Florence was an experience that has lingered in my head for all of my meals since. I was attempting to read the menu and decipher the codes for allergies that are provided at the end of the page. I saw a number that told me if dishes contained fish, a number for eggs, and many numbers for other allergies and sensitivities, yet I saw no indication that meals contained meat. I decided that my best option would be pasta because I was famished and had hoped that it would be simple enough to understand if it contained meat.

When the server set my plate down in front of me, my stomach immediately dropped. What I had ordered, thinking it was just a version of a red sauce, contained lumps of meat that I didn’t recognize. I told myself not to panic because this was just a meal, but from the stress of my travels, the lack of food in my body, and being in a place where the servers hardly understood me, I did indeed panic.

I said to my roommates once the staff had walked away that my food had meat in it and I did not know what to do. Everyone looked at me with a face of concern as they could read the overwhelming emotions coming over me in that moment.

“Trade with me,” was the first response that I heard. Luckily for me, my roommate ordered a meatless pasta dish and offered to switch with me so that I could get some food in my body. I knew then that going forward I had to make a conscious effort to improve my understanding of the language and vegetarian options while abroad.

My first step was to search for how to say, “without meat,” in Italian, which I learned is, “senza carne.” I knew this term would come in handy for me going forward. I also searched for, “fish,” which is, “pesce,” and practiced the pronunciation of these terms.

After some basic terminology lessons, I wanted to find more places in Florence that were vegetarian or vegan friendly. Although now I felt confident that I could avoid meat, I still wanted meals that were more than just a noodle or a bread. I wanted to find options that still offered me protein and vegetables.

I did some basic web browsing to see some places that were close enough for me and decently affordable for a student on a budget. The first place that I found was called “#Raw Vegan Firenze,” a restaurant that offers a variety of vegetarian and vegan options for a reasonable price. They have many juice options as well and focus on clean and healthy ingredients.

The next place that I found was “Brac,” which offers Mediterranean food. It can be slightly pricey, but has many accommodations and vegetarian options for more of a sit-down dinner experience. They are recognized for their vegetarian and vegan options, along with gluten-free accommodations.

The last place that I want to mention is one that I discovered on my own when strolling around the city. It is called “Shake Cafe,” and it has many options for acai bowls, salads, and wraps that I very much enjoyed. They focus on healthy cuisine, sustainability, and high quality ingredients. The place is very cozy and welcoming and the staff were very understanding and kind. I ordered a falafel wrap that came with onions, beets, greens, hummus, and a lemon vinaigrette.

I found that there are many places here that offer vegetarian meals that are more than just a salad or a carb. Some quick research immediately made me feel much more comfortable in this new city I call home. I began to make a list in my notes of places that I discovered were viable options for my diet. This way, when I’m in a pinch for food, I know I have places to go to on hand now.

I also did some more research on quality vegetarian protein sources and began to compile a list of these foods as well so I could search for them at restaurants, and grocery stores when cooking for myself. The top searches were foods like, seitan, tofu, lentils, beans, sprouted grains, oats, nuts, and eggs. These have become foods that I focus on when preparing meals and dining out to ensure that my diet is staying balanced with nutrients and substance.

Overall, the transition to new food is a challenge for everyone, and for those who have dietary restrictions, the process can be even more strenuous. My advice is to do some research and stay optimistic because there are people everywhere who share your same struggles, regardless of language and location.

Easy Living in Florence

By Sydney Pogue
Photos by FUA Staf

Rising in spirals of marble and stone, Florence is a city known for its architecture, culture, and as being a cornerstone of the Renaissance, to say the least.
But amidst this place of ancient cobblestone and accented archways, lies a small gem no one would expect to see so far inland from the coast. Along the Arno, there is a place where stone turns to sand, volleyball nets and lounge chairs: Easy living.

Hunting for the best coffee cup

By MacKenzie Gellner
Photo from Unsplashed

Traveling abroad for work, school or pleasure will inevitably have a traveler noticing differences between their home versus their placement. It is a classic case of culture shock, where the foreigner is unfamiliar with the lifestyle of their new temporary home. As a Canadian interning in Florence, I’ve had the chance to put this theory to the test myself. One aspect I assumed I’d notice differences in when it came to Canada versus Italy was the coffee lifestyles, and I had decided it was my mission to find the perfect cup of coffee in Florence. Perfect to me anyways.

Making Risotto

By Teddy Duffy
Photo by author

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself extremely hungry in my Introduction to Italian Food Traditions class. Luckily, I found out we were making risotto that day. Having never tried it besides my mother’s, I was excited. I enjoyed the risotto so much that I decided to make it myself.

My first step was to turn on some Andrea Bocelli because he has the voice of an angel and he is one of the few artists I know from Italy. Once the music was on, I began. Instead of following the dish we had made in class, I decided to put my own spin on it. I added in sausage instead of mushrooms and decided to double the recipe to feed the guests I had over. I don’t recommend cooking a dish on your own for the first time with guests over because it adds a lot of pressure to the process. Thankfully, I loved it and delved into cooking. Keeping my eye on three different pans at once was difficult, so much so that I grabbed a small dish towel to use as a sweat towel. I had sausage with shallots, garlic, olive oil, and wine sauteeing in one pan with rice in another, and the broth in a large pot. While all of the ingredients were cooking, I was shredding some parmigiano reggiano and cutting up parsley. Apparently, I was pouring so much sweat and shaking the pans so hard to mix them that one of my guests asked if I was okay, to which I replied, “I’m in Florence, how can I not be okay?”. The loud opera music just intensified the scene. Finally, as everything came together, I began to combine the ingredients. I threw the sausage into the risotto and poured the bowl of parmesan in as well. Based off of my guests reviews and my own taste buds, it was a success. Everyone loved it so much that my guests offered to pay for all the ingredients this week if I cooked it for them again.

All in all, it was lots of fun to learn about a traditional dish while still putting my own spin on it. I guess I have no on else to thank but Andrea Bocelli!

Teddy’s Risotto
Ingredients:

360 gr ( 12 oz ) ( 2 cups ) Arborio rice
3-6 Italian sausages (based on # of people)
4 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
60 gr ( 2 oz ) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
120 ml ( ½ cup ) dry white wine
1 + ½ liter water for the vegetable broth
1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 potato, 1 celery and 1 zucchina for the vegetable broth
15 gr ( ½ oz ) parsley, finely chopped
60 gr ( 2 oz ) extra virgin olive oil salt to taste

See more of Florence and Italy at FUA’s FB, Instagram, and Twitter.

Cooking Like A Local

By Molli A. Browne
All photos by the author

Photography student Molli A. Browne shares her farm to table experience cooking like a local.

Spring has sprung in Florence and people from all over the world are coming to visit. The streets are crowded and the markets are filled with tourists, locals, and fresh seasonal vegetables. During my first couple of weeks here, I noticed that almost every dish I ordered had zucchini in it. I did my research and quickly realized zucchini is in season from late March to early September. I decided that I should go out on my own and cook a meal like a local. Of course, I had to use zucchini.

As I was walking home from class, I discovered a small fruit and vegetable stand at the end of Borgo Pinti. They had ample amounts of farm fresh zucchini for an incredible price. They also had fresh garlic, lemon and cheese. I used all of these ingredients to make my pasta dish. This dish is spaghetti in a lemon garlic white wine sauce topped with baked zucchini flowers.

See more of Florence and Italy at FUA’s FB, Instagram, and Twitter.

Buy Fresh Buy Local

By Shelby Olson

The Sant’Ambrogio Market is an indoor and outdoor market filled with fresh meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables and is a great place to do your weekly grocery shopping if you want to shop locally, inexpensively, and keep up with what is in season this month.

There are many great supermarkets throughout Florence to buy fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish, but you are not always sure where your products are sourced considering supermarkets worldwide favor industrialized products. Luckily, Florence is home to a lot of great local markets that sell all these products that are guaranteed fresh, inexpensive, and locally sourced.

One of the most important things to know when visiting a local market is, what is in season and what is not. During the month of July you can find many fresh fruits and vegetables to add to your pantry. The fruits in season for the month of July are apricots, blackberries, cherries, figs, loquats, melons, nectarines, raspberries, plums, strawberries, and watermelon. The vegetables in season for the month of July are aubergine, arugula (rocket), basil, garlic, lettuce, spanish, swiss chard, turnip greens, beans, carrots, cucumber, fennel, green beans, mint, peas, taccole green beans, tomato, and zucchini.

FUA’s Italian language faculty, Francesca Peruzzi, recommends the Sant’Ambrogio Market because all of the products are fresh and prices are cheaper than most especially when shopping for six people. Francesca goes to Sant’Ambrogio once a week and here’s what she shared when I asked her what’s usually inside her grocery bag:
• Proteins: meat, fish
• Grains and vegetables: bread, carrots, salad, chou, spinach, zucchini
• Fruit: apples, bananas, apricots

I recently had the chance to visit the Sant’Ambrogio Market and after prior research on what is in season, I could tell that Florence takes pride in selling the most fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables possible. The inside of the market is packed with meat, fish, and bread vendors and the outside of the market is home to the fruit and vegetable vendors. As I was walking around, I decided to purchase apples from a fruit vendor and was astonished that not only were they cheap, but the taste was incredible. In the summer, my favorite thing to eat is a large bowl with an assortment of different fruits. With the fresh produce I found at the market, I am excited to make my favorite summer meal and make Florence feel more like home.

After my visit, I decided that you cannot beat cheap prices and fresh items and that this would be my new stop to get groceries for the last few weeks I have in Florence.

How to Visit:

Sant’Ambrogio Market: Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti, 50122 Firenze
Monday-Saturday 7AM-2PM

See more of Florence at FUA’s FB, Instagram, and Twitter.

June Events in Florence

As temperatures start to heat up and Italians head toward the beaches, the month of June proves to be busy in and around Florence. From music festivals to historical soccer matches and medieval dinners, tourists and Florentines alike are sure not to get bored with these upcoming events. Here are some suggestions that FUA students put together.

Il Mercatale

By Jessica Kruebbe

Piazza della Repubblica will host another one of its Mercatale events for the public. The market is normally held the first weekend of each month welcoming residents and tourists alike. The next market will be held on June 3rd and 4th from 8:30 to 19:30. There will be 84 producers at the event, 46 of which are from the province of Florence. Others are from the surrounding provinces such as Prato, Siena, and Arezzo. Visitors can browse long booths full of wine, oil, vegetables, fruit, truffles, and other freshly grown produce. In addition, there will be some typical products from the area including salami, cheese, and honey. The variety of vendors allows passersby to try many authentic foods such as “necci” biscuits of the Tuscan Appennino. For the rest of the spring and summer seasons, the market will rotate between Piazza Repubblica, Piazza del Carmine, and Piazza Santa Maria Novella.

A Cena da Messer Giovanni

By Whitney Byrd

Hear ye, hear ye!
Come experience a night in Medieval times sponsored by the Municipality of Certaldo on June 10th and June 17th. Join us in the beautiful castle in Certaldo Alto, the small medieval town, for the 17th annual feast!
The night will consist of a typical dinner from Medieval times served with authentic wooden cutlery. The menu for both evenings will be the same, catered by Party Giò-Certaldo. The meal will be served by 80 boys and girls in medieval costumes.
No feast would be complete without entertainment! Between courses, don’t miss the sword duels, fire eaters, and a performance by Compagnia del Drago Nero. To celebrate the end of the evening, stick around for a magnificent fireworks display over Palazzo Petrorio!

“A Cena da Messer Giovanni” will begin at 20:00 and end at 23:00.
Don’t forget to book in advance! Cost is € 39 / person

For reservations:
Grazia Palmieri, Via 2 Giugno – Certaldo (FI)
Tel. 0571 663128 – Cell. 335 6988480
info@elitropia.org

Rock the House Down with Firenze Rocks Summer Festival!

By Paige Petronio

Florence Italy- From June 23rd until the 25th at the Visarno Arena big names like Aerosmith, The Cranberries, and Placebo will be sharing their talent to the people of Florence. They are expecting big crowds for this event and the Mayer of Florence has already stated that for those three days Florence is going to be the “capital of rock”.

This festival is bringing in talent from all over the world. This includes English chart topping bands making their first Italian Debut along with some lesser known acts including Prophets of Rage and Glen Hansard. Accompanying these amazing artists, will be a variety of food trucks and stands to cater to the concert goers cravings.

The festival has even created its own app available that you can download so that you can stay in touch with all of the exclusive content throughout the entire festival. This gives guests the ability to take pictures with exclusive filters. Most importantly it will have a lay out of each of the acts so you can be sure to not miss your favorite singers.

What: Firenze Rocks!
Who: Big names including Aerosmith, Eddie Vedder and System of a Down
Where: Visarno Arena
When: June 23, 24, 25, 2017
The summer Firenze Rocks tickets are on sale online: www.ticketone.it

La Festa di San Giovanni

By Lauren Fulton

The summer months of Florence showcase beautiful blue skies and sparkling water as the temperatures increase in the lovely summer months of Italy. June 24 brings lots of excitement and cheer to the city as Florence celebrates their patron saint, Saint John the Baptist. Throughout the day festivities can be discovered around the city. The main event of the day, is the final game of Calcio Storico, a soccer game mixed with some rugby and wrestling played in historic Renaissance attire, followed by fireworks at the end of the night. Calcio Storico includes four teams, representing the four historical neighborhoods of Firenze. The semifinals begin the weekend of June 11, times to be announced.

See more of Florence at FUA’s FB, Instagram, and Twitter.