Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence 13-16 January, 2009

category fashion MarcoT 9 gennaio 2009

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Pitti Immagine is just a few days away and Florence is preparing to welcome Guests from all over the world.

Pitti Immagine Uomo celebrates it’s 75th edition and is regarded as one of the most important Italian fashion events.

Pitti Immagine organises some of the world’s most important fashion events: international quality clothing and textile fairs, communication happenings, cultural and research initiatives for the fashion system and fashion as the aesthetic expression and global evolution of taste.

Pitti Uomo in Florence is without doubt not only one of the most exclusive fashion events and an occasion to visit Florence.

Book your Hotel in Florence with Hotel Relais.

Bettolle Celebrates Nativity with an Exhibition of Presepi

category Siena MarcoT 20 dicembre 2008

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Christianity celebrates Nativity. The tradition of nativity scenes dates back to the 13th century.

St. Francis of Assisi in mid-December 1223, prepared a straw-filled manger complete with animals in a natural cave in the town of Greccio. That was the beginning of a tradition handed down through the centuries to our days.

Bettolle, a town of the municipality of Sinalinga, celebrates the 14th edition of “la mostra dei presepi”, a very popular Italian tradition, second to none this time of the year and just as popular in the province of Siena and Tuscany.

These works of art will be on display every day starting December 22nd through January 9th, from 10:00 to 12:30 in the mornings, from 15:00 to 19:00 in the afternoons/evenings on holidays and pre-festivity days. other week days opening hours are from 15:00 to 19:00.

On December 21st Santa Claus will arrive from the sky and on Christmas Day there will be music and Christmas Carols.

Bettolle is almost certainly of Etruscan decent, easily reachable from the Autostrada del Sole A1 Rome- Florence

More information and videos of the Presepi at http://www.presepi-bettolle.it/

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Welcome the New Year in Florence at Hotel Montebello Splendid

category Florence MarcoT 11 dicembre 2008

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During the holiday season, Hotel Montebello Splendid, in the heart of Florence, is organizing a new year’s eve dinner in the heart of Florence. Hotel Montebello Splendid is a 5 star hotel with a higher level of luxury and elegance, located in a peaceful yet central up-scale neighbourhood in downtown Florence, within walking distance of Ponte Vecchio.

Hotel Montebello Splendid is an icon to Florentine luxury and elegance.

Located in the area of embassies and the Florence Opera theatre, this 19th-century villa has repeatedly hosted international ambassadors, opera singers, artists and intellectuals, and this year offers an exclusive event on new year’s eve:

Awaiting midnight in the magic atmosphere of Florence

To celebrate the new year Hotel Montebello Splendid is hosting a new year’s eve dinner, a heart warming moment of relaxation and intimacy, away from the confusion.

Here you’ll enjoy aperitifs and fine foods:

  • Al caminetto” Ilvano’s cocktails and the Chef’s appetizers
  • Crispy artichoke
  • Artichoke and pistachio with steamed prawn and aromatic herbs sauce and pistachio with steamed prawn and aromatic herbs sauce
  • Chicken liver strudel with selection of salads and mustard zabaglione
  • White Tuscan beans soup with mussel, hand made pasta topped with dried tomatoes and basil
  • Champagne risotto topped with fillet mignon and Brunello wine sauce
  • Fillet of beef topped with citrus and chicory sauce with thyme flavoured potatoes pie
  • Panettone and Pandoro, typical Italian yeast cake, with hot chocolate and vanilla sauce
  • Cup of Spumante
  • Coffee with chocolate cookies

from 20:45 to 21:15 aperitif near the Fireplace in the lounge

Cable radio music

€ 110,00 per person.

Beverages are not included

For further information and bookings:

Hotel Montebello Splendid, 5 star hotel in Florence
50123 Firenze, via Garibaldi 14 – Tel. +39 055 2747.1 – Fax +39 055 2747700
Email: info@montebellosplendid.com – www.montebellosplendid.com

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Discover the Rome in Florence

category Florence MarcoT 10 dicembre 2008

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Foto by Chi King on Flickr

Florence is a top travel destination in Tuscany. We walk the streets of the city centre and can only try to imagine what life has been through the centuries in this cross way of political and cultural events.

Today Florence is mostly known as the “culla del rinascimento” or the cradle of renaissance. Today Monuments, churches, and building are the skyline of a city that was once the intellectual heart of Europe, but there is yet another historical era dating back centuries, known as the Roman Florence.

Florence was founded by Julius Caesar in 59 BC as a settlement for veteran soldiers. Recent archeological activity has surfaced new and exciting discoveries dating back to this ancient historical period, leading to Palazzo Vecchio built on the ruins of an ancient roman theatre.

Today it’s possible to visit Florence in a different way and discover the past by taking a guided tour that starts in Via dell’Oriuolo where a model of Florence called Firenze com’era is located.

The historical itinerary walks through Piazza San Giovanni where the Duomo di Firenze is located and continues on to Via Roma (once known as l’asse viario del Cardo) leading to Piazza della Repubblica, and finally Palazzo Vecchio.

Guided visits are scheduled on the first Sunday of each month and last approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Guided tour timetable:

  • 10:00 – 11:30
  • 11:00 – 12:30
  • 12:00 – 13:30

Tickets are € 7,00 and children under 8 years of age are not admitted in the excavation area of Palazzo Vecchio.

Further information and bookings: +39.055 2768224 – +39.055 2768558

You can also book tickets online.

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Ponte Vecchio International Golf Challenge in Florence

category Sports MarcoT 5 dicembre 2008

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Golf comes to Florence in Tuscany. Every year one of the most exclusive Golf Tournaments takes place in the heart of Florence, on Ponte Vecchio.

From the 12th to the 14th of December the Conte of Florence International Approach Golf Championship will take place. This is the 3rd edition of the tournament and is preceded by the Ponte Vecchio Golf Challenge.

15 World Champions will compete in this unique and unusual golf competition taking place under the Galleria Vasari.

The objective is to reach the 4 floating islands on the Arno River at 50, 75, 100 and 140 meters from Ponte Vecchio.

2, 4, 7, and 10 points are assigned to each island from the closest to the most distant.

This year the rules of the tournament have been changed – each player is not allowed to center the same island more than 3 times and points for the bunkers are half those of the holes.

The Ponte Vecchio Golf Challenge is an unusual event, a unique combination of sports, culture and history – all in Florence.

  1. Friday December 12th players will participate in the Vip Am to get accustomed with the “field”.
  2. Round robin will take place Saturday December 13th
  3. Sunday December 14th morning the match play will take place

The winner will be awarded  € 20,000.00

Who is participating in the Ponte Vecchio Golf Challenge ?

Robert Karlsson from Sweden a veteran of the Ponte Vecchio Golf Challenge. His challengers are:

  • Sam Torrance
  • Tom Lehman
  • Costantino Rocca
  • Diana Luna
  • Pablo Larrazabal
  • Simon Khan
  • David Frost
  • Marcus Brier
  • Tiago Cruz

VIPs, models and personalities of the international jet set passionate about golf will arrive in Florence for a holiday season break and some shopping.

UPDATE: Here is the link to the event.

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Marathon in Florence Takes Place on November 30th

category Sports MarcoT 25 novembre 2008

On Sunday, November 30th Florence celebrates sports with the 25th Florence Marathon organized by the Commune and Province of Florence.

This edition of the Florence Marathon has achieved a record breaking number of participants – over 9,000 up from the 7,920 of the 2007 edition.

An interesting aspect of the Florence Marathon is the truly global participation from more than 60 countries worldwide, mainly coming from:

  • France (658)
  • Germany (382)
  • Austria (248)
  • Spain (241)
  • Great Britain (230)
  • Switzerland (117)
  • USA (85)
  • Denmark (73)
  • Belgium (71)
  • Hungary (54)
  • Slovenia (47)
  • Netherlands (33)
  • Poland (31)

7,729 registered participants are male, 1,346 are female.

The Marathon will be held on the streets of Florence with the starting line in Piazza Michelangelo, finishing in Piazza Santa Croce.

Starting time: 9:20 AM

Length: 42,195 Km

Borgo San Jacopo Restaurant in Florence

category Restaurants MarcoT 24 novembre 2008

A “Dining room on the river” to rediscover the great Italian home-style cuisine in Florence

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Borgo San Jacopo Restaurant in Florence is a restaurant transmitting a conscious return to the various original and authentic regional specialties of days gone by, revisiting the somewhat lost tradition of Sunday lunch that creates a personal atmosphere in which one can participate.

Considered as a place for friendly get-togethers, Borgo San Jacopo is the ideal mix between a Dining Room and local Club, a restaurant where the service and atmosphere effortlessly generate an ultimate personal relationship, never invasive or pretentious, with guests.

The décor by architect Michele Bönan was inspired by the energetic and sophisticated ‘glam’ of the 50’s, the Italian “new deal” and the birth of “Made in Italy”, an era also closely tied to the extraordinary creativity of Salvatore Ferragamo, the “shoemaker of dreams”.

To aid this interpretation, the walls are graced with re-produced designs, sketches and images of this magical fashion epoch. The two levels of dining enjoy an arch shaped window on the river and have an elongated architectural prospective.

The concept and refurbishment follow the contemporary design evolution of the Hotel Lungarno with which it shares a lounge.

The custom-made lighting reflects the atmosphere of a 50’s film and was designed guaranteeing intimacy and focusing on the centre of the table and its décor, without obscuring the view of the other guests. Two grand mirrors, positioned opposite one another in front of the mezzanine area, generate an infinite space, which transports the magical evening river view to the guests’ tables within the restaurant.

The soft linen and cotton furnishings in varying tones of white with grey mineral notes complement both the oak floors and the black/brown details, confirming a fresh yet classic character. The table décor boasts crystal glassware and fine porcelain that recall those from any fine dresser. The platter service discreetly underlines the home-style feeling.

On the gastronomic front, Borgo San Jacopo offers a legitimate response to society at large’s desire to rediscover the traditions of a bygone era, carefully reviewed and presented in a refreshingly modern, retro architectural setting.

The pleasurable significance and interpretation of the grand classics of Italian Cuisine have been trusted to chef Beatrice Segoni, owner of the renowned “Torcoletto” restaurant in Porto Recanati, Ancona.

Beatrice has admirably accepted the challenge of transmitting her experience and sensibility to Florence with the sound intent of recreating the art of good home style cooking with the utmost respect for seasonal produce and traditional products with which are offered “classics” such as “il fritto”, and home-made bread and pasta.

Special care has been taken to present a Wine List that, without excluding the widely known labels, also includes carefully selected wines from boutique vineyards.

Open exclusively for dinner from 7.30 to 10.30 PM, with the exception of Tuesday, Borgo San Jacopo seats 65 in the dining area plus the lounge which is dedicated to relaxation and conversation, maybe accompanied by a fine liquor, also benefiting from renowned service at the Hotel Lungarno.

Addition information on Borgo San Jacopo

  • Info and Booking Ph. +39.055.281661 – Fax +39.055.291114 – Email: bsj@lungarnohotels.com
  • Project and Interior Designer: Arch. Michele Bönan
  • Project supervisor: Arch. Nino Solazzi
  • Lighting design: Arch. Jan H.Van Lierde

Lungarno Hotels means Hospitality in:

  • Florence: Continentale Contemporary Pleasing Hotel, Hotel Lungarno, Gallery Hotel Art, Lungarno Suites, Villa Le Rose
  • Rome: Portrait Suites

For Meetings and Events:

  • Florence: Sala Poccetti a Palazzo Capponi, Sala Guarnieri presso l’Hotel Lungarno

Restaurants

  • Florence: Ristorante Borgo San Jacopo, (The Fusion Bar) SHOZAN-GALLERY

Retail

Florence: Hotel Lungarno Details

www.lungarnohotels.com

PR office LUNGARNO HOTELS: Elisa Francini, Tel. +39.055.27266800, press@lungarnohotels.com

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Liza Minelli is back in Florence !

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Liza Minelli makes a return to Tuscany after 15 years.

Liza has successfully concluded a tour in Great Britain and will soon be coming to Italy where she will be performing in Rome and Florence, in cooperation with the Teatro Musicale Fiorentino.

Saturday November 1st, Liza Minelli and her group of 12 elements and a quartet of outstanding singers will perform in a 2 hour live stage show.

Liza has always been a fan of Italy and has recently stated her love for our country where she feels “at home”.

For more info on this fantastic event: www.maggiofiorentino.com

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Catherine and Maria de’ Medici: The Queens of France from Florence

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Florence pays a tribute to Catherine and Maria de’ Medici with an art exhibition in Palazzo Strozzi inaugurated last Friday.

After 400 years Florence celebrates the myth of 2 of her most powerful ladies of the past with a unique collection of monumental tapestries displayed in Paris in the Galleria dei Gobelins in the Castle of Chambord.

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15 spectacular masterpieces (some 5 meters high) dedicated to the legendary Queen Artemisia. The event depicted by the tapestries was inspired by the epic poem Historie de la Royne Arthemise (1561-1562) by Nicholas Houel, a tribute to Queen Catherine de’ Medici where Houel combined the events of 2 Artemisie d’antan, both queens of Caria, a region of todays Turkey.

The event is taking place at:

Palazzo Strozzi, piazza Strozzi, Firenze
Hours: Every day 9:00-20:00. Thursday 9:00-23:00. Visitors are allowed in up to 1 hour prior to closing time.
Tickets: Full fare € 10; reduced rate € 8,50 – 8 – 7,50; schools € 4.
Information: 055.2645155, www.palazzostrozzi.org.

Hotel Relais is proud to suggest any one of the following hotels in Florence while visiting this fine art exhibition:

5 star hotels:

4 star hotels:

Lungarno Suite in central Florence

UNA Palazzo Mannaioni at Montaione

Hotel Bernini Palace in Fiorence

Plaza Hotel Lucchesi in Fiorence

Historical Residences

Residenza del Moro in Fiorence

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Antinori Wines and Restaurants in Tuscany

category Gastronomical Events MarcoT 24 ottobre 2008

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The name Antinori needs no presentations – the best award winning wines of Tuscany and Umbria are produced by Antinori – what many do not know about this famous label is their ownership of restaurants and shops in Tuscany.

In Florence you’ll find the Cantinetta Antinori, almost hidden in Piazza Antinori with the same name, now present in Vienna Zürich and Moscow. We’ll get back to that some time later on …

A restaurant we suggest your visiting is l’Osteria di Passignano. The Antinori family owns the vineyards around Badia a Passignano a small medieval town with a monastery in the commune of Tavernelle in Val di Pesa .

Badia di Passignano is a timeless place surrounded by Vineyards and olive groves, home to the Chianti Classico Riserva di Badia a Passignano.

It all started in a small shop where Antinori wines were promoted and sold. Today the famous Procacci products are available along with the wines an the Krug, famous champagne.

For those interested in wine tasting, guided tours (in English) of the Antinori wine cellars and tasting of 4 wines are organized regularly.
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In 2000 Marcello Crini opened l’Osteria di Passignano , a restaurant in Tuscany always in harmony with the seasons, providing seasonal menus with fresh ingredients for fine palates.

This is the introduction of their restaurant available on their website:

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Osteria di Passignano
Via Passignano 33 – Loc. Badia a Passignano 50028 Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (Florence) – tel./fax 055 8071278

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