Tuscany itineraries

Certaldo

Certaldo is a town and comune of Tuscany, Italy, in the province of Florence, located in the middle of Valdelsa.  Heading southwest, it is 50 minutes by rail and 35 minutes by car from the city ofFlorence. Heading north, it is 25 minutes by rail from Siena.  It was the home of the family of Giovanni Boccaccio, who died and was buried here in 1375.
Main Sights:
Boccaccio’s house, of red brick, like the other old houses here, was restored in 1823 and furnished with old furniture. A statue of him was erected in the main square in 1875.

Giovanni Boccaccio (1313 – 21 December 1375)[1] (Italian pronunciation: [bokˈkattʃo]) was an Italian author and poet, a friend, student, and correspondent of Petrarch, an important Renaissance humanist and the author of a number of notable works including the Decameron, On Famous Women, and his poetry in the Italian vernacular.

Boccaccio is particularly notable for his dialogue, of which it has been said that it surpasses inverisimilitude that of virtually all of his contemporaries, since they were medieval writersand often followed formulaic models for character and plot.
The Palazzo Pretorio, or Vicariale, the residence of the Florentine governors, recently restored to its original condition, has a picturesque facade adorned with ceramic coats of arms, and in the interior are various frescoes dating from the 13th to the 16th century.

Leslie Halloran
Please check out my website at: www.lihdesigns.net

“A frog in the well does not know the sea.” Japanese Proverb

Roman churches

Church of San Quirico at Guamo

Church of S. Quirico at Guamo, called “in Casale”
The small church of San Quirico is built in stone from the nearby quarry at Guamo. It is built like a cottage and it has a nave and fairly small apse. The door in the facade is surmounted by a lintel resting on two brackets.
Both the layout and the size of the stone bosses in the facing suggest that it is quite old and probably dates back to 1023, when it was first mentioned in documents. During the restoration work of about 1930, some 16th and 17th century sepulchral slabs were found and new altar was made from a single stone.
An unusual altarpiece of the Giotto school, a triptych incorporated in a quadrangular structure and surmounted by an inflected-arch lunette, comes from this church; now in the Villa Guinigi museum in Lucca, it depicts the Vergine in Trono con Bambino (on the central panel), and Maddalena and San Michele Arcangelo (on the side panels).

Pistoia Blues

Pistoia Blues - Piazza Duomo

Also this year, the Pistoia Blues will begin in July from 14th till 18th.
Here as follow the program:

14 JULY
Opening 6.30 pm – showtime 7.30 pm
Place: Piazza Duomo

. NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION
. ANATHEMA
. PORCUPINE TREE

15 JULY
Opening 6.00 pm – showtime 7.00 pm
Place: Piazza Duomo

. LABYRINTH
. HAMMERFALL
. GAMMA RAY
. QUEENSRYCHE

16 JULY
Opening 8.00 pm – showtime 9.30 pm
Place: Piazza Duomo

. MARIO BIONDI

17 JULY
Opening 6.00 pm – showtime 7.00 pm
Place: Piazza Duomo

. THE LAST STANDING & LEAN ON ME GOSPEL CHOIR
. BUDDY WHITTINGTON
. JAMES HUNTER
. DWEEZIL ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA
. BUDDY GUY

Place: Teatro Bolognini
21:00    MICAH P. HINSON
00:30    BUDDY WHITTINGTON

18 JULY
Opening 6.00 pm – showtime 7.00 pm
Place: Piazza Duomo

. FRANCESCO PIU
. SERGIO MONTALENI BAND
. GENERAL STRATOCUSTER & THE MARSHALS
. CEDRIC BURNSIDE & LIGHTNIN MALCOLM
. THE ROBERT CRAY BAND
. JIMMIE VAUGHAN feat. LOU ANN BARTON

Web-site: www.pistoiablues.com

Tuscany festival

Tuscany Festival

Fairs, festival, traditional and open air events.

LUCCA
Cartasia: Lucca is the Italian capital of paper making. As a reminder of the history that led to this distinction, and to show how paper and cardboard can be recycled, artists from round the globe will come to Lucca to compete in a cardboard statue or installation competition. Happening, theatre, concerts, dance in various piazzas in town
19 June until 18 July.

Notte bianca: open night, street artists, entertainment. Shops open 26 June

Giardino di Palazzo Bove, via di Castello 46 San Gennaro. Tango y Mas Starts 21.00 on 13 June.

BENABBIO
Victor Mee Extemporary painting competition at Benabbio. Register at La Lucciola restaurant at 8.00 and painting until 21.00
Phone Fabiana 340 3973142. On 27 June. Paintings may be auctioned and proceeds will be given to Red Cross.
Prizes will be awarded on the following sunday 4 July.

BAGNI DI LUCCA
Settimana delle Terme open days at the spas with free treatments and special discounts. Talks, poetry readings, literary events, jazz aperitivi at the Casino and Circolo dei Forestieri.
Full programme on www.termebagnidilucca.it;   5-12 June

Now the good weather is guaranteed almost every town or village organises sagras, or specialist fairs. In particular:

Gallicano Il Pane e le Rose, music and local produce, 17-27 June.

Camporgiano Local produce fair, 20 June.

Colognora medieval games. 26 June.

Ceserana (Fosciandora) Festa medievale and Maccheroni festival, 26 and 27 June.

Trassilico 19 June.

Tuscany music

Anfiteatro Square

Lucca: European Feast of Music
Open air musical performances held throughout all European cities on the weekend 19,20 and 21 June.
In Lucca, the Compagnia delle Arti will organise music in Piazza dell’Anfiteatro. Film score choral music, 19 June.
Marco Cattani Group play music inspired by the Invisible Cities of Italo Calvino, 20 June.
Internos Jazz Quartet play original music, 21 June.

S. Cristoforo Church Via Fillungo

Nuove tendenze organise exhibitions and music. Giuseppe Palumbo opera pittorica 1996-2010. 10.30-13.00 and 15.30-21.00 weekends 19, 20, 26 and 27 June, weekdays 15.30-21.00 till 27 June.

Opera in Salotto Belcanto italiano in concert format. Ensemble Suoni Arti, 20.00 on 18 June.

Classic guitar music with Edoardo Pieri, 19.00 and 21.00 on 19 June.

Duo di Tango Argentino 21.00 on 20 June.

Jazz Freaks Trio 21.00 on on 25 June.

Ensemble Nuova Cappella di Palazzo directed by Jonathan Brandani 21.00 on 26 June.

Tribute to Fabrizio De Andrè by the Group Entelchia 21.00 on 27 June.