Florence, 1 July 2024 – Nella day of July 7th, first Sunday of the month, all residents of the Metropolitan City of Florence will have the opportunity to visit the Civic Museums for free Fiorentini and Palazzo Medici Riccardi, as well as taking part in the numerous visits and activities planned, developed by the Municipality of Florence, the Metropolitan City of Florence and MUS.E. In fact, numerous visits and activities aimed at young people and adults are planned, which will allow you to discover the wonders of the Florentine museums, their permanent collections and temporary exhibitions: Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Maria Novella, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Stefano Bardini Museum, Memorial of the Deportations, Novecento Museum, Brancacci Chapel in Santa Maria del Carmine, MAD – Murate Art District and Forte di Belvedere. There are also various activities planned for children and their families, including the animated story To Make a City, a Flower in Palazzo Vecchio, the artistic workshop Trame di sogni inspired by the Louise Bourgeois exhibition at the Novecento Museum, Tre Passi nell’arte at Mad and A New Song for Orpheus in Palazzo Medici Riccardi. The permanent collections are accompanied by a rich program of temporary exhibitions in progress. In Palazzo Medici Riccardi you can visit the exhibitions The Enchantment of Orpheus. In the Art of Every Time, from Titian to the Contemporary, which explores the myth of the legendary singer thanks to masterpieces of figurative art, and Roberto Innocenti. Illustrating Time, dedicated to one of the greatest Tuscan illustrators. At the Novecento Museum, the exhibitions Ritorni are currently underway. From Modigliani to Morandi, with great masterpieces of 20th-century Italian art and Do Not Abandon Me. Louise Bourgeois in Florence, an impressive exhibition that sees the artist’s works for the first time in Florence. At the MAD Murate Art District, you can enjoy the exhibitions Welcome to Barerarerungar by the important Australian artist Maree Clarke and Studiolo dell’esilio by Stephan Zimmerli, as well as the evocative sound installation Agorà by the artist Sadi in the complex’s hard prison. From June to September, guided tours of the city towers and gates will continue: on Sunday, it will be possible to visit Torre San Niccolò, Torre della Zecca and Porta San Frediano from 5 pm to 8 pm, visits every half hour (suspended in case of rain). As per tradition, Forte Belvedere has also reopened, with guided tours at 5 pm and 6:30 pm. Among the many proposals, at the Palazzo Vecchio museum ‘Secret Paths’ for those who: for young people and adults times: 10, 11.30, 14.30, 16.00 duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes. The proposal allows you to visit some particularly precious rooms: among these the staircase built at the behest of Gualtieri di Brienne and obtained in the thickness of the wall; the Studiolo of Francesco I de’ Medici, a refined treasure chest “of rare and precious things”, and the Writing Desk of his father Cosimo I (better known as Tesoretto); finally the imposing truss structure that supports the coffered ceiling of the Salone dei Cinquecento.
And then there is Visit to the palace for young people and adults times: 10.30, 12. Palazzo Vecchio is the heart of Florence, a symbol of the city’s history. A history that began in 1299, when it was built to house the rulers of medieval Florence, and which experienced a golden age when the Medici family brought their residence there, transforming it into a true royal palace. The visit allows you to understand how architecture, minor arts, sculptures and paintings contribute to the creation of a rich and complex unicum that has transformed, stratified and renewed over the centuries. To make a city you need a flower for whom: for families with children aged 4 to 7, times: 10.15. Florence owes its name to the foundation of a Roman castrum on a lively flowery expanse along the Arno River. It is not easy to establish whether this is historical or mythical, just as it is not easy to define which flower has symbolized the city since its birth: a lily, an iris, a giaggiolo? In the first part, the story will lead children to relive the myth of the founding of Florence and immerse themselves in the story of Flora, discovering her special bond with the city. In the second part, children will walk through the rooms of Palazzo Vecchio in search of the different “lilies” that decorate them. The activity will lead children to reclaim the symbol of the city and understand how Florence is just like a flower, to be looked after with care. Each class will be given an Iris Pallida Dalmatica bulb… to grow and bloom. Court life for whom: for families with children aged 4 to 10 years old times: 11.45. Today Palazzo Vecchio is a museum, but in the sixteenth century it was the residence of Duke Cosimo I de Medici, his wife Eleonora de Toledo and their eleven children. Walking through the rooms of the museum, visitors will not only be able to admire the splendor of the palace but also imagine the sumptuous banquets in the Great Hall and the flower-filled terraces like gardens. Finally, it will be possible to wear cloaks and robes, shoes and hats from the 16th century or enjoy some games for little princes. Maurizio Costanzo
