Conference Location

The Conference will be held at the Convitto della Calza Piazza Della Calza 6, 50125, Florence, Italy.

History

"Florentia", the florid, was the name given by the Romans to this small settlement located at the foot of the ancient Etruscan Fiesole and founded in the first century BC. The Etruscans, an ancient and mysterious race, of whom we know very little, but who left numerous testimonies around about Florence, had settled on the hills surrounding the plain of the river Arno as far back as the VII-VI centuries BC. At first erected as a Roman "castrum", Florentia soon assumed the appearance of a real town with a Forum (now Piazza della Repubblica), thermal baths (via delle Terme), and amphitheater (via Tòrta).

Then the period of the decline of the Empire arrived , with the political fragmentation from which the feudal system sprang up. The town, constituted as a Commune at the beginning of the twelfth century, began to expand until it spread over half of Arno valley and surrounding hillsides.

Despite the internal struggles, first between rival families and then between the Guelfs (loyal to the Pope) and the Ghibellines (loyal to the Emperor), from the thirteenth century onwards it began to flourish as a city of art, culture and international trading, reaching its zenith in the fifteenth century under the Signoria of Cosimo and Lorenzo de’ Medici. After Lorenzo’s death in 1492, Florence witnessed a long period of wars that led to the end of the Florentine Republic and saw the birth of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, ruled first by a younger branch of the Medici family and following, by the Hapsburg-Lorena family. Despite alternating events the Grand Duchy survived up until the political unification of Italy, of which Florence was capital from 1865 to 1871. This marked the beginning of a profound restructuring of the city that led to the knocking down of the walls and the erasing of several ancient quarters in the center that endowed Florence with its present-day appearance.

Visiting Florence

The four historical districts of Florence are Santa Maria Novella, San Giovanni, Santa Croce, Santo Spirito.

Santa Maria Novella

Santa Maria Novella railroad station. This is one of the first buildings of Italian rational architecture. It was designed by a team headed by Giovanni Michelucci, and was built between 1933 and 1935.
Fortezza Da Basso. Designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger (1533-35), the Fortezza was recently remodeled and is now an exhibition and conference center.
Church and Museum of Santa Maria Novella. Begun in 1246 for Dominican friars, the church was completed in 1360. The white and green marble Gothic-Romanesque façade was completed by Leon Battista Alberti who designed the upper part. Inside the church there are splendid masterpieces including "The Trinity" by Masaccio, frescoes by Filippino Lippi and Ghirlandaio in the Tornabuoni chapel, a Crucifix by Giotto and a wooden Crucifix by Brunelleschi. The Museo di Santa Maria Novella is adjacent to the church. Here you can admire the splendid Green Cloister frescoed by Paolo Uccello and his school. In the Chapter Room, known as the "Cappellone degli Spagnoli" is a famous fresco by Bonaiuto. Just a short distance from the church is the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, where perfumes, soaps and fragrances are made and sold in a Neogothic setting.
Museo Marino Marini. The deconsecrated church of S. Pancrazio houses the museum dedicated to Marino Marini, one of the foremost 20th century Italian sculptors. Near the museum, in the Rucellai Chapel is the extraordinary Temple of the Holy Sepulchre by Leon Battista Alberti.
Palazzo Rucellai. Bernardo Rossellino built this palazzo for Giovanni Rucellai to designs by Leon Battista Alberti between 1446 and 1458. The loggia is also attributed to Alberti.
Museo di Palazzo Davanzati. This building dates from the mid-14th century. In the early years of the 20th century it was purchased by the antique dealer Elia Volpi, who restored and furnished it to recreate a period Florentine home. The many rooms, several of which are decorated with frescoes and fine coffered ceilings, contain carved and inlaid furniture, chests, benches, paintings, tapestry, sculptures, ceramics, items used every day and in the kitchens.
Palazzo Strozzi. Filippo Strozzi the Elder commissioned Benedetto da Maiano to build this palace. He began working in 1489 and was replaced by Cronaca who built the cornice and courtyard. Palazzo Strozzi is one of the finest expressions of Renaissance architecture.
Church of Santa Trinita. This church, built in the second half of the 11th century, was enlarged and modified according to the Gothic style in the early 14th century. The pietra forte façade was made to designs by Buontalenti towards the end of the 16th century. The major artworks inside the church are the Sassetti Chapel with the fresco cycle depicting "Scenes from the Life of St. Francis of Assisi" and the panel painting of the "Adoration of the Shepherds" by Domenico Ghirlandaio (1483-86).
Cenacle of Ghirlandaio. The former refectory of the monastery adjacent to the Church of Ognissanti is graced by Domenico Ghirlandaio's painting of the "Last Supper", of which even the synopia is visible.

San Giovanni

Cathedral, Baptistery, Museo Dell'Opera del Duomo. Santa Maria del Fiore, the Gothic cathedral erected over the ancient basilica of Santa Reparata, was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio who began construction in 1296. Brunelleschi completed it in 1436 with the elegant dome, the inside of which was entirely frescoed by Vasari and Zuccari. The final phase in the construction of the cathedral, that is the completion of the façade, dates from the mid-19th century.
To the right of the cathedral rises the Bell Tower, or Campanile, designed by Giotto in 1334. The square tower is covered with red, green and white marble inlays, decorated with panels and carvings, and made graceful by double- and triple-windows.
Opposite the Cathedral stands the green and white marble Baptistery of San Giovanni (1128), a masterpiece of Florentine Romanesque architecture. The interior of the dome is decorated with mosaics. The splendid bronze doors (including the Door of Paradise) were made by Andrea Pisano and Lorenzo Ghiberti.
The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo houses artworks from Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery and the Campanile, including sculptures that had been made for the cathedral façade. The most important works in the museum are by Michelangelo ("Pietà"), Donatello ("Mary Magdalen", "Cantoria"), Arnolfo di Cambio ("Boniface VIII"), Luca della Robbia ("Cantoria").
Church of Orsanmichele. Originally this building, a loggia designed by Arnolfo di Cambio (1209), was a granary and market. Only later did it become a house of worship: the loggia arcades were closed off by Simone Talenti and the exterior embellished with Florentine Gothic sculptures and ediculas.
Palazzo Medici Riccardi. This is the most typical example of privately commissioned Renaissance architecture. Cosimo the Elder commissioned Michelozzo to design a palace in 1444. Inside there is an elegant courtyard, a small Italian garden and the famous chapel with Benozzo Gozzoli's fresco the "Procession of the Magi" (1459).
BASILICA OF SAN LORENZO AND THE MEDICI CHAPELS. The original church that stood on this site was consecrated by Ambrose, Bishop of Milan in 393; Cosimo the Elder had it enlarged and remodeled by Brunelleschi. Inside there are works by Rosso Fiorentino, Desiderio da Settignano, Donatello and Bronzino. The church is flanked by the splendid, square-shaped Old Sacristy by Brunelleschi and the New Sacristy, by Michelangelo (1524), that houses the Medici family tombs. Along with the Baroque Chapel of the Princes, the New Sacristy comprises the museum of the Medici Chapels. To the left of the church is the Laurentian Library, also designed by Michelangelo, by order of the Medici family who wanted a place to conserve their fine collections of books, papyri and manuscripts.
Not far from the San Lorenzo complex is the Mercato Centrale, or central market, a fine example of late 19th century steel and glass architecture.
MUSEO FIRENZE COM'ERA AND MUSEO DI PREISTORIA. The Museo e Istituto Fiorentino di Preistoria and the Museo Storico Topografico "Firenze com'era" are situated in the former convent of the Oblate Nuns, whose buildings were once part of the Arcispedale di Santa Maria Nuova, the city's oldest (and still functioning) hospital that was founded by Folco Portinari in 1286.
GALLERY OF THE ACCADEMIA. This is one of the best known museums in Florence, because it houses famous sculptures by Michelangelo, including the "David". There are also many paintings, collected by the Grand Duke Peter Leopold to help the young artists enrolled in the Accademia d'Arte, which is still next door to the gallery.
OPIFICIO DELLE PIETRE DURE. The Opificio was founded by Ferdinando de' Medici in 1588. It is an important center for the restoration of inlays and mosaics, and it has a fine display of inlays, studies and drawings.
CONVENTO DI SAN MARCO. Michelozzo rebuilt and expanded this convent for Cosimo the Elder, and it still contains the splendid frescoes that Beato Angelico painted to decorate the monks' cells. Inside there is also a beautiful library that Michelozzo designed in 1448; this, the first public library of the Renaissance, contains many fine illuminated manuscripts.
The church of San Marco that stands alongside the convent was redesigned by Michelozzo.
UNIVERSITY MUSEUMS AND BOTANICAL GARDENS. The entrance to several of the University's scientific museums are on Via La Pira: Geology and Paleontology, Mineralogy and Lithology and the Botanical Gardens, or "Giardino dei Semplici", founded by the Medici and then enriched under the Lorraine rule; the Botanical Museum, on the other hand, dates from the 19th century.
CLOISTER DELLO SCALZO AND CENACLE OF SANT'APOLLONIA. The Cloister "Dello Scalzo" is located in Via Cavour; it contains monochrome frescoes by Andrea del Sarto portraying "Scenes from the Life of St. John the Baptist" and two "Allegories of Virtue". The entrance to the cenacle of Sant'Apollonia is on Via XXVII Aprile; on the back wall there is a "Last Supper" by Andrea del Castagno.
BASILICA OF THE SS. ANNUNZIATA. Founded in 1250 and then expanded over the centuries, this is one of the most important churches in Florence. The Cloister of the Voti and the Cloister of the Morti contain frescoes by Andrea del Sarto, Rosso Fiorentino, Franciabigio and Pontormo. Inside the temple of the Annunziata, designed by Michelozzo, there is an image of the Virgin Mary that is considered miraculous.
SPEDALE DEGLI INNOCENTI. This building was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, with a fine loggia decorated with glazed terracotta roundels by Andrea della Robbia. Originally a foundling hospital, it hosts activities for children even today, along with the Galleria dello Spedale that contains many fine paintings such as the "Adoration of the Magi" by Ghirlandaio.
ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM. This collection, begun by the Medici and continued by the Lorraine, contains many important items related to Etruscan art and civilization such as the "Chimera of Arezzo", the "Orator" and the "Minerva of Arezzo", as well as several tombs that are in the garden. The Greek and Egyptian sections are also quite noteworthy, in fact, this is one of the major archeological museums in Italy.

San Croce

PALAZZO VECCHIO AND PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA. This is the most important civil building in the city; construction, to plans by Arnolfo di Cambio, was begun in 1299. It was the seat of the Priori delle Arti, of the Signoria and the ducal residence; over the centuries it was remodelled several times. The 14th century courtyard, graced with the fountain with the "putto", a copy of Verrocchio's original, was later modified by Michelozzo. Inside, it is worth seeing the Salone dei Cinquecento, the study of Francesco I, the room of the Elements and the Sala dei Gigli.
The Loggia della Signoria or "dei Lanzi" overlooks the square; here there are several important statues including "Perseus" by Cellini and the "Rape of the Sabine Women" by Giambologna.
UFFIZI GALLERY, VASARI CORRIDOR AND PONTE VECCHIO. The Uffizi Gallery is one of the greatest museums in Italy and the world. It was founded in 1581 by Francesco I de' Medici, who collected numerous artworks in the building designed by Vasari. Today the Uffizi contains masterpieces by Italian and foreign artists from 13th to 18th century such as Cimabue, Giotto, Masaccio, Beato Angelico, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Piero della Francesca, Raphael, Caravaggio, along with Rubens, Rembrandt, Dürer, Goya and many others. The Vasari Corridor that connects the Uffizi Gallery with the Pitti Palace hosts a rich collection of self-portraits by past and present artists. Built by Vasari in 1565, it passes above the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in the city, with its many jewelry shops. The same building houses the Contini Bonacossi Collection.
ISTITUTO E MUSEO DI STORIA DELLA SCIENZA. Palazzo Castellani houses the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, containing the Medici collections of scientific instruments that was enriched by the Lorraine rulers, along with Galileo Galilei's original instruments.
MUSEO NAZIONALE DEL BARGELLO. This building dates from 1255, when it was built as the seat of the "Capitano del Popolo", the commander of the local militia. Later it became the seat of the "Podestà" and then of the Capitano di Giustizia (the magistrate) or "Bargello", from which it gets its name. Since 1859 it has been the home of the National Museum dedicated to sculpture and the minor arts. It contains masterpieces by Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Cellini, Giambologna, and Donatello along with priceless ivories, enamels, jewels, tapestries and weapons.
The Badia Fiorentina, the city's oldest monastery (978) is just a short distance from the museum. Here there is a masterpiece by Filippino Lippi. And nearby in the Palazzo Nonfinito is the rich Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology, while the Museo Casa di Dante (Dante's house) is right behind the Badia.
CASA BUONARROTI. This building was constructed by Michelangelo's great-grandson, and since then many descendants of the family have brought together works by the great master, such as drawings, portraits, and early pieces. The purpose of Casa Buonarroti is to collect and enhance Michelangelo's art and among other items it contains the "Battle of the Centaurs" and the "Madonna of the Stairs".
BASILICA OF SANTA CROCE AND MUSEO DELL'OPERA DI SANTA CROCE. This Franciscan basilica was begun in 1295 to plans by Arnolfo di Cambio. It contains countless artworks, including Giotto's famous frescoes in the Peruzzi and Bardi chapels, and it is universally famous as the final resting place of several great Italians. The most important monuments include the tomb of Alfieri by Canova, the tomb of Leonardo Bruni by Rossellino and the tomb of Carlotta Bonaparte by Bartolini. The Museo dell'Opera contains renowned artworks such as the "Crucifix" by Cimabue, frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi and Andrea Orcagna and the graceful Pazzi Chapel designed by Brunelleschi.
MUSEO DELLA FONDAZIONE HORNE. This museum contains fine collections of artistic and crafted items dated from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries donated to the city of Florence at the beginning of the 20th century by Herbert Percy Horne. This English antique dealer recreated a noble Renaissance residence in his home; one of the most interesting pieces is a "St. Stephen" attributed to Giotto.
SYNAGOGUE AND JEWISH MUSEUM. The Byzantine-style Synagogue was built at the end of the 19th century to plans by Marco Treves. The mosaics inside create a sumptuous Eastern atmosphere. The Jewish Museum reconstructs the history of the Jews in Florence through photographs, documents, etc. and it contains a fine collection of ceremonial items.
CONVENT DI SANTA MARIA MADDALENA DE' PAZZI. The Chapter Room of the convent is decorated with Perugino's famous fresco of the "Crucifixion" (1493-96).

Santo Spirito

CHURCH OF SANTO SPIRITO. The district of Santo Spirito in Oltrarno, the picturesque neighborhood populated by craftsmen, restorers and antique dealers, gets its name from the Church of Santo Spirito. Designed by Brunelleschi and begun in 1444, it is one of the most beautiful examples of Renaissance architecture. The interior, in the shape of a Latin cross with three naves, is pure Brunelleschian style. Inside the church we can find a wooden crucifix by Michelangelo. The sacristy was built to plans by Giuliano da Sangallo. Next to the church is the Cenacle of Santo

Cuisine

Florentine cuisine remains the guardian of a great tradition consisting of simple dishes, often prepared with humble, genuine ingredients like bread, oil and vegetables. However, it does not lack in elaborate and imaginative recipes, like the meats prepared in dolceforte, reminiscent of the splendor and eccentricity of the renaissance courts when the aim was more to amaze the guests than to satisfy the palate.

Some of these dishes have become famous all over the world, like the Florentine steak. Others have vanished from the tables even in the city, probably due to requiring exceedingly long preparation times or calling for ingredients that are increasingly hard to find. On these pages we have presented some of the most well known and characteristic dishes of Florentine cooking, accompanied by a short list of selected wines from the surrounding area and a calendar of the main oenogastronomic events around about Florence.

Just to introduce a little of Florence to your table, to help you choose when you find yourselves in front of a menu in a Florentine trattoria, and to guide you in your search for village festivals and antique flavors …

Getting to Florence by air

Amerigo Vespucci Airport is situated on the north-west outskirts of Florence, just 4 kilometres from the city centre. It is a 15- to 20-minute journey into the centre by taxi or the SITA/ATAF bus shuttle operating between the airport and the central railway station. Vespucci Airport is connected to some of Europe's major airports: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Bucharest, Frankfurt, Geneva, London Gatwick, Madrid, Munich, Paris C. de Gaulle, Timisoara, Tirana, Vienna. There are also flights to and from the following Italian cities: Bologna, Cagliari, Catania, Milan Malpensa, Olbia, Palermo, Rome Fiumicino, Turin and Verona.

Pisa's Galilei Airport is about 80 kilometres from Florence. There are direct flights from the most important European and Italian airports. The airport is linked to Florence by rail and road: a direct train service runs from the airport to Florence central railway station (Firenze S.M.N.), and there is also a TerraVision bus service. The journey time is approximately 1 hour, 20 minutes.

Amerigo Vespucci Airport

Tel (+39) 055 30615

http://www.aeroporto.firenze.it/

Flight Information

Tel (+39) 055 3061700 - (+39) 055 3061702

24 hours a day

Baggage Assistance

Tel (+39) 055 3061302 - Fax (+39) 055 3061664

Opening hours: 8-14 / 16-23

Plan visits and tours

SITI Project

http://www.siti-toscana.it/opengov/cms/siti/portale/UK/index.jsp

http://www.firenzeturismo.it