In the wake of the carnival which has just ended, Tuscany keeps on celebrating in good taste. Yes, because a competition between Florence and many of the peculiar municipalities in the surroundings has just begun, and the winner will be who will prepare the most bizarre and tastiest gastronomic masterpieces typical of Tuscany traditions.

Scarperia, in the province of Florence, will be the first, in fact it will host the traditional Wild Boar Festival (Sagra del cinghiale), irreplaceable yearly appointment which this year will take place on February 28^th, March 1^st, 7^th, 8^th 2009.

At the festival you will find

In the next few days, Milan will be the protagonist of a really special exhibition: Gli Ultimi Samurai (The Last Samurai).

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In fact, from February 25^th to June 2^nd, many materials, objects, drawings and accessories all belonging to the legendary world of the Samurai, will be put on display in the halls of the Royal Palace, and they will be very useful to reenact the Edo period of the Japanese history, that is to say the one included between 17^th and 19^th century.

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This exhibition boasts of the primacy to be the first exhibition in Europe entirely dedicated to the Samurais, myth and legend which from time immemorial fascinated the western world. In addition, besides the loans of the collections of eastern art coming from the Sforza Castle, this exhibition will be enriched with the extraordinary presence of

Once again the Venice Biennale presents its extraordinary session dedicated to the Theatre.

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From February 20^th to March 8^th in fact, the 40^th edition of Biennale Theatre will start, a really important event, which every year puts on display in Venice and Mestre some of the most beautiful Italian and foreign theatre operas.

In April, the Biennale Theatre will house the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement award ceremony to Irene Papas, and it will be followed by the performances on stage at Teatro Goldoni and Teatro Toniolo.

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In addition, this year it was decided to let the whole event revolve around

For a few days, a really original and peculiar exhibition has been inaugurated at Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome. A complex exhibition path dedicated to Charles Darwin, the father of the evolutionary theory of the species.

The exhibition is entitled “Darwin 1809-2009″ and it was thought to celebrate this extraordinary scientist 200 years after his birth.

Darwin was the first not to stop in front of the empirical discovery of the evolution of species, he demanded to give an explanation, to tell the reason why all that happened. And after many years dedicated to his studies, he understood that the diversity of nature and of its shapes of life derive from processes in progress for millions of years and which still today are under way.

The exhibition is divided into sections just to give the idea of the historical and social path of the scientist, retracing the several phases of his studies, with writings,

Until April 19^th, at Carlo Bilotti Museum at Aranciera of Villa Borghese, the exhibition dedicated to the great metaphysical genius Giorgio de Chirico is under way.

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This event is part of the wide range of exhibitions organized between 2008 and 2010, entitled “Immortalità a Giorgio de Chirico” (“Immortality for Giorgio de Chirico”), on the occasion of the 120^th recurrence after his birth.

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This exhibition is absolutely different from the ones dedicated to the painter until this moment, inasmuch as for the first time there will not be his paintings on display, but his drawings. The exhibition, entitled “La magia della linea. 110 disegni di de Chirico dalla Fondazione Giorgio e Isa de Chirico” (“The magic of line. 110 drawings by De Chirico from the Fondazione Giorgio e Isa de Chirico”), puts on display a genre which has always been considered subordinate in comparison to painting.

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On the other hand, De Chirico sustained that drawings were an independent genre, with its good reputation and prestige; the line traced on the paper was a free and spontaneous expression of the human soul, able to

Well, here we are… It’s carnival time in Venice! From Saturday February 14th in fact, the celebrations of the famous Venice Carnival will begin, which every year gathers in the city party animals of every age and from all over the world.

Ten days of music, masks and celebrations of any kind, developed in a really rich programme to satisfy adults’ and children’s desires.

The event begins on 14th, with the opening of several exhibitions “Carnevale al Buio 2009” (“Carnival in the dark 2009″), parties “Festa di apertura del carnevale dei bambini” (“Opening party of the children’s carnival”) and in particular tasting itineraries “Fritoin Express“, besides an initiative, conceived for the Valentine’s day, “GLISSSSSSSENDO“, during which the Square of the Carnival will explode in a fantastic and striking show of music, fireworks and the performances of the best European street theatre.

But only on 15th you will have the opportunity to admire the real “inauguration” of Venice Carnival with the renowned and long-expected “Volo dell’Angelo” (“Angel’s Flight”) in Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square). Every year, this event shows

If we talk about emotions, Carnival means joy, fun out of control, lightness and laughs. But if we talk about cities, well…Carnival means Viareggio!

From February 8 on, in fact, Viareggio turns into the city of coloured floats, of the most bizarre costumes and of the funniest and the most entertaining parties.

The Carnival 2009 of Viareggio presents as absolute protagonist, the Burlamacco, the official mask of the Viareggio Carnival which appeared for the first time on the scene in 1930 thanks to Umberto Bonetti. For 78 years now, the Burlamacco is

This year Futurism celebrates its 100^th birthday, and Milan, the city which inspired the artworks belonging to the greatest painters of futurist vanguard, celebrates with a really spectacular exhibition: “Futurismo 1909 – 2009 Velocità+Arte+Azione” (“Futurism 1909 – 2009 Speed+Art+Action”).

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The exhibition, organized by Giovanni Lista and Ada Masoero, will start on next 6^th February and will enchant the halls of the wonderful Palazzo Reale in Milan until 7^th June.

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The event is a real explosion of creativity, light, colour and movement. As many as 400 artworks on exhibition, among 240 paintings, drawings, sculptures, theatre scenographies, and photographs which retrace the whole artistic itinerary of the great artists of Italian futurism.

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The exhibition is a sort of documentary film which goes back the