Since last Saturday 19thJune, the historical and traditional Battle of Flowers has begun in the city of Ventimiglia, a town located in the Western Ligurian Riviera.

We are talking about a very ancient event, which takes its origins in the ceremonies celebrated by the farmers in order to pay homage to the rebirth of vegetation in springtime, because they were aware of the bounty of “mother earth” and knew that good harvests depended on her.

Throughout the years, this event turned into a sort of carnival, with a parade of papier-mâché floats decorated with thousands flowers and colors, and subsequently, with floats covered in a mosaic work made up of flowers. Since 1933, the Battle of Flowers in Ventimiglia became the only original one for good, differing from the other many similar parades on the Riviera for its elegant and artistic flowers arrangements.

The greatest and most expected appointment with music, dance and theatre comes back in Florence with its sweet, bitter, harrowing and trenchant notes.

Emotions come back with several performances starring great artists and titles. In fact, since last April 29th, the 73rd edition of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the festival dedicated to the art of music, ballet and opera has come back in Florence. This year, the event brings with it the charming East, in the pursuit of exotic and multi-ethnic themes, from Mozart to contemporary music, with the title “Verso Oriente” (“Toward the East”).

The Maggio Fiorentino playbill schedules great opera titles, stunning concerts and breathtaking performances and shows, among several brand new personalities and artists.

Until June 22nd 2010, a series of performances will take place in Florence nights,

Of course, also the original and up-to-date Blog about all the news & events in Italy and the main Italian cities is now on the most famous social network in the world: Facebook!

Now you can find all the information you need also on the page of About Italy on Facebook! It’s really easy, become our fan and you will receive real-time updating about events, exhibitions, performances, sport and cultural events in the most beautiful Italian cities: Florence, Milan, Pisa, Rome, Siena, Turin, Venice…and don’t forget about the valley of Mugello, the Versilia coast and the Region of Liguria!

Italy is full of wonderful places to discover and visit among mountains and the sea, from the North to the South…you will be spoilt for choice! In order to know the events of the week, you need just a click and will find

A brand new event in Pisa: The House of Mirrors, from 5^th to 7^th November 2009, at Stazione Leopolda.

It’s an innovative and alternative art exhibition, which displays a series of works inspired by the same subject: the picture of a human face, selected by the organization team through a photographic contest. Starting from this common matrix, each one of the participants produced a unique creation, a personal work of art, resulting from his own techniques, inspirations and emotions.

From artist to artist, also the language used can change, and the possibilities are as many as the number of sections in which the exhibition is divided into: Sculpture, Painting, Computer Art, Comics, Video, Tales, Poetry.

Finally, a global message – that is at the same time the founding idea of the project, comes out: