Tuscany Feast, the yearly event celebrated on 30th November, has been instituted through a regional law in 2000, in order to remember one of the main conquest of mankind in the field of human rights: the abolition of death penalty.

It was the Grand Duke of Tuscany who first abolished death penalty on 30th November 1786 wit Leopold’s reform. He also abolished torture and limbs mutilation, defining such practices barbaric acts.

This initiative made Tuscany the first country in the world to

Once again, one of the most beautiful cities in the world gets ready for 28th edition of its marathon, which will take place on 27th November with an itinerary of 42,195 km.

In years, such a great Florence event has become more and more important and popular in Italy and the world, so much that it became the 2nd greatest marathon in Italy and last year it reached a new record of registered participants: 10,200 runners coming from 62 different countries.

Florence Marathon is one of the main road events in Tuscany and one of the first 20 marathons in the world for participants and quality.

The Firenze Marathon Expo comes back this year also: an important benchmark for athletes, audience and firms, where the competition packs and the numbers for taking part in the marathon will be assigned. Here it will be also possible to taste delicious Tuscan products and find vouchers of many agreed restaurants offering a special price, as well as many other activities.

Last but not least, the new itinerary of this edition! This year the start won’t take place in Piazzale Michelangelo as in last editions, but in Lungarno Pecori Giraldi, for making the marathon even more technique and exciting. This modification will give benefits to the athletes, by avoiding the height difference and creating a marathon taking place in plain only.

After the start, the athletes will go toward the beautiful green Cascine park, before crossing the historical centre and going towards the arrival in Santa Croce Square. Start and arrival will be very close, near to the most important monuments and artworks of Florence.

After the marathon, there will be as usual the “Marathon Party”, a party open to all the athletes and their friends. An excellent dinner with Tuscan products and typical Florence dishes, much music, shows and dance.

Children also have the chance to enjoy and run in the city streets! There will be once again the Ginky Family Run: the non-competitive run for the families, 2,5 km long with start and arrival in Piazza Santa Croce. The itinerary will be the following: via Magliabecchi, Corso dei Tintori, via dei Neri, via della Ninna, Piazza Signoria, via Vacchereccia, via Por Santa Maria, Lungarno degli Archibugieri, Piazza del Pesce, Lungarno de’ Medici, Piazza dei Giudici, Lungarno Diaz, Lungarno alle Grazie, Piazza Cavalleggeri, and finally come back in Piazza Santa Croce.

For having more detailed information about Florence, click on this online travel guide to Florence.

Can you imagine a more romantic country to get married in than Italy?

With nothing but green luscious hills, olive groves, Cyprus trees and unimaginable views as far as the eye can see …Famous for not only its stunning scenery and famous wines such as Chianti and Brunello, Tuscany is full of hidden gems and is oozing with romance.

Boasting stunning cities such as Florence and Siena, Tuscany is the soul of Italy. It is known affectionately as

Summer is coming to an end, but events keep on going on! As a matter of fact, Florence comes back to celebrate one of its several ancient traditions dedicated to history and new generations: Festa della Rificolona!

Such a traditional festival, much-loved by all citizens and tourists of Florence, dates back to 17th century, when many farmers with their wives used to come to the city for celebrating the nativity of the Virgin at the

The appointment with Pitti Filati is coming up in Florence. Here, fashion never rests up and the agenda is full of not-to-be-missed events and appointments!

As a matter of fact, from July, 5th to 7th 2011, Florence hosts the 69th edition of Pitti Filati at Fortezza da Basso and will present the new fashionable trends of the most used materials in accessories and clothing.

Such an event is part of the circuit Pitti Immagine, which lately presented the 80th edition of Pitti Immagine Uomo with the spring-summer 2012 collections. Besides it, also Pitti W_Woman Pre Collection presented the woman pre-collections for the same season. Finally, we can’t forget about Pitti Bimbo, the fashion appointment dedicated to the children.

Here are some important numbers of this edition of Pitti Filati:

Once again, Florence celebrates its Patron Saint’s day on June, 24th: St John. This year, the patron Saint’s day of the cradle of Renaissance will be on Friday and this will be a perfect occasion for spending a curious and romantic week-end in Florence.

As a matter of fact, in Florence, as usual, you’ll find in the city centre historical parades and a series of initiatives involving the whole city, and don’t forget about the final match of the much-beloved “Calcio in Costume” or Historical Football, an ancient Florentine tradition you can’t miss!

In addition, don’t forget that in the night of 24th June, there will be the wonderful fireworks, on

From last March, 17th – a very important date for Italy – at Reggia di Venaria (province of Turin) it is possible to marvel at sculptural and artistic treasures gathered for the exhibition La bella Italia. Arte e identità delle città capitali (The beautiful Italy. Art and identity of Italian capital Cities).

Until September, 11th 2011, the greatest masters of Italian art with over 350 works which go form antiquity to the Italian Unity will be put on display in the wonderful scenarios of Citroniera and Scuderia Grande of Filippo Juvarra of the Reggia di Venaria.

The organization of such an exhibition was made by Luca Ronconi, Margherita Palli e Valentina Dellavia and with A.J. Weissbard (Lighting Design), in collaboration with Massimo Venegoni (Studio Dedalo).

An itinerary of 350 works coming from museums of Italy, all over the world and private collections, which goes from antiquity until 1861 – the year of Italian Unity – passing through the main “cultural capitals” before Unity: Turin, Florence, Rome, Milan, Venice, Genoa, Bologna, Parma, Modena, Naples and Palermo.

So, different traditions and cultures confront each other together with those artists who in the past represented them through their talent and natural genius: Giotto, Beato Angelico, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo, Correggio, Bronzino, Tiziano, Veronese, Rubens, Tiepolo, Canova, Hayez, Parmigianino, Velazquez, Bernini and many others.

The exhibition portrays the various “Italies” that were called upon by history to turn into one. Italy is a country of “differences” and this must be seen as a further resource, an energy which join people.

Therefore, each capital has been represented by art works, documents and objects which are emblems able to tell and retrace the history of such different realities.

SECTIONS

The section dedicated to Rome presents about 50 works portraying the myths of archaic Rome, symbolized in the famous painting by Rubens “Romulus and Remus” and , to the protagonists of classical Rome with the portraits and the busts of Emperors and the reliefs of Trajan’s Column. In addition, works by Bernini and Antonio Canova.

Florence is the emblem of Italian language of Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, it is the collections of the Medici family, the enlightened court of Lorenzo the Magnificent, it is the cradle of Renaissance with Brunelleschi, Masaccio and Donatello, the new astronomic science of Galileo and much more…Just come and see with your eyes!

The section devoted to Turin hosts works showing the long historic happenings of the dynasty of Savoy, religion, policy and the image of power, great printing projects and collections, and majestic architecture that celebrated, with Juvarra’s genius, the passage from Dukedom to Kingdom in 1713. The last canvasses are by Bossoli and Tetar van Elven and portray Turin as the protagonist of Renaissance.

Genoa, beautiful and rich city, retraces its golden age as the financial and artistic capital through about 30 works, among which we find canvasses by Rubens, Strozzi, Van Dyck and Veronese.

Artistic testimony of the various cultures of Palermo, between the Middle Ages and the Modern Era, with reference to the studies carried out during the Risorgimento by the local historian Michele Amari and with precious local artifacts and imported Islamic items, and the 19th century painting by Giacomo Conti depicting the court of Frederick II. The section ends on the theme of the Sicilian Vespers in a painting by Michele Rapisardi.

Naples, in the vivid images of the common people in the works by Cerquozzi, Giordano, Traversi, and Miola.

Bologna, the second seat of the Papal State, presents here the remarkable painting tradition of the Courts along the Po river in the works by Correggio and Dossi, together with works by Guercino, Fontana, Bagnocavallo, Ludovico e Annibale Carracci.

From the area of the Emilia region, a specific section of the exhibition focuses on important works of art that exemplify the prestigious collections of the ancient duchies of Parma and Modena.

Milan, its great role in history and a widely recognized artistic, political, and economic center. Here we find an important selection of works illustrating the main events in Lombard history, highlighting its two-fold vocation as a center for intellectual as well as entrepreneurial fervor: Leonardo da Vinci and Donato Bramante; in addition, the world-famous famous Kiss by Francesco Hayez, symbol of the heroism of the Five Days that marked the start of the Risorgimento.

Finally, Venice is presented through the mirror image of its myth, celebrated in art across the centuries. The section represents the icons of the Republic, with portraits by Titian and the Lion of Saint Mark by Carpaccio, alternate with famous views of the city by Canaletto and nostalgic paintings by Guardi, and re-emerge in the hues of Tiepolo and the sculptures by Canova.

You can’t miss such a great exhibition, you have time until September, 11th 2011. Reggia di Venaria waits for you near Turin!

Further information about events in Turin are available on the guide About Turin.

From May, 12th to 14th, the historical commemoration of the Mille Miglia comes back in Italy. “The world’s greatest road race”, as it was called by Enzo Ferrari: 375 extraordinary classic cars on the historic Brescia-Rome-Brescia route.

There’s not long to wait now before the fabulous world appointment with the vintage motor racing. The Godmother of this edition’s race is the beautiful Madalina Ghenea, who comes from her success in “Dancing with the Stars”.

An event which every year becomes more and more important for the representation of the Italian capital and our

ART 2011 – the International Arts and Crafts Exhibition has reached its 75th edition and will take place at Fortezza da Basso in Florence from April, 30th to May, 8th 2011.

The 75th edition of ART will be subdivided into six thematic areas as usual: TERRITORIES, INTERIOR SCENES, TASTE, SCENARIOS OF THE WORLD, FASHION AND JEWELLERY SCENARIOS, VISIONS, in which exhibitors will put on display their world of hand-crafted products mixed with innovation and novelties.

ART is a perfect occasion for

At last, spring has come to Italy! The beautiful season seems to be here now and, with her, the music, which will give rise to vibrations in the largest Italian squares, including Rome and Florence.

Yes, because also this year Rome won’t let us down and the great Concerto del Primo Maggio (May Day Concert) comes back with many Italian and international singers, musicians and special guests.

In Italy, like in many other countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers’ Day, or Labour Day,