Carnival 2012 is ready to begin. Tomorrow 4th February many dances, masks, parades and theatre performances will liven up Venice!

This year the theme of the carnival will be the theatre: “Life as a Theatre!”. So, several theatre performances and many more theatre-related initiatives will be held during this carnival edition.

On 4th February, the Great toast at the fountain of wine, and a beautiful theatre performance, “A Venezia la vita è Teatro” (“In Venice, life is theatre”). In addition, skating rinks will be open to the public in Piazza Ferretto and Campo San Paolo in Venice.

On Sunday 12th, there will be the famous and traditional “Angel Flight”, the exciting flight of a secret guest star, who from the top of San Marco bell tower will fly above the square, landing in the centre of the square. He or she will wear an amazing mask in honour of the carnival.

In addition, this year Venice Carnival will celebrate and remember the significance of the environmental protection, thanks to a special initiative by Ecolamp, the cooperative devoted to the separate collection of rubbish and waste disposal.

From 4th to 21st February will mount a stage – “Teatro della Luce e del Riciclo” – in Campo San Paolo, proposing games and shows dedicated to environment.

For more detailed information about Venice please visit the guide About Venice.

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Find out more about Venice Carnival.

The trophy is given directly by pilots, mechanics, sport journalists and experts through the IRTA association.

The prize has been awarded for the circuit track quality, the Mugello staff efficiency, the quality of services offered and certainly, and also for the peculiar skill to “make everyone feel at home”, typical of Mugello circuit of Scarperia, as expressed by the words of the IRTA President Herve Poncharal.

The prize, awarded since 1976, has been won by the Mugello Circuit for the 5th time.

The Grand Prix of Italy, thanks to recently-signed agreements, will continue to race in Mugello for the next 5 years.

On July, 15th 2012, the Tuscan circuit will host the 9th round of the MotoGP World Championship.

Artworks by Cézanne, Gauguin, Monet, Matisse, Renoir, Picasso, Rousseau and Van Gogh are still on display at Brera Art Gallery in Milan until 5th February 2012.

Such beautiful works come from the collections of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts of Moscow. The exhibition purpose is to celebrate the exceptional combination of two great museums dating back to 19th century on the occasion of the Cultural Year 2011 that celebrates Italy-Russia relations.

All the paintings on view belong to two great Russian collectors, Sergej Scukin and Ivan Morozov, who in the beginning of 20th century bought their paintings in the most important galleries in Paris, creating in this way unique, precious collections. They were also friends of some artists and bought pictures simply because they had a real passion for art and not because museums or collectors were interested in them.

Visitors will have the chance to marvel at works such as Water Lilies by Claude Monet, Portrait of Ambroise Vollard by Picasso, The Prison Courtyard by Van Gogh and many other masterpieces, unique pieces.

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Brera Art Gallery
Via Brera, 28
20121 Milano

tel. +39 02 722 63 264 – 229
fax: +39 02 720 011 40
e-mail: sbsae-mi.brera@beniculturali.it

Opening Hours

h 8.30-19.15 From Tuesday to Sunday
(Ticket office open ‘till 6.40 pm)
Close on Mondays

Tickets

€ 12,00
€ 9,00 Reduced price

As widely known, Viareggio Carnival is the most popular and entertaining Italian carnival in Europe, rich in masks, coloured dances and parades, floats and district night celebrations that every year get more and more irreverent.

Once again, this year the carnival will begin with the opening celebration taking place on Saturday 4th February at 6.30 pm on Viareggio promenade; at the end there will also be fireworks and the flag hoisting.

Then, get the party started! Visitors will have the chance to see the many floats parade on the seafront promenade.

Here it is the Parade Program

• 5th February at 3 pm
• 12th February at 3 pm
• 19th February at 3 pm
• 21th February at 3 pm
• 26th February at 3 pm
• 3rd March at 7 pm (final fireworks).

And don’t forget about Viareggio Carnival by night! Yes, because in the night fabulous night celebrations are held in the many districts of the area:

Is it enough for you? Get ready to party with Viareggio Carnival 2012!!!

For more detailed information about the city of Viareggio, have a look at our online travel guide About Versilia.

Until January, 30th 2012, the exhibition by Marcello Reboani will put on display about 30 artworks depicting all the must have objects in fashion: from not-to-be-missed clothes to cult accessories such as bags and shoes.

The peculiarity of such works consists in using daily recycled materials, in contraposition to the rich ones of the contemporary consumer society, in a perfect fusion between art and everyday life.

Reboani’s works can be defined as assemblage, because they are creations made with the collage technique in three dimensions, everything with a provocative intent.

Recycled materials under the sparkling and glamour gloss of icon objects: wood mixes with copper, steel, aluminium, glass and lead. In addition: geographical maps, maps of the world, archipelagos and islands visited by the artist.

What are you waiting for? You still have a few days for visiting this fabulous irreverent exhibition, Rome is waiting for you!

If you’ve never visited Rome, then take a look at the online guide About Roma:

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As a matter of fact, until 29th January 2012 the old Palazzo Blu will hold the masterpieces of some of the greatest painting masters of all times.

“Ho voluto essere pittore e sono diventato Picasso” (“I would to be a painter and I became Picasso”), this is the title of the exhibition.

As a result of the cooperation among Fondazione Palazzo Blu and the Picasso Museum of Barcelona, Malaga and Antibes, this exhibition confirms the purpose to create relations with important public institutions conserving the works of the great 20th-century masters.

It is the third exhibition of the cycle dedicated to the great masters of last century, whose cultural origins come from the Mediterranean area: as a matter of fact, its aim is to renew the success achieved in the previous exhibitions, visited by about 170,000 visitors.

Placed along the Arno river at the heart of the city, a few steps away from Ponte di Mezzo and Palazzo Gambacorti, until 29th January Palazzo Blu will host over 200 artworks – paintings, drawings, potteries, works on paper, lithographs, etchings, books and tapestries which will show visitors how Picasso’s desire of becoming a painter in the 19th-century Barcelona led him exploring each possible artistic path through the continuous expression of his creative genius.

The core of the whole exhibition will be the extraordinary collection of 59 linocuts belonging to the Picasso Museum of Barcelona, around which the itinerary of the exhibition will develop with works dating back to a period from 1901 to 1970.

If you’ve never visited Pisa, this is the perfect moment for doing it! Go and see this fabulous exhibition in Pisa!

If you would like to search for a hotel in Pisa, have a look at the guide About Pisa.

If you want to know more about museums in Pisa or the best monuments in Pisa, please have a look at the travel guide to Pisa About Pisa.

You can also book your tickets for visiting the Leaning Tower.

As well as Cleopatra seduced Caesar and later Mark Antony, the charming Egypt was able to seduce Rome and later, in the course of time, the whole West.

The exhibition, taking place in the wonderful Sala dello Scrutinio at Palazzo Ducale in Venice – symbol of the city – shows with many findings the relationships between Venice and Egypt during almost 2 thousand years (from the classic age until the opening of Suez canal, an initiative proposed by the government in the 16th century and created only in 1869 with the help of the engineer Negrelli).

Precious archaeological finds, inedited books and artworks by Venetian artists such as Giorgione, Tiziano, Tintoretto, Strozzi and Piranesi showing the history of such cultures: the transfer of the body of St Mark from Alessandria in 828, the adventures of explorers as Giambattista Belzoni, one of the founding fathers of Italian archaeology, and Giovanni Miani, the adventures of merchants and diplomats looking for goods, hidden treasures and lands, curious facts regarding scientists and humanists decoding hieroglyphics and studying pyramids and the ancient science of pharaohs.

What emerges from the 9 sections of the exhibition is a description of contiguity, familiarity, relationships between 2 different worlds: two “far” countries, different for their language, traditions, habits and customs and religions but that were able to create a “Mediterranean culture” thanks to centuries-old relationships.

Strong relationships, if it’s true that Venice is the only European city that since the year 1000 has an Arab name different form the original one: “al-bunduqiyya”.

Over 300 artworks will wonder you at Doge’s Palace in Venice. Just think that the organization of the exhibition involved about 70 experts.

If you would like to visit this exhibition, book your hotel in Venice with About Venice.

Are you looking for useful maps of Venice? Have a look at the map of About Venice.

Wanna know more about the museums in Venice? Still take a look at our online travel guide About Venice.

From 14th to 17th January , some of our most famous stylists: Ermenegildo Zegna, Roberto Cavalli, Giorgio Armani, Dolce e Gabbana, Missoni, Trussardi, Prada will surprise us with their fall-winter creations.

On Saturday the 14th of January in Via Savona, the models of Ermegildo Zegna will be the first ones to show up on the catwalk. In the afternoon in Viale Piave 24, Dolce e Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli in via san Luca 3 will close up the day.

Sunday the 15th of January will be the turn of : Armani, Ferragamo, Missoni, Trussardi and Prada in via del Borgogone(city center close by to Viale Monte Nero-via Fogazzaro).

Monday on the 16th of January in Piazza Oberdan Gucci will delight us with his creation, later on in via del Gesù, Versace will surprise us with his new creations.

On the last day of the event, Giorgio Armani will open his new location in via Bergognone. We don’t know what will happen in Via Solari, the crime scene of a tragic accident which happened some weeks ago.

The evening will be rich of events, we expect that Dolce & Gabbana have in mind to celebrate their collection at the Gold club (their personal club ) in which has been shoot one of the last videos of David Guetta and which has given the name to the Martini limited edtion of some seasons ago.

The Magazzini Generali, on their official website is already advertizing that in the evening of the 14th of January there will be an evening with the sfaff Pour Homme, with one of the most famous staff of milanese entertainers.

During Milan‘s fashion week there will be so much to do, that one can go out of doors and just follow the crowd!

The main reason which brings global attenction on fashion’s week, is the fact that most of the majour italian stylist will show worldwide their new fashion trends regarding the fall/winter collection, together with the pre-collections (little anticipations that many stylists offer at the end of the year). Coats and jackets will be the main protagonists of these collections.

In Milan there’s so much to do, that you surely wont’t get bored!

If you would like to know more about going shopping in Milan, just have a look at About Milan.

If you’re looking for a hotel in Milan or some useful maps of Milan, just use our online travel guide to Milan.

[Thanks to Jan Eneskey and Leslie Evelyn, artists and workers in the field of fashion who have helped me writing this article.]

Julia

As a matter of fact, from 10th to 13th January 2012, Pitti Immagine Uomo comes back in Florence, the most important international event for men’s clothing and accessory collections, able to scout for new talents and launch new projects in the world of male fashion.

Once again, figures are very promising: 1072 brands, 410 of which coming from abroad (38.6% of the total). Collections will be put on display in an exhibition area of 59,000 sqm. Buyers and visitors for this edition are expected to be at least 30,000 (23,100 buyers at the last Winter edition).

Of course, Pitti Immagine Uomo wouldn’t be complete without New Beat(s), a creative workshop dedicated to the new emerging talents of fashion, a platform for offering visibility to the unknown special collections carefully selected from all over the world. For this edition, the following brands have been selected: Fagassent (a Japanese brand), Scarti-Lab (Italian proposal), Snoot (a brand from Stockholm), and also BARUC CORAZON, HOUSE OF MONTAGUE, LAURENCEAIRLINE, ONE OVER ONE 1/1, PBCODE, ROSSOFORTE, SERIES and SMITH WYKES.

Still from 10th to 13th January, also Pitti Immagine W will take place in Florence, the fair-event devoted to special projects in the world of women’s fashion collections. As for some figures: brands present at this edition will be 70 and 4,400 visitors attended the last edition.

The very special guest of Pitti Immagine W this year will be Olympia Le Tan, the gifted designer of accessories and bags who is getting more and more famous thanks to her creativity and eccentric style. The appointment with Olympia is scheduled for Thursday 12th January in the wonderful location of Bellini Museum.

In addition, from 19th to 21st January 2012, visitors will find also Pitti Immagine Bimbo, the only, original, great event dedicated to the world of children’s fashion. Born in 1975, the fair launched the first catwalks and events dedicated to this segment of fashion. The 2012 edition will present the collections of 510 different international brands, 196 of which are from abroad, with 85 new names. 455 firms will participate in the exhibition showing their collection on an exhibition area of 47,000 sq. m.

So, what are you waiting for? If you wish to have a preview of 2012 fashion, come to Florence! A reason more if you have never been there!

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It’s possible to visit this traditional exhibition at Bramante Halls in Piazza del Popolo, Rome, everyday from 9.00 am to 8.00 pm – also on Sundays and public holidays

Once again, the exhibition will present over 100 nativity scenes coming from all over the world, the name “100 presepi” indicates the number of the nativity scenes during the first edition.

Every year such an event gathers nativity scenes coming from all the Italian regions and about 25 foreign countries. Such works have been created by Italian and foreign artists and craftsmen, collectors, students and children, representatives of cultural associations, national and foreign museums.

Christmas is not Christmas without a Christmas crib! So, as long as we’re on holiday, we have time to enjoy these wonderful handmade creations in the heart of Rome. A reason more to visit the city, its museums, monuments, squares and beautiful fountains. Rome will make you daydream!

If you have never been in Rome, this is a perfect moment for doing it! In Christmas time the city gets even more beautiful, decorated with colours and lights.

We wish you all a very happy new year 2012! See you in Rome!

Tickets for “100 presepi”:
Full price € 7,00
Reduced price € 5,50

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- museums in Rome
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