Newsletter: November 22 - Dec. 6

Announcements / CET Events

Tuesday, Nov. 22
7 pm Meet & Greet with new Italian roommates candidates at Palazzo Giovane (Casa della Creatività) Language Tandem and Aperitivo to follow.

Nov. 25-28 Thanksgiving Break. Enjoy your holiday!
Staying in town and looking for a traditional meal? Check out:


Ristorante Accademia, Piazza San Marco 7r
Reserve: tel. 055217343, €30 euro (drinks not included)

Angels, Via del Proconsolo 29/31r,
Reserve: tel. 055/2398762 or 3287290848 €40


Café Deluxeé, Piazza Indipendenza (corner via XXVII Aprile),
Reserve: tel. 055485749, €19 per (drinks not included) info@cafedeluxee.com


Four Seasons Hotel Borgo Pinti €85 -100 See here for more info


This week in Florence

Tuesday, Nov. 23

La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi (music and costumes)
English Church of St. Mark's, www.concertoclassico.info

Wednesday, November 24, 6 pm 
British Library Lecture. Bronzino and Eleonora di Toledo: a painter and his patron. Scholarly thinking on the relationship between Agnolo Bronzino and Eleonora di Toledo has recently been radically revised. Initially thought of solely as the subject of one of the painter's best known portraits and the recipient of his most outstanding work, the Chapel of Eleonora in Palazzo Vecchio, the Duchess of Florence has emerged as one of Bronzino's most important and demanding patrons. Yet this relationship remains controversial and academic debate over it is intense.

Wednesday, December 1, 6 pm British Library
Modern Italian politics: a never-ending transition
One of the more puzzling phenomena of the Italian political scene in the last ten to fifteen years, at least from the British point of view, is its mix of discontinuity and instability. Almost two decades after the emergence of high expectations, many institutional mechanisms still remain uncertain and undefined.







Dec. 1-19. German Christmas Market, Piazza Santa Croce
Traditional German sausages, strudel, mulled wine, Holiday gifts, crafts and more!


Through December 10
50 Days of Film – Festival at the Cinema Odeon
For schedule, see www.odeon.intoscana.it
Or http://www.festivaldeipopoli.org/en/festival/calendario/2010



Anxious to explore? Suggestions in/around Florence:
Through December 7
“Firenze Insolita”: The city of Florence has created a program of guided tours and walks throughout the month of November. See the full schedule on the Activities bulletin board or online here: http://www.comune.fi.it/opencms/export/sites/retecivica/materiali/hp_citta/fileFirenzeInsolita.pdf

Italian Phrase of the Week:
“Prendere due piccioni con una fava”
(Kill two birds with one stone. Literally, “Catch two pigeons with one bean”)

Traveling Seminar in Venice: Nov. 12-14

Italian Cultural History Itinerary

Friday, November 12:

2-5 pm             Venetian Society in the Renaissance; the neighborhoods of Santa Croce and San Polo; different social classes and categories, immigration, Renaissance customs and fashion; the role of public and private in the Renaissance.

7:15                 Group Dinner.

Saturday, November 13:       

9 - 12:              Artisans in Venice, past and present.  Canareggio; the construction of the city; visit to the workshops of a printer and a glass blower; the significance of arts and crafts in Venice historically.

Gianni Basso shows us the art of printmaking 

Sunday, November 14: 

8 - 12               Guided tour of Jewish Ghetto and synagogues.

Imagery and Public Space Itinerary

Friday, November 12:

1:30 – 5 pm                San Marco (Mascoli Chapel & museum) and Santa Maria della Salute.

7:15                             Group Dinner

Saturday, November 13:

9 AM                          S. Zaccaria, S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni, San Rocco.

Lunch break

2:00-3:15                    Frari

Sunday, November 14:

9:30 - 12                      Gallerie dell’Accademia. 

Newsletter: November 8-21

Announcements / CET Events

Tuesday, Nov. 9
7 pm Language Tandem and Aperitivo at the Casa della Creatività.
Want a language partner? Register here more info here and for any questions contact info@aegeefirenze.it

8:30 pm Opera – The Marriage of Figaro
If you are not coming to the Language Tandem, you should meet us in front of the Teatro Comunale at 8:15 pm.



Nov. 12-14     Traveling Seminar to Venice
You will receive the full itinerary on Monday, Nov. 8 before class.

Nov. 12-15     Florens 2010
8 days of cultural events, exhibits, markets and more all over Florence. See the Full calendar here




This week in Florence

Wednesday, November 10, 6 pm British Library
Lecture: Pratibha Parmar
Using clips from her films, filmmaker and feminist activist Pratibha Parmar will discuss the role of art as a creative force for change. She will focus on her current feature documentary film about the author Alice Walker, who made history as the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her novel The Color Purple.

November 11, 5-7 pm 

Free Wine Tasting, Alessi Wine shop, Via delle Oche 27/31,

Fattoria Lavacchio – CChianti Rufina 06 selezione Cedro, Chianti Rufina 06 Riserva del Cedro,Oro del Cedro Gewurztraminer Aromatico 09 

November 19-21
Florence Wine Event, Palazzo Pitti
4 pm-9 PM on Friday November 19th (starts at 11 AM on Satruday and Sunday). Annual wine tasting fair and expo. 10 euro for the taste card.

Nov 20 

“Musei in Musica” 7 pm - 1 a.m. the next day

Special extra-hours at the Museum of Musical Instruments (inside the Accademia) and concert

8:45 pm, Galleria dell’Accademia  (via Ricasoli 60 - Firenze). Free entrance

Sunday, November 21 All day
Piazza Santo Spirito, Festa dell’Olio Nuovo. All day olive oil fair and market.


Through December 10
50 Days of Film – Festival at the Cinema Odeon
For schedule see here  or here for the schedule for the Festival dei Popoli (annual documentary film festival).



Avete fame? This week’s suggestions:

Panino: Salumeria Verdi, Via Verde, 36/R


Cioccolata calda: Chiaroscuro, Via del Corso, 36
Vestri, Borgo degli Albizi, 11

Aperitivo: Kitsch 2, Via San Gallo

Coffee bar/study area: Caffe’ degli Artigiani, Via dello Sprone, 16/R


Anxious to explore? Suggestions in/around Florence:


Through December 7
“Firenze Insolita”: The city of Florence has created a program of guided tours and walks throughout the month of November. See the full schedule on the Activities bulletin board or online here:

Italian Phrase of the Week:
“O bere o affogare”
(Sink or swim. Literally, “drink or drown”)

Student Correspondent News: Horseback Riding in Tuscany!

Fall 2010 Student Jennifer Maclean takes us off the beaten path (literally) on a horseback ride through Tuscany. Like what you read? Check out Jen's blog here. 

Last Thursday (my day off from classes) 2 friends and I decided to do one of those touristy things and go horseback riding in Tuscany. We signed up to do it with a group, but we were the only three who signed up so it ended up being our own private experience, which was nice! So we set off on our journey though it was not quite what we expected ...


I was the member of our group with the most horseback riding experience, which is not saying much, as mine is incredibly limited. This would have been fine except we were not given any instruction about the horses....who did not really like to behave.





Hayley's fell a lot, Kelsey's liked to kick. In general, mine didn't like any other living being (horse or animal) however it did like all trees, which it frequently ran me into. Thus our guide would start yelling in Italian when our horses veered off and we didn't know what to do

Did I mention our horse back riding guide spoke no English. Our overall tour guide (Sam) did, but he didn't come horseback riding with us so that was a bit of an experience (good thing we know destra e sinistra)








The views were absolutely beautiful and it feels so nice to be just riding across the country side! That itself made the whole cost worth it! So while not quite what we were expecting an adventure all the same! Overall, I would highly recommend it (just maybe in a bigger group, with people who've been horseback riding before!) It was so great to see the Tuscan countryside (Under the Tuscan Sun anyone?)



Ciao y'all!
Jen