Lucca – Giovanni Boldini: The Seduction of Painting – from December 2, 2025 to June 2, 2026

La Cavallerizza, Piazzale Verdi, Lucca

An exhibition of over 100 works tracing the evolution of Giovanni Boldini's painting through the lens of feminine beauty—the focus of his continuous aesthetic exploration and deep psychological investigation. Boldini crafted an idealized model of grace and elegance.

An undisputed master of elegance and portraiture between the 19th and 20th centuries, Boldini placed the female image at the heart of his artistic world. With vibrant brushstrokes and a refined play of light and movement, he captured not only the outer grace of his models—their fashion, their social allure, the very spirit of their era—but also their inner psychological depth, giving life to a timeless ideal of femininity and charm.

He portrayed the vital spirit, the grace of gestures, and the intensity of their gazes, transforming his subjects into icons of sensuality and modernity.

Curated by Tiziano Panconi, the exhibition will be open from December 2, 2025, to June 2, 2026, at La Cavallerizza, Piazzale Verdi, Lucca.

From September 26, 2025 to January 25, 2026, Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and the Museo di San Marco in Florence present “Beato Angelico”, an extraordinary and unrepeatable exhibition dedicated to the iconic artist of the 15th century and one of the greatest masters of Italian art of all time.

The exhibition brings together over 140 works — including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and illuminated manuscripts — in a unique itinerary across the two venues of Palazzo Strozzi and the Museo di San Marco.

It explores the production, development, and influence of Beato Angelico's art, as well as his connections with other artists of his time.

This is the first major exhibition in Florence dedicated to the artist, exactly seventy years after the landmark monographic show in 1955.

🔗 Discover the exhibition and buy tickets online: https://ow.ly/7g1R50Wtrsi

TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

A Journey into the Paris of the Belle Époque

September 27 – February 22

Over 170 works by the French artist, coming from Hamburg and Albi, alongside period materials and masterpieces by other great contemporary artists.

An immersive experience into the heart of fin-de-siècle Montmartre.

Venue: Museo degli Innocenti, Piazza Santissima Annunziata 13

🕤 Opening hours: 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM

☎️ +39 055 2037122

🎟️ Tickets: €17.50 / €15.50 / €8.50

Giovanni Fattori (1825–1908): Livorno celebrates 200 years of the master of the Macchia

On the bicentenary of his birth, the city dedicates to the artist a major exhibition, a cultural enhancement project and an urban itinerary that intertwines art, history and territory.

From 6 September 2025 to 11 January 2026, the exhibition “Giovanni Fattori. A Revolution in Painting”, at Villa Mimbelli, home of the “G. Fattori” Civic Museum, will present more than 200 works including paintings, drawings and etchings. An extraordinary opportunity to discover or rediscover the pictorial universe of an artist who revolutionized 19th-century figurative language.

An artist of the Macchia and of real life, far from official rhetoric, Fattori portrayed nature and society with authenticity and depth. His works convey the heat of the sun, the toil of work in the fields and the dignity of people, in a pictorial language where color and light become protagonists.

The places of Fattori: a city itinerary

The celebrations extend beyond the museum, with an itinerary through the places linked to Fattori: from his birthplace to the San Marco Theater, from the Cathedral to the statue at Largo del Cisternino, up to the landscapes immortalized in his paintings such as the Tamarisk of Antignano and the Palmieri Baths.

Thanks to interactive plaques with QR Codes, visitors will be able to access digital textual and audio content, enriching the experience with an immersive and multidisciplinary approach.

📍 Where: Villa Mimbelli – “G. Fattori” Civic Museum, Livorno

📅 Dates: 6 September 2025 – 11 January 2026

⏰ Hours:

Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

open on public holidays

September: Friday, Saturday and Sunday extended opening until 10:00 pm

🎟️ Tickets:

Full: € 15

Reduced: € 12

Combined Exhibition + Casa Medici: € 18 (reduced € 15)

Combined Exhibition + Casa Medici + City Museum: € 20 (reduced € 17)

Free admission: under 18, 100% disabled visitors with companion, journalists

👉 Online presale: www.museofattori.livorno.it

📞 Contacts: +39 0586 824607

📧 Email: infomuseofattori@comune.livorno.it

🍫 Puro Cioccolato Festival a Lucca: a journey through taste, art and tradition

If you love chocolate, mark these dates: December 5, 6, 7 and 8. In the heart of Lucca, in the beautiful Piazza Anfiteatro, comes PURO CIOCCOLATO FESTIVAL, a must-attend event for true chocolate lovers!

A delicious experience for all senses

Organized in collaboration with Confartigianato Lucca, the festival will transform one of the city’s most iconic squares into a paradise of sweetness. Free entry, and stands open every day from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

What can you expect?

🍫 Master chocolatiers from all over Italy showcasing their handcrafted creations

🎨 Chocolate artists creating edible sculptures

🍰 Traditional desserts, all chocolate-based

☕ All kinds of hot chocolate, from classic dark to exotic and creative blends

It’s the perfect opportunity to taste, discover, shop, and even find delicious Christmas gift ideas.

Why visit?

✔️ Magical holiday atmosphere in Lucca

✔️ Meet the artisans and learn the secrets of chocolate

✔️ A walk through flavors, aromas and traditions

✔️ Fun for adults and children alike

Event info

📍 Where: Piazza Anfiteatro, Lucca

📅 When: December 5–8

🕙 Hours: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

💸 Admission: Free

🎄 Ceramics, magic, and Christmas in Florence! 🎨✨

On December 6–7, 2025, Piazza Ognissanti becomes an open-air ceramics studio for the International Ceramics Fair – Christmas Edition!

🌍 25 ceramic artists from all over Italy will showcase their handcrafted creations, born of passion, technique, and creativity.

💫 A unique opportunity to discover original pieces, meet the artisans, and hear the stories behind their work.

🎁 Looking for the perfect Christmas gift? Find authentic, sustainable, and one-of-a-kind items.

📍 Where: Piazza Ognissanti, Florence

🗓 When: December 6–7, 2025

🕰 Free entry

Saturday Night Spa

Saturday, December 6 and 20

from 7:30 PM to midnight

For an evening of pure relaxation, pamper yourself with a soothing bath under the stars in the thermal pool with rejuvenating whirlpools and

reinvigorate yourself with a steam bath in Europe's largest thermal cave at 34°C.

Includes:

Steam bath in natural thermal cave at 34°C (20 minutes)

Bathing under the stars in the 750 sqm thermal pool at 34°C with underwater whirlpools

Bathing in the Bioaquam thermal path at 34°C with rejuvenating whirlpools

Access to the Thermarium area

Access to the "Bioaquam Pavilion" the new covered and heated relaxation area of 310 m2

Lounge music

€35.00 by reservation

Bioaquam Café poolside open with à la carte menu

(payment upon consumption)

For more information, call 

+39 0572/9077992 or email terme@grottagiustispa.com

https://terme.grottagiustispa.com

Christmas in Lucca 2025: lights, markets, and magic in the heart of Tuscany

From November 22, 2025, to January 6, 2026, Lucca transforms into a festive wonderland, welcoming visitors and locals in an enchanted atmosphere. It’s the brightest time of the year, and the city celebrates it with a rich programme of events, decorations, traditions, and special moments to enjoy together.

The Christmas markets, where you can find small but precious gifts and travel mementos, the lights on the streets and historic buildings that fill the city with festive emotion, the Christmas trees and nativity scenes—whether classic, contemporary, traditional or unusual—create a magical setting.

Don’t miss the Santa Claus Village, where children can experience their most awaited moment of the year, or the ice skating rink—a fun activity for families, a joyful one with friends, or a romantic one with your partner.

There will also be guided tours to discover the secrets of the city, lots of music, and cherished renewed traditions.

📍 More information:

https://turismo.lucca.it/lucca-magico-natale/

The famous Antiques Fair of Arezzo is one of the most important and largest antique fairs in Italy, held every first Sunday of the month and the preceding Saturday.

Pictures and paintings, small jewels, ancient and modern furniture, carpets, clocks, silverware, toys, books and vintage prints, collection stamps, musical instruments, gramophones and radios: it is easy to be charmed and indulge in discovering one of the biggest and oldest Italian Antiques Fairs. 

In 1968 a famous antiquarian and collector of Arezzo, Ivan Bruschi, gave birth to this fair which still today fills with its curious bric-a-brac the old town centre, its streets, yards, Vasari Loggia and wonderful Piazza Grande, every first weekend of the month.

For two days the town changes into a multicolor scenery of treasures waiting to be discovered by tourists and collectors: over five hundreds exhibitors from all over Italy meet here with their furniture and objects of all periods and styles, while antiquarians and restorers have multiplied their business, opening their shops during the fair and showing their best items. Experts of antiques and modern antique collecting find here plenty of particular specializations, such as, for instance, scientific tools, Art-Nouveau stained glass windows, Art Deco furnishing.

First Sunday of the month: museums free entrance

It is a very important event involving all the State Museums with specials and free tickets access. Therefore, if you plan to visit Florence, Pisa, Lucca or any other Tuscan town our countless masterpieces without spending one Euro!

For instance in Florence you can visit: the Uffizi Gallery, Academy Museum, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, Bargello Museum, Medici Chapels, and many other attractions. All of them free of charge!

List of  State Museums in Tuscany HERE. 

Creative Mani Factory – Christmas Edition: where handmade meets heart

If you're looking for unique, handcrafted and meaningful gifts, don’t miss the Creative Mani Factory – Christmas Edition, happening on December 6, 7 and 8, 2025 at Manifattura Tabacchi – Building B12, in Florence.

A full weekend dedicated to independent craftsmanship, sustainable design, and local creativity, to celebrate Christmas in a more authentic and mindful way.

🎁 A Creative Christmas Market

Over the course of three days, more than 50 artisans, designers and small brands from all over Italy will showcase their creations:

✨ Handmade jewelry

🏺 Artistic ceramics

🧵 Textiles and fashion accessories

🖼️ Original illustrations

🎄 Handcrafted Christmas decorations

All products are made with natural, recycled or eco-friendly materials, ideal for anyone looking for original and sustainable gift ideas.

📍 Event Details

📅 Dates: December 6–8, 2025

🕙 Hours: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Monday until 7:00 PM)

📍 Location: Manifattura Tabacchi – Building B12, Florence

🎟️ Admission: Free

📱 Open to everyone

🌟 An unmissable event for lovers of handmade goods, independent design, and the human stories behind each object.

Come and experience a different kind of Christmas – more real, more creative.

Collecting in Piazza

Antique Collector's Market in Piazza San Francesco.

At this monthly market you can browse the stalls for small antiques, handicrafts, as well as furniture, collectibles, minerals, rocks, and more.  

Where:  Prato , Piazza San Francesco
 

From 9.30 am to 6.30 pm

Pistoia lights up with magic for an unforgettable Christmas! From December 1, 2024, to January 6, 2025, the historic center will host:

🎁 Christmas Markets: crafts, local products, and plenty of gift ideas.

⛸️ Ice Skating Rink: fun for all ages in Piazza San Francesco.

🌟 Spectacular Lights: a dazzling light trail illuminating the city's streets.

🎶 Music and Performances: concerts, choirs, and must-see theater events.

🎅 Santa's Village: games and workshops for the little ones!

Complete program:

☞ https://pistoiacittadelnatale.com/

Montecatini Terme Celebrates Ruggero Leoncavallo: A December of Music, History, and Culture

Montecatini Terme pays tribute to one of Italy’s greatest composers: Ruggero Leoncavallo. 

A rich calendar of concerts, cultural talks, and special events will animate the city from December 8th to 14th, culminating in an extraordinary evening at Teatro Verdi with “Pagliacci” and “Edipo Re.”

📅 Highlights of the Program

🎶 DECEMBER 8, 6:00 PM – Historic Bar Hall, Terme Tettuccio

Concert: “The Two Bohèmes, Puccini and Leoncavallo” (selected arias)

With:

Caterina Marchesini (soprano)

Daniela Pini (mezzo-soprano)

Alfonso Zambuto (tenor)

Nicolò Ayroldi (baritone)

Gianni Fabbrini (piano)

📖 DECEMBER 10, 5:00 PM – City Council Hall

Talk: Leoncavallo in Montecatini Terme

Presentation of the December 11th event with Giancarlo Landini and Roberto Pinochi.

🎭 DECEMBER 11, 9:00 PM – Teatro Verdi

Pagliacci & Edipo Re – The First and Last Operas by Leoncavallo

An unforgettable evening of opera:

Artistic direction: Fabrizio Moschini

Conductors: Pietro Mazzetti (Pagliacci), Valerio Galli (Edipo Re)

With Orchestra Cupiditas, Coro Harmonia Cantata, and Coro Arché

🎟 Free entry with reservation required.

Reservations:

📧 biglietteria@teatroverdimontecatini.it | info@teatroverdimontecatini.it

📞 +39 0572 772244

💬 DECEMBER 13, 5:00 PM – City Council Hall

Conference: “The Violated Woman – Femicide in the History of Opera”

A powerful discussion on the role of women in opera.

Speakers:

Ilaria Bonuccelli (journalist and writer)

Valentina Lo Surdo (RAI journalist)

Luca Fialdini (composer and music critic)

🎹 DECEMBER 14, 6:00 PM – Historic Bar Hall, Terme Tettuccio

Special Event: Mozart and Pietro Leopoldo

A concert honoring Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Lorraine, featuring works composed by a 14-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Florence.

Performers:

Angela Nisi (soprano)

Marina Comparato (mezzo-soprano)

Eleonora Francioni (clarinet)

Enrica Ruggiero (piano)

🥂 Followed by a festive holiday toast.

Event supported by the Region of Tuscany.

🎫 All events are free to attend, subject to availability.

A not-to-be-missed cultural experience in a city of music and heritage.

More info:

📧 info@teatromontecatini.it

🌐 www.teatroverdimontecatini.it

🎼✨ Experience the magic of Montecarlo Fortress by candlelight ✨🎼

From November 9, 2025, to March 22, 2026, the enchanting Fortress of Montecarlo (LU) will be lit by candles and torches to offer you a unique journey through art, music, and history.

Each evening includes a guided candlelight tour inside the Fortress, followed by a live concert featuring renowned national and international artists, in an intimate and timeless atmosphere.

📅 Dates: from November 9, 2025, to March 22, 2026

🕖 Tours start at 5:00 PM – concert to follow

🎄 Saturday, December 20: special night event – start at 8:45 PM

🎟️ Ticket: €20.00 – Discounted for residents: €15.00

📍 Montecarlo Fortress – Via Fortezza, 4

📧 Info & Reservations: info@fortezzadimontecarlo.com

📞 +39 350 0354687 (also on WhatsApp)

🎶 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐓 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 🎶

November 9, 2025 – Tribute to Astor Piazzolla

🎹 Massimo Signorini – accordion

November 23, 2025 – The Music of the House of Lorraine

🎤 Patrizia Cigna – soprano | 🎹 Giovanni Giannini – piano

December 7, 2025 – Cantiamo Maria

🎤 Maria Cioppi – soprano | 🎹 Silvia Mannari – piano

December 20, 2025 (Saturday) – Christmas Concert

🎶 Coro dell’Immacolata di Empoli & Corale Arrigoni di Ponte Buggianese

🎼 Conducted by M° Alessandro Bartolozzi

January 11, 2026 – Viennese Waltzes and More

🎤 Paola Cigna – soprano | 🎹 Silvia Mannari – piano

January 18, 2026 – An Opera Harp: Belcanto Highlights

🎵 Davide Burani – harp

February 1, 2026 – Rossini’s Soirées Musicales

🎤 Patrizia Cigna – soprano | 🎹 Silvia Mannari – piano

February 22, 2026 – Ti darò quel fior!

🎭 Chamber – and bedroom – arias

🎙️ Fabrizio Corucci – voice | 🎹 Ilaria Innocenti – piano

March 8, 2026 – Forgotten Women Composers

🎤 Maria Cioppi – soprano | 🎷 Roberta Fantozzi – clarinet | 🎹 Silvia Mannari – piano

March 22, 2026 – Stabat Mater by Pergolesi

🎤 Maria Cioppi – soprano | 🎤 Rosa Manfredonia – mezzo-soprano | 🎹 Silvia Mannari – piano

Nataleperfile 2025: Solidarity and Christmas Gifts in the Heart of Florence

From December 12 to 14, 2025, the beautiful Palazzo Corsini will open its doors for the 22nd edition of Nataleperfile, the historic Christmas Market organized by FILE – Italian Foundation of Palliative Care. The event, with free admission, will take place at Lungarno Corsini No. 8, in the heart of Florence.

A charitable event in the heart of the Florentine winter

Nataleperfile is much more than a traditional Christmas market: it is a real opportunity to support people affected by serious illness and their families, through a fundraising initiative that sustains projects of palliative care and psychological support offered free of charge in the area.

Now in its 22nd year, the event has become a well-loved and recognized appointment in the Florentine holiday calendar, blending the festive spirit with concrete solidarity.

What you’ll find at the Market

In the elegant halls of Palazzo Corsini, you’ll find over 30 selected exhibitors offering original and high-quality Christmas gift ideas, including:

• Clothing and accessories
• Beauty and skincare products
• Home décor and design items
• Artisan gourmet food

Alongside these, four rooms will be entirely dedicated to “100% FILE” products:

Sala dei Banchi File: items donated by local companies, sold to support the Foundation.

Sala Vintage: high-quality vintage clothing and accessories for both women and men, for an ethical and sustainable purchase.

Sala File Home: home goods and accessories – perfect for a meaningful and useful gift.

Sala Dolci & Lotteria: the sales point for FILE’s traditional Panettoni and Pandori, also available online, and the stand for the Christmas lottery, featuring exclusive prizes donated by businesses and private supporters.

For a pleasant break, guests can relax at the File Café, set up in the charming Palace Nymphaeum, where hot drinks and aperitifs will be available.

Why participate

Choosing to visit Nataleperfile means turning your holiday shopping into an act of care. The funds raised will support FILE’s mission to provide free assistance to patients with advanced illnesses and their families, both at home and in hospitals and hospices across Florence.

📍 Where: Palazzo Corsini, Lungarno Corsini 8 – Florence

📅 When: Friday, December 12 to Sunday, December 14, 2025

🎟️ Free admission

🌐 Info: www.leniterapia.it

The "Gran Cammino di Natale" (Great Christmas Walk) is the Christmas event that will take place in Montecatini Terme from November 17, 2024, to January 7, 2025. This ideal path will guide visitors through various areas of the city, offering activities and attractions for both adults and children.

Full program available on the pictures.

In Pistoia, the second Saturday and Sunday of the month an antique fair is held which attracts  many dealers from all over Tuscany. Here you can find very valuable antiques: furniture, majolica, porcelain, jewelery, clocks, coins, old lacework, crystal goblets and profane and religious period paintings.

On the stalls you can find clothing, utensils and ethnic products, as well as magazines, comics, used garments and other items from the past. 

The market takes place in the so called Cattedrale - not to confuse with the real Cathedral - (Via Pertini) - eccept July and August.

Antiques market, vintage clothing, collectibles, crafts and home accessories. 

9 am - 8 pm 

Piazza S. Maria delle Carceri

Info: +39 3483396638

There are about 100 exhibitors who animate the historic city center with various kinds of antiques every second Saturday and Sunday of the month except July and August.

You will find ceramics, glassware and cutlery for a romantic table setting and a very good range of embroidered linen (perhaps an untouched trousseau from a failed marriage). Also sepia paintings, watercolours, vintage  postcards (full of insight into how we lived in the past and complete with shaky handwriting), out-of-print books for the attentive book collector, silver and gold coins from every corner of the globe and much, much more.

Where: Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri, Piazza Garibaldi

Second among the antique-dealers' market places of Tuscany for the number of its exhibitors and length of life, the Antique market of Lucca can boast of a solid tradition of quality and reliability thanks to professional antiquarians of high prestige who have always been an important presence in town. 

At the third weekend of each month (on Saturday and Sunday), from 8 am to 7 pm, Lucca opens its gates for a joyful event involving a large portion of the historical centre: from Piazza S. Martino, Piazza Antelminelli and Via Del Battistero - the historical antique dealers' street- ‚ to Piazza San Giusto, and Piazza S. Giovanni up to Piazza Bernardini. It is a gorgeous display of colorful stalls offering not only past vestiges of remarkable artistic value, but also traces of souvenirs impressed on a post-card, on a book, on a knick-knack or on an ornament. 

Furniture, clothes, fabrics, paintings, rare components of old instruments, lamps and chandeliers, old working tools, records..... a wide pattern of old or antique objects‚ patiently gathered and collected after explorations which

are getting more and more difficult. All these things speak to both the tourist and the lover, of a world, which has gone, but not willing to be forgotten yet.

Two unforgettable days around the most charming

streets of the town. It is Art facing Art, History meeting History. A really unique occasion to know Lucca better and taste the pleasure of peeping through the stalls in search of something beautiful to take home and - why not?- probably also making a good bargain! 

The Sacred Belt of the Prato Cathedral is a thin strip of green fabric with gold brocades and a green tassel and band at the ends. As told in an ancient oriental apocryphal text after the Blessed Virgin's death St. Thomas was carried by angels to the mount of Olives; there he contemplated the Virgin while she was taken up into the Heaven, and received the gift of the belt in proof of the event. According to Prato medieval tradition the sacred belt was then entrusted to a priest and preserved by his descendants. After the first crusade, a Prato pilgrim of modest origins called Michele, fell in love with Maria, the daughter of an oriental priest and married her in secret, against her father's wish and received as dowry the "Sacred Belt" in a small basket made of rushes. After returning to Prato around 1141, Michele spoke to no one about the holy relic and only on his death bed (1172), he donated it to the provost of the nearby church of St. Stephen. The sacred Belt furthermore was considered the most valuable treasure of the entire city, so much so that its public display was established by the bylaws of Commune which still today has in custody a set of the keys required to take it out of the altar. Up to the end of 13th century the holy relic was kept close to the high altar but in 1346 it moved to the left of the main entrance of the ancient church and later Cathedral where in 1386-90  was built, on a project by Lorenzo di Filippo, the chapel that stores the holy relic. The chapel is decorated with frescoes of Stories of the Virgin and of the belt (1392-95), a series of amazing figurative unity painted by Agnolo Gaddi with a faultless technique and luminous colors. On the corner of the façade is the amazing pulpit by Donatello and Michelozzo which was finished in 1438 and created for the display of the Sacred Belt in order to show it to the congregation gathered in the Cathedral square. 

Currently, the Exhibition of the Girdle is held for Christmas, Easter, May 1st, August 15th, and in the most solemn manner on September 8th, coinciding with the ancient Fair and the Historical Procession at 6 PM.

Arti e Mestieri is an arts and crafts market in the historic center of Lucca, with a big number of exhibitors that meet every last weekend of the month in Piazza San Giusto, Piazza Cittadella and Piazza XX Settembre with many traditional and original products from Tuscany.

At Arti e Mestieri there are ceramists, painters, sculptors, leather, glass and papier-mâché artisans, weavers, jewelers, cabinet makers, seamstresses and embroiderers, knitting and crochet experts. The artisans-artists offer their exclusive products in a colorful market: bijoux in silver, ceramic and crochet, natural products for body care, fountain pens worked on the lathe, bags, belts and leather bracelets, painted stones, scented lavender, splendid paintings and sculptures.