The Pianeta Terra Festival, taking place from October 3 to 6, is an event dedicated to celebrating and protecting our planet, with a strong focus on key topics such as sustainability, the environment, and global challenges related to the conservation of natural resources.

The festival brings together experts from various fields, including scientists, artists, and educators, offering a rich schedule of talks, conferences, interactive workshops, and activities for all age groups. With a multidisciplinary approach, the Pianeta Terra Festival aims to raise public awareness about the importance of protecting our ecosystem and the need to adopt sustainable development models.

Participants will have the opportunity to explore topics such as climate change, technological innovation in the environmental field, biodiversity, and the concrete actions that each of us can take to preserve our planet.

This is a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of the natural world and actively contribute to its protection.

www.pianetaterrafestival.it

On October 5 and 6, Pietrasanta will come alive with street performers, flag-wavers, knightly tournaments, musicians, falconry displays, minstrels, dances, fire shows, dueling simulations, crossbow tournaments, and processions in period costumes.

The 2024 edition of the historical reenactment Pietrasanta Medieval will take place in the following city locations:

✔️ Cathedral Square

✔️ Giordano Bruno Square

✔️ Carducci Square

✔️ Near the Municipal Theater

✔️ Lumaca Park

✔️ Council Hall

✔️ Sant’Agostino Complex

✔️ Bell Tower of San Martino Cathedral

✔️ Archaeological Museum

Complete program in the flyer.

Admission to the event is free of charge.

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.

ORCHidea is an international market exhibition with free admission dedicated to the world of Orchidaceae and rare plants organized annually in Pistoia, at the MATI 1909 Center.

Two days entirely dedicated to these unique and fascinating plants, during which it is possible not only to buy Orchids from Italian and international exhibitors, but also to find what is necessary for the care and maintenance of the specimens and to participate in seminars and themed conferences, completely free .

The market exhibition also offers visitors the opportunity to visit the Mati center and to purchase examples of the vast collection of roses, flowering plants, herbs and outdoor shrubs in the exhibition rooms adjacent to the exhibition.

Free admission

Mati 1909

via Bonellina 49 – 51100 Pistoia (PT), Toscana

Tel. +39 0573 38005

info@gruppomati.com

The International Ceramics Fair returns this year to Piazza Santa Croce on October 5 and 6, transforming the square into the vibrant heart of ceramic art. Over the two days of celebration, approximately 90 Italian and European ceramists gather to commemorate their passion and expertise in a wide range of ceramic techniques, from slate to porcelain, from majolica to lusterware.

Each ceramist brings not only impeccable technical skill but also a unique artistic and cultural vision. This fusion gives birth to extraordinary creations: everyday items and decorative pieces, intricate jewelry, and sculptures, each characterized by a surprising variety of shapes and colors. In this space, tradition and modernity embrace, with ancient techniques intertwining with contemporary influences, creating a lively and ever-evolving panorama of ceramics.

The fair is not just an opportunity for ceramics enthusiasts to discover and acquire unique pieces, but also a place where young artists can find inspiration and learn. For the little ones, clay manipulation workshops and recreational activities are organized under the expert guidance of master ceramists. Additionally, visitors can delight their palates with a variety of flavors at the organic food and wine stands.

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. 

On Saturday, October 12th, a new edition of “Brocantage” will take place at Porta a Mare, Livorno, a charming location born from the restoration of the former Luigi Orlando Shipyard, a testament to the city's glorious past. This event, now a reference point among markets of its kind in Tuscany, hosts numerous exhibitors showcasing rare and curious objects from bygone times. It is the perfect opportunity to spend a day in Livorno, a welcoming city known for its delicious cuisine and picturesque settings.  

Don't miss a stroll along its beautiful seafront, a visit to the Montenero hill with the Sanctuary of the Madonna, Patroness of Tuscany, and a tour through the city center, crossed by the characteristic Medici Canals, known locally as “fossi”.  

Also worth exploring are the Old and New Fortresses, the magnificent Covered Market, and many other attractions.

Itinerant Magic Event Inspired by the World of Harry Potter

Young artists will bring their magic to every corner of the city with street performances. Additionally, at the Teatro di Verzura of the Polo Culturale Puccini Gatteschi, three Italian magicians will take the stage in an exclusive show, coordinated by Francesco Micheloni.

New this year: the VIP Experience, which includes a private guided tour of the historic Teatrino Gatteschi, a meet and greet with the artists, reserved seating in the front rows, and exclusive content curated by Simone Venturi.

Capacity: 70 seats.

Dates: Saturday, October 12 at 9:15 PM, Sunday, October 13 at 10:30 AM and 4:30 PM.

Patronus Experience

Workshops for children (and adults) inspired by the world of Harry Potter, held at the Fortezza Santa Barbara, with professional actors portraying the characters from the saga. An accompanying adult does not need to buy a ticket unless they wish to actively participate in the workshop. Duration: approximately two hours.

www.pistoiamagic.com

Saturday Night Spa

Saturday, Octobre 12 and 19

from 7:00 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

October 12-13 - Florence Flower Show - Giardino Corsini (via della Scala, 115)

Nursery gardeners, producers, and rare plant collectors, along with a section dedicated to artisan crafts, await you for a green-filled weekend! A plant and flower market where you can purchase high-quality plants, flowers, and artisanal items.

Don't miss the many free gardening courses, themed talks, and workshops. Learn more at www.firenzeflowershow.com

Paid entry.

🎟 You can conveniently purchase your tickets from home. What are you waiting for? Click here and skip the line: https://bit.ly/biglietti-flower-show-24

Tickets are also available on-site.

Florence Flower Show - Rare and Unusual Plants Market | October 12-13 | Giardino Corsini, via della Scala 115 - Florence |

www.firenzeflowershow.com

Paid entry - Refreshment area inside - Pets allowed.

The Cathedral of Siena contains numerous masterpieces from every epoch. A work that in many respects is exceptional, is the floor, "the most beautiful ... largest and most magnificent ... that ever was made" in the words of Giorgio Vasari, the fruit of a plan that took on concrete form through the centuries, from the XIV century up to the XVIII century. 

The techniques employed to transfer the ideas of the various artists onto the floor are marble intarsia and graffito: the procedure was initially quite simple but gradually attained a surprising degree of perfection: the first depictions were scratched onto slabs of white marble using a chisel and a drill, and the signs then filled with black stucco. This technique is known as "graffito". Then, coloured marble was employed in much the same manner as wood inlaying. This technique is called "marble intarsia".

The 56 intarsia of the floor are still largely in its original condition. As these artworks are quite sensitive, the entire floor is shown only a few weeks a year. Otherwise, the ground is covered and only a few works are visible for the many tourists that visit the Cathedral of Siena. 

Floor uncovering period in 2024: June 27th - July 31st; August 18th - October 16th.

Opera concerts in which at least 2 singers alternate among the most beautiful voices of the national opera scene accompanied on the piano. The most famous opera arias from the repertoire of Italian and international opera are scheduled, as well as the most famous classic Neapolitan songs.

90 minutes of live music with a break during which guests can enjoy a typical sweet of the city.

The concerts will take place every Wednesday from May to October 2024 in the Music Hall of the Grand Hotel Croce di Malta in Montecatini Terme in Via IV Novembre, 18 at 9.15 pm.

Tickets can be booked by calling +39 3518066988 or by sending an email to info@operaconcerto.it even on the day of the concert.

Further information is available on the website

www.thebestofopera.com.

Autumn is in the air, and with it comes the fabulous vintage markets in Florence's districts! It's a realm of vintage wonders, a kaleidoscope of colors, where forgotten items come back to life. Vintage clothing, ancient tools, timeless comics, and hidden treasures, all rediscovered in secret closets and forgotten garages. The aim of this initiative is not to discard what can still be reused.

This fall, there will be a single date for the Svuota Cantine flea market organized by the neighborhoods of Florence: October 13, from 9 AM to 6 PM. During this Sunday, in District 1, the event "Piazza la Cantina" will take place in Piazza d’Azeglio, featuring 100 stalls.

In case of rain, the events will be cancelled.

The Festival is devoted to classical music and opera fans, its main purpose is to highlight the town’s musical  tradition, especially the great operas. 

This  season’s program, from April to October, presents 19 events, set in the most attractive thermal building of  Montecatini Terme, the Terme Tettuccio, which welcomes everybody as in a warm hug and where you can still hear the musical echo of the great composers  who have made Italian classic music famous all over the world.

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

In Pistoia, the second 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. 

In wintertime, from November to March the market takes place in the so called Cattedrale - not to confuse with the real Cathedral - (Via Pertini) while from April to October (eccept July and August) the market takes place in the suggestive backdrop of the Cathedral square of Pistoia.

During the weekend of October 10, 11, 12 and 13, 2024, Boccaccesca returns within the medieval walls of Certaldo Alto. Boccaccesca is a festival of gastronomic pleasures dedicated to exploring the relationship between good food, music, and the excellent craftsmanship of Italy. This event encapsulates both research and tradition, guided by renowned chefs who, through their culinary experiments, transform traditional products and discover and enhance old and new flavors.

Esteemed chefs take turns on the Boccaccesca stage, astonishing the audience with their dishes. Alongside these culinary delights, there are classic stalls showcasing exceptional artisanal products. These items are the result of continuous research within the Tuscan region and beyond.

Complete program: https://www.facebook.com/boccaccesca/?locale=it_IT

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

9 am - 8 pm 

Piazza S. Maria delle Carceri

Info: +39 3483396638

Monthly appointment with Collecting in Florence, where the monthly market of all that is collectible takes place outdoors on the banks of the Arno in the Tuscany Hall car park in Florence. Among the various stands, enthusiasts will be able to find books, jewellery, small pieces of furniture, plates, candlesticks, clocks, chandeliers, dolls, porcelain, coins, records, DVDs, etc.

TUSCANY HALL Parking area Via Fabrizio De Andrè

Open from 10.00 to 19.00 in the parking area of the Theater.

FREE ENTRY.

Chestnut Festival of Piteglio 2024

A classic event in the autumn calendar of the Pistoiese Mountains returns: the Chestnut Festival of Piteglio.

On Sunday, October 20, 2024, starting from 12 PM, the village will host a second-hand market and stalls offering typical local products: roasted chestnuts, boiled chestnuts, "necci" with ricotta, and sausage sandwiches.

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! 

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.

Lucca Comics & Games is an annual convention dedicated to comics, animation, games (role-playing, board games, card games), video games and the imaginary fantasy and science fiction, which this year takes place in Lucca from  October 30 to November 3, 2024.

 It is the most popular comic fair in Italy, the second in Europe (after the Angoulême Comics Festival, in France) and the third in the world (the first is the Comiket in Tokyo, Japan).

The event takes place in the heart of Lucca: the streets and squares of the old town center change into a big fair with stands and pavilions.

Also this year the organization proposes a winning programme: exhibitions, meetings with authors,

live performances, conferences and the traditional comic-strip market. There will be also the usual “competitions”: from medieval tournaments to reproductions of costumes of comic-strip characters, from concerts to board and electronic games.

For details of the program  ☞ www.luccacomicsandgames.com