The event, which this year celebrates its 16th anniversary, is a three-day artisan fair but it isn’t just a fair. It is an open-air workshop where it is possible to closely observe the hard and fascinating artisan’s works and discover their technical and artistic skills. The fair will take place in the charming garden of Corsini Palace (Palazzo Corsini). This Palace is one of the outstanding examples of Italian Renaissance garden, designed by Gherardo Silvani at the end of XVI century.
During the fair traditional artisans from all over Europe will show off their works to the international public gathering from all Europe proving their skills and competences. The fair gives us the unique opportunity to discover all the secrets of traditional works. An amazing and fascinating moment also for the youngest! If you wish to get more info visit the official web site artigianatoepalazzo.it which unfortunately is available only in Italian.
If you are planning to visit the Tuscan city in May, maybe you will be happy to know that another interesting event is The Fabbrica Europa Festival takes place in Florence from May 3 to 22. The Festival aims to encourage the circulation of ideas and works in the contest of international exchange creating new relationship among European people trough laboratories and meeting spaces.
The festival has grown in notoriety in the past few year. The focus of 2008 edition is the relation with Africa culture. Europe is more and more a destination for African immigration and it is changing European identity. The Fabbrica Europa Festival aims to make an analyses of this change trough arts. The festival is a gathering of ideas and it is aimed to European and African artists, producers and researchers. In the network of festival will take place performance of every kind of art from theatre to dance, from music to visual art performances but also meetings and debates. The performances are held in many Florence’s venues such as Leopolda Station, Affollamento Theatre, Officina Giovanni Prato and many others.
All information about the performances, the tickets sale, and the complete program is available in: Fabbrica Europa Website.
If you are visiting Florence and you are on a budget and looking for cheap accommodation consider youth hostels, backpackers hostels or international students houses ( hostels as well) where a bed night average price start from 18 euros. The atmosphere is quite basic but somehow fascinating. Florence does not have a long tradition in modern hippie youth hostels as you might find in other top cities. Florence rather can offer old style hostels, kind of student residence, or pilgrim residence as it was in Medieval times. Monasteries are converted in new pilgrims youth hostels (backpackers, students, international volunteers) sometimes still run by nuns or monks. You can try out these ones: hostel Veneto right behind the Dome, Soggiorno Prestipino Hostel near to the Santa Maria Novella railway station, the Armonia Hostel or the renowned Camping Michelangelo just a throw form the centre.
But if you wish to experience a traditional accommodations in Florence you should try cheap lodging like B&B, residences or guest houses that spread all over. Especially downtown Florence Bandb (or bed and breakfast) have a superb view, and location and offer very good prices related to the quality. Try out the Abatjour B&B close to the train station but in a quite area, Soggiorno Primavera, the new age BB Cinque Sensi, Althea rooms B&B where flowers are a must in the room, hotel Palazzuolo, hotel Castri which is set in a Renascent villa with a marvellous park , hotel Guelfa run by young people, il Ghiro guest house, Cimarosa Armony BB, a Casa di Dante BB, bb tourist house, a Montebello BB very charming and clean. The prices range from 25 euros per person up to maximum 45 euros per person. There are also studios and apartments or upper scale hotels where you start form 50 euros per person per night at the Gemini Studio, Alex house, Leopolda hotel, hotel Autopark, hotel Erina, Alamanni Hotel, Hotel Beatrice, Goldoni hotel. This prices are for a night stay in May during the festivals and the events we have reported. They are subject to changing but in general they include breakfast, linen and towels.