Thursday, September 27, 2007

NEW! FLORENCE FOR KIDS - TREASURE HUNTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS


Artviva is pleased to announce a new series of Kids Tours throughout the school year. Children ages 8-12 explore and learn more about Florence while searching for its historical, cultural, and artistic "treasures". All tours will be conducted in English as educational and fun activities for the children of the English-speaking community. This is also a great opportunity for children currently studying English to utilize their classroom learning and gain more exposure to conversational English.

Tours will be held twice a month on Saturday afternoons for two hours from 15:00 to 17:00. There will be a total of 10 tours and two special events (currently planned as a Christmas baking course and Traditional Craft course on Paper Marbling). The first tour, the Florence for Kids Treasure Hunt, will be offered on October 20 FREE OF CHARGE (reservations in advance are necessary) Subsequent tours will cost 18 Euros plus the cost of museum tickets (if needed). You can subscribe to all nine tours at a discount, for a total of 144 Euros, plus museum tickets. The two special events will be priced separately.

Each tour is limited to a maximum of 15 participants, so advance booking is strongly advised. For more information or to make reservations, visit our website at: http://www.italy.artviva.com/italytravel_best_tours_tour/florence_tuscany/florence_for_kidsplease You can also contact us at 055.2645033, send an email to staff@artviva.com, or stop in our offices above the Odeon Theater at Via Sassetti 1, second floor. All tours depart from our office.

Tentative Schedule:
October 20: Florence for Kids Treasure Hunt FREE!
October 27: Sculpture Treasure Hunt in the Boboli Gardens
November 10: Dante Treasure Hunt
November 24: Life as a Medici in the Renaissance Treasure Hunt
December 8: Christmas Baking Special Events
February 9: Uffizi Treasure Hunt
February 23: David and the Life of Michelangelo Treasure Hunt
March 8: Traditional Crafts - Paper Marbling Special Event
March 29: Palazzo Vecchio- Children’s Museum Treasure Hunt
April 12: The Duomo Treasure Hunt
April 26: Artisan Visits Treasure Hunt
May 10: The Piazza as Playground Treasure Hunt

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Tuscan Yoga and Travel

Check out the May, 2007 issue of Yoga Magazine for a wonderful article called "A Florentine Fancy". Filled with tips and ideas on what to see and do in Florence, it also features a glowing review of our Perfect Morning in Tuscany Tour. To read the article check out: www.yogamagazine.co.uk.

For more information on our Perfect Morning in Tuscany tour, visit our website at: http://www.italy.artviva.com/italytravel_best_tours_tour/tuscany_tour/perfect_morning_in_tuscany

Monday, September 17, 2007

Learn about Visiting Venice


Visit this great just published web site where travel journalist- Hal Trussell- describes through images, sound and voice over, the wonderfully atmospheric fish markets in Venice. See http://www.utellabout.com/venicerec3.html
Hal did a number of our tours in Venice , Florence and Tuscany and recommends them.
See the slide show at the home page of http://www.utellabout.com/ and click on the presentation marked 'Venice Fish'. Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Explore the Gardens and Fountains of Florence





Get away from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets of Florence, from the scalding rays of Tuscan sun, into the magic world of gardens and the beautiful sculptures and fountains found within them. What better way to experience the changing of the seasons than with a private walk among the peaceful, historic outdoor retreats of the Florentines? For more information, visit our website at: http://www.italy.artviva.com/italytravel_best_tours_tour/personalized_tours/private_gardens_fountains_tour

Chianti, Tuscany Wine Harvest Event


Renewing Old Wine-Making Traditions

A number of years ago the citizens of Poggibonsi, Tuscany decided to celebrate the old tradition of “stomping” grapes in huge vats during the harvest. “The Pigio” was born - a competition of squeezing grapes involving all the seven districts of the city. Before the competition there is a parade interpreting historic scenes from the local festivities of the grape harvest. The contest takes place in the historic Piazza di' Gioco on the last Sunday in September. For more information see http://www.pigio.net/

Florence Off the Beaten Path




Museo della Natura Morta and the Medici Villa of Poggio a Caiano (Ongoing)


Piazza de'Medici, 14


Poggio a Caiano, Tuscany




A maximum of 20 people are admitted every half hour to visit the Museum of Still Life paintings(the only of it's kind in the world). Passionately collected by four generations of the Medici family, it is housed in their summer residence a short distance outside of Florence. You can visit the grand rooms in the villa itself and the surrounding gardens every half hour before or after the visit to the museum. Both are free and open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. Closed the second and third Monday of each month. For more information visit http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/

Fabulous Fall News for Wine Lovers




Good News for Lovers of Italian Wine
It looks like this years vintage is going to be one of the best for years
Burton Anderson, the most famous wine writer on Tuscan wines is available to lead fabulous wine tastings and wine tours for Artviva
See a link to a description of tours with Burton for more information: http://www.italy.artviva.com/italytravel_best_tours_tour/personalized_tours/wine_tuscany/burton_anderson_tasting
See the following links to articles for more information on the 2007 Vintage

A rare vintage: Could 2007's grape harvest become one of the greatest ever? The expectation is growing after the hottest summer for 400 years
By Peter Popham in Lazio
Published: 11 August 2007
http://www.independent.co.uk/living/food_and_drink/news/article2853804.ece


2007 is going to be a record year of grape harvest...
http://www.toscanaechiantinews.com/pagina.aspx?LNG=EN&ZON=&PAG=0409

2007 Italian Harvest Underway
Vintners optimistic after strong growing season, but cool, wet weather right after the start of picking is cause for concern

Jo Cooke
Posted: Friday, August 24, 2007
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,3959,00.html

Italian Fashion and Style

Exhibition:

For those interested in fashion, a visit to the Costume Museum in the Pitti Palace is a great opportunity to see how clothing has evolved over the years. The current exhibition is “Fashion and style, Interpretations of fashion in history. (Ongoing)8.15 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Palazzo Pitti, Galleria del Costume, Tickets cost 6 Euros and also give you entrance to the Boboli and Bardini gardens, the Silver Museum, and the Museum of Porcelain, all within the Pitti Palace complex in Florence

Autumn Events in Florence and Tuscany


Enjoy the Fall Outdoors:

Soak up the last rays of sun before winter by visiting the special exhibit “The Ancient Gardens of Babylon in Rome” until October 28. Located in the Limonaia of the Boboli Gardens, the exhibition is open Monday-Sunday from 8:15–6:30 p.m. through the end of October. Tickets cost 9 Euro; the exhibit is closed the first and last Monday of the month. For more information visit http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/










Event and Street Party Data Base Italy

Visit Dan Hostetler's extensive online data base of events , street parties and festivals in Italy
See our web site for a list of seasonal monthly events on in Italy
at http://www.italy.artviva.com/essential_italy/essential_florence/events_in_florence_italy