Summer evenings in the Florentine Area

The MusArt Festival has moved from the center of Florence - for years it was held in Piazza Santissima Annunziata - to the Medici Park in Pratolino. Florence is only 15 minutes away, but the setting could not be more dissonant. The stage finds space in a park with 600 years of history, under the stern gaze of the Giant, the colossal statue by Giambologna. The Pratolino Park, despite being perched on the hill outside the city, has an outstanding artistic and architectural profile.

Over the years Musart has invited big names to Florence, and big names in entertainment are also expected in the 2024 edition.

For 10 days, from July 17 to 27, Roberto Vecchioni, I Pooh, Loreena McKennitt, il Volo, CCCP Fedeli alla linea and other artists will alternate.

The one in Fiesole is one of the longest-running summer festivals in the area, beloved by Florentines who climb the hill in search of coolness, loved by tourists because of the enormous charm of the place.

In fact, the Estate Fiesolana (Summer in Fiesole) always takes place in the Roman amphitheater inside the archaeological area: what setting could be more captivating? The splendid cavea has a panoramic position over the valley below, is surrounded by Etruscan-Roman buildings and remains and has a roof of stars and the moon.

The program of the 77th edition began as early as June 10 and continues through September 13, with a break in the central weeks of August. Music, classical and otherwise, is alternated with prose, staged readings and conference-theater with many Italian intellectuals.

Nothing to complain about the location offered by the municipality of Lastra a Signa for the program of Sere d’estate in Villa (Summer evenings in the Villa) either: we are in fact at Villa Caruso Bellosguardo, in the hills, in a beautiful Italian garden.

The program started already on June 17 and will go on until August 9: plays, concerts, opera arias and activities for children. A dinner or aperitif is also possible in the spaces of the villa, a building in a panoramic position beautifully restored by tenor Enrico Caruso, who chose it and adapted it for himself and his beloved Ada Giachetti.

It has already been 30 years since the Musica in Villa (Music in the Villa) initiative has been held in the municipality of Scandicci: the venue for this small, long-running festival is the Villa di Vico, a 15th-century mansion and its vast garden. The program is musical, with concerts held between the garden and the music room.

The villa is located near the village of San Vincenzo a Torri; we are in the area of Val di Pesa, in a territory that was strategic from a military point of view in the past, so much so that the main body of the villa is what remains of a tower, part of an ancient system of defensive and watchtowers.

For some years now, Music in the Villa has been included in the program of Scandicci summer Open city.

To finish this small range of proposals we take you back to Florence, or rather to its Medici villas that are located in the plain space between the city and Sesto Fiorentino: Villa della Petraia, Villa di Castello and also Pratolino, which we mentioned above.

For years the Orchestra della Toscana ORT has organized a summer program of evening concerts in the villas, which are extremely evocative because of the artistry of the performances and the charm of the places.

The festival is called Ville e Giardini incantati (Enchanted Villas and Gardens), starts in June, ends on July 20. In addition to enjoying the music, there are evening tours before the start, curated by the staff of the respective institutions.