Events in Florence
Florence hopes to reconcile with its exiled son with an array of cultural events this year. Exhibitions are planned at the Bargello Museum: Honorable and Historic Citizen of Florence (April-July 2021) and The Admirable Vision – Dante and Comedy in the Symbolist Imagination (September 2021-January 2022); the Uffizi, with Trees In-Verses, a show dedicated to Giuseppe Penone with a tree-shaped installation in piazza della Signoria; the State Archives of Florence with a documentary exhibition on Dante’s human and political story (October 2021-January 2022); in the cloisters of Santa Maria Novella, a Dante exhibition as a preview of the upcoming Museum of the Italian Language by the Accademia della Crusca; and at the Central National, Riccardiana and Laurentian Libraries for a three-venue exhibition in partnership with Società Dantesca Italiana on Dante and his time in Florence’s libraries (September 2021-January 2022). The Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Foundation is working on three projects: a reading of the ‘Divine Comedy’ at Teatro Goldoni, a concert tour conducted by Riccardo Muti held in Ravenna, Verona and Florence (September 13 for the Florence performance), and the commission of a piece by Luca Francesconi, conducted by Zubin Mehta on the occasion of the inauguration of the New Auditorium. The Casa di Dante Museum has embraced the anniversary to modernize the medieval space with displays in Italian and English (reopening in June). On May 14, the date used in 1865 to mark the 600th anniversary of the poet’s birthday, when flag bearers paraded to piazza Santa Croce, the City of Florence is hoping to organize a similar historical reconstruction of the solemn procession.
Travelling further (and slower)
“This epic 245-mile network of trails is the ultimate slow journey with a literary twist. Inspired by Dante’s journey, this trail can only be accessed by foot or bike and is broken up into 20 stages from Ravenna to Florence and back. Guests can rest their heads in local lodges and embrace the wilderness of the Apennines along the way.”
-Lonely Planet
The Roads of Dante trail was the only Italian attraction to score a place in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021 Sustainability awards in the “Best Walks” section. The hike offers an opportunity to retrace Dante’s steps between Florence and Ravenna, his birthplace and the city where he died. This slow travel experience through Emilia Romagna and Tuscany, crossing the Apennine mountains, allows nature lovers to immerse themselves in culture where time comes to a standstill following in the footsteps of Dante Alighieri, from his birth, career as a poet and politician in Florence, his subsequent downfall and ultimate exile before dying in Ravenna, where his remains and tomb still remain today. The main route, Dante’s Way (Cammino di Dante), covers a distance of 395 kilometres, but there are more manageable options. Cyclists might like to tackle the historic Via Faentina, while another highlight is the Dante Train, which connects Faenza and Florence via Marradi, travelling through the Mugello and Sieve valleys.
