Wine Tasting and Painting Session

A Glass of Art combines a painting session with tuscan wine tasting. Art and food lovers will be served in a characteristic 12th century well, turned into an ideal painting studio for the occasion. Lukas, an artist and art instructor at Studio d’Arte Toscanella, will guide you through the process of creating your own artwork …

Between Food, Tradition, and Religion

All Saints in Italy Also known as All Hallows’ Day, Hallowmas, Feast of All Saints or Solemnity of All Saints, this Christian festival is dedicated to the celebration of all the Saints, known and unknown, of the Catholic calendar. It dates back to the 9th century, and is a cherished public holiday by many members …

Teaching English to Children

Headed by Deborah Chellini, StoryTime is a workshop at the Museum of San Casciano Val di Pesa, in the Chianti region of Tuscany, that intends to teach children ages 4-14 how to speak, read and write English through an in- teractive experience. Focusing on the power of storytelling, the learning experience is developed through hands-on …

Celebrate Europe with Music

The European University Institute is joining an initiative of Italy’s Presidency of the Council of Ministers to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome with a series of cultural, academic and sporting events through 2017. Signed on March 25, 1957, the Treaties of Rome established the European Economic Community and the European Atomic …

Mimosa Flower and Social Change

The historical roots of women’s day. Fluffy yellow mimosa flowers pinned to lapels, carried in bouquets or decorating table-tops announce in more than 100 countries all over the world the international day dedicated to women. But what are the historical roots of this celebration day and what is its real significance? The mimosa flower has …

Exhibiting Models of Leonardo’s Designs

The exhibit presents working models of Leonardo’s designs that the Niccolai family has been reconstructing since 1995, when Carlo Niccolai dedicated himself to working full-time with the desire to realise Leonardo’s legacy. His passion founded the Niccolai Collection, the largest private collection of Leonardo models in the world, comprised of more than 300 working models …