Sunday 29th May 2011 – Festa a Firenze!
Red nose day – Italian style
This weekend the streets have been thronged with people – not only tourists out here enjoying the Italian sun over their long weekend – but also the Florentine’s themselves have been out visiting the Open Gardens, enjoying the Gelato Festival and Dancing in the Streets.
The images below show a group of people moved by the music in the street party held in Via Santo Spirito – Clearly to Tango is not something to be undertaken lightly
Tango via Santo Spirito
Another Festival for this weekend was in celebration of Ice-cream – oh deep Joy!
On and around every corner there is always Gelato in Florence but this weekend there is also special ice-cream parlours outside the Pitti Palace and in Piazza della Republica – and all sorts of novel flavours to try – Latte del Pinola ( cream and pine-nuts) was my favourite!
According to the notices at the festival – Ice cream was developed in Florence by the famous architect working for the Medici family called Bernando Buontalenti.
Amongst his good talents was also a passion for cooking and he stunned the Medici family in the 16th Century with a mixture of fruit and zabalone flavoured ice-cream which now forms the basis for the famous “crema fiorentina”.
The Florentine “cook” Ruggeri, who went to France with Catherine de Medici has been recognised in history and historical novels more for his skill with poisons than with his food but evidently he tempted the French Court with genuine delights such as “ghiacco all ‘acqua inzuccerata e profumata” (sugared perfumed ice)
What with the hot weather – tempered by ice cream – music to Tango to – and many private gardens open free to all we enjoyed this weekends offerings – Buonissimo!
Torre Torrigiano
