Lucca and Pisa are hosting an exciting new venture initiated by the Tuscan English Academy and prompted by this year’s 400th anniversary of the death of the Bard, William Shakespeare.
The literacy legacy of the man from Stratford will be marked by celebratory performances of his work by The National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and many other theatre production companies, not only in the UK but globally. There will also be hundreds of lectures, recitals, international academic conferences, films, concerts..... read more>>>

The exhibition now showing at Pisa’s elegant Palazzo Blu is dedicated to the works of the late 19th century French artist, Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec. As an introduction, visitors are taken into the world of this extraordinary and innovative artist by skillful use of black and white film clips accompanied by background music of the period, including the Can-can. These depict a bustling Parisian street life and colourful night- life, found in the bars, brothels and cabarets of Montmartre in the late 19th century, all of which conspired to inspire and capture the imagination of this great artist.... read more>>>

Montecarlo is normally a sleepy, idyllic hill - top town, over looking the Lucca plain and surrounded by olive groves and vineyards. However, we are now into the tourist season and despite the umbrella type weather at the weekend, the rain-drenched streets surrounding the picturesque centre were lined with parked cars and the whole place had come to life. The main attraction was no doubt the wine and olive oil tasting event, always very popular with the public. However, there was also the added bonus of an opportunity to see an exhilarating production of Rossini’s opera, The Italian Girl in Algiers, performed in the teatro by the young and dynamic opera company, LuccaOpera..... read more>>>

The beautiful Renaissance church of Santa Maria dei Servi was the venue for the final concert in Lucca Music Association’s chamber music season, where on Sunday, 15 March, pianist Pietro De Maria performed for the first time in his career, JS Bach’s Goldberg Variations... read more>>>

As we approach the final moments of the Lucchese year 2014, a year that has seen such a wonderful array of musical performances, from opera to orchestral, from chamber music and recitals to jazz (not forgetting the popular summer and winter music festivals), we were recently reminded of the origins of one of the main contributors to these events,.... read more>>>

The Palazzo Strozzi in Florence has organized another feast for devotees of modern art with a major new exhibition entitled, Picasso and Spanish Modernity. Curated by Eugenio Carmona and organised by the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, this exhibition has already attracted thousands of visitors, eager to see the works of one the most dominant and influential artists of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973). Picasso once famously said, ‘every child is born an artist, the problem is trying to remain an artist when he grows up.’ ... read more>>>

A leisurely stroll along the Lucca walls on a warm, sunny Friday afternoon along with several joggers, cyclists and those simply enjoying the passeggiata; this is one of the many delights of this beautiful medieval city. However, last Friday’s walk was more purposeful than usual, that of arriving at the Casametta San Colombano in time for a delicious aperitivo of Wine and Arias... read more>>>

Butterfly at Torre del Lago

The impressive grand open-air theatre at Torre del Lago, with seating for more than 3,000 people and with the natural back – drop of Lake Massaciuccoli, is once more the venue for the Puccini Festival. Now in it’s 60th year, one of the show pieces is a new production of Madama Butterfly, created by director and designer Renzo Giacchieri to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the work’s première in Milan in 1904… read more>>>

Viareggio Carnivale 2014

The Viareggio Carnivale is the second largest event of this kind after Venice and attracts over one million visitors and spectators every year. There is a whole month of festivities, day and night starting on the 9th February, with spectacular parades of allegorical papiér-mâché floats, local parties, masked balls and festivals of all kinds with the floats dedicated to John Lennon and Freddie Mercury, under the theme of Revolution were particularly impressive... read more>>>

Opera at the Giglio of Lucca

The Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra with harpsichord conductor Riccardo Mascia and director, Julian Kovatchev did an excellent job in accompanying this demanding work, with its patter, secco recitative, a cappella part writing, and concerted ensembles. There were some lovely moments for the solo clarinet and oboe and the fast moving, scurrying string parts were well handled… read more>>>

A Christmas Family Treat at the Palazzo Strozzi
The Russian Avant-Garde

There are special labels on display inviting young visitors and their families, many of whom will be from different parts of the world, to explore beyond the horizon, with fun questions about travel, exploration and emigration, and ideas aimed at stimulating their imagination. There is also an explorer’s map case, which is full of activities for all ages, and a free drawing kit; both are available at the information desk on the first floor.… read more>>>

Wagner Bicentenary Celebration in Lucca

The 200th anniversary of the birth of Richard Wagner was celebrated in style on Tuesday evening at the beautiful Chiesa dei Servi, in a Gala concert organized as part of the festival, Puccini e la sua Lucca. The performance was an all - Italian affair, given by the Lucca Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of its charismatic director, Andrea Colombini, with soloists, Francesca Patane (soprano) and Nicola Simone Mugnaini (tenor), but the music was most definitely… read more>>>