The ISI Florence Guide | Listing the Best Picks of the Month to Explore the City at its Best.
CARNIVAL IN VIAREGGIO
February 1, 7, 12, 15, 17, and 21
Lungomare di Viareggio
Regarded as highly as the Venetian carnival, Carnevale di Viareggio is located in the town of Viareggio on the Tyrrhenian coast. Over 150 years old, the Carnevale di Viareggio is considered amongst the most renowned carnival celebrations in both Italy and Europe. The parade features symbolic floats with political and social themes.
ENTRANCE TICKETS: €25
TRAIN TICKETS: €21.60 (round-trip Firenze – Viareggio)
DOMENICA AL MUSEO – FREE ENTRANCE TO MUSEUMS
Sunday, February 1 | all day
Every first Sunday of the month, a selection of state museums and gardens can be accessed for free during the regular opening hours of each institution. Reservation may still be required, so it’s best to plan ahead. Here are some of the most popular locations (you can find the complete list online by Googling ‘domenica al museo’):
• Galleria degli Uffizi
• Galleria dell’Accademia
• Museo delle Cappelle Medicee
• Musei di Palazzo Pitti
• Museo Archeologico Nazionale
• Giardino di Boboli
FREE
CARNIVAL OF FLORENCE PARADE
Sunday, February 1 | 3:30pm
Piazza Santa Maria Novella
The Carnival parade in Florence fills the streets with vibrant costumes, lively music, and elaborate floats. Families, locals, and tourists gather to celebrate, enjoying festive performances, confetti showers, and a joyful atmosphere, all led by Florence’s main Carnival character, Stenterello. It’s a wonderful local tradition!
FREE
FLORENCE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
Thursday-Saturday, February 5, 6, and 7 | 9pm
This 11th edition of the festival brings 21 short films in competition and many international premieres. Directors from around the world submit their works in three categories: Fiction, Animation, and Documentary, competing for the Jury Prize and the Audience Award.
TICKETS: from €8 to €18
PITTI TASTE
Saturday-Sunday, February 7 and 8 | 2:30pm – 6:30pm
Fortezza da Basso (V.le Filippo Strozzi, 1)
This 19th edition of Italy’s premier food showcase celebrates authentic cuisine featuring more than 600 producers from across Italy. The event promises a rich and rewarding experience of the modern food landscape for hungry foodies.
TICKETS: starting at €25
I LOVE VINTAGE MARKET
Sunday, February 8 | 11am – 8pm
The Social Hub (V.le Spartaco Lavagnini, 70-72)
A Sunday dedicated to those who love vintage and craftsmanship, beautiful things made with the heart. A vintage market and an opportunity to meet Italian artisans and artists who lovingly create their works (sometimes on the spot).
FREE ENTRY
ANNA MARIA LUISA DE’ MEDICI DAY
Wednesday, February 18
Palazzo Vecchio / various
To honor the memory of the woman who bequeath the Medici art treasures to the city, on the anniversary of her death, there is free admission to the Florentine Civic Museums (e.g., Palazzo Vecchio and Museo Novecento) and Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Additionally, a living history event will be held at Palazzo Vecchio, in which visitors will be able to ‘dialogue’ with Anna Maria (impersonated by an actress) at 3pm, 4pm, and 5pm.
FREE
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, A JOURNEY THROUGH THE PARIS OF THE BELLE ÉPOQUE
Every day until February 22 | 9:30pm – 6pm
Museo degli Innocenti (Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, 13) The Museo degli Innocenti presents an exhibition celebrating Henri de Toulouse Lautrec and the vibrant spirit of Parisian nightlife. His famous posters and prints, shown alongside works by Alphonse Mucha and Jules Chéret, bring the Belle Époque to life.
TICKETS: €16
OCEANI: DAVID DOUBILET
Tue-Sun | 10pm – 7:30pm
Villa Bardini (Costa San Giorgio, 2)
Villa Bardini hosts Oceani, a stunning photography exhibition by National Geographic’s David Doubilet. The show features breathtaking underwater images that reveal both the beauty and fragility of marine life around the world.
TICKETS: starting at €10
KEIL SPACE FOR ADVANCED ART & MULTI-SENSORY EXPERIENCE
Open by appointment only
Keil Space (Viale Michelangelo, 5)
Radical art exhibition and multisensory experience founded in 2023 under Piazzale Michelangelo. Spanning over 500 square meters, the space showcases works by the renowned interdisciplinary artist Sam Keil, whose practice blends science, philosophy and art. The space is viewed by just one visitor at a time so reservation is required. Dress code: dark clothing. Participation in recorded testimonial optional.
FREE
FRIDA KAHLO – EMOTION EXHIBITION
Mon-Fri | 10am – 7pm and Sat-Sun | 10am – 7:30pm
Cattedrale dell’Immagine (Piazza di San Stefano)
This immersive experience delves into the universe of the iconic Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, moving through her art, her life, and her ideas. The exhibition lasts 35 minutes, where Frida’s works and the colors of Latin America bring the walls of the historic Church of Santo Stefano al Ponte to life. The journey is further enriched by the Mirror Room, a dreamlike VR experience, and the Crypt, where visitors are be able to deepen their knowledge of the iconic artist.
TICKETS: starting at €11
BELLE ÉPOQUE EXHIBITION IN PISA
Mon-Fri | 10am – 7pm
Sat-Sun | 10am – 8pm
Palazzo BLU (Lungarno Gambacorti, 9, Pisa)
Belle Époque at Palazzo Blu invites visitors to experience the charm and cultural vibrancy of late 19th-century Paris. The exhibition highlights Italian artists such as Giovanni Boldini, Giuseppe De Nittis, and Vittorio Corcos, whose works capture the elegance, fashion, and social life of the era. Featuring masterpieces from major museums and private collections, the show traces the artistic innovation and cosmopolitan spirit that defined the Belle Époque, offering a window into a period of creativity and sophistication.
TICKETS: starting at €13
2026 SUPER BOWL
Sunday, February 8 | from 11pm
Hard Rock Cafe (Via dei Brunelleschi, 1)
Watch the Big Game live on big screen! Reserve your seat and special food menu HERE.
TICKETS (DINNER+GAME): starting at €28.95
A.C. FIORENTINA HOME GAMES
Stadio Artemio Franchi (Viale Manfredo Fanti)
Sunday, February 8 | 8:45pm
Fiorentina vs Torino
Sunday, February 22 | time TBC
Fiorentina vs Pisa
TICKETS: You can buy your tickets online on the Fiorentina website or at the Fiorentina Store under the S.M.N. train station (show your ISI Florence card for a discount on Fiorentina merch!)
MILANO CORTINA WINTER OLYMPICS
February 6 – 22
Milan (live) / sports bars in Florence
To see the games live in Milan, keep an eye on the official website as tickets for various games are released periodically: www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026.
While in Florence, you can follow the games at various sports bars in Florence, such as:
– The Old Stove
– The Fiddle’s Elbow
– The Lion’s Fountain
GIUNTI ODEON BOOKSHOP AND CINEMA
Every day | from 10am
Piazza degli Strozzi
Open 7 days a week from 10am until the end of the last screening, Giunti Odeon is the new and improved face of the old Odeon cinema. Odeon has been a meeting point for cinephiles for over a century. Today it comprises of a bookshop occupying the entire ground floor and a cinema on the top floor balconies, which creates a very unique blend of entertainment. One screen guarantees night-time movie projections, while a LED wall ensures daytime entertainment in Italian and English. Explore the beautiful architecture while browsing English and Italian books, grab a coffee in Odeon Cafe, or stay until late and catch the latest movie in its original language with Italian subtitles.
CENCI
The origins of cenci (literally meaning “rags” in English) can be traced back to Ancient Rome’s frictilia, a sweet fried dough served during Saturnalia, a festival that resembles today’s Carnival. The recipe hasn’t changed much, and despite being a relatively simple sweet, it is beloved by most Florentines, who buy it around Carnival time in any pasticceria or supermarket.
Fun fact! Over the centuries, the recipe has spread to other parts of Italy, and cenci have different names in different regions, such as frappe or chiacchiere (meaning “chit-chats”).
SCHIACCIATA alla FIORENTINA
Along with cenci, schiacciata alla fiorentina is a typical Carnival cake, and a locals’ favorite. It’s a rectangular sponge cake that has a distinct orange and vanilla scent. Traditionally it’s served plain, but you can also find it filled with whipped cream. It’s customary to stencil the Florentine lily on top of the cake with cocoa powder.
Fun fact! Originally, the cake was known as schiacciata delle Murate because it was made by nuns who lived in the convent (called Le Murate) on Via Ghibellina. The convent was later turned into a prison and the cake was often given to prisoners as part of their last meal before being executed.
FRITTELLE
Another Carnevale delicacy is frittelle, sweet rice balls that are a must during this period. The sweet has its roots in the Renaissance (it was mentioned in writing for the first time in 1465!) and is made with rice cooked in milk mixed with water, sugar, and finely chopped orange peel. After the rice is cooked, rum, lemon, eggs, and a little flour are added. Once the mixture has thickened, it is rolled into little balls and fried. Before serving, the rice balls are rolled in sugar.
Fun fact! Like many recipes in Tuscany, every family has its own recipe that is passed on, so the preparation can vary.