Splendor of Florence 2004, an eleven-day festival of cultural events taking place all over Lower Manhattan from September 30 - October 10, honors the artists and artisans of the world's most important city of art and culture.
The World Financial Center Winter Garden, 220 Vesey Street, will be transformed into a "Piazza Fiorentina" where renowned artisans recreate their workshops and demonstrate their talents on wood, crystal, marble, paper, leather, silver and gold, perfumed potpourri, and lace.
Historic Federal Hall National Memorial will house The Medici on Wall Street, 20 magnificent 16th and 17th century portraits of the powerful Medici family, the world's first art patrons, in an unprecedented loan from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The recently recovered and restored Madonna della gatta, a 17th century masterpiece not seen by the public for centuries, will join the portraits in this not-to-be missed exhibition on view October 1 for an extended display through November 12.
Other highlights include a night of opera with singers from Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and New York City Opera (September 30); an exhibition of photographs by Life magazine photographer David Lees chronicling the catastrophic flood of 1966 and the remarkable efforts to save the treasures of Florence (October 1 - November 12); the U. S. premiere of Pontormo, starring Joe Mantegna as the tormented Renaissance painter, (October 10) as part of a film series at Pace University; the first public performance in 50 years of Florentine composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's The Sacred Service from the Sabbath Eve at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust (October 10); and Tastes of Tuscany in which The Grill Room, a World Financial Center restaurant, will be transformed into a Tuscan trattoria with guest chefs from Florence creating gastronomic works of art.
"The festival focuses on Florentines who have been creating with their hands for centuries -- the famous artists whose masterpieces grace the halls of the Uffizi Gallery, the skilled artisans who for generations have been crafting in tiny shops along the Arno River, the masterful musicians with repertories once enjoyed in the great music rooms of the Medici Palaces, and the creative chefs who take their inspiration from centuries-old recipes," said Joyce Acciaioli Rudge, the founder, curator and producer of Splendor of Florence, which made its debut in Providence, Rhode Island in 1999 and was restaged in Philadelphia in 2001. "One of the biggest effects of our highly technological world is the loss of interest in working with one's hands and the subsequent threat of extinction of many wonderful skills."
The festival is co-produced by the World Financial Center Arts & Events Program, whose Executive Director Debra Simon stated, "The World Financial Center, effected by the events of September 11, 2001 and integrally involved in the revitalization efforts in Lower Manhattan, is the perfect main stage for Splendor of Florence."
"The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation is committed to enriching Lower Manhattan's cultural community and to supporting its economic growth. The Splendor of Florence's choice of Lower Manhattan for this year's festival is just one more sign that downtown is back and better than ever," said Kevin M. Rampe, President of the LMDC, the presenting sponsor of Splendor of Florence. "The festival will not only be a unique cultural experience, but an economic boost for the downtown area–potentially drawing a quarter of a million people downtown. We are pleased to welcome the festival to Lower Manhattan and hope attendees will enjoy the experience of Renaissance Florence without ever leaving New York City and take advantage of all that Lower Manhattan has to offer–its restaurants, shops, open spaces and historic and cultural treasures."
"Culture is very important to any city, but particularly to a city as vibrant as New York, which has encountered significant stresses in recent times,” stated Dr. David Caputo, President of Pace University and Chairman of the Splendor of Florence Advisory Committee. "Our affiliation with Splendor of Florence gives us the opportunity to reach out to the community in Lower Manhattan and be part of bringing the enjoyment of music, theater, and art to many thousands of people."
Admission is free to All Splendor of Florence events. Events at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, the Multi-purpose Room at Pace University and the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust are free, ticketed events.
As a leading insurer of fine art and jewelry, Chubb is proud to sponsor the Splendor of Florence.
For more information, visit the Splendor of Florence web site.
