STUDENTSVILLE

Tuesday was the first anniversary of the earthquake that devastated the city of L'Aquila. During the Easter holidays, I was visiting the city, hosted by a group of volunteers who returned to town a year after the first time. My journey started by the community of "Pile", a part of the city, which hosted one of the tent city built by Civil Defence.

Panzanella or panmolle is an Italian dish originating in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Lazio. The dish is a bread salad popular in the summer months. It includes sliced bread and fresh tomatoes, flavored with basil, olive oil, and vinegar, often with salt and pepper. The bread used should be day- to week-old saltless Tuscan bread made in a wood oven.Sometimes thought of as a "leftover salad," additional panzanella ingredients vary widely, and include lettuce, white wine, capers, anchovies, celery, carrots, red wine, red onion, cucumber, tuna, parsley, boiled eggs, mint, bell peppers, lemon juice, and garlic.

A huge explosion will be detonated Easter Sunday in front of the magnificent green– and white–marbled neogothic church in Florence’s historic center. Instead of running in fear from a terrorist’s bomb, though, thousands of spectators will cheer the noise and smoke, for they will be witnesses to the annual Scoppio del Carro—explosion of the cart.For over 300 years the Easter celebration in Florence has included this ritual, during which an elaborate wagon, a structure built in 1679 and standing two to three stories high, is dragged through Florence behind a fleet of white oxen decorated in garlands.

Artists in Piazza San  FirenzePicture by I-florence Staff

Directions1. Oil the shoulder roast inside and out and rub the salt and pepper into the flesh. Rub the garlic, rosemary and dillweed into the flesh. Put shoulder into a leakproof and container and pour the wine in and around the shoulder. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 3 days. 2. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and tie it at about 1 inch intervals to form an even roll. Bring the meat to room temperature for about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). 3. Paint the roast with browning sauce and bake the roast until it has internal temperature of 150 degrees F (65 degrees C). Estimate 30 minutes cooking time per pound. Remove from oven, tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before carving. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees F (70 degrees C) at this time. Serve.

This weekend the Fai ( fondo ambiente italiano ) open to the public for the first time some of the monuments.In Florence :Firenze Palazzo della Banca d’Italia (già Banca Nazionale nel Regno d’Italia) Via dell’Oriuolo, 37All the weekend from 10 to 17.30Villa Il Gioiello (ultima dimora di Galileo Galilei) Via del Pian dei Giullari, 42Biblioteca degli Uffizi Loggiato degli UffiziSaturday 27 e Sunday 28, ore 10.00 – 17.30

1) When did your property first open? How many staff do you have working with you? The idea of creating a Place for hospitality in Florence.... was born.... with the desire to offer our Guests,.... then they usually become our friends,.... a Place with an high-performance services at the right price. so n4u guesthouse opened in Florence in 2008. 2 People working for the Reservation Office, 1 Person running for consierge Office and 1 Waitress mind to the Our Guest and their Rooms.2) How many rooms are available at your property? How would you classify your property's target (luxury, tourists, students)? N4U guesthouse is a beautiful house with 5 bedrooms available for guests. All details have been treated with attention to aesthetics and functionality. All rooms have external views and they are very bright. .....In implementing n4u GuestHouse we thought to the people while traveling and to the people that want to stay a few days such as in a friend's house, comfortable and charming, but a friend's house ...3) How many tourists do you receive each year? What are the most popular nationalities (and in what percentage of guests, roughly)? Most of them are from International Places , and almost 50% are Italians.

There is a list of the most important events in Florence this spring :Welcome to the machine - Pink Floyd The Musical on 31 march !Litfiba - the reunion @ auditorium Flog - 16/17 aprilBaustelle @ teatro saschall 27 aprilMario Biondi @ teatro verdi 27 aprilHarlem Globetrotters - Italian Tour 2010 @ Nelson Mandela Forum - 7 mayGiovanni Allevi @ teatro verdi 17 mayGotan Project @ teatro saschall 26 mayMoto GP @ Mugello circuit 5/6 june?

This traditional Florentine recipe makes a hearty meal in itself. Pierce each sausage 3 or 4 times with a fork and put them into a non-stick pan. Add hot water and cook over a high fire for 10-12 minutes, turning frequently. Pour 5 tablespoons oil into a large, non-stick pan and add the whole garlic cloves, sage, tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook over a low fire for 5 minutes. Increase the heat and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the beans and sausages, cover and cook over a moderate fire for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot with Tuscan white bread.

There are numerous reasons why so many people decide to visit and live in Florence during their lifetime – in the “Cradle of the Renaissance”, the “Open Air Museum”, the home of the “Florentine T-Bone, Chianti & Brunello”…but we should never underestimate the strategic position of Florence as a location from where to visit one of the most fascinating and beautiful peninsulas on the planet.