A weekend of theater, musicians, “living” puppets, and roaming bands. Free admission and shops open.
The countdown has begun for “In/Canti e Banchi,” a street theater festival that will take over the streets and squares of Castelfiorentino’s historic center this weekend (free admission and shops open). Tomorrow evening (Friday, 8:45 p.m.), a grand “Parade” of music, dance, and costumes will officially open the festival, winding through the town center to Piazza Gramsci, while the first performances will begin at 9:00 p.m.: from the “suspended slaughterhouse” to Celtic dance, from the “dream-illuminating” fairy to “Hansel & Gretel,” from the flying piano to opera music echoing from the windows of historic buildings. And then there are the theatrical performances, ranging from the immortal myths of Ovid’s “Metamorphoses” to puppet theater, with multiple performances throughout the evening.
On Saturday, May 23 (9:00 p.m.), “Enchanted Unicorns” will make their appearance in the streets of the Natural Shopping District, while extraordinary creatures will float down Via XX Settembre; there will be bizarre characters with “theater in their bellies” and other miniature figures straight out of a fairy tale. In Piazza del Popolo, a large concert of folk music will be accompanied by improvisational performances and active audience participation, while the former Arena gardens will come alive with a cabaret show featuring “living” marionettes. Via Attavanti will be dotted with theatrical performances and a concert by the Coro Lirico Castellano, which will present a more spontaneous and immersive version of “L’Esilir d’Amore.” At 11:45 PM, everyone heads to Piazza Gramsci for “Dis/Incanti,” featuring songs and dances with the DJ set “Back to the 90’s boys.”
Starting Saturday afternoon and continuing all day Sunday, a multi-purpose market will bring together vendors selling vintage items, design pieces, crafts, and modern antiques, while numerous street food stands will offer visitors specialties to enjoy on-site or take away. On Sunday, May 24 (starting at 9:30 a.m.), an unmissable “fairytale journey” for children, featuring traveling storytelling performances of “The Ugly Duckling,” “Cinderella,” and “Jack and the Beanstalk,” while in the afternoon (starting at 4:00 p.m.), a theater marathon in the upper historic center with eight companies from across Tuscany (“Corti Circuito”) will bring the most picturesque alleys and corners of the ancient village to life: an unmissable series of performances and theatrical interpretations, as part of a program organized and coordinated by TeatroCastello (non-stop performances until the awards ceremony, scheduled for 7:00 PM).
The program will be rounded out by several events involving students from Castelfiorentino’s schools (such as “Le forme dell’astrattismo,” urban installations inspired by the shapes and colors of modern art) and exhibitions: by Nico Paladini (Oratorio San Carlo), by the “Giglio Rosso” photography group (Circolo “Il Progresso”), by Alberto della Ragione (Centro Culturale Cambio), and finally the graphic exhibition “Corti Circuito” (Via Tilli) created by graphic design students from the “F. Enriques” Institute.
The tourist office will be open for information during the festival, including on Friday and Saturday evenings (7–10 p.m. in Piazza Gramsci) and all day Sunday (Piazza Gramsci, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. and 3:30–7:30 p.m.)
In/Canti e Banchi—now in its 35th edition—is organized by the Municipality of Castelfiorentino with the support of the Region of Tuscany, the Metropolitan City of Florence, and the Union of Municipalities of the Empolese Valdelsa District, in collaboration with the Fondazione Teatro del Popolo, Cambio Cultural Center, Museo Be.Go., the “F. Enriques” High School, the Comprehensive School District, the Pinocchio 3000 Association, Cetra Cultura, Promocultura, the “Vallesiana” Municipal Library, the “Tre Piazze” Shopping Center, and numerous sponsors such as Ente Cambiano Spca, Toscana Energia, Unicoop Firenze, DM Container, and Box.
For the event program: www.incantiebanchi.it, www.comune.castelfiorentino.fi.it, as well as on the Facebook and Instagram pages