March 25th in Florence: Florentine New Year’s Day Celebration

Florence Week of Festivities: March 25th marks the celebration of the Florentine New Year. This year, 2025, is scheduled to be filled with guided tours, events, music, and markets. Learn more here.

The Florentine New Year

March 25th has always been a special date for Florence. Until 1750, it was the day the new year began, coinciding with the Annunciation Day: exactly nine months before Christmas, the day when the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was expecting a son.

Moreover, March 25th symbolizes the rebirth of nature with the arrival of spring. A blend of the sacred and the profane that was reason enough to gather thousands of people from all over Florence and its county in Piazza Santissima Annunziata.

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The Gregorian Calendar

In the late 1500s, the world recognized the need for a uniform calendar. Various calendars, with different festivities, created no small number of problems in relations between various countries. Thus, in 1582, the revolutionary worldwide historical reform was introduced: the Gregorian calendar, established by Pope Gregory XIII, was quickly accepted by the majority of European states.

However, not all states adopted it immediately. Despite Florence being the city of many “promoters” of the new calendar, it did not adhere. It was only in 1749 that Grand Duke Francesco II di Lorena issued a decree that aligned the start of the year with January 1st. This was a significant event, commemorated with a marble inscription in the Loggia dei Lanzi.

Commemoration of March 25th in Florence Today

The Comune di Firenze typically honors this important Florentine date with “Capodanno Fiorentino” (Florentine New Year’s Day). The city of Florence, Italy, is gearing up to celebrate the Florentine New Year with a special program set to take place from March 21st to March 30th, 2025.

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Key Highlights of The Florentine Week:

Celebrate the Florentine New Year (March 25)

March 25 marks the traditional beginning of the new year in the old Florentine calendar. The celebration includes the Historic Parade of the Florentine Republic, which starts from the Palagio di Parte Guelfa and arrives at Piazza Santissima Annunziata at 4:00 PM. It’s a unique opportunity to dive into the city’s medieval atmosphere.

This year, the festivities kick off the night before, on Monday, March 24, with La Notte di Capodanno in Piazza, starting at 9:00 PM at the Arco di San Pierino — a brand-new event on the schedule.

Confesercenti is organizing several initiatives for this edition. Among them is the Florentine New Year’s Eve dinner, happening on the evening of March 24 in selected restaurants across Florence.

Hot Air Balloon in Piazza del Carmine

Another unique experience: on March 25, in Piazza del Carmine, a tribute to Giovanni Luder, who 230 years ago became the first Florentine to fly over the city in a hot air balloon. A replica of his historic balloon (mongolfiera) will be one of the most photogenic highlights of the week.

“His name was Giovanni Luder, a plumber and mechanical expert. On July 16, 1795, in Piazza del Carmine, after the official pilot refused to fly, Luder climbed aboard the balloon he had built himself. He took off at 7:30 PM and landed at 9:00 PM in Pieve a Remole, in Le Falle, near Pontassieve. Grand Duke Ferdinando III promoted him to Royal Fountain Keeper and awarded him 24 gold zecchini.”
(Source: La Gazzetta di Firenze, Biblioteca Marucelliana)

Fair in Piazza Santa Maria Novella

From March 21–23, Piazza Santa Maria Novella hosts the “Arti e Mestieri” fair, featuring Tuscan crafts and local gourmet products.

Organized by Confesercenti Firenze and Confartigianato Firenze, the fair runs:

• March 21: 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
• March 22–23: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Florentine Craftsmanship by Artex

From March 25 to 30, 2025, Florence dives into a unique celebration of its artisanal DNA with Artex, an organization that, in partnership with the Comune di Firenze and Feel Florence, transforms the city into a vast open-air workshop.

During the Settimana del Fiorentino, more than 30 studios and master artisans open their doors to reveal century-old secrets, ancestral techniques, and projects that reinvent tradition with a forward-thinking spirit.

The week kicks off in golden style—literally. On Tuesday (March 25), the Officina Creativa Lab by Artex (at Conventino Fuori le Mura) hosts the Capodanno Fiorentino, blending art and slow food. At 3:30 p.m., stalls featuring local producers—such as wines from Fattoria di Poggiopiano, cheeses from Caseificio Bacciotti, and honey from Apicoltura Betti—invite visitors to enjoy a zero-kilometer gastronomic tour.

The highlight of the day is artist Ornella Baratti Bon, who at 4:00 p.m. presents her work “È nato prima l’uovo”: a giant papier-mâché egg painted with dreamlike scenes that intertwine personal memories and surrealism. At 6:00 p.m., Chef Paolo Gori of the award-winning trattoria Da Burde leads a live cooking demo featuring “Uova alla Salai”, a dish inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation and his love of vegetarian cuisine.

From Wednesday (26) to Friday (28), the agenda is filled with direct encounters with artisans. On the 26th and 27th, goldsmith studios such as Argentiere Pagliai and Anna Maria Ermini (in Borgo San Jacopo) unveil traditional techniques like traforo and cesello. On Friday (28), more than 20 workshops open for live demonstrations.

Highlights include:

• Mari Yoshida (Borgo Ognissanti) teaches the art of sbalzo (metal embossing)
• Chiara De Filippis (Via San Giovanni) demonstrates Keum-Boo, a Korean technique that applies 24K gold to silver without soldering
• Filidilana (Calenzano) offers a guided tour of its traditional looms, including access to its sustainable wool outlet
• Officina de’ Tornabuoni invites visitors on a sensory journey combining artisanal perfumery and naturopathy

For jewelry lovers, Vannini Gioielli hosts two special goldsmithing sessions on Friday, March 28 (at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.), with only five spots available per group.

On Saturday (March 29), the “Fiorentine Fantastiche” event takes over the Female Arts in Florence space (Borgo San Frediano), focusing on female creative power. From 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., urban art performances, talks on painter Elisabeth Chaplin, and short film screenings fill the schedule, culminating in a collaborative aperitivo. A must-see for anyone who wants to experience Florence through the eyes of its contemporary female artists.

To explore the city beyond the usual routes, Artex has launched eight Walking in Craft itineraries, combining artisanal workshops with historical landmarks. Choose from:

• La Firenze Green (sustainability and nature)
• Digital & Design (high-tech craftsmanship)
• Bike Tour dell’Artigianato (cycling between studios)

Practical (and digital) details:
Reservations: Most activities require advance booking via email or phone (contact details provided here).
Key locations: Conventino Fuori le Mura (Via Giano della Bella 20) serves as the central hub, but workshops are spread across streets like Borgo San Jacopo, Via Romana, and Via de’ Serragli.

Free museum activities for all ages

All week long, the Musei Civici Fiorentini and MUS.E offer free activities. This year’s edition is especially dedicated to one of Florence’s symbols: the red lily on a white background, closely associated with the iris that colors the city’s green areas and surrounding countryside. Spring, nature, and environmental awareness are the main focus of several initiatives in the program. Among the most interesting:

For children: flowers, lions, and plenty of imagination
Children take center stage in this year’s schedule. At the Museo di Palazzo Vecchio, on Saturday (March 22) at 10:15 a.m., the workshop “To Build a City, You Need a Flower” explores the link between Florence and its symbolic flower, the iris. That same day at noon, “The Painted Nature” transforms the palace halls into a fairytale setting, revealing hidden flora and fauna in art. The activity repeats on the 29th.

Meanwhile, at the Museo Stefano Bardini on Saturday (March 29) at 2:00 p.m., kids learn about the famous Porcellino (the bronze boar by Pietro Tacca) in “Around the Porcellino.”

And closing out the week, on Sunday (March 30), the MAD Murate Art District hosts the environmental workshop “Viola iris,” where children become gardeners for a day, planting Iris Pallida Dalmatica rhizomes—fully aligned with the UN Agenda 2030 Goal 15 (Life on Land).

Historical tours and a connection with nature
Adults can enjoy unique experiences as well. On Saturday (March 22) at 11:00 a.m., the “Passeggiata Patrimoniale” departs from Piazza Poggi heading to the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, with a stop at the stunning Rose Garden and the Iris Garden—created in collaboration with the Italian Iris Society. The tour repeats on the 29th.

On Sunday (March 23) at Santa Maria Novella, a 3:30 p.m. themed tour, “Spring in Santa Maria Novella,” explores the site’s relationship to the season of flowers, while at the Museo Novecento (3:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.), the “Novecento Spring” workshop encourages families to reinterpret flowers through contemporary art.

Art, science, and the allure of the iris
Tuesday (March 25) offers an intellectual highlight: at Palazzo Vecchio, 5:30 p.m., the conference “Iris: A Flower Between Art and Nature,” led by experts Maria Adele Signorini and Valentina Zucchi, reveals how this emblem pervades local culture, from botany to frescoes.

Rarely opened architectural treasures
Also on Saturday (March 29), guided tours of Porta San Frediano—one of the city’s ancient medieval gates—are available at 3:00 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 5:15 p.m., while on Sunday (March 30), at the same times, Torre San Niccolò offers panoramic views and centuries of history.

Complete schedule and free registrations on the MUS.E website or by calling +39 055 0541450. Unmissable for anyone who wants to see Florence in full bloom!

Admire the giant David in a new form

In honor of the 550th anniversary of Michelangelo’s birth, the outline of the David will be drawn over a 1,500-square-meter area in Piazza Santa Croce—an awe-inspiring work created in collaboration with local art students.

Whether you’re a local or visiting Florence for the first time, the Settimana del Fiorentino is your chance to witness the city in full bloom — through its history, its artisans, and its unmatched cultural soul.

The Florentine Week promises an immersive and enriching experience for all who partake, blending educational elements with entertainment and cultural enrichment. Through its diverse program, the event aims to celebrate Florence’s past, present, and future, inviting the world to rediscover the city’s unparalleled beauty and enduring legacy.