Olive harvesting in the Tuscan hills in autumn – October in Florence

October in Florence: Be.Local, support zero-kilometer food in Florence

Events, new olive oil, flavors and local stores: the best of October in Florence with #EnjoyRespectFirenze!

Visiting Florence in October is simply magical: the weather is ideal as the heat and crowds of the summer ease off, and the streets glow with dreamy autumnal colours. Strolling through the museums and squares, soaking up picturesque views, there’s a more peaceful and romantic vibe. And, of course, a bowl of seasonal ribollita in a local restaurant is always a good idea!

Over the month of harvest when olives are picked from the hills to produce this season's extra virgin olive oil, we pay homage to all our local flavours, emphasising the importance for visitors to choose typical Florentine dishes prepared with zero km ingredients to support local businesses. As Dante reminds us, traditional cuisine favours sustainable tourism!.

We recommend our “sciocco” bread, olive oil, beans, finocchiona, Mugello chestnuts…the list goes on and on!

Once your belly is full of the local flavours of Florence, it's time to dedicate yourself to the many things to do in Florence - for example, the artisan workshops that teach centuries-old traditions – they are zero km, too! To help you in this quest, we’ve created a few walking itineraries to discover Florence’s historical activities. Enjoy!

“Toulouse-Lautrec. A Journey into Belle Époque Paris” – from September 27 to February 22

Florence awaits you at the Museo degli Innocenti, to immerse yourself in late 19th-century Paris with over 170 works by the French artist, on loan from Hamburg and Albi, alongside period furniture, artifacts, documents, works by other great contemporary artists, and much more.

International Ceramics Fair – October 4 and 5

The International Ceramics Fair is held every year in Piazza Santa Croce in Florence during the first weekend of October. Over the course of two days, the square welcomes more than 90 ceramicists from all over Italy and several European countries. Exhibitors showcase a rich variety of ceramic techniques, ranging from stoneware to porcelain, from majolica to lustreware.

XV Florence Biennale, International Exhibition of Contemporary Art and Design – October 18 to 26

American filmmaker and artist Tim Burton will receive the “Lorenzo il Magnifico” Lifetime Achievement Award on the occasion of the XV Florence Biennale, held at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence. This year’s edition is dedicated to the theme: “The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness. Concepts of Dualism and Unity in Contemporary Art and Design.”

50 Days of Cinema – October 7 to December 11

Founded in Florence in 2007, the “50 Days” brings together under a single program and venue (Cinema La Compagnia) all the city’s major international film festivals. October’s screenings include: Middle East Now (Oct 7–12), the festival dedicated to contemporary Middle Eastern cinema; Fan Hua Chinese Festival (Oct 15–19); International Festival of Cinema and Women (Oct 22–26); France Odeon, dedicated to French cinema and organized in collaboration with the Institut Français Italia (Oct 29–Nov 2).