Florentine artisan working in a traditional workshop, preserving ancient crafting techniques

May in Florence: Explore Botteghe Fiorentine, Discover True Florence

Be.Florentine – Events and Experiences This May with Destination Florence

May in Florence is the perfect time to enjoy the city outdoors, visit museums with shorter lines, sip an aperitivo in a quiet square away from the center, and explore the hills surrounding the city. In short, it’s the ideal month (just like all the others!) to embrace the spirit of #EnjoyRespectFirenze. Florence is a living city, made of voices, hands, and stories passed down through generations. For those who truly want to get to know it, there’s one invitation: let Dante guide you and discover its botteghe fiorentine (artisan workshops). Among wood, leather, metal, paper, textiles, and perfumes, every handcrafted piece tells the authentic soul of the city.

MUST-SEE EVENTS IN MAY

Florentine Workshops Photography Exhibit – Istituto de’ Bardi

Open through May 31, 2025, this exhibit takes visitors on a visual journey inside Florence’s artisan workshops: restorers, decorators, bronze workers, blacksmiths, carpenters, gilders, goldsmiths, bookbinders, and more. These crafts once formed the economic and social fabric of the city’s neighborhoods—and today, despite the challenges, they still keep ancient knowledge alive.

87th Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Festival – Teatro del Maggio

The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is one of the oldest and most prestigious classical music and opera festivals in the world. The 87th edition runs from April 13 to July 1, 2025, at the Teatro del Maggio in Florence. The program includes a rich lineup of operas, symphonic concerts, and ballets, including War Requiem by Benjamin Britten on May 3, conducted by Diego Ceretta, and Der Junge Lord by Hans Werner Henze, from May 25 to 31.

Buongiorno Ceramica! – Impruneta, Sesto Fiorentino, Montelupo Fiorentino

On Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18, Buongiorno Ceramica! returns—an event organized by AiCC (Italian Association of Ceramic Cities), now in its 11th edition. In Tuscany, Impruneta—known as the “Terracotta Village”—will open its seven historic C.A.T. kilns to the public, offering guided tours of traditional terracotta techniques. In Montelupo Fiorentino, the Ceramics Museum will host special openings of workshops, studios, schools, and museums. Events will also take place in Sesto Fiorentino, home of the historic Ginori Manufactory.

SALE – Sant’Ambrogio in Festival – Sant’Ambrogio Neighborhood

SALE returns from May 29 to June 1, 2025. A neighborhood festival celebrating Sant’Ambrogio and Florence, open to locals, visitors, and curious travelers alike. Expect lively moments of community, cultural activities, educational events, theater, and live music. Teatro del Sale—created by Maria Cassi and Fabio Picchi as a backstage space for theater, dance, and music—will leave its walls and bring its performances and food to the streets and squares of the neighborhood for four days.

Discover all of May’s events