Have you thought of visiting Florence? We’d like to put a soundtrack to your trip! We’ve created a special Florence playlist, exclusively featuring local artists, for you to discover what you can listen to there.
To find out more information on Florence and the beautiful surrounding area, we got in touch with Edoardo Florio Di Grazia, a local artist. We asked him some questions to find out what he thinks of your next destination and to find out if he has any recommendations for you.
Hi Edoardo, how are you? Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for us.
Thank you, I love to answer questions about music and travel!
How would you introduce yourself to Volotea passengers who might not know you?
I could describe myself as a story seeker, using music to travel and find a home.
Marc Twain said that every person is a book. I think songs and stories are hidden everywhere. I travel, in every way, to find them. I’m like an antenna looking for a signal, and to find it I need to be constantly on the move.
Music is my way of telling and sharing these stories.
You were born and raised in Florence, how do you think this city has influenced you and your music? Can we expect an album soon?
I was born in Florence and here as a child, aged five, in a record store in Via Gioberti called Nardi Dischi (sadly no longer there), I realised that music would be my life. Florence is a small city, but it is also a gateway to the world. Many artists have passed through here and throughout history. Growing up in the midst of all this artistic wealth can intimidate you or give you the desire to convey your own universe too.
The medieval part of the city made up of workshops and cellars is the one that inspired me the most. The minstrel is a figure that has always fascinated me, and I try to be today’s version, travelling from place to place gathering stories and singing them.
Travel today as in the past, basically, is necessary to tell where you come from. And also to understand who you want to be in the future.
In 2024 my debut album will be released by Comet Records, an indie label from Paris. This is a journey album, written and recorded between France and Italy with musicians from many countries. The album, Ambra e Corallo (Amber and Coral), is named after the materials of the necklace made for me by my father that I have been wearing since my early days.
Travel and roots come together.
If someone was visiting you for the first time, where would you take that person first and why?
To the convent of San Marco where there is an incredible museum. You can see the work created by Beato Angelico there and visit the frescoed cells including the one that was occupied by Girolamo Savonarola who represents the irreverent soul of the Florentine people.
I would then take my guest for a glass of red wine accompanied by bread with olive oil in San Frediano, the old working-class neighbourhood of Florence and now the vibrant heart of the city. But if they were particularly lucky and happened to be in Florence with me on 24 June, the feast day of the city’s patron saint John the Baptist, I would definitely take them to see the final of Calcio Storico held in Piazza Santa Croce. An event like no other on earth, that transcends the realms of sport.
What are your top three restaurants/bars? And what local dish must we order?
If I can only choose three, I would say:
- Todomodo, a magical bookshop in Via dei Fossi where you can eat and drink divinely whilst also finding books that can change your life. The vibe of the place and its customers make it special; seeing is believing.
- Santo Bevitore in Via Santo Spirito, a restaurant that looks to the future without forgetting the past. Recommended for its food and, again, for its atmosphere.
- Enoteca Bellini, a small wine bar with an amazing list of fine wines. A great place for meeting up with my friends.
As for traditional Florentine dishes, I would choose:
- lampredotto: a must for anyone coming to Florence
- ribollita or pappa al pomodoro depending on the season
- tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms or pappardelle with wild boar (again depending on the season) for those who want to know the meaning of la dolce vita.
Florence is full of stunning museums and art galleries, which are your favourites?
Aside from the most famous museums, such as the Uffizi, which in any case are of course unavoidable, and San Marco museum of which we have already spoken, my top list is :
–Museo Bardini, where you can find the collection of the great antiques dealer Stefano Bardini, and the museum is adjacent to Boboli Gardens, a dream especially in autumn and spring.
– Museo del Bargello, an eclectic museum with a collection ranging from the jewels of the Medici family to the sculptures of the Neapolitan artist Gemito. A unique journey through the history of art in Florence.
– Italian Football Museum of Coverciano, a little gem for football lovers in particular, located inside the headquarters of the Italian national team just outside Florence. You can see trophies, shirts and photos from the 30s to the present day. A must for anyone wishing to understand one of the greatest Italian passions.
Where can we go to listen to live music?
In all seasons there are many festivals where you can listen to good music. My favourites are: Musica dei popoli and the Florence folks festival, occasions when music from all over the world passes through Florence. Also the Heartbeat Festival Florence is a very interesting event.
Unfortunately, many of the old live music venues no longer exist, due to municipal policies that fail to give due consideration to the world of music. The Auditorium Flog, for example, was once the temple of music for every Florentine.
But I’d recommend to anyone visiting Florence today and looking for the music scene that they check out Manifattura Tabacchi, in the winter season, and the Anfiteatro delle Cascine, in the summer season.
And what local music stores should we visit for some crate digging?
The most interesting place to find some vinyl gems is the historic Contempo Records store in Via de’ Neri, which opened in 1977.
But my favourite is a small shop in Via dell’Oriuolo run by Maurizio, called Occasioni Musicali. Maurizio isn’t that keen on the usual tourist and before he’ll let you in he needs to know whether you have a true love for music, in which case, the doors of his unique and inimitable kingdom will open. You’ll breathe in the air of a 50s Florence that no longer exists.
That’s where I bought my most precious records, instruments, and music books that I still cherish today.
What would be a good medieval-themed walk around Florence?
A good option would be to follow the route taken by the Medici family from the Palazzo Vecchio to the Pitti Palace, stopping at all points, including the Vasari Corridor.
Or visit the Florence of Michelangelo, including his childhood homes and visiting the secret room, only recently opened to the public, inside the Medici Chapels, where the artist took refuge for two months in 1530 to escape the revenge of Pope Clement VII. The chamber, measuring around 30 square metres, is full of charcoal sketches by Michelangelo, who used the walls as a kind of notebook, to plan his future projects.
What I’d recommend more than anything, as a Florentine and history lover, would be to do a bit of research before visiting the city and devise some themed routes, avoiding the standard tourist routes like the plague.
If you could leave on a holiday tomorrow, what Volotea destination would you choose and why?
If I had to leave from Florence, for example, I would stop in Bordeaux for a few days to see some friends from Arcachon Bay, where I hide a piece of my heart and my life. Then I would take a flight and go straight to Algeria to discover the roots of Raï, Algerian folk music. I would definitely come back with some songs. You know what? I think I will organise this trip tonight!
