On 8th March people celebrate the International Women’s Day. This post is dedicated to them, hoping they can enjoy this important day traveling around Tuscany.
International Women’s Day History
For the Women’s day origin we have to go back in the past.
111 years passed since the first observance of Women’s Day in New York City. On 1909, the Socialist Party of America organized a demonstration to lay claim to the labor rights and to the right of vote. Today, the tradition of celebrating the Women’s Day still lasts for different reasons. We show women love, appreciation and respect. We remind the social, political and economical achievements, and last but not least nobody must forget that many women world-wide still suffer discriminations and violence.
Golden Mimosa in Italy is the symbol of the Women’s Day and the gentlemen use to offer a stick of mimosa to their girlfriends, wives, fiancĂ©es or colleagues.
Women usually celebrate their “Day” going out with their girlfriends, preferably while husbands and boyfriends take care of the house and look after the children.
The historical steps for the Women equality recognition in Italy
- 1946: The Italian women vote for the first time.
- 1962: The rule that allows the dismissal in case of marriage for women is abolished.
- 1963: Women are allowed to all professions.
- 1963: “Right of correction” is abolished. The right allowed the husband to hit his wife when in his personal opinion, she had made mistakes which had to be “corrected”.
- 1975: The reform of family law recognizes full equality between spouses.
- 1978: The “Law 194” which legalize abortion is approved.
- 1981: “Honour killings” and “Shotgun wedding”are repelead by law.
- 1996: “Sexual violence” is no longer considered a crime against public morality, but against the person.
Celebrating the International Women’s Day in Tuscany
Update 8th March 2020: Due to #coronavirus applied , we invite you to observe the simple rules of behauvious and restrictions applied by Italian Government like avoiding crowded places. help eachother. Together we will defeat the virus and the fear.Â
All over Tuscany, women can choose between different types of events to celebrate the “Festa della Donna”.
Most of restaurants, bars and pubs organize special events in honor of the Women’s Day.
Wellness centers propose special packages with thermal itineraries, beauty treatments and massages. Otherwise the wild hot springs of Tuscany offer the possibility to rest body and mind for free surrounded by the nature.
Moreover on March the 8, an interesting initiative for art and history lovers is dedicated to women: they have free entrance to the civic museums and archaeological parks.
Free Entry at the National Museums
Uffizi Galleries by night
Women have the great chance to spend the International Women’s Day in Tuscany visiting, for free, all the national museums. Here is the website (in Italian) of the Ministero dei Beni Culturali with a full list of the museums.
In Florence, women can choose between Uffizi Galleries, the Accademia Gallery (to see the David), Palazzo Pitti and the beautiful Boboli Gardens, plus the Bargello Museum, the Opera Medicea Laurenziana which includes the Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels, and Palazzo Davanzati.
It is also possible to enter the Palazzo Vecchio museum, to rise the top of the Arnolfo Tower in Piazza della Signora, or descend underneath the Roman theater excavations. Having enough time I suggest to reach the church of Santa Maria del Carmine to see the Brancacci Chapel (the reservation is recommended at info@muse.comune.fi.it), the museum of the church of Santa Maria Novella just behind the central rail station, the Museum Novecento and museum del Bigallo. Everything without paying anything. For more information about the Civic Museums of Florence, visit the MUS.E website.
Palazzo Vecchio and the Arnolfo Tower
If you, women, have the luck to be in Florence on Tuesday the 8th, or if you are able to organize a daily trip, I would not miss this amazing opportunity to celebrate the women’s international Day admiring the Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia or the Birth of Venus at the Uffizi, and the many other treasures housed by the civic museum.
Staring at the Venus by Botticelli at Uffizi Galleries
With this post Edoardo and I send every women a bunch of scented golden mimosa wishing you a happy International Women’s Day.
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Updated post on 8th March 2020.
What a splendid idea to celebrate Womens Day. Sadly I won’t be in Florence until later in the year, but I will glaldy pay the admission to see all the marvelous museums.
Dear Inka, thank you for your comment. We agree is a splendid idea to celebrate Women’s Day in that way. 🙂