r/tuscany

If you’re travelling through Florence in the next few days, check your train before you leave.

From 11 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, until 4 a.m. on Friday, July 10, rail works near Florence Campo di Marte will disrupt both high-speed (Frecciarossa, Italo) and regional services. Some trains will be diverted or replaced by buses, and journey times may be longer than usual.
Passengers with valid rail tickets will be able to use dedicated shuttle buses and selected sections of Florence’s tram network free of charge during the closure.

A second rail shutdown is also scheduled for July 26–30, when the new bridge will be installed.

If Florence is part of your summer itinerary, it’s worth checking your train operator’s latest timetable before travelling.

More details: https://www.florencedailynews.com/2026/06/30/five-day-rail-shutdown-to-disrupt-florence-high-speed-services-in-july/

It doesn't get better than this! Zucchini season!

Every week all over Tuscany homes of the old school Italian rich getting broken into for gold and silver. Is it me is this going to get worse. I mean when people are at home getting held up at gun point. They are target hits too.

Many visitors come to Tuscany for Florence, Siena or the famous vineyards, but one of the best ways to experience the region is through its medieval festivals.

From the Palio of Siena to smaller historical reenactments in towns and villages, these events offer a glimpse into traditions that have survived for centuries, with costumes, flag throwers, tournaments and local food.

Florence Daily News put together a guide to some of Tuscany’s most interesting medieval festivals. Have you ever attended one? Which would you recommend?
https://www.florencedailynews.com/2026/06/26/exploring-tuscany-through-its-medieval-festivals/

Visitors hoping to see Botticelli’s Birth of Venus or other masterpieces at the Uffizi this week may face unexpected restrictions.

The Florence museum has suspended ticket sales until Sunday, June 28, after problems with its air-conditioning system during the ongoing heatwave. Only visitors with existing reservations are being admitted, and attendance has been capped at 50% of normal capacity while technicians work to restore the cooling system.

The issue emerged as temperatures in Florence climbed above seasonal averages, creating difficult conditions inside one of Italy’s most visited museums. Museum officials say temperatures in the galleries have already started to fall following initial repairs, but restrictions remain in place.
For tourists planning a last-minute visit, showing up without a reservation is currently not an option.

https://www.florencedailynews.com/2026/06/24/uffizi-limits-visitor-access-as-air-conditioning-struggles-during-florence-heatwave/

One of Florence’s most famous museum spaces has just been completely redesigned.

The Uffizi Galleries have reopened the rooms dedicated to Sandro Botticelli, placing his two most celebrated masterpieces — The Birth of Venus and Primavera — face to face in the same space. The new arrangement allows visitors to compare the paintings directly and explore the themes that helped define the Florentine Renaissance.

The renovation is part of a broader modernization project at the Uffizi and includes updated lighting, new display cases, improved accessibility, and additional works by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Perugino.

For anyone planning a trip to Florence, the reopening offers a fresh way to experience some of the most iconic images in Italian art.

Read more: https://www.florencedailynews.com/2026/06/17/uffizi-reopens-botticelli-rooms-with-venus-and-primavera-facing-each-other/

Edit: FOUND! He has made contact with his mother. He is alive and well. Thanks to everyone who shared the information.

Text from his mother:

Leon is missing.

Leon is 22 years old and has traveled alone on a backpacking trip to the mountains outside Lucca.

He was going to an event at Riccovolto, where random people meet and live together in nature.

The problem is that there is now a heat wave and he is not used to such a climate. He updated his family last Sunday and said that he would get away from the mountains before the heat came and that everything was okay then.

After that, we have only seen a picture on Snapchat the same day, where he is alone among some ruins in the shade, with a water bottle and has written the text "survival mode".

Sunday is the last time anyone has heard from him and now he no longer has power on his phone.

We also do not know if he is alone. We have tried to reach people in the area and in the group he was supposed to meet.

It is common to have no phone reception and avoid phones at such events. But due to several factors, this makes the situation a little different:

- It's a heat wave

- He said he should get out of there well in advance before the heat got here

- We don't know anything about water access

- We don't know if he's started walking alone towards civilization

- He's not used to the heat

- He promised to update, but hasn't

- He's had power on his phone all week, but not the last two days.

- We don't know if he's alone

- No one can get hold of anyone else in the area.

- There are packs of wolves and wild boars

It's about 37-38 degrees in the area and no way to cool down.

A public missing person's report has been filed with the police in Norway, but they say they can't do anything and have asked us to contact the embassy in Rome.

The embassy in Rome says they won't do anything until the police in Norway send an international search warrant. They won't do that until many days have passed.

The policeman himself says that as "police" they can't do anything until the Norwegian Criminal Investigation Department gets involved. But as a parent, he would travel to Italy and find out himself. So... if Leon hasn't made a statement by tomorrow, I have to leave to Italy.

The police in Italy are impossible for us in Norway to reach, (Have tried local police, national police, and emergency numbers) but can't get through on any of them, so please if anyone can reach them, do it.

We have sent emails to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassy and the Italian Red Cross.

If anyone has information, please contact the Norwegian police at: +4722669050. Refer to case number 17222579

If you’re in Florence today, June 24, this is one of the biggest nights of the year.
The final of Calcio Storico Fiorentino takes place this afternoon in Piazza Santa Croce, with the city’s historic neighborhoods competing in a centuries-old game that combines elements of football, rugby and wrestling.

Then, at 10 p.m., thousands of people will gather along the Arno River for the Fochi di San Giovanni, Florence’s traditional fireworks display celebrating the city’s patron saint. The best viewing spots are usually around Ponte Santa Trinita, Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia and Piazzale Michelangelo.

For many Florentines, the fireworks are the real highlight of the day and one of the few events that still brings the whole city together.

More information:
https://www.florencedailynews.com/2026/06/11/calcio-storico-and-fireworks-florence-prepares-for-san-giovanni-celebrations/