Ever wondered what life is really like for a Multimedia Arts student in Florence? Come with me as I take you from sunrise strolls through cobblestone streets to late-night creative grind sessions. 48 hours in Florence: chaotic, inspiring, and full of endless possibilities.

DAY 1

9:30 

Starting the Day with a Mindful Practice: Yoga in the Heart of Florence 

First, I kicked off my Thursday with an early morning yoga class. I woke up, made some coffee, and then walked through the cobblestone streets toward my moment of peace before the day swept me away. I passed through Santo Spirito, enjoying the familiar walk and watching the stall vendors set up for the morning market in the piazza. The air was crisp and cool, with a hint of late-November autumn chill. I arrived at Italia Power Yoga, a Yoga Studio in Florence, for my 9:30 class and let the practice carry me away.

11:45

Immersed in Digital Creation: 3D Modeling Class

Afterwards, I headed home to make breakfast and prepare for my 3D modeling class with Tutor Concutelli. I’ve been working on renderings with him, inspired by Louise Bourgeois' powerful and thought-provoking work, exploring the grotesque nature of motherhood and how I can translate that into 3D. We spent the first half of the class discussing our projects, and then followed an exercise on 3D motion tracking, where we packed 3D objects and placed them into a video to create a form of realistic animation. 

18:30

Film and Art Combined: Exploring Lo Schermo dell’Arte Festival

After that, I attended a screening at the Lo Schermo Dell'Arte Film Festival at Cinema La Compagnia in Florence. Some friends from class and I stayed for three films: The Book of Flowers by Agnieszka Polska, Club Bunker by M+M, and Those Sweet Murky Waters by Driant Zeneli. It was incredibly impactful and enriching to experience these films within their artistic context, as well as to hear the artists themselves discuss their works, the creative process, and their intentions.

Photo from Club Bunker by M+M 

21:00

Poetry, Performance, and a Creative Night Out: La Cité x Layout Mag

At La Cité, the offbeat “arty” café with a bookshop in the historic neighbourhood of San Frediano, the local Layout Magazine occasionally hosts open mic poetry readings, with different guest hosts each night. The theme that evening was "ghosting," though I usually choose a poem that loosely relates to the theme or write something new for it. That night, despite the anxiety I always feel reading in front of a room full of people, my friends encouraged me, and I took the microphone. I read a poem I had written just a few days earlier, and the energy of the audience was so warm and welcoming. (By the way, check out @lay0ut_magazine on Instagram for upcoming events like this!).

23:00

Late-Night Grind: Balancing School Projects and Freelance Work

When I arrived home, I got to work on other class projects: an illustration for I'M Firenze Digest magazine, my avant-garde music video for the Dissection project in my Video and Film production class, and a freelance CD booklet for local Italian musician Andrea Summa (his albums Vagabondi and Sulla Strada are out now on streaming platforms!).

02:00

Sleep!  

Finally, after I sent off the work I had finished.  

DAY 2

No class today! 

I woke up late that day and went for a long walk on the outskirts of the city, stopping by a few of my favourite parks along the way. My plan was to walk while listening to music and podcasts, and then read, draw, or write at whichever park I visited.

13:00

Exploring San Miniato and Beyond: A Journey Through Florence’s Hidden Gems

Walking through the outskirts of the city always inspires me, creating mental space and clarity, which helps me become more productive. I passed by the cemetery, taking photos of headstones and crypts to use as references for later drawings. I also visited the San Miniato church and explored the historical works it houses. The autumn colours were painting the city in shades of orange, gold, and dusty pink, giving me the sense that autumn had truly arrived. Afterwards, I made my way down to the city centre, passing through Piazzale Michelangelo to see the full moon rise, and then on to the Giardino delle Rose. I stopped on a bench in the middle of the garden, with a perfect view of the city beyond the wall. I took out my book, Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, and sat down to read for a while before hunger got the better of me. I arrived in the centre, the moon now brighter overhead, and made my way home to cook dinner before heading to Santo Spirito to meet some friends for an aperitivo.

19:30

A Cultural Evening: Dinner, Aperitivo, and More at Santo Spirito

Café Volume in Piazza Santo Spirito is popular among my friends, and on nights when we just want to sit and chat, this is where we go. We met at our usual spot, which often hosts live music by local Italian musicians. There, I met some friends from class, and we discussed projects, finals, and the films we had watched together the previous night. The screenings at the festival sparked debate and deliberation.

20:30

Avant-Garde Cinema at Lo Schermo Dell’Arte

At 20:30, we arrived at Cinema La Compagnia for the second night in a row to see the most anticipated film (at least by me and my classmates): Diego Marcon’s La Gola. By the end of the film, we were shocked and emotionally charged. Then, Diego Marcon himself walked out and spoke to the audience. It was an incredible masterpiece of digital character rendering, script, score—everything. There was also a film called Duck by Rachel Maclean, which was an AI-generated deepfake version of James Bond movies, with Marilyn Monroe playing the villain. It was the perfect follow-up because of the comedic and surreal juxtaposition of the two films.

22:30

Creative After Hours: Painting and Music to End the Day

By the end of the films, I was exhausted yet inspired. I arrived home, called my mom, and made dinner. Then, I settled in for the night, listening to a new album by 070 Shake (Petrichor) and practising my watercolor Rorschach inkblot-inspired paintings.

Article written by Kristine Urban, student at Istituto Marangoni Firenze (Multimedia Arts 2nd year).