Borgo Liberty Festival – Art for Peace
Music and Art Nouveau in the churches and palaces of the Mugello region
About Borgo Liberty Festival
A festival dedicated to the Art Nouveau of Mugello
The Borgo Liberty Festival – Art for Peace is a cultural and musical series held in Borgo San Lorenzo, the main town of the Mugello region, located in the province of Florence in the heart of Tuscany. The event was created to showcase the rich Liberty (Italian Art Nouveau) heritage for which this town is a recognized cradle: it was here that the famous Fornaci San Lorenzo and the artist Galileo Chini worked, leaving behind ceramics, stained glass, and floral decorations that adorn churches, palaces, and villas throughout the area.
Music and architecture combined
At the heart of the festival is the dialogue between music and architectural history. Each event pairs a concert by the Camerata de' Bardi Orchestra—a group gathering over forty musicians including strings, woodwinds, saxophones, and percussion—with a guided tour of the artistic heritage of the host venue. The audience is thus guided to discover stained glass, majolica, and floral arabesques, while the orchestra and its ensembles perform early 20th-century pieces as well as sacred and popular music from the Belle Époque.
A journey through the villages of Mugello
The festival is itinerant, visiting various places of worship and historic palaces between Borgo San Lorenzo and neighboring towns such as Scarperia and San Piero. Venues include the Town Hall of Borgo San Lorenzo, the Sanctuary of the Santissimo Crocifisso, the Bosco ai Frati Convent, and local parish churches. Each stop is designed as a journey through the artistic timeline of Tuscan, Italian, and European Art Nouveau.
The theme of art for peace
The subtitle Art for Peace summarizes the spirit of the festival: using the beauty of art and music as a universal language for encounter and harmony. The event is part of the Tuscany Festival calendar and enjoys the patronage of the Regional Council of Tuscany, as well as the support of numerous local associations.
Free admission and period tastings
All Borgo Liberty Festival events offer free admission. At the end of each concert, a tasting inspired by the flavors of the Art Nouveau era is provided, concluding each day in a convivial atmosphere. It is a precious opportunity to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the early 20th century and discover the artistic treasures of Borgo San Lorenzo and the Mugello region.
Borgo Liberty Festival — edition 2026
Fifth edition: the 2026 program
The 5th edition of the Borgo Liberty Festival features four events, all starting at 4:00 PM with free admission:
- Sunday, January 25 – Town Hall of Borgo San Lorenzo: «Musical Polychromies of the early 1900s», dedicated to Tuscan Art Nouveau.
- Sunday, February 22 – Sanctuary of the Santissimo Crocifisso: «Sacred Musical Exotisms», on Italian Art Nouveau, with a guided tour by Prof. Giuseppina Carla Romby of the works of Galileo Chini and the stained glass of the Fornaci San Lorenzo.
- Saturday, March 7 – Bosco ai Frati Convent (Scarperia e San Piero): «Heraldic Spirituals of the Belle Époque», with the Camerata de' Bardi Quintet.
- Sunday, March 22 – Parish Church of San Pietro in San Piero a Sieve: «Sinuous Déco Symphonies», grand finale of the festival.
Music and performers
The star is the Camerata de' Bardi Orchestra, accompanied by its wind ensembles and quintet. The program includes composers such as Alessandro Stradella, Giuseppe Verdi, Carl Maria von Weber, Luigi Bottazzo, Maurice Ravel, and Antonín Dvořák, alternating with sacred and popular songs of the early 20th century. Each concert concludes with a period-inspired tasting.
Programme Borgo Liberty Festival 2026
2026 Program (4:00 PM, free admission)
- January 25 – Town Hall, Borgo San Lorenzo: «Musical Polychromies of the early 1900s» (Tuscan Art Nouveau).
- February 22 – Sanctuary of the Santissimo Crocifisso: «Sacred Musical Exotisms» (Italian Art Nouveau) with Wind Ensemble and Camerata de' Bardi Orchestra; guided tour by Prof. G.C. Romby.
- March 7 – Bosco ai Frati Convent, Scarperia e San Piero: «Heraldic Spirituals of the Belle Époque», Camerata de' Bardi Quintet.
- March 22 – Parish Church of San Pietro, San Piero a Sieve: «Sinuous Déco Symphonies», grand finale.
Highlights Borgo Liberty Festival 2026
Prices Borgo Liberty Festival 2026
Practical information — Borgo Liberty Festival
Getting there
Borgo San Lorenzo can be reached by car from Florence via the SS302 Faentina road (approx. 30 km). By train, it is connected to the Florence Santa Maria Novella station via the Faentina line, with a stop at Borgo San Lorenzo. The nearest airport is Florence-Peretola.
Event venues
The events are held in various locations across the Mugello region: the Town Hall (Piazza Dante 2, Borgo San Lorenzo), the Sanctuary of the Santissimo Crocifisso, the Bosco ai Frati Convent in Scarperia e San Piero, and local parish churches. It is advisable to check the venue for each specific date on the Municipality's website.
Admission and times
Admission is free to all concerts, which generally begin at 4:00 PM. A period-inspired tasting is offered at the end of each event.
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Where does it take place — Borgo Liberty Festival
Palazzo Comunale, Santuario del Santissimo Crocifisso e chiese del Mugello
Piazza Dante 2, 50032 Borgo San Lorenzo