Classica - Classical Music Festival in San Vivaldo

A historic festival in the Jerusalem of San Vivaldo

Classica is the summer chamber music festival that has linked the municipalities of Montaione and Gambassi Terme, in the province of Florence, since 1995. Born from the collaboration between the two local administrations and the Orchestra Regionale della Toscana (ORT) Foundation—one of Italy's most esteemed ensembles—the event brings great European music to the hills and forests of this corner of Tuscany, combining artistic excellence with free admission. In Montaione, the concerts take place in a truly special location: the monumental complex of the Jerusalem of San Vivaldo.

The sacred mount of the Jerusalem of Tuscany

The Jerusalem of San Vivaldo is a sacred mount built starting in the early 16th century by Franciscan friars, who sought to recreate the sites of the Holy Land on a smaller scale through a series of chapels scattered throughout the woods. The Classica concerts are held in the Chapel of the Flight into Egypt, whose acoustics and intimate atmosphere provide a natural stage of rare beauty for the ORT musicians. Listening to a string quartet or a wind ensemble in this setting, steeped in history and spirituality, makes every performance a unique experience, far removed from the traditional concert hall.

Chamber groups of the Orchestra della Toscana

At the heart of the festival are the chamber groups of the ORT, the orchestra founded in Florence in 1980 and based at the Teatro Verdi in the city. Quartets, string trios, and brass ensembles alternate in concerts lasting about an hour, without an intermission, designed for a broad and family-friendly audience. The program pairs famous pages of the chamber repertoire with rarer pieces and surprising forays into Italian singer-songwriter music, with a curated selection spanning centuries from Mozart and Beethoven to contemporary arrangements.

The 2026 program

The 31st edition features three Sunday appointments in Montaione, all at 6:00 PM in the Chapel of the Flight into Egypt in San Vivaldo:

• July 5 - "The Only and the Last": The Hortensia Quartet performs Felix Mendelssohn's String Quartet No. 6, Op. 80, and Giuseppe Verdi's String Quartet.
• July 19 - "Trio Concertino": The ORT String Trio presents Ludwig van Beethoven's Serenade, Op. 8, and String Trio No. 1, Op. 9.
• July 26 - "Simply Ornella": The ORT Brass section and rhythm section, featuring vocalist Nadyne Rush, reinterpret the repertoire of Ornella Vanoni in arrangements by Demetrio Bonvecchio.

A festival for everyone in the Florentine Valdelsa

Classica is a cultural initiative that enhances the artistic and landscape heritage of Montaione and the entire Valdelsa, offering residents and visitors the opportunity to hear top-tier performers in history-rich settings. The festival also takes place in parallel in Gambassi Terme, between the Church of Cristo Re and the Pieve di Santa Maria a Chianni along the Via Francigena. Admission to the concerts is free until capacity is reached, confirming the popular and inclusive vocation of the event, supported by the municipalities of Montaione and Gambassi Terme in the Tuscany Region.