Corpo Celeste – In Chiostri

Corpo Celeste – In Chiostri: dance inhabiting the sacred spaces of Florence

Promoted by the Virgilio Sieni National Dance Production Center as part of the Estate Fiorentina, Corpo Celeste – In Chiostri is one of the most original projects in the cultural landscape of Florence. Conceived by choreographer and director Virgilio Sieni, it transforms the city's cloisters, refectories, former monasteries, and historic courtyards into spaces for listening, meditation, and performance, breathing new life into these precious sites through dance.

A project on the body and care

At the heart of Corpo Celeste is the human body, explored in its fragility and expressive power. Here, dance becomes a tool to build relationships of care—between the individual and the community, and between the person and the city. Each day is structured as a journey that weaves together practical gesture workshops open to people of all ages and abilities, short poetic practices, talks with artists, intellectuals, and scholars, and finally, site-specific performances accompanied by live music. The project engages with Florence through its spaces and tensions, turning sacred sites—cloisters and refectories—into stages where one can rediscover silence, listening, and the birth of new communities.

The venues

The festival selects some of the most evocative and secluded spaces in Florence, usually far from the main tourist flows. Venues involved in recent editions include:

• Cenacolo di Andrea del Sarto (Via di San Salvi)
• Ex Monastero di Santa Maria degli Angeli (Via degli Alfani)
• Chiostro e Cenacolo di Ognissanti (Borgo Ognissanti)
• Istituto degli Innocenti (Piazza della SS. Annunziata)
• Chiostro del Convento di Santa Maria del Carmine (Piazza del Carmine)

A cultural proposal for the city

Part of the rich Estate Fiorentina program, which animates Florence and its province every year with over a thousand events, Corpo Celeste represents the most reflective and contemplative side of the Tuscan capital's summer schedule. Its formula, which combines high-level choreographic research, philosophical thought, and accessibility, has made it a highly anticipated event for contemporary dance enthusiasts, curious visitors, and citizens wishing to rediscover the hidden heritage of their city. Admission is free, and the emotionally impactful performances generally take place in the evening, when the cloisters are lit with an intimate and collected atmosphere.