ScienzEstate

When science becomes a festival

Every summer, the Scientific and Technological Campus of Sesto Fiorentino, in the province of Florence, opens its doors to the city for ScienzEstate, the most anticipated science communication event in the Tuscan university calendar. Promoted by OpenLab, the University of Florence's Center for Education and Science Communication, the event was born with a simple yet ambitious goal: to take research out of the labs and make it understandable for everyone, from curious children to passionate adults.

An open-door university campus

For two evenings, the scientific hub on Viale delle Idee—home to the physics, chemistry, and biology departments and the most important Tuscan research centers—comes alive with games, interactive experiments, shows, demonstrations, exhibitions, and guided tours. The disciplines involved are vast: biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, biotechnology, and agricultural sciences. Researchers and communicators guide the public through optical illusions, light and laser experiments, brain function, polymers, bacteria, and cosmic rays, turning complex concepts into direct and memorable experiences.

Tours of major research centers

One of the highlights of ScienzEstate is the guided tours of the research centers located right on the Sesto Fiorentino campus. Visitors can get an up-close look at the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), the Magnetic Resonance Center (CERM), the European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy (LENS), and the LABEC particle accelerator. It is a rare opportunity to enter world-class research facilities that are normally closed to the public.

A widespread event

While the Sesto Fiorentino campus is its beating heart, ScienzEstate unfolds as a widespread journey between Sesto Fiorentino and Florence, with events continuing until September at other university locations, from the Botanical Garden to the Novoli Social Sciences Campus. Each year, the event is tied to a thematic thread, captured in the "Words of Science" cycle, which invites reflection on a major contemporary issue.

Who it is for

• Families with children, who will find workshops and games designed for the little ones;
• Teenagers and students, also as a university orientation opportunity;
• Curious adults, science and technology enthusiasts.

Free and open to all, ScienzEstate is now a classic of the cultural summer in the Municipality of Sesto Fiorentino and the entire Florence metropolitan area, an event that combines the quality of Tuscan research with the pleasure of shared discovery.