Story and photos: Howick Art Group exhibition opening

The Howick Art Group's Spring Festival Art Exhibition opened triumphantly at Howick Bowling Club, drawing over 100 attendees on Saturday evening. The show features 212 works by adult artists, plus student entries from local intermediate schools, with all pieces for sale. David Szeto won Best in Show for his painting "Beautiful Environment," which also took first in Landscapes. The exhibition runs daily until August 10, with free entry, and celebrates the group's 60th anniversary since its founding in February 1965.

À Florence, une transformation silencieuse pour préserver son patrimoine

Florence is undertaking a major restoration of Giotto's Campanile, the first comprehensive conservation of the 14th-century bell tower since its construction. The project, budgeted at over €7 million, addresses decades of damage from pollution, acid rain, and natural aging, including detached stone slabs, darkened facades, and microfractures. The four-year scaffolding will be designed to minimize visual impact and gradually reveal restored sections. Separately, the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore is executing a €60 million program to restore the Collegio Eugeniano (which will become its new headquarters) and expand the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo to 11,000 square meters by 2030. The Ponte Vecchio will also undergo summer cleaning and consolidation of its piles, funded equally by the municipality and the Antinori family.

Dozens of Suspended ‘Halos’ Glimmer in a Florentine Factory

Earlier this month, artist SpY installed "Halos," a large-scale installation of dozens of metallic discs suspended from the ceiling of a former railway factory in Florence. The work was part of the city's Bright Festival, transforming the brutalist industrial interior into a space of ethereal movement and reflection, with the discs interacting with natural breezes and glimmering light.

Perth artist’s showcase asks guests to touch and view works

Perth-based multidisciplinary artist Lisa Principe launched her latest solo exhibition, "In Parallel Exhibition: An Atlas of Becoming," at Cleaver House in West Perth on March 13. The showcase features works that explore the evolving relationship between the self and the landscape, notably encouraging visitors to engage with the art through both touch and sight. The opening event featured a Welcome to Country by Dr. Noel Nannup, a speech by Ash Tower, and a musical performance by Tanaya Harper.

Near Florence there is a castle that recalls the Orient. The rebirth of the gardens begins with architect Tommaso del Buono

Vicino Firenze c’è un castello che ricorda l’Oriente. Al via la rinascita dei giardini con l’architetto Tommaso del Buono

The Castello di Sammezzano, a Moorish-style castle near Florence, Italy, is set for a major revival. Built in the 19th century by the Marquis Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d'Aragona, the castle is one of Italy's most important examples of Orientalist architecture, featuring over sixty uniquely decorated rooms, a monumental park, and rare botanical species. After decades of neglect, auctions, and sporadic openings, the property was purchased in 2025 by the family of entrepreneur Giorgio Moretti, who plans a €50 million restoration. The first phase will focus on rehabilitating the historic gardens, with work beginning in June 2026.

A new certification has been created to improve the management and valorization of Italian cultural heritage

È nata una nuova certificazione per migliorare gestione e valorizzazione del patrimonio culturale italiano

A new certification standard called SGPI01:2024 has been launched in Italy to improve the management and valorization of cultural heritage. Developed by Certiquality and the Stati Generali del Patrimonio Italiano (SGPI), the standard was presented in Florence at Palazzo Guadagni Strozzi Sacrati, with the patronage of the Tuscany Region. It applies to all public and private entities that own or manage cultural and landscape assets, introducing a comprehensive management system that goes beyond legal compliance, focusing on conservation, economic sustainability, accessibility, and safety through independent third-party audits.