Sott’Acqua – Splendor of Florence Festival Returns to Providence

Providence, Rhode Island and Florence, Italy have more in common than you might think. Residents of both share a love of art and music, historic architecture, and an outstanding culinary scene. Unfortunately, both cities also share a history of devastating floods and remain at high risk for repeated incidents in this era of climate change.

This month, Providence hosts Sott’Acqua, a celebration of the two cities and acknowledgement of the climate challenges they face. Scheduled for November 9-17 at locations around downtown, the program rekindles a friendship pact between the two cities that was established 25 years ago. In 1999, Providence hosted the Splendor of Florence Festival, an event that showcased artisans, artists, musicians, and food from the capital of the Tuscany region.

Joyce Acciaioli Rudge, a Providence native who organized the original event, is overseeing this year’s celebration. A former model who worked in Europe, Rudge curated a similar festival in New York City in 2004, which helped to re-invigorate tourism after 9/11. “I wanted to do something that showed triumph from tragedy,” says Rudge. “I used some amazing photos from late Life magazine photographer David Lees, who documented the great flood in Florence in 1966. He had pictures of the restoration process; it was a positive story after destruction. We refurbished Federal Hall on Wall Street and got 20 paintings from the Uffizi Gallery. It was perfect, like a little museum.”

Rudge is intimately familiar with the ins and outs of the art world in Italy. “I was a model in Europe and made a lot of contacts there,” she explains. “I ended up living in Florence where I have relatives, and was doing a lot of cultural events, working with Italian corporations overseeing international cultural exchanges.” Rudge worked with former Mayor Cianci in the 1990s to produce the first festival “when the city was undergoing its Renaissance moment.” Two decades later, she’s planning the current festival with Mayor Smiley’s administration. “This year is the 70th anniversary of Hurricane Carol. That’s why we’re calling it a ‘Tale of Two Cities,’ because we have photos of both Providence and Florence underwater.”

Numerous events are featured over the course of the nine-day program. “Brown University has organized a round table discussion, with some phenomenal guests from the University of Florence, to talk about the city’s responses to climate change going forward,” says Rudge. A photo exhibition at Grace Episcopal Church featuring Lees’ photographs of the 1966 Florence flood for Life will be displayed alongside Providence Journal photos of downtown Providence after Hurricane Carol (1954). There will also be film screenings, food tastings, a concert, and more.

“We’ve also partnered with Save the Bay, who will be presenting activities for school groups,” adds Rudge. “They have programs for small children and will display marine life from Narragansett Bay. The hotels will be full, and local restaurants are invited to participate with special menus. We also have a guest chef who’s coming over to do some lectures, and food and wine will come from Italy.” Learn more and find the full schedule at SplendorOfFlorence.com.