New “Living Room” project launches in Florence’s Oltrarno district

A former unused property in Florence’s Santo Spirito district has been turned into a new cultural and social space aimed mainly at people under 35, with activities ranging from small concerts and theatre readings to silent discos and community events. 

The project, called Santo Spirito Living Room, was officially inaugurated in the Oltrarno neighbourhood (piazza Santo Spirito, 25), one of the city’s busiest areas for nightlife and student life. According to the Municipality of Florence, the initiative is designed to create a stable meeting place for young people in the historic centre while offering activities intended to encourage inclusive and quieter forms of socialising. 

An alcohol-free “chill out zone”

The space will be managed by Associazione Culturale I Nuovi ETS, a cultural association made up largely of young performing arts professionals. Planned activities include theatrical readings, small-format concerts, neighbourhood performance tours, shared reading sessions and cultural events open to residents and visitors. 

During weekends, the venue will also remain open late, from 10.30 p.m. to 1 a.m., functioning as what organisers describe as an urban “living room” for the neighbourhood. One of the central features is a “chill out zone”, intended as an alcohol-free area where young people can meet, rest and socialise in a quieter environment. 

A project backed by the city administration

The initiative is supported by Florence’s departments for youth policies and public property, together with Quartiere 1, the administrative district covering the historic centre. Funding comes from ANCI, the association representing Italian municipalities, and the Italian Prime Minister’s office. 

Mayor Sara Funaro said the project aims to offer positive alternatives for entertainment and public life in Santo Spirito, an area that has long been at the centre of debates over nightlife, noise and relations between residents and visitors. City officials said the new venue is also part of a broader effort to recover unused public spaces and return them to community use.

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A former unused property in Florence’s Santo Spirito district has been turned into a new cultural and social space aimed mainly at people under 35, with activities ranging from small concerts and theatre readings to silent discos and community events. The project, called Santo Spirito Living Room, was officially inaugurated on Thursday evening in the Oltrarno neighbourhood, one of the city’s busiest areas for nightlife and student life. According to the Municipality of Florence, the initiative is designed to create a stable meeting place for young people in the historic centre while offering activities intended to encourage inclusive and quieter forms of socialising. The space will be managed by Associazione Culturale I Nuovi ETS, a cultural association made up largely of young performing arts professionals. Planned activities include theatrical readings, small-format concerts, neighbourhood performance tours, shared reading sessions and cultural events open to residents and visitors. During weekends, the venue will also remain open late, from 10.30 p.m. to 1 a.m., functioning as what organisers describe as an urban “living room” for the neighbourhood. One of the central features is a “chill out zone”, intended as an alcohol-free area where young people can meet, rest and socialise in a quieter environment. The initiative is supported by Florence’s departments for youth policies and public property, together with Quartiere 1, the administrative district covering the historic centre. Funding comes from ANCI, the association representing Italian municipalities, and the Italian Prime Minister’s office. 

Mayor Sara Funaro said the project aims to offer positive alternatives for entertainment and public life in Santo Spirito, an area that has long been at the centre of debates over nightlife, noise and relations between residents and visitors. City officials said the new venue is also part of a broader effort to recover unused public spaces and return them to community use.