Gelato Festival Fetes The Frozen Florentine Treat

The best gelato-makers in Italy and around the world are ushering in summer with the third annual Firenze Gelato Festival. Gelato lovers are gathering in the piazzas of the Tuscan capital to taste-test dozens of gelatos in the birthplace of gelato through May 27.

Florentine Bernardo Buontalenti is considered by many to be the inventor of the cool confection made of milk, cream, and sugar that is often imitated but rarely authentically replicated outside Italy.

The five-day event features cooking demonstrations and exhibits about the history of gelato. Shops and activities in and around the Piazza Santa Maria Novella, Piazza della Repubblica, and Piazza Strozzi will be showcasing colorful mounds of gelato in fruity, sweet and savory flavors. One highlight is the special gelato cocktail bar opposite the Odeon theater in Piazza Strozzi, which will be making colorful gelato cocktails. We'll drink to that!