During 16th century, Florence palazzi witnessed some unusual events, so extravagant that they would amaze the citizens. In 1589, there was a sixteen-day wedding party of Ferdinando Medici with Christina of Lorraine. The square of Pitti Palace was artificially flooded in order to show a “sea battle” there! At Uffizi, a spectacular production of comedy “Pilgrim” – with allusions to Dante, Ovid, Virgil, and Plato – was a shown, too. The Duke was so excited that he demanded repetition.

The success must have inspired the authors. In any case, Florence elite kept creating with the great respect to Greek and Roman cultures. During her lecture, Anna Andrushkevich, a staff concert promoter of “Zaryadye”, tells of the whole period from 1589 (early intermedias) to the first surviving opera, "Euridice" (also "Erudice" or "Eurydice") by Jacopo Peri, that was staged at Pitti Palace on the occasion of the next grand wedding in 1600.

After the lecture is finished, the audience would have opportunity to ask questions.