A key landmark for great Italian art, the Florence International Antiques Biennale – scheduled this year from 24 September to 2 October – is the world’s oldest art event and the only one held in a splendid historic building, the 17th-century Palazzo Corsini, right on the banks of the Arno and one of the most magnificent palaces in the city.

But don’t expect this to be a normal, old-fashioned antiques fair. The Florence Biennale is a classic event that looks to the future, and never more so than this, the 32nd edition.

Masterpieces of the Florentine Renaissance to great 20th-century art from Italy and the world – Alesso di Benozzo Gozzoli, Artemisia Gentileschi, Antonio Canova, Medardo Rosso and more – are exhibited by some 80 galleries from around the world in a setting curated by interior designer, scenographer and film director Matteo Corvino.

Sculptures and items from the Roman, Etruscan and Medieval eras dance a harmonious waltz with examples of international design that have shaped the tastes of the past century.

And there are major multimedia innovations such as the launch of Eternal Memories, the first docu-game in the world to take a digital look at ancient art; set in a momentous period for Florence, the time of the disastrous flood of 1966, the game can be downloaded on iOS and Android.

There is also BIAF’s arrival in the Metaverse, with an immersive virtual exhibition curated by EY, a leading expert in digital transformation, which showcases prizewinning works from previous editions of BIAF and includes interactive features such as neuroesthetics to detect the emotional reactions of visitors.

Events get underway with a spectacular fireworks display, Notte dei Fuochi sul Lungarno, on the evening of 22 September.