The Italian Society of Neurology is honoured to invite you to the 13th Congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies that will be held in Florence, Italy from September 12-15, 2009.

The beauties and the glamour of the city of Florence, the capital of Renaissance and the centre of the Italian way of life, with its monuments and museums, its culture and charms, will give you the possibility to easily move around, walking in its present and past. After the scientific sessions, you will be attracted by the wonderful architecture of Palazzo Vecchio, of the dome and the Brunellesch Cathedral, of the Palazzo Pitti and Strozzi, of Ponte Vecchio or to admire the beautiful paintings by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, etc. You can visit the Medici’s Chapel and Santa Croce Church, where the biggest Florentine personalities are buried.

All the congress activities will be at Fortezza da Basso, which is in walking distance from the major hotels: this is an old space that is now a Congress Centre.

But Florence is also a city of science and medicine, where Galilei lived, where an important Museum of Science exists together with old hospitals such as Spitale degli Innocenti.

You are also invited to enjoy Italian and Tuscany foods and wines. Finally, you can have the occasion to visit the Florence surrounds with the Chiantishire, the wine hills, the coast and islands as Isola d’Elba, Giglio, etc and the other Tuscany towns, all rich in history and art (Siena, Pisa, Lucca, Pistoia, Arezzo, etc).

This congress will also be the occasion to have more information on Italian neurology: the Italian Society of Neurology, founded in 1907, is a very active scientific society with more than 3000 members, many of them with a global reputation in neurological research. It is also true that Italian neurology and neurosciences have a long and a famous past: we remember Camillo Golgi, Rita Levi Montalcini, both Nobel Prize winners, Perusini (Alzheimer- Perusini disease), Cerletti (electroshock), Mingazzini, and many others up to Luigi Amaducci, who had his university position in Florence.

The congress will be organised according to the classical EFNS scheme, with main sessions, focused workshops, free communications, poster presentations, and teaching courses that will cover all the main neurological topics and will give you the opportunity to be updated in all the sectors of neurological sciences. Together with the main meeting, some other satellite events on special topics, before and after the EFNS congress, are planned to be organised.

On behalf of Italian neurology, we will welcome you to Florence, with the aim of combining science and arts, leaving you with good memories.

Arrivederci a Firenze!