Events in Italy

The magical Fall season in the Marche

Ducal Palace, Urbino CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, dvdbramhall

Le Marche is a beautiful region full of breathtaking hills and mountains. The coast is nice and warm, with sandy beaches. Fano, a Roman colony, today a small seaside resort and fishing port and also Pesaro is on the coast, and with its seaside resort and good seafood restaurants attracts many tourists. The beautiful Renaissance palace and its famous opera festival Rossini in August are well-known.

The jewel on this part of Le Marche is Urbino, the perfect town of Renaissance. The birthplace of the painter Raphael, whose house can be visited, Urbino’s fine historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Here you can visit the National Gallery of the Marche with one of the best Renaissance art collections in Italy. Astonishing for its beauty is also the Ducal Palace. The botanical garden and the archaeology museum will complete your trip. Urbino organises a festival of ancient music in July and a Jazz Musical events in the astonishing Fortezza, where students and visitors usually go to rest. There is a very good Italian summer school with courses held directly by University of Urbino.

Urbania is a very attractive town located in a lovely setting on the Metauro River and very close to Urbino. Urbania owns an imposing Ducal Palace, which is a 13th century fortress. A good museum with paintings, ancient maps and globes, and ceramics are in downtown and if you go in this area of Le Marche during Halloween, pay a visit in the Chiesa dei Morti (the church of dead) where there is a small display of mummies.

For the opera fans, here the Italian Operatic Experience runs a summer programme for young opera students and then presents opera performances at the end of the season.

Not too far you can find the Sibillini National Park is in the Sibillini mountains in the southwest and worthy to visit.

The heart of Halloween in the Marche: Corinaldo

Corinaldo CC BY 2.0, Francesco Gasparetti

Trick or treat? Also in Italy? positive. Italians are fascinated by this Anglosaxon tradition and year after year the Halloween fever grows and develops!!!!

This is the reason why in this period thousands of people every year visit Corinaldo, a beautiful small and medieval town located in le Marche region, for a week full of spooky excitement.

Corinaldo is by the way named as the Italian “Capital of Halloween“, with its Party of the Witches!!! In 2012 all the events start on October 26 and on October 30 an event has been held recently called Miss Witch, a competition for the most…horrible witch in town.

The performances every year evolve around a main theme; this year is ‘”THE DESIRE” on stage: “desire to love, to live, to have fun, to improve, to take part” as mentioned in the web site. For children? Scaring as ever you and your family will follow the spooky trail such as “THE TUNNEL OF FEAR”, “THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS”, “THE TOWER OF THE TRANSFORMATION” and “ZUCCHINO” a show that fascinate and scare tons of children.

If you are in Italy for Halloween do not miss in Corinaldo the Tunnel of Fear and the House of Spirits. Along the streets of the town you can find a selection of pubs, live music, street performers and attractions. The 18 taverns in downtown will serve up food and wine specials with a Halloween taste. On Halloween night a show of music, fireworks, and lights all around the town with a big crowd will celebrate the passage of the ghosts.

Corinaldo is as above mentioned an exquisite example of old medieval town with a gorgeous castle enclosed by its ancient walls. The town is 20 kilometers inland, between the Marche coast and Pergola.

Halloween in Italy: a creepy and bloody discovery

Halloween in Italy: but what to visit that retain a taste for the scaring that we like so much? There are spooky places in Italy that can be visited any time of year. Are you ready for exploring these creepy sights?
If you are in Italy on All Saint’s Eve (Halloween) try out the Urban Trekking, special walks and trail to medieval towers, crypts, dungeons, or castles.

Are you still looking for something different?

Benevento, in southern Italy, is called the City of Witches, a big part of its folklore. Are witches not that gruesome? Several towns in Tuscany can offer torture museums with items used to torture victims during the Inquisition. San Gimignano has one of the best! Also in Umbria, beneath the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Narni, you can visit the underground torture chambers.

Talking about deads and the other world after life, go and visit San Michelle, the Venice‘s cemetery island with two churches and many tombs. In early November the cemetery is full of flowers for All Saint’s Day. Going south, more than 40,000 corpses has been dumped into a cave just outside the city walls of Naples, during the plague.

Not recommended for young children, the mummy exhibition in Ferentillo’s Mummy Museum located below the Church of Santo Stefano in Umbria and the Mummies Cemetery in Urbania’s Church of the Dead in Le Marche are the creepiest places to visit. Mummies are pretty scaring also near Palermo, Sicily, in the Capuchin Monastery , not to mentioned the Capuchin Crypt in Rome’s historic center.

Are you still in Rome? Plenty of scary places including catacombs and crypts, like the Museum of Purgatory, a Monster House, and the Vatican necropolis close to Rome. The scary trip can end here, but do not underestimate what can happen during Halloween even in Italy.

The Fall food season in Italy and its festivals

Fall in Italy means olive and grape harvesting and mushrooms and truffles picking. Many fairs are held in late October and November from the North down the central Italy: in the Piemonte, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, and Marche regions.

Are you a bunch of Foodies visiting Italy? Follow the smell of truffle then, and, besides Alba in Piemonte, check Boccaccesca fair: the first two weekends of October let’s meet in Certaldo Alto, Tuscany. The last weekend of October instead go and visit Montalcino, if you are still in Tuscany, for the Sagra del Tordo (Feast of the Thrush), a medieval reenactment of an archery tournament.

During Umbria Fall Food Festivals thera are plenty of truffles, chestnuts, and chocolate to taste, while Eurochocolate is a biggest and bubbling chocolate festival which takes place in Perugia in mid October. Staz with us and with your lust for sweeties!

the fourth weekend in October comes the Torrone Festival in Cremona, the right place to celebrate the Italian nougat. Cremona boasts a document from October 25, 1441, which states that torrone was made for a wedding in the town!!! During the festival, the historic banquet is re-enacted.

The white truffle is one of the best product you can buy in November. Where? Starting from Piemonte go to Alba and Moncalvo, in the Monferrato area, with their white truffle fair the last two weekends of October.

In Tuscany celebrate the fresh scent of the “white gold” going to Volterra and its white truffle fair in late October and early November. San Miniato Truffle Fair (La Sagra del Tartufo Bianco) is on the second, third and fourth weekends in November, and also San Giovanni d’Asso, close to Siena, has a good truffle festival the second and third weekends of November and a truffle museum opening on weekends.

Le Marche can boasts Acqualagna, the “truffle capital” with very good white truffle fairs on weekends starting at the end of October through mid-November. In the same region Sant’Angelo in Vado, close to Urbania, holds a truffle fair on weekends for several weeks in October.

In Umbria region we can find Pietralunga and its Mostra Mercato del Tartufo (Trade fair of Truffles) in mid-October, while Citta di Castello has the Truffle and Forest Products Fair in November.

Piemonte festivals in Fall: take a walk on the truffle-wild side

This is the time of the year to discover the wonderful and expensive world of truffles!!! White or black, this gourmet addition to your meals is luxurious: thousands of pounds to spend on it beacuse it grow only in the wild, while only expert foragers and highly trained dogs can find it! So you can understand why it is called oro bianco and oro nero, meaning white and black gold.

In the Langhe area, there is the truffle’s hearts, exactly in the hills of the Monferrato region. A “trifulau” is the one you are looking for: he/she can guide you in exploring the traditions related to the local truffle varieties.

October is “the” month for Italian food festivals, not only truffle but also mushrooms, chestnuts, chocolate. On Fall Italy is ripe of food festivals and wine harvest celebrations! Not to miss is the Slow Food’s big International Food Event in October!

Asti is waiting for you too. Its beautiful Gothic cathedral is the heart of a lively medieval city, and of the most famous Barbera producer. A taste of heaven along with Barolo and Barbaresco wine you can find in Piemonte region.

Alba White Truffle Festival is in October in the Piedmont town of Alba and it is one of the biggest truffle festivals in Italy, peculiar also for its donkey race. Instead if you lok for an historical walk, check the Maschera di Ferro, a festival and a historic reenactment of the Man in the Iron mask which takes place in the Piedmont region the first weekend of October exactly in Pinerolo.

According to the legend, the man in the iron mask was held in captivity for 11 years in the French fortress of “Pignerol” (ancient word for “Pinerolo”), in Piedmont. Each year Sunday afternoon after the performance, the mask is finally removed and the face of the man wearing it revealed.

Il palio di Siena: exciting and traditional historic festival in Tuscany

The Palio of Siena is one of the most famous, amazing, muscular and exciting horse race, really popular among the great numbers of historic festivals held in Italy. The contest is held to win the palio in the Piazza del Campo or Il Campo, Siena’s fan-shaped main piazza.

Siena is split into 17 neighborhoods (contrade), and each will present a rider. 10 “contrade” will be the stars in the first race, opening July 2, and they will be chosen by a draw exactly 20 days before the big race. The other 7 plus 3 from the July race will fight on August 16. The horses are given to the riders again by a draw exactly three days before the race! Other events take place also around the days of the palio, starting June 29 and August 13.
The race day starts of course with a special mass, a trial runs by the jockeys, and the blessing of the horses. In the afternoon everything starts at 3pm. A procession through the historic centre of Siena are held with costumed participants and flag throwers, coming from each contrada towards Il Campo.

The horses are lined up behind a rope and then ready, steady, GO! The race is about 1000 meters, with horses circling the track three times. The winning contrada of the horse is awarded with the victory flag.

And in the while you are here try some typical food!

Senese recipes stem out from Etruscan time. Roasted meat, wild game, and several types of pasta as well as soups are a very important part of Tuscan dishes. Spices give distinct taste to Siena’s typical “dolci” such as Panforte and Cavallucci.

Siena’s cuisine is coming from peasant, so it is simple, but excellent thanks to its ingredients. Senese food are of excellent quality, and most recipes use the highest quality of olive oil. The oak woods around Siena are well-known for the Cinta Senese swine, a native swine famous for the exquisite flavour of its meat. In Val di Chiana area you will find the unique Chianina breed of cattle, originated during Umbrian and Etruscan times in central Italy! Chianina cattle are reputed for their white skin and big size.

Italian music festivals in summertime between July and August

Are you going to Italy and are you desperately looking for music concerts? The locations here in Italy are astonishing! Castles, churches, amphitheatre and amazing squares throughout Italy are full of high-quality performances during the summer.

Outdoor music and performing arts are fantastic in many towns and cities along Italy during the summer, but we can advice also some regular big festivals, such as the following:

Veneto:

Let’s start with Verona Opera, one of the most important summer opera festival, with open-air performances in the incredible scenic background of the famous and well-preserved Roman amphitheatre of Verona.

Lombardia:

LakeComo Festival: Music on LakeComo means a lot of summer performances around the lake (starting in July). The festival showcastes international performing artists and composers, with great sightseeing. Soundscape composition and performance exchange is instead a frontier to the discover: aka it is a festival for new music in Italy, both instrumental and vocal. Whare to go? Soundscape is located in Maccagno on Lake Maggiore.

Tuscany:

Incontri in Terra di Siena located in Southern Tuscany sees the performances of four concerts, usually starting in late July, while the Puccini Festival is dedicated to the famous opera writer and will take place in an astonishing open-air theatre in Torre del Lago Puccini, 5 km far from Viareggio and 25 km far from both Pisa and Lucca! The performances will be held in July and August.

Umbria:

The Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia is one of the most famous music festivals in Italy and internationally, with performers from all around the world. Lots of free music on the streets of Perugia during the days of the festival, too! MusicFestPerugia is a classical music festival held in August for two weeks again in Perugia in several of town’s historical monuments and churches.

Trasimeno Music Festival is located also in Umbria: a series of classical music performances on the shores of Lake Trasimeno, Perugia, and Gubbio starting in July.

Lazio:

Estate Romana is a festival of music and performing arts with events throughout Rome during the summer. Tuscia Opera Festival, is held instead in Viterbo, north of Rome and again it is an opera festival in a historic outdoor venue but really convenient.

Abruzzo:

Soundlabs Festival is held in late July or early August, is worth to see: an alternative and indie music festival with major international independent music acts from the UK, US and Italy! Roseto degli Abruzzi becomes the star in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. For a more “classical” approach, check Pescara Jazz festival, an international jazz festival in July held in Pescara.

“Feste sacre” in Italy: Italian holy feastivity July highlights

July is a pretty good month for going mad around the festivals in Italy.

Going North:

Redentore Church Feast Day is on the third Sunday in July on Venice’s Giudecca Island.

Il Palio is the Siena’s famous horse race which takes place around the central square, Piazza del Campo in July 2 and August 16. Instead,

L’Ardia di San Costantino is a horse race around the Sanctuary of San Costantino in the central Sardinian town of Sedilo, July 5-7.

A medieval festival is on the first week of July in Brisghella, medieval hill town and spa centre located in the Emilia-Romagna region, and if you are there go to Liguria coast and see Nostra Signora di Montallegro at the beginning of July in Rapallo.

Festa del Cristo degli Abissi has a procession to the underwater statue of Christ in San Fruttuoso on the Ligurian coast, July 29. Molded from medals of mariners and athletes and parts of ships and bells, the statue is dedicated to those who lost their lives at sea.

Going Central:

The first Saturday in July you can’t miss the Giostra della Quintana. It is a famous joust held in Foligno (Umbria) also the second Sunday in September. Here above 600 participants will compete, all wearing traditional 17th century clothes. Several thousand people crowd the piazza!

Going South:

Festa della Madonna Bruna is celebrated July 2 in the Basilicata region, exactly in the city of Matera, a mesmerizing town with caves (the famous “Sassi”) really fampus for its atmosphere in southern Italy. A huge statue of the Madonna Bruna is paraded through town and….attacked! After being torn apart, the population burned it! And to top it all, you will assist to a spectacular fireworks display over the Sassi.

U Fistinu of Saint Rosalia is one of Sicily‘s biggest festivals (July 10-15) in Palermo. The procession brings a 50-foot high float: inside a statue of Saint Rosalia and a musical band.

Feast of Sant’Andrea the Apostle is well-known in Pescaraand it takes place the last Sunday in July: a huge parade of fishing boats off the coast welcomes the statue of the saint brought to la Marina di Pescara.

Venice and the 5 senses trip to go

Imagine you can do a list for things to do/experience/see/live in Venice. If you only get out of your Italian trip just one day to dedicate to this unique city, before getting to visit the museum, why don’t you wonder around following your 5 senses?

Let’s start our journey just wandering around following your eyes: you can find Venice’s charming and empty squares and streets like in the gheto, the Jewish ghetto, which are full of tradition and full of marvellous palace. Of course why don’t go at night inside Piazza san marco to take an heartbreaking view of the town? Around ten everything is shut here and not many people are going around! So take the occasion and follow your sight at night in Venice!

The best time for St. Mark’s Square is early morning too. So when you are still around just switch to a more interesting kind of trip following …your nose! Venice has a plenty of magnificent smelly places: the canals and the famous Rialto market for example are a great idea! In this way you will feel like a Venetian, who gets his food supplies from Rialto, particularly well-known as a fish market, fresh veggies and fruit. Follow the smell of the fried fish, of the fegato alla veneta coming out of the restaurant! and of course take sometimes to nibble around the great venice cousine!

Time to switch again and follow…your ears! The gondoliers are singing for you, so the sweating crowd crying for some rest, and the water? You need to hear the consistent passsage of the water under the bridge and …nothing else! Venice has no noise coming from car: only vaporetto and gondola, which is really nice! Again change again and switch to your hands. Go and touch the marble, the mosaic, the water if you wish, the gondola again, just close your eyes and feels the walls of the great and ancient buildings..is it satisfing? Hope so and enjoy Venice!

Summer in Italy=summer music festivals

Are you on trip in Italy and crazy for the music festivals or outdoor concerts? During summer concerts in squares and public places throughout Italy spread out and are available for you in the Italian rich summer music festivals.

Arena in Verona for example is one of Italy’s most incredible settings for outdoor opera performances and concerts. Built in the 1st century BC, Arena di Verona summer opera season usually starts in mid-June and finishes early September with fantastic performances.

Another great idea for opera maniac is the Puccini Festival in Tuscany at Torre del Lago, a glorious and small town on a lake near the coast. Here Giacomo Puccini lived, while composing many of his operas there. The new outdoor amphitheater is located by the lake and the festival will be held in July and August as well as other concerts and ballets.

Stresa Music Festival is on Lake Maggiore, and it will showcast both well-known performers and young winners of music competitions in a variety of indoor and outdoor venues. Be prepared to listen to good music in theaters, castles, churches, gardens, and villas around the lake.

Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera will be helding summer concerts at the Baths of Caracalla, one of Rome’s scenic and spectacular ancient sites.

The Umbria Jazz Festival, held in Perugia, is one of Italy’s top music festivals. The festival draws performers from all over the world and in addition to ticket concerts there’s lots of music going on in Perugia’s squares and streets.

Ravello Concert Society offers classical music, from Spring through Fall in various indoor and outdoor venues in the Amalfi Coast, south of Naples.

Sferisterio Opera Festival is held in Macerata, in central Marche region, from late July through early August.

Also the Rossini Opera Festival is held in Marche in Pesaro, in August, showing the works by Rossini in the Adriatic Arena.