Having begun as a simple harvest festival, the Almond Blossom Festival (Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore) moved to the spectacular Roman site near Agrigento,...
Themes:
Entertainment
, Kids' Stuff
, Dance
, Music
This historic horse riding spectacle in the pre-sanded streets is the biggest event of the year in provincial Oristano, and one of the biggest of its...
Themes:
Entertainment
, Spectacle
, Sport
, History
, Dance
Each year the city of Turin welcomes chocoholics and chocolatiers from all over the world for its annual 'CioccolaTo' or Chocolate Festival. With many...
For anyone who has wondered where the contestants for the Eurovision Song Contest are unearthed, the answer is here - so far as the Italian entry is concerned....
A two-month long music and art event, this event is also known as the Amalfi Coast Chamber Orchestra Festival. The concerts take place in the Ravello...
Themes:
Music
, History
, Theatre & Film
, Art & Literature
Races have been run in Rome since ancient times and in more recent years the 42km (26.2 miles) marathon has become a fixture, touching all the symbolic...
This popular festival dates back to the Middle Ages and is held in honour of St Joseph who saved Sicily from famine. Food, therefore, plays an important...
Themes:
History
, Food & Drink
, Entertainment
, Dance
, Kids' Stuff
, Religion
, Music
The slow, solemn marches of local people and bands through the streets are a distinctive feature of many southern Italian and, in particular, Sicilian...
Taranto has staged a Procession of the Mysteries every Good Friday since ancient times. Renowned for its costumes and solemnity, its rituals are rooted...
An event with roots deep in history, the Explosion of the Cart has evolved into something very different from its obscure origins. On the morning of Easter...
The summer-long festival in Belzano is devoted to the musicians of tomorrow. Youth orchestras, soloists, budding pianists and student musicians are showcased...
Along with Bayreuth and Salzburg, the Florence Music Festival ranks among the oldest and most important European music festivals. More than this, it incorporates...
The ancient Tuscan city of Lucca boasts many fine churches within its encircling Renaissance walls. Of these, the church of San Michele in Foro is outstanding,...
The elegant sweep of the Spanish Steps rises from a small piazza with cafes and a fountain, to the church of Trinita Dei Monti high above. This is the...
Themes:
Spectacle
, Entertainment
, Nature & Wildlife
, Music
Not every city celebrates its birthday but Rome does - on 21 April each year. It was Romulus, suckled by a she-wolf as an infant, who went on to found...
The towns of Brescia and Bergamo, jointly host the Arturo Bendetti Michelangeli International Piano Festival. Established in 1964, this is one of the...
Held in Milan, Rome and Naples on different Sundays through the summer, it's possible for serious music fans to see all three of these free music concerts....
Cocullo is a bit of a backwater, largely neglected by visitors except for one day in the year - the Festa di San Domenico Abate. On this day, this humble...
Themes:
History
, Entertainment
, Spectacle
, Religion
, Nature & Wildlife
Each year on Labour Day, Rome celebrates with a big free concert on Piazza San Giovanni, dedicated to emerging and independent music in Italy. Over 700...
Themes:
Spectacle
, Music
, Culture
, Entertainment
This festival dates back to the days when the Doge demonstrated the supremacy of Venice and of the Republic's dominion in the gulf by taking a ceremonial...
Bric-a-brac, heirloom or priceless relic, there is a fair chance of finding one or all of these among the many stalls that are set up along the Via dei...
Themes:
History
, Business
, Exhibitions
, Home & Fashion
In 1652 a great plague killed half the population of Cagliari. The survivors turned to Saint Efisio for salvation and were spared. Consequently, the people...
Themes:
Dance
, Food & Drink
, Spectacle
, History
, Entertainment
, Religion
The famous Cavalcade of Sassari, Sardinia's second city, was originally a grand show laid on for visiting royalty. These days it is one of the biggest...
Themes:
Exhibitions
, Sport
, Culture
, Spectacle
, Entertainment
, History
The first thing to know about the 'Ceri' is that there are three of them, and that they are not (as their name suggests) candles. They are towering biers,...
Displaying everything from rare first editions to signed copies of the latest bestseller, the annual Turin International Book Fair attracts authors, industry...
Themes:
Exhibitions
, Business
, Art & Literature
, Kids' Stuff
, Entertainment
The story of Saint Nicholas bears little relationship to his fictional counterpart, Father Christmas. The body of the Saint is said to have arrived at...
Themes:
Religion
, Spectacle
, Entertainment
, History
This two-part event takes places in towns 100km (62 miles) apart. Crossbows are the weapons of choice of the men of Gubbio and Sansepolcro - they have...
Themes:
Kids' Stuff
, Entertainment
, History
, Sport
, Spectacle
In this festival, mounted riders representing the 10 districts of the town of Foligno compete by tilting at a figure which originally represented an enemy....
Themes:
Spectacle
, Entertainment
, History
, Food & Drink
Lake Orta is reckoned to be the most romantic of the Northern Italian lakes, a source of inspiration to poets like Browning and philosophers like Nietzsche....
Themes:
Music
, Entertainment
, Spectacle
, History
In Taormina, the picturesque tourist capital of Sicily, a programme of music, drama, film and arts performances is held throughout the summer in the town's...
Themes:
Art & Literature
, Theatre & Film
, Entertainment
, Music
