Though most Italians work 35hr. per week, take 2hr. lunch breaks, close some businesses on Mondays, and take elaborate month-long coastal vacations each August, they still enjoy a seemingly constant stream of festivity. Despite often religious origins, celebrations aren’t necessarily pious. Revelry during Carnevale, which is particularly enthusiastic in Venice, prepares Italian towns for Lent with 10 days of celebration. At Scoppio del Carro, held in Florence on Easter Sunday, Florentines set off a cart of explosives in keeping with medieval tradition (except for the addition of the mechanical dove used to light the cart). Countless other quirky local festivals pay homage to medieval customs, often in the form of jousts and period costumes. For a complete list of festivals, write to the Italian Government Tourist Board .
Date
Festival
Location
Jan. 1
Capodanno (New Year’s Day)
National Holiday
Jan. 6
Epifania (Epiphany)
National Holiday
Jan. 30-31
Fiera di Sant’Orso
Aosta
Feb.-March
Carnevale; see www.carnivalofvenice.it or www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.it
Venice ; Viareggio
Apr.-June
Verdi Opera Festival
Parma
Palm Su to Easter Su (Apr. 5-12, 2009)
Settimana Santa (Holy Week)
National Holiday
Apr. 10, 2009
Venerdi Santo (Good Friday)
National Holiday
Apr. 12, 2009
Pasqua (Easter Sunday)
National Holiday
Apr. 13, 2009
Pasquetta (Easter Monday)
National Holiday
Apr. 25
Festa della Liberazione (Liberation Day)
National Holiday
Late Apr.-June
Maggio Musicale (May of Music)
Florence
May
Land of Motors Festival
Modena
May-June
Monteverdi Opera Festival
Cremona
May 1
Festa del Lavoro (Labor Day)
National Holiday
May 1
Primo Maggio Concert
Rome
May 1
Sagra di Sant’Efisio
Cagliari
1st Sa in May (May 2, 2009) and Sept. 19
Festa di San Gennaro
Naples
Su after Ascension Day (May 21, 2009)
Festa del Grillo (Festival of the Cricket)
Florence
May 7-9
Festa di San Nicola
Bari
May 15
Corsa dei Ceri (Race of the Candles)
Gubbio
3rd week in May
Calvacata Sarda (Sardinian Cavalcade)
Sassari
Last Su in May(May 31, 2008)
Palio di San Giorgio
Ferrara
Last Su in May(May 31, 2008)
Palio dei Balestrieri (Crossbow Competition between Gubbio and Sansepolcro)
Gubbio Sansepolcro
50 days after Easter
Festa della Palombella (Pentecostal Festival of the Dove, or Holy Spirit)
Orvieto
June
Calcio Storico (old-fashioned soccer)
Florence
Early June
Giostra dell’Archidado (Crossbow Contest)
Cortona
June-July
Festival di Ravenna (classical music)
Ravenna
June-July
Festival dei Due Mondi (2 week Spoleto arts festival)
Spoleto
June-July
Mostra Internazionale del Nuovo Cinema (International New Cinema)
Pesaro
June-Sept.
Verona Opera Festival
Verona
June 2
Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day)
National Holiday
June 3
Festa della Madonna della Lettera
Messina
3rd Su in June (June 21, 2009) and 1st Su in Sept.
Giostra del Saracino (Joust of the Saracen)
Arezzo
June 24
Festa di San Giovanni Battista (Feast of St. John)
Florence
Last Su in June (June 28, 2009)
Gioco del Ponte (Battle of the Bridge)
Pisa
July
Festival di Musica Antica
Urbino
July
Umbria Jazz Festival
Perugia
July
Luglio Musicale Trapanese (July of Music in Trapani)
Trapani
July 2 and Aug. 16
Corsa del Palio
Siena
July 2
Festa della Madonna (Feast of the Virgin Mary)
Enna
2nd weekend in July
Pistoia Blues Festival
Pistoia
July 12 and Sept. 14
Palio della Balestra (Crossbow Contest)
Lucca
Mid-July
ArezzoWave Love Festival
Arezzo
Mid-July
International Jazz Festival
Pescara
3rd Su in July(July 19, 2009)
Festa del Redentore (Feast of the Redeemer)
Venice
July 25
Giostra del Orso (Joust of the Bear)
Pistoia
Last week of July
Giostra Cavalleresca di Sulmona (Horse Joust)
Sulmona
Last Su of July(July 26, 2009)
Festa di Sant’Anna
Enna
Early Aug. to Sept.
Rossini Opera Festival
Pesaro
1st Su in Aug.(Aug. 2, 2009)
Torneo della Quintana (Joust of the Quintana)
Ascoli Piceno
Aug. 13-15
Ferragosto Messinese, Processione dei Giganti
Messina
Aug. 13-15
Festa dei Martiri d’Otranto
Otranto
Aug. 14
Processione dei Candelieri(Procession of Candle Holders)
Sassari
Aug. 14-15
Sagra della Bistecca (Steak Feast)
Cortona
Aug. 15
Ferragosto (Feast of the Assumption)
National Holiday
Aug. 16 and July 2
Corsa del Palio
Siena
3rd Su of Aug.(Aug. 16, 2009)
Ceremonia della Rievocazione (Ceremony of the Revocation)
Urbino
Aug. 18-19
Festa dei Porcini (Porcini Mushroom Festival)
Cortona
Aug. 24
Festa di San Bartolomeo
Lipari
Last Su of Aug.(Aug. 30, 2009)
Festa della Madonna di Valverde
Enna
Late Aug.-Early Sept.
Venice International Film Festival
Venice
Sept.
Sagra Musicale Umbria(Umbrian Classical Music Festival)
Perugia
Early Sept.
Palio delle Balestre
San Marino
Sept. 3
San Marino Independence Day
San Marino
1st 2 weekends in Sept.
Festival del Prosciutto
Parma
1st Su in Sept.(Sept. 6, 2009)
Festa della Madonna dell’Altomare(Festival of the Virgin of the High Seas)
Otranto
1st Su in Sept.(Sept. 6, 2009)
Festa dell’Aquilone (Kite-flying Competition)
Urbino
1st Su in Sept.(Sept. 6, 2009)
Regata storica (Historical Regatta)
Venice
1st Su in Sept.; also 3rd Su in June
Giostra del Saracino (Joust of the Saracen)
Arezzo
2nd week of Sept.
Annuale della morte di Dante Alighieri(Dante Festival)
Ravenna
2nd and 3rd week of Sept.
D’ouja d’Or (Wine Festival)
Asti
Mid-Sept. (4 days)
Festa della Madonna della Consolazione
Reggio di Calabria
Sept. 13-22
Settembre Lucchese (Procession of the Holy Cross)
Lucca
Sept. 14; also July 12
Palio della Balestra (Crossbow Contest)
Lucca
Sept. 19
Festa di San Gennaro
Naples
3rd Su in Sept.(Sept. 20, 2009)
Palio di Asti
Asti
Early Oct.
Sagra dell’Anguilla (Festival of the Eel)
Ferrara
Oct. 4
Festa di San Francesco
Assisi
Late Oct.
EuroChocolate Festival
Perugia
Nov. 1
Ognissanti (All Saints’ Day)
National Holiday
Nov. 2
Giorno dei Morti (All Souls’ Day)
National Holiday
Nov. 21
Festa della Salute
Venice
Dec. 8
Immacolata (Day of Immaculate Conception)
National Holiday
Dec. 13
Festa di Santa Lucia
Syracuse
Dec. 24
Le Farchie di Natale (Christmas Eve)
National Holiday
Dec. 25
Natale (Christmas Day)
National Holiday
Dec. 26
Festa di Santo Stefano (Saint Stephen’s Day)
National Holdiay
Dec. 29-Jan. 1
Umbria Jazz Winter
Orvieto
Dec. 31
Festa di San Silvestro (New Year’s Eve)
National Holiday
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