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| ITALIAN FESTIVALS |
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- JUNE
- JULY
- AUGUST
- SEPTMBER
- OCTOBER
- NOVEMBER
- DECEMBER |
JUNE
28 June-14 July, Spoleto
The Festival of Two Worlds (Festa dei Due
Mondi), in Spoleto, is perhaps Italy's most
famous performing-arts festival, bringing
in a worldwide audience for concerts, operas,
ballets, film screenings, and crafts fairs.
Plan well in advance.
Pisa
The Battle of the Bridge, is a medieval
parade and contest.
Odd numbered year, Venezia
The Venezia Biennale arts fest is held every
odd-numbered year in the pavilions of the
Giardini Pubblici.
Amalfi, Genova, Pisa, and Venice.
The Regatta of the Great Maritime Republics
sees keen competition between the four former
maritime republics.
Late, Florence
Calcio Storico. Soccer Games in 16th-Century
Costume commemorate a match played in 1530.
Matches are held in Piazza della Signoria.
Festivities include fireworks displays over
Piazzale Michelangelo.
Padova
Fiesta of Saint Antonio.
Genzano, Rome
Calcio Storico. Soccer Games in 16th-Century
Costume commemorate a match played in 1530.
Matches are held in Piazza della Signoria.
Festivities include fireworks displays over
Piazzale Michelangelo.
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JULY
2nd JULY
Calcio Storico.
Soccer Games in 16th-Century Costume commemorate
a match played in 1530. Matches are held
in Piazza della Signoria. Festivities include
fireworks displays over Piazzale Michelangelo.
Perugia
Umbria Jazz Festival
www.umbriajazz.com, brings in many of the
biggest names in jazz each summer.
Third weekend
(20th July 2002), Venice
Festa del Redentore,
fireworks ad a procession over the bridge
to the Church of the Redeemer on Guidecca
Island a procession of gondolas and other
craft commemorating the end of the epidemic
of 1575 in Venice. The fireworks over the
lagoon are spectacular.
Trieste
The Summer Operetta Festival (Festival Internazionale
dell'Operetta) is held in Trieste from June
through early August.
Tarvisio
No Borders Music Festival.
Verona
The Arena of Verona
Outdoor Opera Season heralds spectacular
productions in the 22,000-seat Roman amphitheater.
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AUGUST
14th August
Sassari, Sardegna
I Candelieri, celebrates
the end Feast of the Assumption.
16th August,
Siena
The Palio, famous
horse race in the Piazza del Campo.
Ascolipiceno
Quintana tournament.
Venice
The Venice Film Festival,
oldest of the international film festivals,
takes place mostly on the Lido (Palazzo del
Cinema) in late August.
Stresa
The Stresa Musical
Weeks comprise a series of concerts and recitals.
Arezzo
Quintana tournament.
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SEPTMBER
First Weekend
Marostica, Veneto
Living Chess Game (every two years).
15-18 Milano (Duomo)
The annual Festa della Nivola (Festival
of the Nail) takes place at the duomo (cathedral).
The archbishop of Milan takes to the air
in his own private deus ex machina to recover
a nail, stored near the cathedral ceiling,
that was supposedly hammered into Jesus
two millennia ago.
19th Napoli
Festival of San Gennaro (patron saint).
Arezzo
The Joust of the Saracen is a tilting contest
with knights in 13th-century armor.
Foligno
The Joust of the Quintana is a 17th-century-style
joust and historical procession.
Alba
Alba's 100 Towers
Tournament features costumes and races and
is held simultaneously with the Truffle
Fair, a food fair centered around the white
truffle.
Assisi
The Feast of St.
Francis (Festa di San Francesco) is celebrated
in Assisi, his birthplace.
Asti
Palio.
Venice
International cinema
festival.
First Sunday
Venice
Regatta Storica,
historic gondola race includes a traditional
competition between two-oar gondolas in
Venice.
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OCTOBER
Merano
Grape feast.
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NOVEMBER
Venice
Feast of the Madonna
della Salute - procession crosses the Grand
Canal via a bridge of boats.
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DECEMBER
7th , Milan
The Feast of St.
Ambrose (Festa di Sant'Ambrogio) officially
opens La Scala's opera season. A traditional
street fair near the Basilica di Sant'Ambrose,
off Via Carducci.
Milan, Turin,
Rome, Naples, Parma, Venice and Genova
The Opera Season is in full swing from December
to June at La Scala in Milan and elsewhere
(particular places noted).
Bari
Nicholas Festival.
New years
Eve, Rome
A rousing New Year's
Eve celebration, dubbed the Festa di San
Silvestro, with fireworks in Piazza del
Popolo.
National holidays
include January 1 (New Year's Day); January
6 (Epiphany); Easter Sunday and Monday (March
or April); April 25 (Liberation Day); May
1 (Labor Day or May Day); August 15 (Assumption
of Mary, also known as Ferragosto); November
1 (All Saints' Day); December 8 (Immaculate
Conception); December 25 and 26 (Christmas
Day and Boxing Day). The feast days of patron
saints are observed locally. Many businesses
and shops may be closed in Florence, Genoa,
and Turin on June 24 (St. John the Baptist);
in Rome on June 29 (Sts. Peter and Paul);
in Palermo on July 15 (Santa Rosalia); in
Naples on September 19 (San Gennaro); in
Bologna on October 4 (San Petronio); in
Trieste on November 3 (San Giusto); and
in Milan on December 7 (St. Ambrose). Venice's
feast of St. Mark is April 25, the same
as Liberation Day, so the Madonna della
Salute on November 21 makes up for the lost
holiday.
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