12 Italian Festivals You Must Experience At Least Once in Your Life
Italian culture is rich, and anyone who travels to Italy leaves wishing they could have seen more of it.
Luckily, we can still glimpse the authenticity of the country by putting a fabulous festival or two on our travel to-do lists.
This is a country and culture that celebrates everything: religious holidays, regional traditions and familial events are all cause for celebratory gatherings.
It seems that there’s a festival for almost every Italian occasion. Let’s check some out—and maybe make some travel plans!
Contents
- 1. Carnevale (Carnival)
- 2. Vinitaly
- 3. Giostra dell’ Archidado (Carousel of the Archidado)
- 4. Giostra del Saracino (The Saracen Joust)
- 5. Festa della Bruna (Festival of the Brunette)
- 6. Il Gioco Del Ponte (The Bridge Game)
- 7. Umbria Jazz Winter Festival
- 8. Sagra dei Limoni (Lemon Festival)
- 9. Infiorata
- 10. Macerata Opera Festival
- 11. Venice Film Festival
- 12. La Quintana Palio
- How Italian Festivals Can Help Language Learners
- And One More Thing...
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
1. Carnevale (Carnival)
Where: Venice
When: February
Venice’s Carnival is an experience of a lifetime full of elaborate masks and costumes, balls, theatrical shows, parades and more!
Walking through this unique city during Carnival is a reminder of what Italian life was like during the 1700s, when costumes were elaborate and palace life was flourishing.
This event, which runs for nearly a month, is a place for Italian food, art and history.
Planning to take part in Carnival? Check out the official website for details and full scheduling information.
2. Vinitaly
Where: Verona
When: Spring
Vinitaly is an international exhibition for wine lovers.
Workshops and demonstrations on the art of wine-making showcase the many stages that take grapes from the vineyard to the bottle.
Tastings paired with delicious cuisine from all parts of Italy make this a celebration for the senses.
The convention itself is geared toward wine producers and industry professionals. However, Verona hosts events that are designed to operate in conjunction with the festival that are open to the public.
A glimpse inside the Vinitaly event below shows just how thoroughly wine is celebrated in Italy!
3. Giostra dell’ Archidado (Carousel of the Archidado)
Where: Cortona
When: June
Italian language learners with a heart for learning about medieval Italy will love the Giostra dell’ Archidado (Carousel of the Archidado). Every year, locals dress in costume to celebrate the traditions of their ancestors.
Think ornate pageantry, flame throwers, authentic historical demonstrations and traditions and food!
Italian learners will benefit from the immersive atmosphere as well as the opportunity to be welcomed into a genuine Italian celebration.
If you’ve ever watched “Under the Tuscan Sun,” you’re familiar with the flag-throwing segment. That actually takes place at this festival!
4. Giostra del Saracino (The Saracen Joust)
Where: Arezzo
When: June, September
The Saracen Joust consists of two festivals, one in the spring and another in the fall, so Italian language learners have two chances to catch this incredible event!
Jousting is something most of us don’t have much occasion to witness outside of movies or books.
But in Arezzo, visitors are transported back to the Middle Ages, when horses galloped along cobblestone streets and disputes were often settled by jousts.
In modern-day Italy, the festival is a celebration of many old traditions, but jousting is a large part of the activities. Food, music and much more make this cultural event fun for locals, tourists and language learners.
5. Festa della Bruna (Festival of the Brunette)
Where: Matera
When: July
The Festa della Bruna (Festival of the Brunette) is filled with pageantry, processions and symbolism that represent fleeing persecution, establishing a spot for free worship and celebrating the place where it all took place.
The procession has taken place for hundreds of years and the spirit of triumph and freedom remains central over time.
I actually attended the festival a few years ago. It was an incredible experience, and while the formal events were amazing, one of my favorite parts of all was just talking with the locals.
6. Il Gioco Del Ponte (The Bridge Game)
Where: Pisa
When: June
This event is definitely a must-see for anyone interested in Italian history as it features a reenactment of a battle on the bridge.
How and why this event began isn’t clear, but most believe it was a result of practice battles rather than an actual real-life battle. Today, the reenactment is a time for fun and celebration!
Most of the participants are locals, so it seems as if every family is involved in some way. I’d never heard of this festival before but was fortunate enough to be visiting friends when it was taking place!
7. Umbria Jazz Winter Festival
Where: Perugia
When: July
No talk about Italian festivals would be complete without a nod to this jazz festival held in Perugia, the capital city in the Italian region of Umbria.
The city itself is incredible, a historic spot filled with medieval architecture, defensive walls and impressive fountains. Even without the music festival, Perugia is a bucket list spot.
Musicians from across the globe perform during the festival, and music lovers converge on the quaint city.
This is a perfect way to experience music, culture and beautiful medieval architecture!
8. Sagra dei Limoni (Lemon Festival)
Where: Monterosso
When: May
Monterosso is a gorgeous spot on the Italian coastline that is one of the five towns of Cinque Terre. It’s well known for its natural beauty, medieval tower and idyllic, peaceful lifestyle.
It’s no surprise that this serene town hosts a sweet spring festival. The Sagra dei Limoni (Lemon Festival) is a quaint celebration of the lemon!
Locals decorate the town and bake Italian lemon delicacies, including a treat called torta al limone (lemon cake) that, once tasted, is never forgotten!
9. Infiorata
Where: Several cities
When: May, June
The Infiorata festivals are held in many towns all over Italy, so you have multiple options to go see them in late spring and early summer.
What makes this festival so noteworthy is the intricate murals that are made of flowers laid upon the ground.
This tradition has been around since the 13th century, so the history only adds to the festival’s magnificence.
Every year, the flower designs become more detailed and impressive, so this is a must see!
10. Macerata Opera Festival
Where: Macerata
When: July, August
Italy is the birthplace of opera, so it only makes sense to indulge in an opera festival while you’re there.
Every year, Macerata hosts a grand opera festival that features several opera shows, symphonies and other theatrical spectacles.
Some of the most skilled opera singers and directors from around the world come to this festival to showcase their talents.
Whether you’re a big opera fan or you want to experience it for the first time, there is no better place than an Italian festival!
11. Venice Film Festival
Where: Venice
When: August, September
Did you know that Italy hosts one of the most famous film festivals?
That’s right, while you may have heard of the Cannes or Sundance film festivals, you can also attend this Italian version to get the scoop on what’s hot in the film world and dive into Italian culture!
In fact, this is actually the oldest film festival in the world. Since the festival is in Italy, there are plenty of Italian films or films with Italian and English subtitles.
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12. La Quintana Palio
Where: Ascoli Piceno
When: July, August
This beautiful and elaborate festival is sure to keep you excited with its thrilling parades, horse races, joust competitions and flag throwing shows.
With everyone in costumes and with their competitive spirits high, La Quintana is a great way for the people of Ascoli Piceno to pay homage to their medieval roots and remember what life was like.
While there are many medieval festivals in Italy, this is certainly one of the biggest and well-known ones out there.
How Italian Festivals Can Help Language Learners
Italian language learners know that immersion is the ideal option for quickly powering up language skills.
Festivals showcase Italian culture, which is one of the biggest benefits of language immersion. They’re a place for Italian language learners to pick up regional phrases, lingo and idioms.
Many of these festivals bring historical facts to life, offer amazing regional cuisine and are among Italy’s most dazzling cultural events.
And perhaps the biggest bonus? Conversing with locals to get a true taste of Italian living!
Any language is more than just words. Experiences, history and customs are all essential parts of learning a language.
Have a unique Italian experience by attending any of these fabulous festivals!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And One More Thing...
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