Italy Events and Festivals
 Many of Italy’s festivals and events are Catholic in nature. As there is a saint for every day and a patron saint for every profession, there’s always something to celebrate. Old festivals in cities like Venice date to the 15th century, while the observances held in Rome are much more ancient. Christmas and Easter are both heavily attended at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican City, when the pope traditionally delivers his blessing and a message to the masses.
January
 Epiphany: believed to be the day that the three magi found the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Gifts are traditionally exchanged and children’s stockings are filled with treats by an ancient woman named La Befana. Tradition has it that she was unable to join the magi in their search for Christ, and so she has been roaming the earth in search ever since.
February
 Carnevale: for several days leading up to Ash Wednesday, communities across Italy indulge in hedonism before the 40 sombre days of Lent. This is the most lavish festival of the year for Venice, where participants wear elaborate masks and celebrate in the streets for a full 10 days.
March
Settimana Santa: also known as Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter is marked by several sombre processionals. Passion plays and Stations of the Cross are also staged in most major communities. In an ancient Roman tradition, the pope leads a candlelight processional to the Colosseum.
April
 Easter Sunday: probably the most important day of the year for Catholics throughout Italy, this is when the Pope performs a traditional blessing over the masses of pilgrims that turnout at St Peter’s Square, in Vatican City.
May
Snake Charmer’s Procession: during this unique festival observed in Cocullo on the first Thursday in May, live snakes are wrapped around a statue of St Domenico and the statue is paraded across town.
Greek Theatre Festival: the Ciclo di Spettacoli Classici is held every May and June at Syracuse on Sicily. Some of Italy’s finest stage actors turn out to help present a series of classical Greek plays, including work by Euripides and Aristophanes. The plays are held in Syracuse’s amphitheatre, which dates to the 5th century BC
June
 Corpus Domini: held 60 days after Easter, this observance is held in honour of the body of Christ. The Eucharistic bread is put on display and paraded through some city streets. Certain towns also celebrate by decorating the streets with intricate designs fashioned from flower petals.
Festival of Two Worlds: Spoleto’s Festival dei Due Mondi is an arts festival that garners international attention. The event features dance, theatre, music and visual art.
July
Horseback Racing: two notable races are held during the month of July. Il Palio is held in Siena and includes a parade followed by a harrowing bareback race around the town square. Ardia is also marked by celebratory gunfire. The latter race is held to commemorate Constantine’s military victory over Maxentius in the 4th century.
 Festa del Redentore: this is an important annual event held in Venice during the third weekend in July. Locals build a pontoon bridge to connect greater Venice with the Chiesa del Redentore and gondola regattas are held. The day is capped with an outstanding fireworks display launched above the Vacino di San Marco.
Nervi Ballet Festival: this international event is held outside of Genoa every July in a little town called Nervi. Performances are highlighted by numerous internationally-acclaimed dancers.
August
Quintana: this medieval celebration, held on the first Sunday in August at Ascoli Piceno, involves throngs of people parading in 15th century period costumes. The parade culminates in a medieval jousting tournament.
 Venice International Film Festival: this is Venice’s response to the Cannes Film Festival in France. Held in late August at the Palazzo del Cinema, the festival attracts film stars from around the world and squeezes an unbelievable number of films into a two-week period.
September
Historic Regatta: the first Sunday of September is an important day in Venice. The Regata Storica is a traditional boat race that involves period costumes from the 1400s and historic boats that are raced along the Grand Canal.
November
 Festa della Madonna della Salute: this Venetian festival is held on in mid-November and involves a traditional processional over a temporary bridge to Venice’s Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute. The observance was begun in 1630 by survivors of the bubonic plague.
Festa di Santa Cecilia: this music festival is held every year in Siena to honour Cecilia, the patron saint of music and musicians. Several musical performances are held across town.
December
 Christmas: the Italian nativity scene is known as a presepi, and this is the most important element of Christmas decorations in Italy. Naples is especially well-known for its presepi and you can even buy your own at some of the seasonal markets like the toy fair on Piazza Navona in Rome. Midnight Mass is held at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican City, where thousands of pilgrims turn out every year.
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