Enjoying a gondola ride through the Venice canals is quite the experience, but have you ever wanted to commandeer one yourself? Treat yourself with a rowing lesson with Row Venice called vogata di sera. During the lesson you can learn the Venetian style of rowing — standing up and facing forward. Dream of Italy is a membership website and award-winning ...
One of Italy's oldest and weirdest traditions, Corso dei Ceri, or "Running of the Candles," takes place once a year on May 15th in the picturesque Umbrian town of Gubbio. Three "candles" (actually 30 foot-high wooden pillars) crowned with statues of saints are paraded around the town by "ceraiuoli" and then run up the streets of Gubbio to the Basilica of ...
The annual Biennale Art Festival takes over Venice this summer and fall, when countries from around the world set up pavilions to show off their home-grown contemporary artists. The venerable festival is a parade of avant garde visual art: a major destination for the art elite and the cognoscenti. The event runs daily from May to November, though it is ...
Every May since 1594, on the last Sunday of the month, the towns of Gubbio and Sansepolcro have competed against each other with crossbows. A nod to Italy's medieval past, the competitors dress up in period costumes and battle to win a gold, silver, or bronze crossbow. Access 160 Issues of Our Award-Winning Travel Publication. Get Insider Help Planning Your ...
Since 1993, vineyards all over Italy have opened their cellars on the last Sunday in May (or, in some regions, the first two days of June), encouraging direct contact with wine lovers. From tastings to tours in the vineyards, there will be many initiatives from the Alps to Mount Etna that will celebrate wine. Open Cellars has over time become ...
Giugno Pisano is a month of festivals in Pisa in June. Among the events are openings of the town's churches at night, the Palio di San Ranieri, the Battle of the Bridge on the last Saturday in June, the Regatta every four years (the last one was held in 2015), a night opening of the Leaning Tower, and Games on ...
Have you ever been told not to play with your food? Well the people in Pienza have, and they don't care! Here, just to the south of Siena, folks continue to keep the holiday spirit going with a friendly competition involving the throwing of panforte. This tournament takes place every year from December 26th - 30th in Pienza's city hall where ...
You do not want to miss this one-of-a-kind show that takes place in the romantic, passionate, and culturally important UNESCO World Heritage site of Palermo, Sicily. Recently listed by Forbes as one of the 12 best festivals in the world, this year's theme is "Fire & Light" and involves various forms of performances in dance, music and theatre, offers workshops, ...
The Redentore Feast (Feast of the Redeemer) is a deeply felt celebration in Venice as it combines religion with entertainment, thanks to the Saturday night phantasmagorical fireworks’ display attracting thousands of visitors: a kaleidoscope of shades, from a game of light and colors on the inimitable setting in St. Mark’s Basin, lights up the spires, domes and bell towers of the ...
Every last Sunday of July, Baia del Silenzio (or Silence Bay) in Sestri Levante is the alive thanks to a boat parade under the stars! Tourists and locals can compete in the decorating of their boats with twinkling lights and dress up in carnival costumes in preparation for the parade in the evening! The night wraps up with a gorgeous firework ...
