Recurring

Venice: New Year’s Day on Lido Beach

Lido Beach Venice, Italy

If you find yourself in Venice during the holidays, kick off the new year with a party on the beach! Head to Blue Moon beach and join in their annual "Auguri di Capodanno sulla spiaggia" party to ring in the New Year. Drink wine, partake in the traditional New Year's meal of lenticchie and cotechino (a savory combination of lentils ...

Free

Recurring

Venice: New Year’s Greeting on Lido Beach

Lido Beach Venice, Italy

Welcome the New Year with an invigorating dip in the freezing waters along Venice's Lido Beach...or at least join more than 2000 onlookers while you watch others splashing their way into the New Year from 11 am - 1:30 pm on New Year's Day. The day starts with a Viennese waltz, and concludes with a hearty, warming meal of wine, ...

Recurring

Venice: Epiphany Regatta

Grand Canal Venice, Italy

In a city that holds hundreds of regatta races throughout the year, this one stands out, as it features 50 men dressed as La Befana (the Epiphany witch). The rowers paddle up the Grand Canal and toward the Rialto Bridge, competing to be the first to reach a giant stocking that hangs from the bridge. Dream of Italy is a ...

Free
Recurring

Milan: La Befana Benifica

Duomo Milan, Italy

Every year on the Epiphany, Italian motorcyclists gather for La Befana Benifica, a motorcycle procession for charity led by La Befana, the Epiphany witch. Beginning at the Duomo, motorcyclists hear a speech from the mayor and are blessed by the Bishop of Milan. The procession then continues to deliver items like food and gifts to charity centers, shelters and retirement ...

Free
Recurring

Florence: The Ride of the Magi

Palazzo Pitti Florence, Tuscany, Italy

On the 6th of January in Florence, just days before the Epiphany, many gather to watch La cavalcata dei Re Magi, Arrival of the Magi. Watch the Wise Men and their cavalcade as they make their way from Palazzo Pitti  to Piazza Duomo where they greet a harmonious Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Dream of Italy is a membership website and award-winning travel ...

Free
Recurring

Rome: Epiphania

St. Peters Via della Conciliazione, Rome, Italy

Each year in Rome, hundreds of people in medieval costumes walk along the avenue leading up to the Vatican carrying gifts for the Pope, who will then say a morning mass in Saint Peters.  Dream of Italy is a membership website and award-winning travel publication publishing 170 issues since 2002. Get a free issue to see what we are all ...

Free
Recurring

Novoli (Lecce): Bonfire for Sant’Antonio Abate Feast Day

Unnamed Venue Fòcara in Novoli, Italy

Novoli, a small town near Lecce, honors the town's patron, Sant'Antonio Abate, on the eve of his feast day January 17. The origin of the fire ritual is said to date back at least 1,000 years and is credited to monks from the east who settled in Novoli. The fòcara is a bonfire constructed of olive branches and grape vines ...

Free

Recurring

Catania (Sicily): Feast of Saint Agatha

Chiesa San Biagio Piazza Stesicoro, 95100, Catania, Sicily, Italy

Located in an ancient port city on the east coast of Sicily, this is an all-night religious celebration of the patron saint of the city. A procession of candle bearers parade through the city with horse-drawn carriages. Street theater, fireworks, sweets, and clouds of incense evoke the pagan origins of this festival.  Access 160 Issues of Our Award-Winning Travel Publication. ...

Free

Recurring

Festa della Liberazione: Italian Liberation Day

On April 25, 1945, Italy was liberated from the grip of Mussolini and the German-Fascist regime. The country celebrates this historic day with parades, ceremonies, and speeches. Rome, as the capital, enjoys the biggest celebrations, including a visit by the President to the Ardeatine Caves Mausoleum, where the Nazis massacred 335 Romans in 1944. Dream of Italy is a membership ...

Free

Recurring

Spello (Umbria): Flowering Windows, Balconies and Alleys

As if the the intimate vie in Italy couldn't get any more charming, the streets in the historic center of the quaint town of Spello in Umbria are filled with flowers for the infiorata di Spello. Residents decorate their window sills, balconies, staircases, alleys and corners in a blossoming botanical display for everyone to enjoy all leading up to the main ...

Free