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 ...
This 4-month long festival takes place from May to September and invites guests to explore the vineyards and towns of the northern region of Lombardy has to offer. The festival celebrating Franciacorta, which some regard as Italy's finest sparkling wine, is pulling out all the stops with various events celebrating the food, wine, sports, nature and art of the region. ...
This summer music festival in Ravenna offers concerts and performances throughout Ravenna's well-preserved Byzantine churches, cloisters, and piazzas. Having once been the Western capital of the Roman Empire, the city of Ravenna offers a historical backdrop that only adds to the beautiful and austere atmosphere. Ticket prices vary by performance and can be purchased online. Note: Dates have not been ...
This opera festival is just as famous for the venue in which the operas are performed as it is for the quality of the performances. To sit under the stars in an ancient Roman amphitheater (the Arena di Verona) in the middle of the city and experience an opera is an incredible opportunity that has been drawing visitors from all ...
Bologna has got some spectacular spaces from le due torri, to the garden of Margherita, and under the porticos that lead you to a panoramic view of the city from the Church of San Luca. During the summer though, Piazza Maggiore offers yet another unique space with film screenings of the classics. You can view the full schedule on the official ...
Nightly performances at 8:3o p.m. at Rome's Teatro Marcello focus on classical music, including Baroque, Romantic, and Classic styles. Performances range from soloists to chamber ensembles to polyphonic choirs. Note: dates have not been confirmed; please check the event website for updates. Dream of Italy is a membership website and award-winning travel publication publishing 170 issues since 2002. Get a ...
Musicastrada is a series of 20+ free concerts throughout the province of Pisa, each celebrating the region's history, culture, and folklore. 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 about. Join now to access them all. Let our expert travel planners book ...
This open-air opera festival is one of a kind as it highlights the master Giacomo Puccini by inviting thousands of visitors a year to experience the various operas performed in the very places that inspired his work. The charming grounds of Tuscany are home to the festival where past performances have included Madama Butterfly, Turandot, and Tosca. Note: Please visit ...
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, ...
La Quintana is an annual Palio event that pits the six sestiere of Ascoli Piceno, a town in the region of Le Marche, against each other for bragging rights and the prized Palio drape. They compete in archery, flag-throwing and more, but it all culminates in the rousing joust, a high-energy beloved horse race, which is preceded by an opulent parade in period costumes by representatives of ...
The Sferisterio Opera Festival, organized by the Macerata Opera every summer, will feature The Magic Flute, La Traviata, and L'Elisir d'Amore. Balcony tickets are sold for 10€ on performance day; regular-priced tickets start at 25€. A wonderful experience to enjoy Le Marche! Dream of Italy is a membership website and award-winning travel publication publishing 170 issues since 2002. Get a free issue to ...
For two rhythmic weeks, the Siena Jazz Association hosts a summer series of concerts, jam sessions, meetings, competitions and international jazz courses throughout the city, including in the Logge del Papa. Note: Dates have not been confirmed; please visit the event website for updates. Dream of Italy is a membership website and award-winning travel publication publishing 170 issues since 2002. ...
If you develop an unlikely case of homesickness while visiting Italy, head to the Summer Jamboree in the coastal town of Senigallia in Le Marche, which revisits classic 1940s and '50s Americana. Free concerts by American and Italian artists, dance classes, and a huge Hawaiian beach party draw a huge crowd to the festival. Dream of Italy is a membership ...
That's right, a Medieval Wedding Banquet, also called the Banchetto Nuziale Medievale, takes place every August in the village of Acquavivo Picena in Le Marche. The weekend invites guests to step back into the 13th century by witnessing a blessing of cloth, performances, a wedding, a palio and, last but not least, a feast in celebration of the marriage between Forastéria ...
According to legend, in 352 AD, a rich and bored Roman gentleman experienced a vivid dream in which the Virgin Mary told him that a certain hill in Rome would be covered in snow in the morning, and that he should then use his money to build a church on that site. Being that Rome was deep in a steamy ...
Bel canto opera singers perform the works of composer Gioachino Rossini in his hometown in the Le Marche region. Note: Tickets start at 50€; Please visit event website for more information. 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 about. Join now to ...
Goblets of Stars (Calici di Stelle) is a wine event held annually across Italy on the night of and the week leading up to the Feast of San Lorenzo, a night that is historically lit up with shooting stars, interpreted as the tears of San Lorenzo. Evening concerts, parades, and events celebrating wine are held in piazzas across the country. ...
The martyrdom of San Lorenzo is celebrated in Rome with fireworks and celebrations throughout the area around his crypt on the Via Tiburtina, where he was killed in 258 AD. The patron saint of librarians, firemen, bakers, and other professions whose jobs involve fire and roasting, San Lorenzo's association with such incendiary professions is certainly a disturbing one -- His ...
Marvel and wonder with the crowd in Lonato's impressive stone fort, la Rocca Visconteo Veneta di Lonato del Garda, and be captivated by the street art and music performances, jugglery, dance numbers, pantomime and magic acts and much more from around the world. The theme of this year's edition is "Contemporary Circus", highlighting renowned Italian circus companies such as Lonato ...
On this summer evening at sunset, costumed actors re-enact the battle that took place on the night of August 15, 1558. The landing of the Saracens is also celebrated with music, food and a certainly gorgeous sunset, making this an event for the whole family. Dream of Italy is a membership website and award-winning travel publication publishing 170 issues since ...
Civitavecchia rings in the anniversary of its founding, as well as the defeat of the Saracens, in charming seaside style: A boat race, historical procession and a gastronomical fair featuring huge quantities of free seafood, and in particular, a gigantic Padellone -- a giant platter of fried fish that especially encapsulates the anniversary of the founding of the city. Other celebrations ...
To kick off ferragosto this friendly battle, also called the Palio delle Pupe, amongst 14 neighboring towns in Abruzzo puts on a show for spectators. Pupe are papier-mache lifesized dolls and are covered in fireworks. For over 40 years these dolls have a dance "battle" where representatives from the towns climb up inside the doll and perform a dance to folk ...
It's the summer and in August many Italians are looking forward to Ferragosto which starts on August 15th. It's known as a two-week vacation period with roots in ancient Rome. When Emperor Augustus invented the feriae Augusti to mark the end harvest he also made it a moment that signified a period of well-deserved rest. Later, during the fascist regime, this ...
This antiques fair in Cortona, one of the largest in all of Tuscany, brings together about 50 exhibitors from around the country to Cortona's Palazzo Bagnotti, with special exhibits focusing on interior design throughout the ages. Note: Dates have not been confirmed; please visit the event website for updates. Dream of Italy is a membership website and award-winning travel publication ...
This August, if you find yourself in Emilia-Romagna take a train and walk through the historic streets of Ferrara and meet international street musicians as they perform various genres of music from around the world. The festival was originated by Stefano Bottoni, a native ferrarese, who was inspired by his visit to New York in the 1980s to see his own ...
Mangialonga is a 4km-long walk dedicated to the food of La Morra such as the fresh pasta dish tajarin al ragù, vitello al Barolo (veal bites braised in Barolo wine) with polenta, cheese platter from Cuneo, and last but not least the dessert, a delicious torta di nocciole from the renowned bakery Giovanni Cogno. Participants will meander through the town's villages ...
Referred to as the Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematographica, this is the oldest film festival in the world, originating in 1932. Here's your chance to hob nob with the world's greatest movie stars, producers and directors. Films are shown throughout each day of the festival. While the international jury members get the best seats, there are seats available for the public. ...
Since August 29th, 1901, when Pope Leo XIII erected a bronze, 23 ft. tall statue of Christ the Redeemer on Monte Ortobene in honor of the Jubilee Year, locals and visitors have participated in celebratory procession to the statue from Nuoro's Cathedral. At Dawn, the faithful participants of the march congregate in the square outside the cathedral. They sing songs ...
Every last Sunday of August this Tuscan hilltop town is consumed in the, by then, week-long celebration of the Bravio delle Botti, also known as the "Barrel Race". The festivities kick off with the presentation of the Bravium, the victory banner, which is painted each year by a select artist with a winning design based on on a specific theme; the ...
Monza is regarded by many as the embodiment of Formula One racing. Not only is it a fantastic example of a track that combines speed with skill, it also has a heart and soul all of its own. It has seen some of the finest races of all time, but also some of the sport's worst accidents. The names of great ...
The Bird Festival (Sagra dei Osei) is surely the most ancient of its kind and one of the oldest festivals in Italy and Europe. In fact, the first historical records date back to 2nd August 1274. The prestigious goal of seven centuries of life for the event, which was achieved several years ago, confirms the charm and success of the ...
The Grand Canal fills with exquisite 13-century boats and cavorting onlookers on this first Sunday of September. The regatta itself is four separate competitions, including a particularly compelling one between double-oared gondolas. Art displays, music, and celebrations abound among the boats and gondolas as well. Dream of Italy is a membership website and award-winning travel publication publishing 170 issues since ...
Lace up those running shoes, get that last swig of water and be sure to get a good stretch in; the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is on again. The Italian branch of the organization hosts a series of events and workshops promoting good health and exercise leading up to a big race in efforts to raise money ...
