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
Recurring

Manarola (Liguria): World’s Largest Nativity Scene

Manarola Manarola, La Spezia, Italy

You've heard about the world's largest Christmas tree lighting in Umbria and now there is the world's largest presepe in the town of Manarola, one of the five towns in the Cinque Terre. The project was realized by Mario Andreoli, a retired railway worker who has dedicated over 30 years to the installation and in 2007 it was added to the ...

Free
Recurring

Gubbio (Umbria): Corso dei Ceri (Running of the Candles)

Unnamed Venue Gubbio, Italy

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 ...

Free
Recurring

Gubbio Crossbow Tournament

Piazza Grande Piazza Grande, Gubbio, Italy

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 ...

Recurring

Cantine Aperte (Open Cellars)

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 ...