FESTIVALS ITALY SEPTEMBER

Venezia

Film Festival The Leone d’Oro (Golden Lion) is presented to the best film of the festival.

Regata Storica - Canal Grande

The historical Regatta is an ancient competition on the traditional venetian boats.

Campiello Awards - It is probably the most important Italian literature award. In the wonderful frame of the inner court of Palazzo Ducale an international jury rewards the best literature works of the year.

Tuscany

Lucca

La Luminara – Annual candlelit procession dedicated to the Volto Santo on 13th September every year. The shops and apartments along the route are decorated by thousands of candles too.

Arezzo
La Giostra del Saracino Tournament - 1st Sun in Sept
Tournament that takes inspiration from a past with graceful ladies and proud knights. The knights defy a steady pounding wearing armour, with mediaeval bludgeons in one hand. The puppet turns around every time that the knights strike the shield, so that they to be able to avoid being bludgeoned.

Piedmonte

Asti - Douja d'Or

National wine festival where you can taste the best wines produced nationally and locally. Staged in Asti's Palazzo del Collegio in a marquee erected in its courtyard, to sample and to buy and sell. This is also a great opportunity for visitors to debunk the negative vibes associated with Asti Spumante and to try some of the really outstanding wines of the region.

There are also exhibitions and demonstrations, many varieties of local dishes are on sale, and there are celebration dinners and musical entertainments in the evenings.

Asti Palio - 800 yr old horse race in Piazza del Campo del Palio - 3rd sunday of Sept

Via Toledo, Naples

Baia Castle, Pozzuoli, Campania

Campania

Naples

Pizzafest – Naples celebrates it’s most famous food, the glorious pizza – with a huge feast in it’s honour.

Miracolo di San Gennaro - Patron saint and protector of Napoli, stands for many as a symbol of the city itself, and his festival is one of the most passionately celebrated in all of Italy. Hundreds of Napoletani sing, cry and pray to the massive statue of the saint as it slowly and majestically moves through the streets of the city. The festival ideally culminates in the miracle of the liquefaction of the blood of San Gennaro, which takes place every year around the same time.

Since the forces of divine providence don't necessarily follow the Gregorian calendar, the miracle might not fall precisely on the day of the procession, though it seems that quite often it does. The liquefaction miracle is repeated several times throughout the year for the benefit of the devout, who attend the masses held in the saint’s honour in order to line up and kiss the vials for good luck. They honour the saint on the first Sat of May, Sept 19 and Dec 16.

Sicily

International Couscous Festival (San Vito Lo Capo, Trapani) - Mid september
This annual event outside Trapani means 3 days of dancing to live music and a bountry of local foods. The couscous competition draws some of the best cooks in the world, including those from North Africa where the dish originated. You'll gain 10 kg if you participate in all of the feasting.