Traditional events

Tuscany is rich in music festivals. There is a wide variety of them for all tastes – starting from rock and ending with classical music. Take a look at the list and listen to your heart – where would you like to go?The Italian town of Lucca annually hosts a very special event – Lucca Summer Festival. This festival has become one of the most important international events in the world music scene. It's a magical experience, with two weeks of incredible music performed in this wonderful setting. The festival was founded by Giacomo and Paolo Berti as long ago as 1998. Its main ...

A legendary event that turns the entire city of Siena, a medieval jewel in the heart of Tuscany, into an incredible place to enjoy unforgettable emotions. It has been going on since the Middle Ages, and while it might seem like chaos, there is an order to it! The event begins with a procession through the town to one of the local churches. Pictures of saints are paraded through the streets along with the flag-bearers. The greatest athletes of Il Palio are from the Sienese city districts, commonly called “Contrade”. They have their own flags, traditional dresses and horses, and ...

Calcio Fiorentino is an early form of football that originated in 16th-century Italy. Once widely played, the sport is thought to have originated in the Piazza Santa Croce in Florence. Here it became known as the giuoco del calcio fiorentino ("Florentine kick game") or simply calcio, which is now also the name for association football in the Italian language. The game may have started as a revival of the Roman sport of harpastum.The term calcio was first used by the Italian poet Girolamo Macchiavelli in 1519. This very antecedent of football was already extremely popular in the cities ...

The Festival of the lanterns (Festa della Rificolona) is a traditional celebration that takes place on September 7th, in commemoration of the day when Florence was freed from the siege of the imperial troops. It is famous for the beautiful paper lanterns displayed by Florentines that give a sense of magic and fairytale.Festa della Rificolona is an event that has ancient origins, that date back to a time when Florence was ruled by Grand Duke Leopold I (1640-1705). A strict curfew was imposed on the city at night, and anyone caught breaking the rules would be punished severely. However, there ...

The Viareggio Carnival (Italian: Carnevale di Viareggio) is a famous and popular carnival in Italy, and for several reasons, it is considered one of the most colorful events of its kind in Europe. It is held every year from the beginning of February to the first week of March.The origin of the Carnival dates back to 1873 when a group of young men decided to have fun during the long carnival holiday. On February 22, 1873, they disguised themselves as Moors and paraded through the streets of Viareggio on carriages pulled by oxen, playing music and singing satirical songs. The next year the event ...

Festa dei Ceri is a traditional and ancient festival held in Gubbio, a city in the central Italian region of Umbria. Originally it was called Corsa dei Ceri (Race of the Pedestals). The event is one of the most noteworthy religious festivities in Italy and attracts many tourists from all over the world.The race is a celebration of Saint Ubaldo and its origins date back to the 12th century when he became Bishop of Gubbio. The festival is dedicated to him and is held annually on May 15. Race days consist of processions, fireworks and other festivities.The race starts at 10:00 a.m. and finishes i ...