15 Popular Italian Festivals

Besides places of incredible charm, Italy further means traditions of centuries preserved to this day. From north to south and from east to west, almost every city, town, or village has popular Italian festivals dedicated to a particular saint, celebrated yearly with lots of joy and enthusiasm.

Italy has a long history of traditions and popular Italian festivals. Participating in these fests is also the right opportunity to experience truly exceptional food and wine experiences too; formal events, in addition, always provide for the possibility of tasting typical products or, sometimes, dishes made only for a specific occasion.

If you want to discover the incredible Italian festivals, you must go through the list below. And if you desire an authentic experience on Italian land, choose one of these traditional holidays, buy a plane ticket and go.

Best Italian Festivals to Visit

Italy is famous for its festivities, community, and various other celebrations. It hosts many popular Italian festivals where locals and visitors from around the world come together in one place. If you’re visiting Italy anytime soon, please refer to this list first to experience the best of Italian culture, music, and food. Lastly, scroll down to learn more about popular Italian festivals.

Festival of Sant’Agata

During the celebrations, Catania hosts a massive crowd of devotees and onlookers who gather in the street and the squares for three days of devotion, folklore, and traditions in honor of Saint Agata, the saint of Catania. The first day of the festival is for the offering of candles. Two carriages and eleven “candles” are in the procession. This first day ends in the evening with a fantastic fireworks display in Duomo Square. The following day’s parade lasts a whole day and ends late at night when the relics return to the Cathedral. It is one of the best Italian festivals.

Carnival

Carnival is undoubtedly one of Italy’s most heartfelt and popular celebrations, but Venice is certainly where this tradition reaches its highest point. Here, Carnival is a great open-air party that lasts two weeks. The Carnival of Venice is undoubtedly the most important event in the lagoon and the most famous and oldest in Europe.

While many events require invitations or entrance tickets, others, such as the Rowing of Silence, concerts, and street performances, are free and open to the public. Carnival is an incredible Italian festival.

Battle of the Oranges

This famous ‘battle’ reenacts a skirmish with citrus fruit in one of Europe’s biggest food fights. People either run through the streets or throw oranges from one of the ‘battle buses. Each year on the days leading to Fat Tuesday, the people of Ivrea divide into nine squads and spend the next three days having Italy’s biggest food fight.

Scoppio del Carro

On Easter Sunday, the people gather outside Il Duomo to watch the Scoppio del Carro. This tradition culminates in a specially rigged model dove setting off fantastic fireworks outside the Cathedral. An oxen pulls the wagon through the Florence streets to the square. There the fireworks are fired. It is a popular Italian festival.

Marriage of the Sea

During this festival, the city celebrates its nautical prowess with a massive procession of row boats from St Mark’s to the Port of St Nicoló. Many people line the waterways to watch the drama and catch one of the races that see teams compete in the river. All these make it a popular Italian festival.

Wedding of the Trees

The Maggio di Accettura is a unique mixture of paganism, religion, belief, superstition, partying, hard work, and craftsmanship. During the festival, the Maggio, an old oak, and the cima, a holy tree, are cut from the forests to be transported back into town where they are ‘married,’ symbolizing fertility and the city’s union.

La Corsa dei Ceri

The people of Gubbio honor their patron saints by carrying three giant candles through the town. The people dress in one of three colors (yellow, blue, and black) and bring five-meter-tall candles. In the afternoon, the Gubbio people ‘race’ the candles, and although overtaking is not permitted, participants often go full pelt between the slopes and narrow descents of the town. It is one of the most celebrated Italian festivals.

Snake Handlers’ Procession

Local snake catchers compete yearly to see who can trap the most serpents. The festival celebrates St Dominic, whom locals believe covers attacks from wolves, bears, and ailments. The snakes, which can measure over two meters, are decked over a wooden statue of St Dominic and exhibited through the streets. Whoever catches the most is called a hero for many years to come.

Game of the Bridge

The Game of the Bridge happens annually. The town’s men are divided into teams, Mezzogiorno (south of the Arno River) and Tramontana (north of the river), who compete by pushing a vast metal cart across the Ponte di Mezzo bridge. Each team of 20 tries to make the other back over the bridge. There are six ‘battles,’ with the team that wins the most crowned winner for that year. The whole town turns out to stare, and the atmosphere is fantastic. This annual festival is a popular Italian festival.

Calcio Storico

This incredible Italian festival is an early form of football from the 16th century. Teams of 27 people compete to get a ball to each other’s end, and opposing players can defend using punches, kicks, and elbows. The winning team gets a Chianina cow, the oldest breed of cow.

Infiorata

The Infiorata sees towns decorated with beautiful petal mosaics several hundred meters long. The event originated in the Vatican in 1625 but soon spread throughout Italy. You can experience one of the largest Infiorata in the Sicilian town of Noto. Many other popular Italian festivals happens in early June, including Pienza, Orvieto, Potenzoni di Briatico, Brugnato, and Emilia Romagna.

Opera Festival

Each summer, Verona’s Roman arena opens its doors for classical performances. The famous place, unchanged for many years, is one of the best places to see live music in Italy. The Opera Festival will show live performances this year, including Aida, Carmen, Turandot, and a ballet by Roberto Bolle and Friends.

Festa della Madonna Bruna

Every year the people honor a medieval miracle first celebrated in 1389. For the popular Italian Festival, the Virgin Mary statue is carried through the streets on a grand chariot pulled by mules and escorted by the columns of ‘knights’ on horseback. The colorful parade ends with a massive fireworks display.

Umbria Jazz Festival

For ten days, Perugia devotes itself to Italian and international jazz with concerts on the streets, churches, and halls. Many concerts are free, although you’ll have to buy tickets to see the biggest acts in venues like Arena Santa Giuliana, Teatro Pavone, and Basilica di San Pietro.

Film Festival

Venice hosts one of the world’s biggest and most fantastic film festivals. Film lovers should visit the floating city while it hosts some of the world’s biggest film stars. The renowned film festival forms part of a more comprehensive series of cultural events called the Venice Biennale. Film Festival is one of the popular Italian festivals.

Italy’s year-round festivals

Between scouting legends, mythology, famous buildings, food traditions, and live music places, why not take time to make use of popular Italian festivals? No matter when you visit Italy, you’ll be able to experience live music, cultural dances, an electrifying nature, and delicious food. Rest assured, when you take a flight back home, you’ll feel energetic and filled with many memories that will inspire you to return to Italy again to be a part of the celebrations.