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Special
Events: If
you are one of those persons who
like festivals and feasts then
Italy is the place for you. All
the traditional festivals
connected with historical or
religious events are celebrated
with pomp in almost all the towns
and villages.
For
further details, contact ENIT, the
Italian State Tourist Board (see Contact
Addresses).
Below
is a list of some of these Feasts
and Festivals:
Jan
6 Epiphany Celebrations,
nationwide (particularly Piana
degli Albanesi and Bordonaro).
Jan
6-Mar 5 Ivrea Carnival,
Ivrea.
Jan 18 San
Sebastiano in Mistretta (religious
procession), Mistretta.
Jan 26 Naviglio
Grande Antiques Fair, Milan.
Jan-Feb
APT Tour (tennis
tournament), Milan; Viareggio
Carnival (famous for its
puppets), Viareggio.
Feb Verona
Carnival, Verona; Baroque
Carnival, Palermo.
Feb 2-10
Mandorloin Fiore (spring
festival), Agrigento.
Feb
3 San Biagio Festival,
Comiso.
Feb 7-12 Sciacca
Carnival, Sciacca.
Feb 8 Ravel
Evening, Milan
Feb 9-10 Carnival
in Acireale, Acireale.
Feb
19 San Corrado Festival,
Noto.
Feb 21-Mar 4 Venice
Carnival (traditional masked
balls and elaborate costumes).
Feb
23 Sellaronda Ski Marathon (nightime
skiing race), Trento.
Feb
28-Mar 5 Florence Carnival,
Florence.
Feb-Mar Milan
Fashion Week.
Mar 2 Carnival
of the Deer Man, Castelnuovo
del Volturno.
Mar 4 Masque
of the Devil, Tufara.
Mar
13 Village Race (nightime
skiing race), Sondrio.
Apr Milan
Furniture Fair, Milan.
Apr
13-20 Holy Week, Rome; Dance
of the Devils, Prizzi.
Apr
20 Scoppio del Carro (Explosion
of the Cart), Florence; Formula
One San Marino Grand Prix,
Imola.
Apr 21 Birth of
Rome Celebrations, Rome.
Apr
24-May 1 17th Turin
International Gay & Lesbian
Film Festival, Turin. Apr
25 Greek Byzantine Easter
Ritual (Orthodox Easter
event), Piana degli Albanesi.
May
Tennis Masters Series Roma,
Rome; Festival of the Cricket,
Florence; Vogalonga (boat
race), Venice; International
Iris Show, Florence; World
Press Photo (photography
competition), Northern Italy; May
Antiques Fair, Rome; Fabbrica
Europa (contemporary arts
event with the theme The European
Myth), Florence.
May 1 The
Procession of the Snake Catchers,
Cocullo; San Filippo Apostolo (religious
festival), Aidone; Tomato
Festival, Scicli.
May 1-6 Festival
of the Tatarate (dancing
festival), Casteltermini.
May
4-5 San Angelo Festival (religious
festival), Licata.
May 11-Jul Maggio
Musicale Fiorentino, Florence.
May 15 Corsa dei Ceri (traditional
race and revelry), Grubbio.
May
24-30 Inforiata: Noto in
Bloom, Noto.
May 25 Crossbow
Tournament, Grubbio.
May 27
Medieval Battle, Scicli.
May 29 La Sfilata dei
Turchi (religious parade),
Potenza.
May-Jun 16th
Gay & Lesbian Film Festival,
Milan; Fotographia (photography
exhibition), Rome.
Jun Calcio
Storico (football game played
in costumes), Florence; Heineken
Jammin Festival (rock
festival), Autodrome, Imola; International
Ceramics Festival, Montelupo.
Jun-Jul
Expo Tevere (arts and
crafts fair), Rome.
Jun 11-24 Festival
of Saint John (religious
festival), Florence.
Jun 20-Aug
Arena di Verona (opera
festival), Verona.
Jun 27-Jul
13 Spoleto Festival,
Spoleto.
Jun 29 Il
Gioco del Ponte (The Battle
for the Bridge), Pisa.
Jun-Aug Festival
Latino Americando (Latin
American festival), Milan; International
Festival of Music and Culture,
Rome.
Jul Festa del
Redentore (fireworks), Venice;
San Remo Fireworks Championship,
San Remo.
Jul 10-15 Festino
di Santa Rosalina (parades,
processions and fireworks),
Palermo.
Jul 15-16 Festa
della Madonna del Carmina,
Naples.
Jul 26 The
Christ of the Abyss (aquatic
religious ceremony), San Fruttuoso
di Campiglio.
Jul-Aug The
Cinema Isle (open-air cinema),
Tiberina Island, Rome.
Aug 5 Madonna
of the Snow (religious
procession), Francofonte.
Aug
8-22 Rossini Opera Festival,
Pesaro.
Aug 28-29 La
Perdonanza (day of plenary
indulgence), L Aquila.
Aug 31 Feast
of the Madonna of the Letter (religious
procession), Palmi. Aug-Sep Venice
Film Festival, Venice; San
Rocco Music Festival (Baroque
music), Venice.
Sep International
Urban Theatre Festival, Rome; FIA
World Rally Championship, San
Remo; Identity & Diversity
Festival, Turin.
Sep 14 Formula
One Italian Grand Prix, Monza;
Crossbow Tournament,
Sansepolcro.
Sep 15-18 Festa
dell Nivola (religious
festival), Milan.
Sep 21 Palio
di Asti (medieval tournament),
Asti.
Sep-Oct Milan
Fashion Week, Milan.
Oct
4-25 Alba Truffel Festival (auction
and market), Alba.
Oct 5 Grape
Festival, Marino.
Oct 11-12
Autumn Festival,
Abbadia San Salvatore.
Social
Conventions:
Rome has been the seat of power of
the Catholic Church for nearly two
thousand years, and hence the
beliefs of the Church have a
strong influence here. Family ties
are very strong and so
conservatism in dress and behavior
is recommended. Observe all normal
social courtesies. Use formal
dress when accepting invitations,
at religious ceremonies and in old
traditional communities. Be
careful where you smoke, smoking
is prohibited in certain public
places. Though Italy is in general
a friendly and law abiding place
tourists are warned to keep an eye
on their property, there have been
cases of theft. It is customary to
give a 10% tip even though all
hotel bills include state taxes
and service charges, but do this
only if the service is good.
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