Capodanno is what Italians call New Year’s Day

The Epiphany is when the three wise men finally reach the baby Jesus to worship him and give him gifts of frankincense, gold, and myrrh

The dates you can celebrate Carnevale in Venice change every year, as the celebration follows the liturgical calendar

Ravello is a popular destination for travelers year-round but it fills up even more during select dates in the spring and autumn for the annual Ravello Arts Concerts. 

It’s common to find processions and pilgrimages filling streets across Sicily during the Easter Holy Week, but perhaps the most famous of all is the Procession of The Mysteries.

If you’re planning to spend Easter in Italy

The day after Easter–aka Pasquetta or “Little Easter” in Italian–is a national holiday in Italy, and great for Italians, who get the day off work! This is a classic day to meet up with friends post-Easter and head outside to enjoy the new spring weather

VinItaly is the largest wine exhibition in the world, and it’s held in the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage city of Verona

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. And on April 21st, Rome celebrates its birthday in typical Roman fashion – with a party that lasts for days.

The Festa della Liberazione, or Liberation Day, on April 25th marks the end of WWII in Italy, and the day Italy gained independence following Nazi occupation.

May 1st marks Italy’s national Labor Day. Italians are off work en masse and the weather is usually nice, meaning it’s a busy weekend for popular destinations throughout the country.

To mark the beginning of spring, Sardinia holds one of its biggest events in Sassari with the Cavalcata Sarda, or Sardinian Horse Race on the second last Sunday of May. 

The Venice Biennale is an international cultural exhibition held in Venice.Art, architecture, cinema, dance, theater, and music exhibitions are held in various locations throughout the city

One of the oldest Italian folklore events, the Festa dei Ceri in Gubbio is an annual race devoted to St. Ubaldo, the patron saint of Gubbio. 

The first Vogalonga Regatta took place in 1974, which is young for an Italian festival, but it brought out more than 500 boats and 1,500 rowers

The Festa della Repubblica celebrates the foundation of the Italian Republic. On June 2, 1946, Italians voted in a referendum to abolish the monarchy and establish a republic in its place.

This Italian festival has much older roots, dating from 1688 when the remains of Saint Ranieri were placed in an urn at the Cappella dell’Incoronata at the city’s Cathedral. 

Also known as Taormina Arte, the town’s reputable cultural festival runs throughout the entire summer and hosts concerts, exhibitions, and the Taormina Film Fest, bringing the best of film into a week of premieres and photo shoots akin to the film festival at Cannes. 

Coinciding with their art festival, Taormina’s Summer Opera Festival starts in April and runs through the summer, with some concerts running until December. This is a great opportunity to see classics like Carmen and Don Giovanni performed at very reasonable prices. 

Each summer marks the start of Verona’s incredible summer opera season. With affordable tickets and incredible operas, this is not only the perfect place to dip your toe into the opera world, it also happens in one of the world’s most jaw-dropping concert venues. 

Each July, Perugia hosts a 10-day Jazz Festival. Music lovers fill the town’s beautiful piazzas, gardens, and wine bars to experience one of the world’s best-known jazz festivals. 

As a university town, Perugia hosts a fair number of international Italian festival events, such as the scrumptious Eurochocolate and the International Journalism Festival.

The Feast of the Assumption marks the day the Virgin Mary rose into heaven in the Catholic faith. This Italian festival is now popularly called Ferragosto and it marks the start of the country’s annual vacation period. 

This ancient horse race is held twice each year, on July 2 and August 16, but the 16th tends to be the most famous, as it’s so near to a national holiday. 

Practiced for thousands of years, Venice’s Historical Regata is a huge event that includes a water pageant featuring costumes and boats from the 16th-century, with a procession to carry the Doge of Venice, his family, and all the officers up the Grand Canal. 

Alongside Cannes and the Berlin International Film Festival, Venice’s Film Festival is one of the ‘Big Three’ film festivals in the world.

Founded in 1932 as part of the Venice Biennale–which celebrates international art, architecture, dance, music, theater, and cinema–it is also one of the oldest.

Events and screenings take place on the island of Lido in the Venice Lagoon, in the famous Palazzo del Cinema.

October and November are the prime months for some of the most beloved festivals in Italy – the delicious sagre, or food festivals. 

Eurochocolate is the International Chocolate Exhibition of Europe. One of the largest chocolate festivals in all of Europe, discover different chocolate flavors and cultures from around the world, participate in cooking classes, performances, chocolate-sculpting displays, and, of course, buy and eat all the chocolate you’d like! 

All Saint’s Day is part of the oft forgotten Allhallowtide triduum, which runs from 31st October – 2nd November, encompassing All Hallow’s Eve, All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day.

A traditionally Catholic holiday celebrating the Virgin Mary’s immaculate conception, Italians use this date to mark the official start of the winter holiday season. 

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, you can participate in a midnight mass in any town in Italy, and enjoy the many different nativity scenes set up in seemingly every spare corner.