In preparation for my annual visit to Italy, I always check for holidays and festivals. These moments of celebration are often a cause for detour as they capture the Italians at their best: enjoying life.
April is universally a special month as there are many Spring festivals. This year, of course, Italians will celebrate holy Easter as well. Here are a list of the major events:
April 25 is a national holiday celebrating liberation day in Italy. Some services may be closed but there will be festivals and concerts in many places.
April 24, Easter, Pasqua. Italian Easter celebrations start during the week before Easter and continue through Easter Monday, La Pasquetta, a national holiday and a day where you may find some very interesting festivals.
EASTER IN ITALY
Palio della Rana, golden frog race, takes place the Sunday after Easter in the town of Fermignano in the Marche region. Contestants race with frogs in tiny wheelbarrows. The day before there is usually a pageant in historical costume and a fireworks show.
Il Giuramento di Pontida: In early April, there is a historical re-enactment of the alliance between the Lombard cities of Bergamo, Brescia, Mantova, and Cremona against Federico Barbarossa on April 7, 1167. The town of Pontida is 16km from Bergamo.
Rome's birthday: The date of Rome's founding (in 753BC) is celebrated on April 21 so if you're in Rome, watch for festivals, concerts, and special events. There's usually a fireworks display over the Tiber River and gladiator shows around the forum area.
Saint George's Day: In Caresana in the Piedmont region, Saint George's Day on April 23 is celebrated with the Palio dei Buoi, a parade of floats pulled by oxen. Saint George is the patron saint of farmworkers.
Festival of San Marco: Saint Mark, San Marco, is the patron saint of Venice and there is a festival in Saint Mark's Square on April 25 including a procession to the basilica. On this day in Venice you should give a rose to your loved one.
The Race of the Ring: The Corsa all'anello in Narni in the Umbria region is part of the celebrations held the last week of April. During this medieval jousting competition, three horsemen try to snare rings.
San Biagio Day is April 28. San Biagio, the patron saint of Avetrana in southern Puglia, is celebrated with a 2-day festival including bands, food, street fair, and a religious procession. Avetrana and San Biagio Festival Pictures
Free Museums and Archeological Sites
In mid-April the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities sponsors Settimana della Cultura, Week of Culture. National museums and archeological sites have free admission and some have special events and guided tours. Sites not normally open to the public are sometimes opened during this week, too. Check the web site (in Italian) for dates and events.
Food festivals
Look for the word sagra, for artichokes, carciofi and asparagus, asparagi, in many parts of Italy in April. One of the best artichoke festivals is in Ladispoli near Rome during the second weekend of April. The famous white asparagus of Bassano del Grappa in the Verona province gets a week of events starting at the end of April. The Sagra dei Garagoj, dialect for the name of a local fish, takes place the last week of April in Marotta di Monodolfo in the Marche region.
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