On July 31 until August 4 the Effetto Venezia is back, the usual kermis has been enlivening the splendid district of Nuova Venezia (or more simply La Venezia) of Livorno since 1986. It is difficult to set out this “hotchpotch” of events that includes theatrical and musical performances of any type, with the guitti (strolling players) trying to draw in the passers-by, exhibitions of artists, some famous, other less, games and many other indoor and outdoor initiatives involving the whole eighteenth-century district (partially destroyed during the Second World War), with its typical canals, open to speedboats, and its “campielli”, the vaulted bridges and palaces, many of which are open to the public for the occasion.

There will be also many markets of antique and modern collectibles, many for charity purposes. It is really impossible to sum up the countless events scheduled. It is also impossible not to find something we like: theatre, street theatre, folklore, classical music, jazz, rock, markets of any type, tasting, sea contests, and fireworks which, the last night, will explode in the stunning setting of the Medicean Port…And if you are not interested in anything of all this, it will be a one-off show to walk and dive into the atmosphere of this little Venice of the Tyrrhenian Sea, which in August seems to celebrate its off-season Carnival….

Further information on

☞ www.effettovenezia.it

First Sunday of the month: museums free entrance

It is a very important event involving all the State Museums with specials and free tickets access. Therefore, if you plan to visit Florence, Pisa, Lucca or any other Tuscan town our countless masterpieces without spending one Euro!

For instance in Florence you can visit: the Uffizi Gallery, Academy Museum, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, Bargello Museum, Medici Chapels, and many other attractions. All of them free of charge!

List of  State Museums in Tuscany HERE. 

The 25th edition of FOG - Youth Orchestra Festival returns, the summer music festival born in '99 in Florence to provide young musicians from around the world with the opportunity to participate in a unique musical experience in Tuscany. Among the beloved stops of the Festival is the city of Montecatini, which hosts young concert performers in the splendid setting of the Terme Tettuccio. The concerts start at 9:00 PM, except on July 27th when there is also a concert at 6:00 PM. Admission is free.

In the images, you can find the concert schedule.

Open-air cinema in Pistoia at the Porta al Borgo arena, via delle Pentole 4. Begin at 9:30 PM, costs 6 euros (full price) or 5 euros (reduced price, for children aged 3 to 14 and adults over 65).

Program in the pictures. Movies in Italian.

Open-air cinema in Monsummano in the Parc of Villa Renatico Martini, Via Gragnano 349, Monsummano Terme.

Begin at 9.30 pm

Programm in the picture

This year, open-air cinema returns to the Castello dell'Imperatore in Prato with reduced ticket prices of 3.5 euros for Italian and European films, while the cost for non-European films is 6.5 euros. Screenings start at 9:45 PM. There are 200 numbered seats available, and tickets can be purchased at the box office starting one hour before the film begins, but it is recommended to buy tickets online on the terminal's website. The presale allows you to book and choose your seat.

Program - Movies in Italian in the pictures

June 2024

The Festival is devoted to classical music and opera fans, its main purpose is to highlight the town’s musical  tradition, especially the great operas. 

This  season’s program, from April to October, presents 19 events, set in the most attractive thermal building of  Montecatini Terme, the Terme Tettuccio, which welcomes everybody as in a warm hug and where you can still hear the musical echo of the great composers  who have made Italian classic music famous all over the world.

The famous Antiques Fair of Arezzo is one of the most important and largest antique fairs in Italy, held every first Sunday of the month and the preceding Saturday.

Pictures and paintings, small jewels, ancient and modern furniture, carpets, clocks, silverware, toys, books and vintage prints, collection stamps, musical instruments, gramophones and radios: it is easy to be charmed and indulge in discovering one of the biggest and oldest Italian Antiques Fairs. 

In 1968 a famous antiquarian and collector of Arezzo, Ivan Bruschi, gave birth to this fair which still today fills with its curious bric-a-brac the old town centre, its streets, yards, Vasari Loggia and wonderful Piazza Grande, every first weekend of the month.

For two days the town changes into a multicolor scenery of treasures waiting to be discovered by tourists and collectors: over five hundreds exhibitors from all over Italy meet here with their furniture and objects of all periods and styles, while antiquarians and restorers have multiplied their business, opening their shops during the fair and showing their best items. Experts of antiques and modern antique collecting find here plenty of particular specializations, such as, for instance, scientific tools, Art-Nouveau stained glass windows, Art Deco furnishing.

The 2024 edition of the "Medieval Dinner" will be held on 4th August in the enchanted village of Castellina di Serravalle.

The convivial moment will begin at 20.30, with many dishes taken from original recipes of the time, in a magical setting of games, duels and music ranging from the Middle Ages.

Reservation is required at

+39 3295478907

First Sunday of the month: museums free entrance

It is a very important event involving all the State Museums with specials and free tickets access. Therefore, if you plan to visit Florence, Pisa, Lucca or any other Tuscan town our countless masterpieces without spending one Euro!

For instance in Florence you can visit: the Uffizi Gallery, Academy Museum, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, Bargello Museum, Medici Chapels, and many other attractions. All of them free of charge!

List of  State Museums in Tuscany HERE. 

Also this year the Proloco Serravalle Pistoiese organizes the usual patron saint festivities of St. Ludovico (Louis) from the 9th  to  the 19th  of August.
Every evening for the first week a musical appointment on the stage under the Castruccio tower and the availability of a restaurant-pizzeria, with a vast menu choice.

Only on August 10 will the restaurant-pizzeria service be suspended to make way for stargazing. At Rocca Nuova, to accompany the search for shooting stars, it will be possible to purchase by reservation a delicious "aperitif box” to be enjoyed while observing the stars.

On  August 16 the celebrations in honor of San Lodovico will continue with the initiative 'Una Freccia per il Meyer' in which it will be possible to try archery .

On August 17 the Palio dei Mercenari (The Palio of the Mercenary) will take place and on August 18 the Palio dei Rioni will be performed.

Tuesday 19 August will be the final day of the celebrations in honor of S. Ludovico with a procession at 5.45 pm in medievale costumes. At the end, at 11.45 pm, a great fireworks display.

The Feast of St. Ludovico started in the fourteenth century as eternal gratitude to Louis of Anjou for having saved by a miracle, the garrison of soldiers who had defended properly the castle Serravalle and its populace by a long and exhausting siege of the armies of Lucca.

The Palio dei Rioni of St. Ludovico was begun in 1992 by a group of friends and fans of medieval history and archery. From this passion, also related to the miracle of St. Ludovico, derived the idea of recalling the historical events by challenging the four quarters of Serravalle: Serravalle, Castellina, Masotti, Ponte di Serravalle.

Archers of each district are wearing special clothes with different colours for each district: ones of Serravalle white and black, blue and red Masotti, Ponte di Serravalle green and red and green and brown ones of Castellina.
The race consists of 4 sessions of 3 arrows per archer to shoot each target with the own emblem depicted at a distance of 18 meters. The highest score will be the winner.

For the competition only historical arches are used. The rules require that each district has to have 5 archers, plus a reserve at the discretion of the districts themselves, one of which can be "bought" on the basis of the results of a special Palio, "The Palio of the Mercenary" which takes place on  August 17 at 9.30 pm, the evening before the Palio dei Rioni, which is traditionally held on August 18 at 9.30.

More Info: 

www.prolocoserravallepistoiese.it 

FREE ENTRANCE TO ALL CONCERTS

Jazz festival dedicated to female talents, organized by the Lucca Jazz Club with the Municipality of Lucca and the Province of Lucca.

LUCCA JAZZ DONNA 2024 - programm

August 8 – Real Collegio

Alice Innocenti Octet “Nelumbo”

Alice INNOCENTI, vocals – composition – arrangements

Moraldo MARCHESCHI, soprano sax – tenor sax – baritone sax

Michele MARINI, clarinet – alto sax

Tommaso IACOVIELLO, trumpet – flugelhorn

Iacopo FAGIOLI, trombone – Fabio SALVI, piano

Alessandro ANTONINI, double bass – electric bass

Fausto BATISTI, drums

Eva Verde Duo

Eva VERDE, vocals – Danilo TARSO, piano

Record Label: SEGELL MICROSCOPI

Montecatini City Band “Ladies in Jazz”

Maestro Gabriele BUONACCORSI

Associazione Luna

August 16 – Real Collegio

Christianne Neves – Solo Piano – Michela Lombardi vocals “Abertura das Águas”

Christianne NEVES, piano – iPad – pandeiro

Michela LOMBARDI, vocals

Ileana Mottola Duo

Ileana MOTTOLA, vocals – Joel HOLMES, piano

Francesco PUGLISI, double bass

Alessandro D’ANNA, drums

Tallini – Spalletta Quartet

Stefania TALLINI, piano

Daniela SPALLETTA, vocals

Record Label: ALFA MUSIC

Unicef Committee Lucca

August 22 – Real Collegio

Lara Ferrari Quartet – “Amy’s Box”, a jazz tribute to Amy Winehouse

Lara FERRARI, vocals – Michele CORCELLA, guitar

Alfonso DEIDDA, alto sax – flute – piano

Stefano SENNI, double bass – Enrico SMIDERLE, drums

Lucia Ianniello 4tet “Keep Left and Go Straight South”

Lucia IANNIELLO, trumpet – vocals

Paolo TOMBOLESI, piano – keyboards

Roberto CERVI, guitars – Alessandro FORTE, drums

Record Label: FILIBUSTA

Ilaria Biagini Trio “The Art of Kissing”

Ilaria BIAGINI, piano – vocals – flute – sax – accordion

Pablo GIGLIOTTI, bass – guitar

Leonardo BADIALI, drums

August 29 – Real Collegio

Carlotta Vettori – Silvia Bolognesi Quartet

Carlotta VETTORI, flutes – Silvia BOLOGNESI, double bass

Nicolò Francesco FARAGLIA, guitar – Andrea MELANI, drums

Record Label: FONTEROSSA Records

Paola Arnesano Duo “Swingando”

Paola ARNESANO, vocals – Bruno MONTRONE, piano

Record Label: Dodici Lune

Lisa Manara 4et “Cape Verde Sings the Encounter”

Lisa MANARA, vocals

Federico SQUASSABIA, keyboard – synth bass

Fabio MAZZINI, guitar – Diana PAIVA CRUZ, drums

Associazione DON BARONI

September 5 – Real Collegio

Opening with the Jazz Group from “Passaglia” High School

Ottavia Rinaldi Trio “Harpbeat Trio”

Ottavia RINALDI, vocals – harp – Carlo BAVETTA, double bass

Andrea VAROLO, drums

Record Label: ALFA MUSIC

Cettina Donato & Zoe Pia “Mito”

Cettina DONATO, piano

Zoe Pia, clarinet – launeddas

Associazione CENTRO AFFIDI LUCCA

September 22 – Church of St. Francis

Teresa and the Students of the High School

Teresa MORICI, vocals – Group from ex Passaglia

Karima 5tet “Bacharach Forever”

KARIMA, vocals – Piero FRASSI, piano

Francesco PONTICELLI, electric bass – double bass

Andrea BENINATI, drums

Rita Marcotulli 4tet “Walking in My Shadow”

Rita MARCOTULLI, piano – Giovanni TOMMASO, double bass

Javer GIROTTO, saxophone – flute – Alessandro PATERNESI, drums

Anffas Lucca

Second among the antique-dealers' market places of Tuscany for the number of its exhibitors and length of life, the Antique market of Lucca can boast of a solid tradition of quality and reliability thanks to professional antiquarians of high prestige who have always been an important presence in town. 

At the third weekend of each month (on Saturday and Sunday), from 8 am to 7 pm, Lucca opens its gates for a joyful event involving a large portion of the historical centre: from Piazza S. Martino, Piazza Antelminelli and Via Del Battistero - the historical antique dealers' street- ‚ to Piazza San Giusto, and Piazza S. Giovanni up to Piazza Bernardini. It is a gorgeous display of colorful stalls offering not only past vestiges of remarkable artistic value, but also traces of souvenirs impressed on a post-card, on a book, on a knick-knack or on an ornament. 

Furniture, clothes, fabrics, paintings, rare components of old instruments, lamps and chandeliers, old working tools, records..... a wide pattern of old or antique objects‚ patiently gathered and collected after explorations which

are getting more and more difficult. All these things speak to both the tourist and the lover, of a world, which has gone, but not willing to be forgotten yet.

Two unforgettable days around the most charming

streets of the town. It is Art facing Art, History meeting History. A really unique occasion to know Lucca better and taste the pleasure of peeping through the stalls in search of something beautiful to take home and - why not?- probably also making a good bargain! 

The Cathedral of Siena contains numerous masterpieces from every epoch. A work that in many respects is exceptional, is the floor, "the most beautiful ... largest and most magnificent ... that ever was made" in the words of Giorgio Vasari, the fruit of a plan that took on concrete form through the centuries, from the XIV century up to the XVIII century. 

The techniques employed to transfer the ideas of the various artists onto the floor are marble intarsia and graffito: the procedure was initially quite simple but gradually attained a surprising degree of perfection: the first depictions were scratched onto slabs of white marble using a chisel and a drill, and the signs then filled with black stucco. This technique is known as "graffito". Then, coloured marble was employed in much the same manner as wood inlaying. This technique is called "marble intarsia".

The 56 intarsia of the floor are still largely in its original condition. As these artworks are quite sensitive, the entire floor is shown only a few weeks a year. Otherwise, the ground is covered and only a few works are visible for the many tourists that visit the Cathedral of Siena. 

Floor uncovering period in 2024: June 27th - July 31st; August 18th - October 16th.

Opera concerts in which at least 2 singers alternate among the most beautiful voices of the national opera scene accompanied on the piano. The most famous opera arias from the repertoire of Italian and international opera are scheduled, as well as the most famous classic Neapolitan songs.

90 minutes of live music with a break during which guests can enjoy a typical sweet of the city.

The concerts will take place every Wednesday from May to October 2024 in the Music Hall of the Grand Hotel Croce di Malta in Montecatini Terme in Via IV Novembre, 18 at 9.15 pm.

Tickets can be booked by calling +39 3518066988 or by sending an email to info@operaconcerto.it even on the day of the concert.

Further information is available on the website

www.thebestofopera.com.

Events Program at the Abetone Forest Botanical Garden in July and August 2024 in Italian

See Page Villas and Gardens for more info about Abetone Forest Botanical Garden.

From Tuesday 4 June, and throughout the summer, until 26 September, the Gallery extends its opening hours for two days a week. Every Tuesday the Gallery will remain open until 10.00pm (last admission 9.30pm) and every Thursday until 9.00pm (last admission 8.30pm). As always, it is possible to book the visit directly from the site of the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence

https://www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.it/visita

or by calling  Firenze Musei: Tel +39 055 294883.

Saturday Night Spa

Saturday, August 10, 24, and 31  

from 7:00 PM to midnight

For an evening of pure relaxation, pamper yourself with a soothing bath under the stars in the thermal pool with rejuvenating whirlpools and

reinvigorate yourself with a steam bath in Europe's largest thermal cave at 34°C.

Includes:

Steam bath in natural thermal cave at 34°C (20 minutes)

Bathing under the stars in the 750 sqm thermal pool at 34°C with underwater whirlpools

Bathing in the Bioaquam thermal path at 34°C with rejuvenating whirlpools

Access to the Thermarium area

Access to the "Bioaquam Pavilion" the new covered and heated relaxation area of 310 m2

Lounge music

€35.00 by reservation

Bioaquam Café poolside open with à la carte menu

(payment upon consumption)

For more information, call 

+39 0572/9077992 or email terme@grottagiustispa.com

On Sunday 11 and 18 August the Etruscan town from dawn to sunset will suddenly take a trip back in time with the „Feast Day in Anno Domini 1398“.

On these two days, the medieval town of 1398 will be recreated in the historical centre with markets, craftsmen, musicians, jugglers, townsfolk and nobles. It‘s a great chance to plunge into the magical atmosphere of the Middle Ages in one of the most beautiful towns in Tuscany. On this occasion, the „Grosso Volterrano“, the coin used in the town during the Middle Ages, will be minted again and will be the only currency in circulation during „Feast Dayin Anno Domini 1398“. Craft products, food, wine and many other things can only be purchased with this coin which is available at the bureaux de change. Any unused coins can be later converted back into Euro at the Tourist Office. 

More info https://volterra1398.it/

The Sacred Belt of the Prato Cathedral is a thin strip of green fabric with gold brocades and a green tassel and band at the ends. As told in an ancient oriental apocryphal text after the Blessed Virgin's death St. Thomas was carried by angels to the mount of Olives; there he contemplated the Virgin while she was taken up into the Heaven, and received the gift of the belt in proof of the event. According to Prato medieval tradition the sacred belt was then entrusted to a priest and preserved by his descendants. After the first crusade, a Prato pilgrim of modest origins called Michele, fell in love with Maria, the daughter of an oriental priest and married her in secret, against her father's wish and received as dowry the "Sacred Belt" in a small basket made of rushes. After returning to Prato around 1141, Michele spoke to no one about the holy relic and only on his death bed (1172), he donated it to the provost of the nearby church of St. Stephen. The sacred Belt furthermore was considered the most valuable treasure of the entire city, so much so that its public display was established by the bylaws of Commune which still today has in custody a set of the keys required to take it out of the altar. Up to the end of 13th century the holy relic was kept close to the high altar but in 1346 it moved to the left of the main entrance of the ancient church and later Cathedral where in 1386-90  was built, on a project by Lorenzo di Filippo, the chapel that stores the holy relic. The chapel is decorated with frescoes of Stories of the Virgin and of the belt (1392-95), a series of amazing figurative unity painted by Agnolo Gaddi with a faultless technique and luminous colors. On the corner of the façade is the amazing pulpit by Donatello and Michelozzo which was finished in 1438 and created for the display of the Sacred Belt in order to show it to the congregation gathered in the Cathedral square. 

Currently, the Exhibition of the Girdle is held for Christmas, Easter, May 1st, August 15th, and in the most solemn manner on September 8th, coinciding with the ancient Fair and the Historical Procession at 6 PM.

The Festival is devoted to classical music and opera fans, its main purpose is to highlight the town’s musical  tradition, especially the great operas. 

This  season’s program, from April to October, presents 19 events, set in the most attractive thermal building of  Montecatini Terme, the Terme Tettuccio, which welcomes everybody as in a warm hug and where you can still hear the musical echo of the great composers  who have made Italian classic music famous all over the world.

Torre del Lago and its ‘genius loci’, Giacomo Puccini that today and since that distant 1891, when the musician moved there, are the perfect representation of how a place can merge with the soul and spirit of those who have lived there, in the corner of Tuscany, which the musician defined as “Eden” and from which he could not break away for a long period of time, so as not to suffer from strong “torrelaghite" (strongly homesick), is where Puccini lived and composed. Life was marked by the silence of the charming landscape and the sound vibrations of the lake that allowed him to cultivate his passions, music, hunting, painting and friends. Puccini and his music permeate Torre del Lago, Viareggio and all of Versilia, which every year in summer celebrate their ‘genius’, who lived there for thirty years. A celebration of music, of his music, which has, as if a frame, the same atmosphere, colors and fragrances that seduced the musician. A few steps from his home, now converted into a museum full of documents and memorabilia, is the outdoor Gran Teatro entitled to the master, and that, since 1930 has been host the Festival Puccini. 

Here is the complete calendar of the Puccini Festival 2024:

From 12 July to 7 September 2024 Torre del Lago

July 12 and 19

- LeWillis

- Edgar

July 13 / August 2

- Manon Lescaut

July 20 and 27 / August 8 and 22

- La Bohème

July 26 / August 9, 18, and 24

- Tosca

August 3, 10, 17, and 23

- Turandot

August 31 / September 7

- Madama Butterfly (celebrating the 120th anniversary of its premiere)

July 17

- Roberto Bolle and Friends

August 5

- Il Volo

All for One - Masterpiece

Purchase tickets per email: ticketoffice@puccinifestival.it

or on the official website: https://www.puccinifestival.it/en/ticket-purchase/

The Sacred Belt of the Prato Cathedral is a thin strip of green fabric with gold brocades and a green tassel and band at the ends. As told in an ancient oriental apocryphal text after the Blessed Virgin's death St. Thomas was carried by angels to the mount of Olives; there he contemplated the Virgin while she was taken up into the Heaven, and received the gift of the belt in proof of the event. According to Prato medieval tradition the sacred belt was then entrusted to a priest and preserved by his descendants. After the first crusade, a Prato pilgrim of modest origins called Michele, fell in love with Maria, the daughter of an oriental priest and married her in secret, against her father's wish and received as dowry the "Sacred Belt" in a small basket made of rushes. After returning to Prato around 1141, Michele spoke to no one about the holy relic and only on his death bed (1172), he donated it to the provost of the nearby church of St. Stephen. The sacred Belt furthermore was considered the most valuable treasure of the entire city, so much so that its public display was established by the bylaws of Commune which still today has in custody a set of the keys required to take it out of the altar. Up to the end of 13th century the holy relic was kept close to the high altar but in 1346 it moved to the left of the main entrance of the ancient church and later Cathedral where in 1386-90  was built, on a project by Lorenzo di Filippo, the chapel that stores the holy relic. The chapel is decorated with frescoes of Stories of the Virgin and of the belt (1392-95), a series of amazing figurative unity painted by Agnolo Gaddi with a faultless technique and luminous colors. On the corner of the façade is the amazing pulpit by Donatello and Michelozzo which was finished in 1438 and created for the display of the Sacred Belt in order to show it to the congregation gathered in the Cathedral square. 

Organ concerts with the presence of internationally renowned organists.

FREE ADMISSION

Program:

Friday, May 17th at 9:00 PM

PRESCOTT CHORALE (U.S.A.)

Conductor: Dennis Houser

W.A. MOZART - REQUIEM K 626.

Thursday, May 23rd at 6:30 PM

Andreas Meisner Altenberg (DE)

Friday, June 21st at 6:30 PM

Bernhard Marx Freiburg/Sankt Blasien (DE)

Friday, July 19th at 6:30 PM

Elisa Teglia Bologna (ITA)

Thursday, July 25th at 6:30 PM

Jean-Christophe Geiser Lausanne (CH)

Wednesday, July 31st at 6:30 PM

Przemyslaw Kapitula Warsaw (PL)

Thursday, August 8th at 6:30 PM

Franz Günthner Leuthkirch (DE)

Tuesday, August 20th at 6:30 PM

Josef Still Trier (DE)

Friday, August 23rd at 6:30 PM

Konstantin Reymaier Vienna (AU)

Tuesday, November 26th at 9:00 PM

MOSAIC Canadian Vocal Ensemble Ontario - Canada

Conductor: Gordon Mansell

More details here

Second among the antique-dealers' market places of Tuscany for the number of its exhibitors and length of life, the Antique market of Lucca can boast of a solid tradition of quality and reliability thanks to professional antiquarians of high prestige who have always been an important presence in town. 

At the third weekend of each month (on Saturday and Sunday), from 8 am to 7 pm, Lucca opens its gates for a joyful event involving a large portion of the historical centre: from Piazza S. Martino, Piazza Antelminelli and Via Del Battistero - the historical antique dealers' street- ‚ to Piazza San Giusto, and Piazza S. Giovanni up to Piazza Bernardini. It is a gorgeous display of colorful stalls offering not only past vestiges of remarkable artistic value, but also traces of souvenirs impressed on a post-card, on a book, on a knick-knack or on an ornament. 

Furniture, clothes, fabrics, paintings, rare components of old instruments, lamps and chandeliers, old working tools, records..... a wide pattern of old or antique objects‚ patiently gathered and collected after explorations which

are getting more and more difficult. All these things speak to both the tourist and the lover, of a world, which has gone, but not willing to be forgotten yet.

Two unforgettable days around the most charming

streets of the town. It is Art facing Art, History meeting History. A really unique occasion to know Lucca better and taste the pleasure of peeping through the stalls in search of something beautiful to take home and - why not?- probably also making a good bargain! 

Palio dell’Assunta returns to Siena on 16 August, the second annual date with the characteristic event that follows the Palio di Provenzano, which took place on 2 July, after a little over a month. Yet again the undisputed stars of the show are back again in the Tuscan town, with the colours, sounds, customs, rites and evocative ambience that make the Sienese run one of its kind around the world, attracting thousands of tourists every year. Everything comes to a stop on these days in Siena, the Palio is the only thing that matters, which is much more than the race between the ten jockeys who mount bareback on as many horses, representing the same number of contrade (neighbourhoods), and who do three circuits of Piazza del Campo to win the painted flag, the drappellone, in just over a minute. The event, whose origins date back to Siena’s ancient past, lies at the true heart of the town and belongs to the town and its residents, to those who experience the contrada all year round and those who are only around in the most intense period before the race. For a few days everything centres around the Palio, its preparations, strategies to help the neighbourhood’s friend or create problems for its rivals, dinners in the squares and in the spaces of the 17 contrade, whether in the 10 that run the race or in the other 7 that weren’t drawn out of the hat or that don’t have the right to race and whose presence in Piazza del Campo has been put off to the following year. 

This is all repeated for the next Palio dell’Assunta.

Tips:

 It is possible to attend the Palio free of charge from inside the Piazza del Campo. We suggest you to reach the Piazza around at least 4.30 pm (unless you want to find a place at the columns, at the border of the track of tuff, which are usually occupied from the morning, especially those close to the Mossa – where the race starts - and Fonte Gaia – the fountain).
Inside of the square you can buy drinks to cool off, but there are no public toilets. We strongly suggest you to provide water and drinks and take at least a hat to protect yourself from the sun. For the large crowd that will reach the square and the heat, we do not recommend  to bring small children to attend the Palio in the Piazza del Campo.
There are also more convenient locations to see the Palio, with entrance fee. To purchase tickets for the tribune or balconies overlooking the square, try contacting the local Tourist Office.

The Blueberry Festival 2024 is an unmissable event for those who love forest fruits and typical products from the Pistoiese Mountain. This event will take place on August 24th and 25th, 2024, in the picturesque setting of Piazza Europa in Abetone.

Program:

Saturday, August 24th, 2024:

Morning: Market featuring blueberry-based products and other local products, with an area dedicated to local crafts from the Pistoiese Mountain.

Activities:

Demonstration by woodcutters from Val Sestaione, organized by the Pro Loco.

Demonstration of ancient crafts by the Association of the Museum of the People of the Apennines of Rivoreta.

Evening (from 7:00 PM): Aperitif in Piazza dell’Abetone with a variety of blueberry-based products, including focaccia and cakes.

Sunday, August 25th, 2024:

Morning: Continuation of the market with blueberry-based products and local crafts.

Activities:

New demonstrations of ancient crafts by the Association of the Museum of the People of the Apennines of Rivoreta.

Afternoon (from 5:30 PM): Music and traditional dances with the Folklore Group "Gigetto del Bicchiere.

"Without threads", the Pinocchio Festival starts

From Friday 23 to Sunday 25 August in Collodi there is "Senza Fili Pinocchio Street Festival", lots of performances of music, theater and circus art in the hamlet of the most famous puppet in the world. The events take place in the Historic Garden of Villa Garzoni, in the Pinocchio Parc, and in the small squares of the hamlet in Collodi. The shows begin at 9pm. Admission with free offer.

Complete Programm: ☞ http://www.senza-fili.it

This traditional celebration in honor of St. Bartholomew dates back to the 15th century when on the day of the patron saint of children, was custom to anoint the foreheads of children to protect them from the snares of spirits. Even today in the church of S. Bartolomeo in Pistoia, on August 24, liturgical celebrations and blessings are held throughout the day: children and adults are "anointed" by priests who mark their foreheads with blessed oil by saying an ancient prayer to invoke the protection of the saint. 

The origins of this feast are lost in the age-old memory of crucial moments in infant mortality and the human condition in general, exposed to the risks of numerous epidemics.

St. Bartholomew is also the patron saint of the sick in the Christian world, and a protective function is generally attributed to the anointing, which is apparent from the formulation of the wording: "Through the intercession of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, the Lord will free you from all evil.”

By extension, in the common language of the people of Pistoia, overly lively children who are at risk of ending up "peeled" like the saint, are called “sambartolomei,”.

Stalls of toys and sweets are set up in the square in front of the church and in the surrounding streets. A typical specialty of this festival is a rosary-shaped crown made of roundish shortcrust pastry sweets decorated with chocolates and candied almonds, which is placed around the neck of the children, all children, including the “sambartolomei."

Arti e Mestieri is an arts and crafts market in the historic center of Lucca, with a big number of exhibitors that meet every last weekend of the month in Piazza San Giusto, Piazza Cittadella and Piazza XX Settembre with many traditional and original products from Tuscany.

At Arti e Mestieri there are ceramists, painters, sculptors, leather, glass and papier-mâché artisans, weavers, jewelers, cabinet makers, seamstresses and embroiderers, knitting and crochet experts. The artisans-artists offer their exclusive products in a colorful market: bijoux in silver, ceramic and crochet, natural products for body care, fountain pens worked on the lathe, bags, belts and leather bracelets, painted stones, scented lavender, splendid paintings and sculptures.

XXIII EDITION

ROCCA DI CASTRUCCIO - SERRAVALLE PISTOIESE

From August 25 to 28, 2024, at the Rocca di Castruccio in the enchanting medieval village of Serravalle Pistoiese, the annual Serravalle Jazz festival returns for its 23rd edition. Four days of concerts featuring the biggest names in Italian and international jazz, alongside artist talks and book presentations, enrich the festival as they take place in two other locations in Serravalle Pistoiese: the former Oratory of the Assumption and the Barbarossa Tower. All events are free to attend (subject to availability).

Complete Programm here:

https://www.serravallejazz.it/programma/

Every year on the first Sunday of September the Palio of the Archers takes place.

For this occasion, in the city takes on a suggestive atmosphere thanks to beautiful streets and squares in the center, adorned with the flags of the four district’s contenders.

The Archers of Ferraia, S. Maria, San Michele and San Francesco will give the best of

themselves to win the Palio.

The tradition has been recently rediscovered, but the origins of the Pescia Palio date back to the first half of the 1300s when the city came under Florentine dominion. After this event, the population decided to celebrate the patron saint of the city, Saint Dorothy, with religious and popular celebrations among which was the Palio dei Berberi that continued up to the beginning of the 1500s. In its modern edition, the competition is no longer done on horseback, but instead with bows and arrows.

MAIN EVENTS

Sunday, August 25: The "Palla al Paniere" Trophy will take place, followed by an apericena with the four districts. The evening will continue at 9:30 PM in Piazza del Grano with the theatrical performance "Trial of Castruccio Castracani."

Starting Monday, August 26: The propitiatory dinners of the districts will begin, starting with the Ferraia district.

Friday, August 30: The archers' blessing will take place at the Church of Santo Stefano, followed by a historical parade.

Saturday, August 31: Piazza Mazzini will host demonstrations of medieval arts and crafts, along with the 23rd "Beauty and Elegance of Women in the Middle Ages and Renaissance" contest.

Sunday, September 1: Piazza Mazzini will be the center of the medieval market, the historical parade, and the archers' competition for the Palio. The day will conclude with the awards for the "Scenographic Challenge" and "Medieval Shop Window" contests.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Tickets and Access:

Friday, August 30: Access to the arena from 9:00 PM – cost €5.00.

Saturday, August 31: Access to the arena from 9:00 PM – cost €5.00.

Sunday, September 1:

Access to the exhibition area in Piazza Mazzini from 10:00 AM – cost €3.00.

Access to the arena with seats in the stands from 3:00 PM – cost €15.00 (ticket includes access to the entire exhibition area).

Pre-sales: Tickets will be available during the main events starting from August 25 and on Friday, August 30, Saturday, August 31, and Sunday, September 1.

Useful Information:

The historical parade, a highlight of the Palio, will start on Sunday, September 1, at 3:00 PM from Via Vittorio Veneto, passing through the city streets to Piazza Mazzini.

For those unable to access the arena, a large screen will be set up in Piazza Mazzini to broadcast the Palio competition.

Participation is open to everyone, with both free and paid events. Access will be regulated by colored wristbands to differentiate the areas.

The famous Antiques Fair of Arezzo is one of the most important and largest antique fairs in Italy, held every first Sunday of the month and the preceding Saturday.

Pictures and paintings, small jewels, ancient and modern furniture, carpets, clocks, silverware, toys, books and vintage prints, collection stamps, musical instruments, gramophones and radios: it is easy to be charmed and indulge in discovering one of the biggest and oldest Italian Antiques Fairs. 

In 1968 a famous antiquarian and collector of Arezzo, Ivan Bruschi, gave birth to this fair which still today fills with its curious bric-a-brac the old town centre, its streets, yards, Vasari Loggia and wonderful Piazza Grande, every first weekend of the month.

For two days the town changes into a multicolor scenery of treasures waiting to be discovered by tourists and collectors: over five hundreds exhibitors from all over Italy meet here with their furniture and objects of all periods and styles, while antiquarians and restorers have multiplied their business, opening their shops during the fair and showing their best items. Experts of antiques and

modern antique collecting find here plenty of particular specializations, such as, for instance, scientific tools, Art-Nouveau stained glass windows, Art Deco furnishing.