Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

The best time to visit the archaeological site of Pompeii could be late April and early May. The weather is enjoyable and you will find no crowds.

Also this season offers a couple of interesting events taking place in the surroundings.
From April 15 through May 29, you can enjoy guided tours to museums and monuments all over Naples. It is an event, “May of Monuments“, promoting historical and cultural sites in Naples.
When: April 15 through May 29;
Where: Naples.

From April 1 through 25, a food festival, “Sapori & Saperi“, celebrates the best of regional and local food specialties of Italy. A chance to taste the most famous Italian regional food, prized culinary delicacies such as, for example, buffalo mozzarella and to sample excellent local wines.
The venue for this food festival is the Pompei’s Santuario delle Beata Vergine.
When: April 1 through 25 (annual);
Where: Pompei’s Santuario delle Beata Vergine.

Rome celebrates the anniversary of its foundation from April 20 to 22.
The Eternal City was founded by Romulus in 753BC, with the start of the works, as tradition says, on April 21. So this is the date Romans annually celebrate the birth of Rome, so called “Natale di Roma“.

Circo Massimo is the venue hosting most of the events.

An impressive historical parade is among the major attractions of Natale di Roma. It is an ancient Rome-costume parade starting at Circo Massimo and going through major other historic sites, Via del Teatro di Marcello, Piazza Venezia, Via dei Fori Imperiali, Colosseo to end at Circo Massimo.

The “Dea Roma” is a contest celebrating the beauty of the Goddess of Rome. It draws female candidates from everywhere — Roman citizenship is not needed to apply to the contest — with the winner who will lead the great historical parade crossing Via dei Fori Imperiali on Sunday April 22.

The website gsr-roma.com offers details on how to apply as well as schedule and information about the Birth of Rome celebrations.

When: Apr 20 - 22, 2012 (annual);
Where: Rome - Circo Massimo (Directions by Metro: B line, get off at Circo Massimo).

The last week-end of March in Italy, Giornata FAI di Primavera festival offers the chance to visit museums, gardens, churches, ancient villas and other interesting historic sites for free.

The festival, celebrating art and culture in Italy, also offers the unique chance to visit sites usually not accessible to public that will be open to public viewing during this special week-end.

Here you have a complete list of sites that will be open free during 2012 Giornata FAI di Primavera, as well as itineraries and excursions you can enjoy during the week-end.
For a list of sites offering also guided visits in English and few other languages see here.

When: March 24-25 (annual, last week-end of March);
Where: historic sites across Italy.

For those who want to taste black truffle, the mountain town of Norcia offers a big chance late February.

This historic town located at the foothills of the Apennines mountains, in Umbria, hosts its National Exhibition of Black Truffle in the two last week-ends of February.

The event is much more than only black truffle, it offers the chance to taste very unique local produces and delicacies.
Norcineria, the pork processing technique through which Prosciutti, Salami and other pork delicacies well known worldwide are obtained, originates from this town.
And just to name a couple more unique produces and delicacies Norcia has to offer, the lentils from Castelluccio, grown within the National Park of Monti Sibillini and the cheeses of Norcia, obtained with the traditional ancient production techniques.

A trip to Norcia — just 180 km from Rome — , offers the chance to experience unique flavors and ancient culinary traditions, while enjoying one of the most gorgeous mountain landscapes and areas of natural beauty in Italy.

When: last two week-ends of February (annual)
Where: Norcia (Umbria).
Program and detailed info are available at www.neronorcia.it .

Turin hosts its annual chocolate festival, CioccolaTO’, from March 2 through 11.
Ten days of tastings, classes, competitions and many more chocolate themed events.

The historic square Piazza Vittorio Veneto is the main venue for CioccolaTO’, but many shops and cafés located in the historic district of Turin will offer tastings and the chance to experience something linked to chocolate.
Even many restaurants will offer a chocolate themed menu and the chance to taste recipes based on chocolate.

When: March 2 through 11, 2012
Where: Turin (Piazza Vittorio Veneto).
Festival program and detailed info are available at www.cioccola-to.it .