Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

The city of Arezzo, Tuscany (70km from Siena, 70km from Florence), hosts a medieval festival the first Sunday of September.

The festival, “the Giostra del Saracino” — “Jousting of the Saracens”, offers medieval costumes parades and a jousting tournament with contestants on battle horses competing in the historic Piazza Giorgio Vasari for the prize of the Golden Lance.
The historical origins of this festival date back as far as to1260 when a jousting display was held to honour the knighting of Hildebrand Giratasca.

The city of Arezzo, around one hour by train from Florence, is also well-known as one of the most renowned centers in the world for jewelry making.

When: Sep 5, 2010 (two annual editions: third Sunday of June, first Sunday of September);
where: Arezzo (Tuscany)
For details and programme, visit the festival website: www.lagiostradelsaracino.it .

The hill-top town of Montepulciano, in the surroundings of Siena, Tuscany, hosts the “Bravio delle Botti” Festival last week of August.
The climax of the festival is the barrel rolling contest with contenders — eight neighbourhood teams — rolling empty wine barrels through the narrow streets of the town.

The origin of Bravio delle Botti dates back to the 17th century. It is a historic festival offering a week of ceremonies, shows and tastings of local specialties.

Also, as Montepulciano is located in a major wine-growing zone, it offers the opportunity to sample the excellent wines this area of Tuscany produces.

When: August 21 - 29, 2010 (annual);
where: Montepulciano (Tuscany)
Here you have the festival programme.

The town of Torre del Lago, located 5 kilometres away from the magnificent beach resort of Viareggio (Tuscan Riviera) and 18 kilometres from Pisa, hosts the annual Opera festival “Puccini Festival” from July 16 through August 22, 2010.

The festival draws crowds of Opera lovers and tourists who wish to visit the places where the most beloved composer of the 20th century lived.

The venue, Torre del Lago’s Puccini Teatro all’Aperto — open-air theatre — is located just a few steps from Villa Puccini, the Villa Mausoleum where the beloved composer  lived, worked and is buried. Here you have the festival program.

Where: Torre del Lago (4km from Tuscan Riviera, 18km from Pisa)
When: July 16 through August 22, 2010 (annual).

Those who are visiting Florence in the last week of July, have the chance to experience a trip into the Middle Ages.

The town of Vinci, Leonardo’s hometown, around 40 km from Florence, is hosting the Unicorn Festival.
It is a medieval festival featuring elves, witches, duels, magic shows, archery contests and Gothic music.

When: July 24 - 25, 2010 (annual)
Where: Vinci (surroundings of Florence)

- How to get there
By rail: take the Florence - Pisa train, get off at Empoli station. From there, take bus — Copit line — to Vinci.

Details of Unicorn Festival can be found on http://festaunicorno.com/.

The Opera Festival, annual lyrical festival of Tuscany, offers a series of performances from June through July in Florence and Siena.

The locations for the 2010 Opera Festival include The Boboli Gardens, possibly the world’s greatest example of Italian-style garden, located in the ancient heart of Florence and the San Galgano Abbey, splendid ruins of a Middle Ages Abbey, located in the surroundings of Siena.

When: June 7 - July 31, 2010 (annual)
Where: Boboli Gardens (Florence) and San Galgano Abbey (Chiusdino - Siena)

Festival details and programme can be found at festivalopera.it.