Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

Below a video of the “Orange Battle” in the town of Ivrea (Piedmont).
The event takes place the four closing days of Carnival — Saturday, Sunday, and Monday running up to Shrove Tuesday — in the streets and squares all over town.

The orange fights are held between teams of orange throwers on foot and hooded people standing on carts drawn by horses.

Living Nativity Scenes are among the major attractions for visitors Umbria has to offer during the Christmas season. Visitors have a chance to experience the flavour of a real Christmas of the past when visiting one of the many historic towns and villages in Umbria featuring living Nativity Scenes.

Among the medieval towns hosting a Nativity Scene worth to see, are Corciano (just 10km from Perugia) and Gubbio.
Gubbio, which boasts a wealth of Christmas traditions and historic sites to visit, also has earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records for having the largest Christmas tree in the world.
It is not a real tree, it is a mountain — Mount Ingino — which through Christmas decorations takes the shape of a Christmas tree (800-metre high, 400-metre wide tree). There are 12 kilometres of extensive Christmas decorations illuminating all the way running from the center of the town to up the slopes of Mount Ingino.

Those who love good music,should consider a visit to Orvieto.
This historic hill town, one of the most visited historic centers in Umbria, offers a major jazz festival, Umbria Jazz Winter, from Dec 28 through Jan 1st.
Umbria Jazz Winter is the sister event of Perugia’s summer jazz festival. Visitors can enjoy afternoon and evening concerts, jazz lunches and dinners and many more jazz events also including a New Year’s Day ceremonial mass in the cathedral featuring a gospel choir.

The hill-top town of Cortona, in Tuscany, hosts the annual Tuscan Sun Festival from July 30 through August 7.

Tuscan Sun Festival is one of major cultural events in Europe.
It features classical music, art exhibitions and many other art events drawing some of the world’s finest musicians, authors, artists, critics, and historians.

Also, with the festival offering a number of art events exploring the five senses, food and wine tastings are a natural addition to the Tuscan Sun Festival schedule.

Cortona, located close to major wine growing zones, is a delightful historic town with roots in the Etrurian times. A trip there is worth regardless of festival.

When: July 30 through August 7, 2011 (annual)
Where: Cortona (Tuscany).

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.