Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

The 2011 summer sales season in Italy starts on July 2nd. Unlike the previous years, in 2011 there is a single start date — July 2nd — for each of the Italian regions.

Our usual recommendation: even the sales season runs through a couple of months, you get the best deals only if you are shopping in the early weeks.

Another piece of advice we can offer to tourists who are visiting Florence, or Tuscany, or Rome, is paying a visit to the large fashion malls located in the surroundings of the cities.
They include hundreds of stores featuring top designer brands all in one place. There, you can buy designer items at very reduced prices — this is the case all year round, even better during the sale season.

A few addresses you could find helpful about fashion malls: in the surroundings of Rome — 15km away from city center — “Castel Romano Designer Outlet”; “Valdichiana Outlet Village” is a very handy fashion mall for those who are visiting Tuscany or Umbria; if you are visiting Florence you could visit The Mall in Leccio Reggello, it is just 33km away from the city center.

The “Notturna di San Giovanni” — “Nocturnal San Giovanni” — is an annual 10 km run taking place at night through the historic streets of Florence in June — the 2011 edition is scheduled on June18.

The race starts at 9.00PM in Piazza Duomo; finishing point is in the splendid scenery of Piazza S. Giovanni on the parvis of the Cathedral.

If you feel 10km is too much you can opt for a reduced non-competitive 4.7 km route.

When: June 18, 2011 (annual)
Where: Florence – Piazza del Duomo.

For details and enrollment information of the Notturna di San Giovanni, please follow this link http://www.firenzemarathon.it/index.php?lang=en .

Enthusiasts of Italian “Gelato” are gathering in Florence the last week of May to attend a major ice cream festival.

The “Firenze Gelato Festival” is an event entirely devoted to the Italian ice cream taking place from May 25 to 29, 2011 in Florence.

Ice cream makers from all over Italy as well as the ice cream shops located in Florence participating in the card circuit will offer visitors a chance to taste any gelato flavour.

Main venues for “Firenze Gelato Festival” include Piazza Pitti and Piazza della Repubblica, which will be hosting a Sammontana Village set for the event.

When: May 25 – 29;
Where: Florence.
Details of “Firenze Gelato Festival” can be found at http://firenzegelatofestival.it/english/home .

Florence‘s residents are used to start Easter day attending the ritual of “Sacred Colombina” and “Explosion of the Cart”.

The Colombina is a dove-shaped rocket flying out of the Duomo during the Easter Mass and igniting a huge wooden cart-structure — the Carro — in Piazza del Duomo square.
After setting fire to the huge array of fireworks attached to the wooden cart the Colombina returns back into the Duomo.
The cart arrives in Piazza del Duomo pulled by two white oxen and accompanied by costumed revellers, city officials and clerical representatives.

When: Easter Day – 11am (annually).
Where: Florence – Piazza del Duomo.

Below is a video of the “Sacred Colombina” and “Explosion of the Cart”.

The winter sales season in Italy starts early January. Below is the 2011 winter sales schedule with the start date for each of the regions.

Lombardy (Milan) Jan 6; Lazio (Rome) Jan 6; Tuscany (Florence, Siena etc…) Jan 6; Umbria (Perugia, Assisi etc…) Jan 6; Veneto (Venice, Padova etc..) Jan 6; Campania (Naples, Capri, Amalfi Coast…) Jan 2; Liguria (Genoa, Ligurian Riviera, Cinque Terre…) Jan 6; Emilia Romagna (Bologna) Jan 6; Piedmont (Turin) Jan 2; Sicily Jan 2; Sardegna Jan 8; Marche Jan 6; Apulia Jan 6; Friuli Venezia Giulia Jan 3; Trentino Alto Adige Jan 8; Valle d’Aosta Jan 10; Molise Jan 2; Abruzzo (L’Aquila) Jan 6; Basilicata Jan 2; Calabria Jan 2.

Please, be aware, even the sales season lasts around 60 days, you could grab the best deals only in the early weeks.