FESTIVAL AND EVENTS
Umbria has an enormous variety and number of traditional events throughout the year. Below is a brief list of a few of the events in the area of Villa San Savino. This is not a comprehensive list and does not include details of the numerous musical concerts, theatre shows, antique fairs and sporting events that take place during the summer.
FEBRUARY
Terni – ‘St Valentine. A year of loving’
The month of February is dedicated to festivities in honour of St Valentine.
Norcia – ‘Fair of the prized Norcia Black Truffle’
An agricultural / food products fair which promotes the gastronomic specialities of the Valerina, in particular the prized black truffle as well as sausages, salamis, cheeses, Castelluccio lentils and wild berries.
APRIL
Todi – ‘Italian Antique Exhibition’
This exhibition is now considered a tradition and a no-miss event for antique lovers and dealers, hosting the most prestigious names in the Italian antique trade.
Assisi – ‘Easter Week – Settimana Santa
Easter week in Assisi is especially moving and there are a whole series of appointments over seven days for devotees and visitors.
Gubbio
Processione del Cristo Morto Good Friday
Città di Castello
Processione del Cristo Morto Good Friday
Bastia Umbra
National Antique Show
Corciano
Primavera dell’artigianato
Artisan fair in the streets of the old town centre
MAY
Narni
Race of the Ring
Cavaliers fight in a direct duel of ability and speed to collect rings with their lances.
Assisi
Calendimaggio
A spectacular evocation of medieval and Renaissance costumes.
The two districts of the town compete in a series of concerts and shows, among amazing floral decorations, torches, flags and candles, dances, processions, archery, crossbow and flag-waving displays.
‘National Antique Trade Fair’
One of the biggest springtime events in the antique art trade.
Gubbio
Festa dei Ceri
This festival is one of the most unusual popular events in the religious calendar. In honour of the patron saint St. Ubaldo, three teams compete in a race through the town to the top of Mount Ingino, carrying the ‘ceri’ – enormous wooden figures symbolizing the three saints.
Palio della Balestra
The crossbow or "Balista" was an important weapon and the prowess of bowmen of Gubbio renowned, Today a ritual Middle Age tournament between the old Biturgio (Sansepolcro) and Gubbio is renewed periodically when, at the end of the May blossom, the crossbowmen of Biturgo, accept the challenge of Gubbio and cross the gates of the city in order to compete.
JUNE
Spello
Infiorate del Corpus Domini
The traditional festival of Corpus Domini is held in Mid June and is marked by wonderful works of art created literally on the street using thousands of different coloured flower petals. The preparation requires weeks of work but the compositions are completed with fresh flowers during the course of one night.
Corciano
Infiorata di San Luigi Gonzaga
Flower petals also carpet the streets of Corciano
Bevagna
Il Mercato della Gaite
A faithful recreation of Bevagna in the middle ages. People walk around and go about their daily business in full costume and little shops open up selling handicrafts. There are numerous taverne to eat and drink in and the whole thing is enriched by concerts, shows and demonstrations of medieval arts and crafts.
Foligno – ‘Quintana Tournament’- Giostra della Quintana
A tournament held on horseback based on a tradition of knights competing for their lady-loves. On the eve of the competition, a procession of 600 people parade in costume through the streets. The contest is highly spectacular and usually held at night.
Orvieto – ‘Procession for Corpus Christ’- Corpus Domini
To celebrate the miracle of the Mass at the tomb of St Christina in 1264 a historical procession is held in which 400 figurants take part. On the eve of the festival there is a parade with ladies in 13th-century costumes and medieval music, songs and dances.
JULY
Spoleto
Spoleto Festival:
Festival dei due Mondi
One of the most prestigious international events and offers performances of theatre, dance, opera, concerts and art exhibitions.
Perugia (and various other towns nearby)
Umbria Jazz Festival
Launched in 1973, today it is one of the most important jazz events in Europe. It has in time hosted the greatest modern jazz musicians. The event lasts ten full days: a hundred or so concerts take place from morning to night among the ancient buildings in the historic centre of Perugia.
Siena
Palio 2 July 2007
Horse race in the central Piazza del Campo. It is one of the most famous folkloristic demonstrations of medieval origin that sparks up rivalry between the 17 districts of the town. The demonstration includes costume shows, ensign’s exhibitions but above all a horse race, dramatic, intense and very short. Preceded by trial races the two days before.
Magione
Trasimeno Music festival
Passignano
Palio delle Barche End of July 2007
This palio involves approx. 160 contestants in a gruelling race in three separate stages, on the water, on the lakeside and up the winding streets of the historic centre, either rowing or carrying their boats. The highly spectacular palio is the only one of its kind in the world, and draws enormous crowds each year.
Montone
Umbria Film Festival
Films shown in the small open piazza each evening. Mike Leigh,
Terry Gilliam and Mike Figis have been presented with the keys of the town in the past few years.
Castiglion del Lago
Trasimeno Blues end of July 2007
San Felicano – Festa del Giacchio
A festa on the shores of Lake Trasimeno featuring, naturally enough, fish from the lake cooked in several ways. There are concerts and dances and the whole thing culminates in a spectacular firework display.
AUGUST
Città della Pieve
Palio dei Terzieri Medieval festival between the 3 boroughs of the town.
Città di Castello
Festival delle Nazioni di Musica da Camera
Siena
Palio, Piazza del Campo, August
Preceded by trial races the two days before.
Montepulciano
Bravio delle Botti Last Sunday of month
Barrel race through the town.
Montone
Donation of the Holy Thorn.
Enactment of the story of a thorn from the Crown of Thorns, captured as a prize by a Crusader being donated to the church in Montone. Costumes abound and the town celebrates.
Preggio – ‘Festival of Chamber and Sacred Music’
A series of concerts held in the church at Preggio, a beautiful hilltop village.
Corciano – ‘Corciano Festival’
A series of concerts, theatre shows, pageants and conferences with exhibitions of the work of Umbrian artists.
SEPTEMBER
Arezzo
Giostra del Saraceno First Sunday of month.
Jousting by knights in armour.
Perugia
Sagra Musicale Umbra.
One of the most important and prestigious Umbrian cultural events. First works and new musical interpretations are presented here and many famous conductors and composers have been guests of the Festival.
Città di Castello
Mostra Nazionale del Cavallo.
Horse show.
Montefalco
XXVII Oenological week.
A week for tasting Sagrantino and Montefalco Rosso in their home town.
OCTOBER
Perugia
Eurochocolate-
A great event dedicated to the lovers of the Food of the Gods, which every year turns the town into a lively confectioner’s shop, featuring the biggest names in Italian and international chocolate making.
Assisi
Celebrazioni per San Francesco.
Celebrations in honour of St. Francis.
The national celebrations in honour of St. Francis, patron saint of Italy, take place among solemn ceremonies in the basilicas of St. Francis and S. Maria degli Angeli.
Montone
Festa del bosco.
Informal dining in the streets from the spoils of the woods. Stalls selling excellent food products – honey, porcini mushrooms etc
Preggio – ‘Chestnut Festival’ – Sagra della Castagna
All the basement rooms of the old houses of the village open up as tiny botteghe and restaurants with varied menus and in the piazza there are roast chestnuts and plentiful red wine. If the sun shines on the Sunday of the festa there are thousands of visitors to this tiny village with resulting chaos for traffic: it's worth the effort but get there early.
Gubbio – ‘Trade Fair of White Truffles and Agro-Food Products’
This is one of the top events in the autumn calendar, both for the extraordinary quality of the local white truffle and the other exquisite foods on display – cheeses, prosciutto, salami, and extra virgin olive oil.
NOVEMBER
Città di Castello
Mostra dei Tartufi.
Truffle fair. Entering the large marquees in the main square of the city the scent of truffles makes your nose twitch. Stalls selling both fresh truffles and their products and other goodies abound.
FLEA MARKETS
Arezzo 1st weekend of the month
Cortona and Città di Castello 3rd weekend of the month
Perugia 4th weekend of the month
DECEMBER
Christmas in Umbria
At Christmas-tide solemnites are celebrated in the churches of Assisi. Concerts of church music and choirs are held in all the places of worship. There are many artistic crèches of great beauty to be enjoyed and also living crèches that are enacted in many towns.
The ‘presepe’ at Corciano is very special as the whole of the historical centre is lined with life-sized models of Three Kings, Baby Jesus and every medieval tradesmen you can think of. Also there is a typical products market.
Spectacular and charming in the Christmas Tree of Gubbio – the largest in the world.
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