Festivals and Celebrations

Many regions of Italy maintain the generations-old tradition of putting on local festivals to celebrate not only religious holidays but also the arrival of the new season’s crops. It is a matter of pride, particularly in this agricultural central area of Italy, that a rich vegetable harvest, a prolific haul from the sea or the careful husbandry of animals for meat or dairy products should be celebrated with a feast. Festivals bring whole villages or towns together, year after year, with traditional rituals, songs and dancing, as well as a wealth of regional foods being cooked and served to festival-goers. The Italians love an excuse for a party, and from the large religious ceremonies to the smallest, most unusual festivals, these celebrations are well worth a visit.