I Love Touring Italy - Sardinia Carnevale Season

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The island of Sardinia to the west of the Italian mainland (it's southwest of Rome) is among the most traditional regions of Italy and in fact of all Europe. So it's no surprise that this lovely region boasts a wide variety of spectacular Carnevales. Let's look at a few of them remembering that "once a year, you're allowed to go crazy" or as they said in Latin semel in anno licet insanire.

January Attractions of Southern Italy

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So you are hankering to visit southern Italy in January, but just aren't sure what to see and what to do. Don't despair; there are lots and lots of special events that simply aren't available in the good old summertime. Here are a few of them. Get rolling; Janaury is almost upon us. A Palio is a horse race that pits neighborhoods against one another. Pignola, Basilicata hosts the Palio of S. Antonio Abate in mid-January. Villa d'Agri, Basilicata celebrates Befana Canterina. You might know that Befana is an old woman dressed as a witch who gives sweets to the good kiddies and coal to the bad ones. In mid-January Rotondella, Basilicata hosts the Feast of Sant'Antonio Abate and Feast of Fire Festival on the following day. Corigliano Calabro hosts the Calabria Orange Festival and Procession.

Winter Attractions And Events In Sardinia

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The beautiful island of Sardinia that lies east of the Italian mainland has a relatively mild winter. And yet I know that you definitely would not want to sit in your shirtsleeves in a seaside cafe sipping a local wine. This indescribable pleasure will have to wait for the other seasons.

An Introduction To Grenoble

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Author: James Clark

Grenoble is a city in France situated at the southeastern part of the country. Its population is about 158,000 and it can be found right at the foot of the Alps where two rivers, Drac and Isere, meet.

History of Grenoble
Grenoble's earliest history dates back in the 43 BC when the Allobroges tribe inhabited the place. The town was then compounded with a wall built in 286 AD. The place was turned into a Roman city following Emperor Gratian's visit. Known as Cularo during that time, the city was renamed as Gratianopolis, meaning city of Gratian, during 381. Its name evolved to Graignovol in the Middle Age until it eventually settled to be permanently called Grenoble.

I Love Touring Italy - Carnevale Season In Tuscany

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It may surprise you to learn that the Florence Carnevale is by no means the most important one in Tuscany. But it is a good place to start. Sunday is really the best day to enjoy the activities. You'll find floats departing from Piazza Dante and multigenerational parades in the major squares and along the Lungarno Vespucci. One of the biggest events is the "Florence Carnival in the world" parade from Piazza Ognissanti to Piazza della Signoria that features floats coming from three dozen countries in five continents.

I Love Touring Italy - Springtime In Sicily

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Author: Levi Reiss

The island of Sicily lies to the southwest of southern Italy in the Mediterranean Sea. You may be surprised by the weather here, especially in early March. Don't expect to sip a coffee in a terrace by the seaside in the early spring. But by late March the wildflowers will be in bloom. By mid-May a beach outing is a real possibility. And it's strawberry season before the month is out.
The city of Modica, population about 55 thousand, on the southern coast has been named a UNESCO Heritage site along with its surroundings. Modica claims to have Italy's best chocolate since it was introduced by the Spanish conquistadors in the 1500s. On March 19 a bonfire burns all night long in front of the church of its patron saint, Saint George. On the 23rd of the month the city of Vittoria, population 60 thousand, situated near the southwestern coast presents the Feast of the Foundation, an exhibition of local wines. Two days later the city of Patti, population about 30 thousand, hosts the Annunziata's feast with a parade of little children dressed like angels and covered in gold. The last Friday of March the town of San Marco d'Alunzio, population 2 thousand, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Palermo in northern Sicily celebrates the Festa della Crocifisso. A solemn procession of thirty three hooded worshippers called Babaluti carry a Crucifix.

I Love Touring Italy - Carnevale Season In Trentino

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The bilingual (Italian and German) region of Trentino-Alto Adige is on the border of Switzerland and Austria in northeast Italy. Given its heavily Germanic character don't be surprised that Carnevale here is fairly unique.



The village of Valfloriana population about 500 is located some 15 miles (25 kilometers) northeast of Trento. Its Matoci Carnival is named after comical characters dressed in colorful outfits, festooned with bright ribbons and traditional wooden masks that cover their faces, known as "facere". One of the most spectacular events during the carnival period is the "Descent of the Matoci", a tradition here and in surrounding villages. A masked procession leaves the villages to meet at a village square. This descent symbolizes the return to normal life after a difficult winter spent in isolation. There's music, dancing, and sweets and a masked ball at night.

I Love Italian Travel - Umbria Carnevale Season

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The city of Sant'Eraclio, Umbria is situated approximately some 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of the regional capital, Perugia. Its Carnevale was originated back in 1542 by the Olivetani friars of Mormonzone, who lived in a nearby convent that has long been abandoned. These forward-looking friars felt that the local populace deserved their own merry-making on the streets to balance the local gentry's exclusive palace parties. Good for them! Originally Sant'Eraclio Carnevale meant parades of oxen-drawn carts festooned with branches and flowers, and the people dancing and singing to the music of flutes and trumpets played by men and women in the traveling carts. But during the Seventeenth Century the Church decried this Carnevale as sinful and banned it. I have the impression that the local gentry's exclusive palace parties were not banned. Approximately a century later Carnevale was allowed to resume, but in this region only in Sant'Eraclio. Carnivale continued here without interruption until the Second World War.

I Love Italian Travel - Sicily Carnevale Season

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Acireale, a city of about 50 thousand, is about fifty miles (eighty kilometers) north of Siracusa on the eastern coastline facing the Ionian Sea. This coast is called the Riviera dei Cilopi; according to Homer's Odyssey it was created when the blinded Cyclops Polyphemus flung boulders at the retreating Ulysses, creating spectacular rock pillars known as faraglioni. This great site hosts what is widely regarded as Sicily's finest Carnevale, one of the few that can compete with Venice's world-class offering.

I Love Touring Italy - Springtime In The Marches

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The Marches is a narrow region of central Italy that lies on the Adriatic Sea. Its capital and largest city, Ancona, population 100 thousand is a seaport in the middle of the region. This is the real, traditional Italy. Like many parts of Italy, the region warms quickly during the spring months. You may want to start your spring vacation in The Marches in the town of Porto San Giorgio, population about 16 thousand, about halfway down the Adriatic coast from Ancona. On the third weekend of March this city is host to a Food Festival of typical regional products. There are literally hundreds of stalls and stands. One of the best wines in this region, the Rosso Conero Riserva DOCG comes from this area.

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The city of Fermignano, population 8500, located about 40 miles (70 kilometers) west of Ancona, holds the Golden Frog Race (Palio) on the Sunday after Easter. This means April 11, 2010 and May 1, 2011. In this race human competitors must keep their tiny racing frogs from leaving their wheelbarrows. This frog racing tradition seems to have started just over four hundred years ago. After this late afternoon race there is a historical, costumed pageant and then fireworks. I certainly wouldn't ask for frogs legs at a local trattoria. During the final week of April the city of Marotta di Mondolfo, population about 11 thousand, situated approximately 25 miles (35 kilometers west of Ancona) hosts the Sagra dei Garagoj food festival. "Garagoj" in the dialect signifies a special fish cooked by local fishermen on the beach. You might want to accompany this fish with a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC or a Verdicchio di Matelica DOC white wine but be careful, their quality varies greatly. On the first Sunday in May, the town of Tolentino, population about 20 thousand presents the historic Le Marche Festa. This military pageant recreates the Napoleonic period in its nearby Castello della Rancia commemorating the 1815 battle that some call the first battle in the war for Italian independence. The town of Camerino, population 7 thousand, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Ancona, holds the Fifteenth Century Le Marche Festa between the first and second weeks of May that coincides with the festival of its patron saint, San Venanzio. This celebration features food, games, and wine. One highlight is the Corsa alla spada in which competitors race up the town's wonderful steep alleys and streets. Don't miss the Giostra della Quintana (historical jousting tournament). I can't promise you any Fifteenth Century wine. ----------------------------------------------------Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but he prefers drinking fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and people. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel website http://www.travelitalytravel.com which includes information on Italian wine and food.

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