Archive for 'Events'

The Siena Tourist Promotion office has now set out a number of URBAN TREKKING itineraries inside the town walls of Siena....

Urban trekking is a sport for all. Following an itinerary on foot through the hilly city streets of Siena does not require any special training. It is a perfect way of toning up the mind and body ! Ideal also for children, urban trekking is a new and entertaining way to get to know the history and artistic beauty of Siena where it is still possible to walk around easily and breathe clean air.

This is really a fine time to visit Tuscany, it's less crowded and time for the grape harvest harvest, porcini mushrooms and more...

In many villages the so called "sagre" are being organized, it's a
village party and everybody is welcome to taste the local specialties. They really are a good excuse for eating good food and drinking some delicious wine!

It's no secret that the Italian calendar is full of holidays, festivals and local events. A country that has been around for so many centuries, and has a such a plethora of history can hardly avoid traditions like these. If you are traveling to Italy, it can be very good to know if any are going on during your visit. Sometimes you may not realize that much of the city will be closed down for a holiday, or you may want to attend a festival in one town and have to adjust your schedule.

Martha Bakerjian over at Ask.com has put together a great resource for travelers: a list of all the events, festivals and holidays in Italy for the month of July. Included are dates, a bit of information about each, and date and time information when relevant as well. Be sure to click over and see if there are any events to pique your interest during your vacation this year!

July Festivals, Holidays and Events in Italy

Trains are a very common site in Italy, so one could easily overlook one of the trains that is now traveling Italy but has something unusual aboard: a fantastic collection of art from the past five hundred years! The event is titled "From Titian to Street Art: Five Hundred Years of Italian Art" and it sets out from Rome on October 1st. The train will be stopping in over twenty cities in its forty day trek across Italy, stopping in cities for a day or two.

The initiative is in response to the fact that only ten percent of Italians frequently visit the innumerable art galleries, exhibitions and museums across Italy.  With this in mind, the curators and sponsors of the 'art train' are bringing the art to the people. Though the train will be concluding its journey in Lombardy, it will spend much of its time in the south, where museums are not as prevalent as in the north.

Sitting atop three hillsides that dominate their section of the Arno river valley, San Miniato has resided for hundreds of years. Recorded history dates back to the time of Etruscans and the Romans, but archaeological evidence shows that a settlement of some type has existed on this spot since the Paleolithic era.

The city today lies in the province of Pisa and has roughly 27,000 people in it. On first inspection, San Miniato may not appear to be anything out of the ordinary for Tuscany. Look closer, and a bit lower and you just might find something though...

San Miniato is known for not something that grows above ground, such as the olives and grapes that are so iconic for the region. Instead, this small town produces 25% of Italy's white truffles, prized by chefs and gourmands everywhere. Known as the Tuber Magnatum Pico, or the Food of the Kings, it grows only centimeters below the ground and can be found in a very limited area. As many things in Italy, strict laws govern how the truffles can be gathered and sold. It was here in San Miniato that the largest white truffle on record was found. It was presented as a gift to a visiting Harry Truman just after the end of his presidency in 1954.