Archive for 'June'

Music lovers of the world, and fans of rock, in particular, take note: you’re going to want to find a luxury villa in Florence and head to the city next June. Not only is that when the city is alive and abuzz with tourists and activity and an endless list of things to see and do, it is when one of the best rock music festivals in Europe takes place: Firenze Rocks.

Firenze Rocks is a rock music festival that takes place annually at the Visarno Arena in the Parco delle Cascine in Florence and is one of the main and most exciting music events of the summer that takes place in Tuscany and in Italy. Established four years ago, the amazing line-ups of the festival in the past few editions have led to great excitement in recent years and have seen tickets sell out within minutes, attracting thousands of fans to come from all over the country and Europe. In 2018, an astounding 200,000 people attended the festival!

Pisa has quite the calendar of incredible events and festivals that are steeped in local history and rich in Tuscan culture, which take place at various points throughout the year. One of the biggest of these events is the Luminara Festival, which takes place in June and is celebrated in honour of San Ranieri, the patron saint of the city. This sees the city get lit up magically by tens of thousands of candles upon nightfall and is a truly majestic thing to behold. The day after, however, there is another fascinating celebration: a historical regatta takes place on the same waters that were illuminated the night before, and the Arno plays host to an exciting boat race. To experience this exciting and colourful festival as a whole, just find a vacation rental in Pisa and plan a trip for the middle of June!

Dating back to 1688, the festival traces its origins to when the Grand Duke of Tuscany ordered that San Ranieri’s ashes be transferred from the simple urn that had thus far contained them to a more decorative and modern urn. As they were being moved from one urn to the other, a procession of pilgrims with candles walked alongside it as a mark of respect and the festival that continues to this day recreates these events in honour of their beloved patron saint.

Tuscany is home to lots of unique traditions and interesting local festivals that take place throughout the region. These are wonderful, colourful events, that combine history, tradition, elaborate costumes, delicious food, live music, performances, parades, and much more. One particularly fascinating festival that takes place each summer is the Battle of the Bridge in Pisa. Held annually on the last Saturday of June, just after the San Ranieri festival celebrations, the Battle of the Bridge brings the whole city alive in a unique way and is a must for those who have found a vacation rental in Pisa.

Taking place on the Ponte di Mezzo bridge, one of several that cross the Arno in Pisa, the event sees the neighbourhoods of the city divide into two teams – the Mezzogiorno for districts south of the Arno and the Tramontana for those north of the Arno – to try and take over the side of the bridge occupied by the other team. This is done by trying to place an iron cart on their side of the bridge and while it sounds a little silly, it is actually a wonderful traditional event that locals adore and really get involved with.

A post shared by Cartasia Biennale della Carta (@cartasia_official) on Mar 8, 2018 at 1:39am PST

Cartasia is a rather special art show that is dedicated entirely to one medium: paper. Established in 2004, the International Paper Biennial Show aims to promote “tradition, culture, sustainability and innovation through art and design”. This year's edition will be its ninth and will take place in the city of Lucca between July and September 2018. So, if you have found a luxury villa in Lucca and are planning a visit any time over the summer, be sure to check it out! Art lovers, in particular will enjoy the exhibitions, talks and other fun events.

A post shared by Andrea Pucci (@prookie78) on Jun 22, 2017 at 10:22am PDT

On the 16th of June each year Pisa is home to the Luminara of San Ranieri Festival. Commemorating and celebrating the city’s Patron Saint, San Ranieri, it sees the whole town lit up magically by tens of thousands of candles upon nightfall. Dating back to 1688, the festival is said to trace its origins to when a simple urn containing the ashes of San Ranieri in a local cathedral was transferred to a more decorative modern urn by order of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.