The uniqueness of every Tuscan province is seen not only in landscapes and architecture, but also in different traditions, tournaments, festivals, holidays.
The costume performances which revive medieval traditions are especially interesting. Many Tuscan cities and towns, for example, Siena, Arezzo, Pistoia, Pisa, etc. invite to take part in them.
It is worth drawing your attention to fests of food. Many Tuscan cities and towns are famous for some unique recipe. Feasts and fairs are often held in honor of the traditional dish. The most well-known example is the San Miniato white truffle fair.
Tuscany invites you to festivals and holidays all year round.
January – February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
Novermber
December
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The Viareggio Carnival, which dates back to 1873, is the main festive event in Tuscany. The carnival is held at the beginning of the year, before the Catholic Lent. Pageants are held during three weekends, as well as on the so-called “Fat Tuesday”.
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A horse race, known all over the world as the Palio, is held twice a year in the Tuscan city of Siena. The Palio competition lasts eight days, from the 29th of June till the 2nd of July, and from the 13th of August till the 16th of August. The second of July and the sixteenth of August are the official dates of the feast.
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Festival in Honor of St Ranieri in Pisa
Every year, in the middle of July, there is a festival in honor of its saint patron, San Ranieri, in Pisa, one of the most famous cities in Tuscany.
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The main holiday in the city of Pistoia, located in Tuscany, Italy, is held annually on the 25th of July. The so-called “Bear Tournament” (Italian: Giostra dell' Orso) takes place on this day.
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Crossbow Competition in Massa Marittima
The crossbow competition in Massa Marittima is one of the brightest, most unforgettable events which revive the history of Tuscany. The Italian name for the holiday is “Balestro del Girifalco”.
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The so-called Saracen Tournament, “Giostra del Saracino”, is organized in Arezzo annually. It is held on the third Saturday of June and on the first Sunday of September. The Saracen Tournament has a long history. The contest held on the 6th of August, 1535 is mentioned in the old papers of Arezzo.
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Historical Football in Florence
The rules of historical football differ greatly from the modern ones. The most remarkable difference is the number of players. Teams of 27 people come to the football field by the Santa Croce Cathedral. The game lasts 50 minutes.
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Easter in Florence involves the old tradition of the “Scoppio del Carro”. The name of the ceremony is translated in a rather unusual way, “the explosion of the cart”. The colorful ceremony has a long history dating back to the times of the first Crusade.
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Monteriggioni Wears a Crown of Towers
The long Tuscan list of medieval festivals includes an important one held at the ancient town of Monteriggioni. This is the festival called «Monteriggioni di Torri si Corona» which means Monteriggioni wears a crown of towers.For the first time, the festival of «Monteriggioni di Torri si Corona» was held in the year of 1991. However, in no time it turned to be one of the best medieval feasts of Italy.
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Archer Tournament and The Medieval Week in Cortona
Every year, on the first Sunday of June, the Archer tournament is held in the old town of Cortona. In Italian its name sounds like «Giostra dell'Archidado». This feast is the main event and the festive final of the week of medieval culture. At the end of May, Cortona gets its medieval look again.
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Barrel Rolling in Montepulciano
The historic festival is held in the tiny Tuscan town of Montepulciano on the last August Sunday. The contest named Bravio delle Botti culminates the feast. The race starts only in the evening; colorful ceremonies, festive dinner, and historic parade with standard bearers and drummers precede it. The bell rings at 19 00 to start the competition.
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Diotto and the Medieval Festival in Scarperia
A small town of Scarperia becomes much more livable in September. Starting with the first Sunday of September, a number of events take place here. Held on September, 8, Diotto is the main one among them.
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The small Tuscan town of Scarperia literally busts into blossom on the last Sunday of May. The flower festival named Infiorata is held here for one day from ten o’clock in the morning till ten o’clock at night.
Streets and squares of the center of the town are covered with flower pictures. Flower beds are made from petals, buds and leaves. Mostly they are carnations. The day before it, town volunteers, students, and traders patiently collect them preparing “colors” for prospective masterpieces.
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Every year on the third and the fourth Sunday of August old Volterra invites guests to the unique Volterra AD 1398 medieval festival, «Giornata di Festa nell’Anno Domini 1398». This festival is a richly decorated and diverse in contents historic reconstruction. Though the official dates of the festival are only two Sundays, in reality the holiday occupies much more time.
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Festival of flags “Astiludio” in Volterra
Old Volterra invites to the festival of flags “Astiludio” on the first Sunday of September.The colorful festival alludes to the historic events of the XV century. On the 18th of October 1406 two couriers arrived in Volterra with the news that the Florentine troops had triumphed over the Pisans a couple of days before, on the 9th of October. At that time Volterra was an ally of Florence, so the news was taken jubilantly.
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The Palio Races in honor of St Isidora (Palio di San Isidoro) are held every year on the second Sunday of July in a small town of Casole d’Elsa.Visiting Casole d’Elsa while the Palio di San Isidoro races, you’ll fully feel the Italian hot temper, get acquainted with interesting traditions and enjoy the astonishing beauty of the Elsa river valley.
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Festival of the Thrush in Montalcino
The festival of the thrush, Sagra del Tordo, is held in the old Tuscan town of Montalcino on the last October weekend. Most often, the word «sarga» refers to gastronomic festivals in Italy which are dedicated to some specific food or dish typical for the area. On the Sagra del Tordo festival, according to its name, you can try the specialty. However, it’s not only culinary secrets of cooking thrushes that makes essence of this feast. «Sarga del Tordo» is a medieval festival.
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White Truffle Festival in San Miniato
The White Truffle Festival (Mercato del Bianco Tartufo di San Miniato) is organized annually in the town of San Miniato located in Tuscany, Italy. The event is held on three last weekends of November. Tuscany has a long tradition of one product festivals called sagra. A town or a village, known for its gastronomic traditions, holds a fest dedicated to the local delicacy.
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Concert of Andrea Bocelli in Lajatico
The Concert of Andrea Bocelli in Lajatico is organized just once a year, in the middle of summer. The concerts are held at the amphitheater “Teatro del Silenzio”, which means “The Theater of Silence”. The name is symbolical, as just once a year it receives musicians and viewers.
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