JANUARY

FLORENCE: Epiphany, Celebration of the three wise men. Traditional events from                 1417. A parade with beautiful renaissance costumes that starts from Palazzo Pitti and ends at Piazza del Duomo.

 FEBRUARY

VIAREGGIO: Viareggio- carnival. One of the  most popular carnivals in Italy, situated on the beach avenue of Viareggio. More than   200 people are participating, dressed as for instance politicians, super heroes and mythical figures.

FLORENCE:  Chocolate Market in Piazza Santa Maria Novella. Everything  is in Fairtrade.

 MARCH

FLORENCE: Florentine New Year. A parade of medieval costumes and music starting at  Palazzo Vecchio and going through the city. On the Piazza SS Annunziata is an outdoor market between the  9:00 and 15:00, and various stalls with italian traditional food.

CHANTI: Easter Monday, Antique Market in Piazza Matteotti, Greve. At this market you findl everything from rustic furniture, ceramics, antique- glasses and silverware to  old postcards, paintings and coin collections.

APRIL

LUCCA:    Spring market on the wall. 150 exhibitors selling everything from plants and garden tools to food and fruits. The market is on the wall between  Porta Santa Maria and Pfanner Garden.

LUCCA: Dance meeting. Dance performances at the various pizzas of Lucca, with both national and international dancers.

LUCCA: Flower market in Piazza Amphitheatre.

MAY

LUCCA: Lucca half marathon. If you are interested in jogging you can register for Lucca's half marathon that goes through the beautiful city court of Lucca.

JUNE

FLORENCE: Celebration of saint John the Baptist. One of the main events of Florence that are throughout the day, with medieval parade, performances and the final of Florence's greatest football event Calcio Storico Fiorentino (with rules written in the 1500s). The day ends at. 22-23 with fireworks from Piazzale Michelangelo.

PISA:  Celebration of the city saint, San Ranieri.  The celebration starts in the evening and ends late at night. The Arno river and the buildings in the area are lit up of a large number of candles. The spectacle ends with fireworks.

PISA: Boat race the Arno River, continuation of the celebration of San Ranieri. Four historical teams competing to win the traditional boat race.

PISA: The game of bridge. Two teams are competing to  drive a 70 ton trailer to the opposite side. The event starts at. 17:00.

JULY

LUCCA: Throughout July; Lucca Summer Festival, at  Piazza Napoleone. International music concerts with  artists such as Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Robbie Williams, Alicia Keys, Billy Idol and Snoop Dog. If you choose not to buy the ticket you can see the show outside the piazza on a large screen. The music fills the city, which turns into a big outdoor arena with visitors from all over the world.

LUCCA: evening; Celebration of saint San Paolino. Traditional celebration with medieval parade, flags, drums and trumpets that ends with performances in Piazza San Martino.

LUCCA: the Puccini Festival, the outdoor stage at Torre del Lago. A major opera festival of the most famous works of Giacomo Puccini. You can for examples see Tosca, Madame Butterfly and Turandot. Tickets must be booked in advance.

SIENA: Horse race Palio. A traditional horse race at the main piazza of Siena that each year attracts thousands of spectators. The winner is the first horse to score, whether the rider is on or not.

AUGUST

LUCCA: Notte Bianca, a night filled with performances, dance, music and fellowship and when the piazzas  are  transformed into dance floors with DJs. Everywhere in the city you will find white balloons and all of the inhabitants of Lucca are ready to party. Most of the shops in the city are open until late at night.

FLORENCE: Celebration of saint San Lorenzo. In Piazza San Lorenzo is an outdoor party (starting around noon. 19) with free lasagne and watermelon for all visitors. During the day there is a Mass in the church of San Lorenzo which starts at 18:00.

SIENA:  Horseracing Palio (For more info check events july).

CHANTI: Hazelnut Festival, Panzano. One of the most important days in Italy, the day before Ferragosto. On the outdoor terraces  at the streets of Panzano local dishes are served.

SEPTEMBER

LUCCA: evening; celebration of the Holy Cross. Great traditional parade through the city from the church of San Frediano to the Cathedral of San Martino. All the buildings are lit up by a giant amount candlelight.

FLORENCE: Carro Matto (Crazy cart). This tradition has been passed from generation to generation, and is based on a pair of white oxen which have to pull a wooden cart loaded with a large pryamid of glass bottles. This is an old tradition that began when fresh wine from the Florentine farms was drawn to the centre of Florence  to be served to the rulers of the city. The parade begins at Piazza del Duomo and ends at Piazza della Signoria, where several performances take place.

CHANTI: The classic wine festival of Chanti, which takes place in Piazza Matteotti in Greve. You buy a glass of wine and then get offered free wine tasting at a number of stalls.

CHANTI: Wine Festival in Panzano, Chanti. A smaller wine festival  than the one in Greve. Several wines from Chanti's neighboring areas are available to taste.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

LUCCA: Lucca Comics & Games. one of the most popular events in Italy, which is famous in the whole country. Lucca is filled with thousands of people dressed as various comic and film figueres. The shops turn into manga and games stores and famous writers and cartoonists visit the city.

DECEMBER

LUCCA: Christmas events, markets and a skating rink in Piazza Napoleone and San Michele.