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Festivals in Tuscany and Umbria

With the summer holidays finishing at the end of August, many festivals take place on the first Sunday in September. In Tuscany and Umbria you'll still find small food festivals during the month of September. Look for brightly-colored posters for a ‘festa’ or “sagra” where you can usually sample inexpensive regional food.

At Gotuscanyumbria.com, some of our favorite festivals are: 

Palio di San Rocco in Figline Valdarno is said to be one of the first palio competitions – a palio is a banner or cloth cherished by the winner of a competition, such as a horse race. The most famous of which is the Palio of Siena. Here the palio lasts five days and includes medieval competitions with jousting, archery, and a horse race during the first week of September.

Feast of Rificolona is believed to be one of the oldest festivals in Florence. You'll find outdoor festivities on both September 6 and 7 including a big fair in Piazza Santissima Annunziata. The celebrations close on the evening of September 7 with a procession from Piazza Santa Croce led by the Cardinal. You may also find Feast of Rificolona celebrated in other parts of Tuscany on September 7.

Luminara di Santa Croce, illuminations of the holy cross, is a beautiful procession in Lucca, Tuscany, on September 13. The city is illuminated with thousands of candles at night as the procession goes through Lucca's historic center.

Feast Day of San Michele on September 29 is a popular saint's day celebrated many places in Italy, often with an agriculture festival.

In October, Italy is a great month for Italian food festivals, especially mushrooms, chestnuts, chocolate, and truffles. On October weekends, you'll find fall food festivals and wine harvest celebrations all over Italy. Slow Food's big International Food Event is in October and World Pasta Day is the fourth Sunday in October!

Fall Truffle Fairs - Some of the biggest truffle festivals are to be found in Tuscany and Umbria regions during October and November.

Umbria Fall Food Festival – try the truffles, chestnuts, and chocolate in Umbria, the center of Italy. Look for other truffle and chestnut festivals in small towns in October and November, especially in Tuscany and Umbria.

Sagra del Tordo, Feast of the Thrush, is a medieval reenactment of an archery tournament. The Festival takes place in Montalcino in Tuscany the last weekend of October and is a competition between the four neighborhoods of Montalcino.

And of course, Gotuscanyumbria.com favorite festival is Perugia’s world famous chocolate festival. It is a chocolate lovers paradise. This big chocolate festival takes place in Perugia, famous for its Perugina Baci chocolates, in mid October.

To visit these festivals and many more food and wine festivals throughout Tuscany and Umbria, Gotuscanyumbria.com has properties, both villas and country houses that are conveniently situated to travel easily to these attractions.