This year, open-air cinema returns to the Castello dell'Imperatore in Prato with reduced ticket prices of 3.5 euros for Italian and European films, while the cost for non-European films is 6.5 euros. Screenings start at 9:45 PM. There are 200 numbered seats available, and tickets can be purchased at the box office starting one hour before the film begins.

Here is the program - Movies in Italian:

June 2025

🎥 Start time: 9:45 PM (box office opens at 8:45 PM)

📅 June 2025

June 21 – Emilia Perez

June 22 – Here

June 23 – Pelle di serpente (Snake Skin)

June 24 – Le assaggiatrici (The Tasters)

June 25 – Napoli New York

June 26 – Calvana. A Story That Began Millions of Years Ago

June 27 – Diamanti (Diamonds)

June 28 – A Complete Unknown

June 29 – Follemente (Madly)

June 30 – Vermiglio (Vermilion)

📅 July 2025

July 1 – U.S. Palmese

July 2 – La stanza accanto (The Next Room)

July 3 – Favole, cartoni e fantasia (Fables, Cartoons and Fantasy)

July 4 – Anora

July 5 – Io sono ancora qui (I'm Still Here)

July 6 – Juror Number 2

July 7 – The Conversation

July 8 – Black Bag – Double Game

July 10 – Flow – A World to Save

July 11 – The Best of Laurel and Hardy

July 12 – Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning

July 13 – Diciannove (Nineteen)

July 14 – Il conformista (The Conformist)

July 15 – Maria

July 16 – La vita da grandi (Grown-Up Life)

July 17 – Nonostante (In Spite Of)

July 18 – Sotto le foglie (Under the Leaves)

July 19 – Conclave

July 20 – Il mio giardino persiano (My Persian Garden)

July 21 – Paris, Texas

July 22 – Fuori (Outside)

July 24 – The Wild Robot

July 25 – The Teacher Who Promised the Sea

July 26 – Berlinguer – The Great Ambition

July 28 – We All Loved Each Other So Much

July 29 – Lee Miller

July 30 – A Real Pain

July 31 – The Out-of-Tune Orchestra

💰 Ticket prices:

Italian/European films: €3.50 (reduced price)

International films: €6.50 (full price), €5.00 (reduced for Terminale, ARCI, Coop members…)

Open-air cinema in Pistoia at the Porta al Borgo arena, via delle Pentole 4. Screenings begin at 9:30 PM, costing 6 euros (full price) or 5 euros (reduced price, for children aged 3 to 14 and adults over 65).

Here is the program Movies in Italian:

June 2024

Friday, June 21: Coup de Chance (2023) by Woody Allen

Saturday, June 22: The Old Oak (2023) by Ken Loach

Sunday, June 23: 50 km per hour (2024) by Fabio De Luigi

Monday, June 24: Memory (2023) by Michel Franco

Tuesday, June 25: Garfield – A Delicious Mission (2024) by Mark Dindal

Wednesday, June 26: Private Desert (2021) by Aly Muritiba

Thursday, June 27: La Chimera (2023) by Alice Rohrwacher

Friday, June 28: Perfect Days (2023) by Wim Wenders

Saturday, June 29: The Boy and the Heron (2023) by Hayao Miyazaki

Sunday, June 30: There’s Still Tomorrow (2023) by Paola Cortellesi

July 2024

Monday, July 1, Pistoia Docufilm Festival: The Value of a Woman is Her Silence (1980) by Gertrud Pinkus (free admission)

Tuesday, July 2: Wonka (2023) by Paul King

Wednesday, July 3: The Sky is Burning (2023) by Christian Petzold

Thursday, July 4: The Holdovers (2023) by Alexander Payne

Friday, July 5: Poor Things (2023) by Yorgos Lanthimos

Saturday, July 6: Wicked People at Home (2024) by Thea Sharrock

Sunday, July 7: The Zone of Interest (2023) by Jonathan Glazer

Monday, July 8, Pistoia Docufilm Festival: Anulloje Ligjin (2023) by Fabrizio Bellomo (free admission)

Tuesday, July 9: Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) by Mike Mitchell, Stephanie Stine

Wednesday, July 10: Explanation for Everything (2023) by Gábor Reisz

Thursday, July 11: Anatomy of a Fall (2023) by Justine Triet

Friday, July 12: There’s Still Tomorrow (2023) by Paola Cortellesi

Saturday, July 13: Io Capitano (2023) by Matteo Garrone

Sunday, July 14: Perfect Days (2023) by Wim Wenders

Monday, July 15, Pistoia Docufilm Festival: Beyond the Valley (2023) by Virginia Bellizzi (free admission)

Tuesday, July 16: Ghostbusters – Frozen Menace (2024) by Gil Kenan

Wednesday, July 17: Last Summer (2023) by Catherine Breillat

Thursday, July 18: Gloria! (2024)* by Margherita Vicario

Friday, July 19: The Zone of Interest (2023) by Jonathan Glazer

Saturday, July 20: Un mondo a parte (2024) by Riccardo Milani

Sunday, July 21: Poor Things (2023) by Yorgos Lanthimos

Monday, July 22: The Teachers' Lounge (2024) by Ilker Çatak

Tuesday, July 23: Inside Out 2 (2024) by Pete Docter

Wednesday, July 24: Drive-Away Dolls (2024) by Ethan Coen

Thursday, July 25: Palazzina Laf (2023) by Michele Riondino

Friday, July 26: The Boy and the Heron (2023) by Hayao Miyazaki

Saturday, July 27: The Taste of Things (2023) by Tran Anh Hung

Sunday, July 28: There’s Still Tomorrow (2023) by Paola Cortellesi

Monday, July 29: Past Lives (2023) by Celine Song

Tuesday, July 30: IF – Imaginary Friends (2024) by John Krasinski

Wednesday, July 31: The Kidnapping (2023) by Iris Kaltenbäck

---

If you need any further adjustments or translations, feel free to ask!

Also this year, the Lucca Summer Festival, taking place in June and July, will feature internationally renowned artists. For some of them, their performance in Lucca will be their only concert in Italy—an unmissable opportunity!

Lucca Summer Festival 2025 

All concerts will take place in Piazza Napoleone, Lucca.

• Robert Plant – 13 June, 9:00 PM
• Antonello Venditti – 28 June, 9:30 PM
• Dream Theater – 1 July, 8:45 PM
• Santana – 3 July, 8:30 PM
• Irama – 4 July, 9:30 PM
• Thirty Seconds to Mars – 5 July, 9:00 PM
• Till Lindemann – 6 July, 8:30 PM
• Scorpions – 10 July, 9:30 PM
• Ghali – 11 July, 9:30 PM
• Riccardo Cocciante – 12 July, 9:30 PM
• Robert Plant – 13 July, 9:00 PM
• Nick Cave – 17 July, 9:00 PM
• Nile Rodgers & Chic – 19 July, 9:30 PM
• Pet Shop Boys – 20 July, 9:30 PM
• Jennifer Lopez - 21 July Up all Night in 2025 - Historic Walls
• Riccardo Muti – 22 July, 9:30 PM
• Alanis Morissette – 23 July, 9:30 PM
• Simple Minds – 24 July, 9:00 PM
• Bryan Adams – 27 July, 9:30 PM

More information: 

☞https://www.luccasummerfestival.it/

Every year, one of the longest-running music festivals in Italy returns: the Pistoia Blues Festival.

Since 1980, July in Pistoia has come alive with the sounds of Italian and international artists. The stage in Piazza del Duomo has hosted numerous musicians and legendary figures in music history, such as Carlos Santana, B.B. King, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, and Lou Reed.

Each edition offers a unique mix of musical legends and rising talents, turning the city into a vibrant cultural and musical hub. An unmissable event for those who want to fully experience the energy and magic of music.

The program of the 44th edition of the Pistoia Blues Festival 2025 promises many more surprises.

Friday, June 27 – Beth Hart (preview)

Friday, July 4 – Marcus King

Thursday, July 10 – Blackberry Smoke

Saturday, July 12 – Un blues per Nick

Tuesday, July 15 – Queens of the Stone Age

Storytellers Section – Singer-songwriter sounds

Saturday, July 5 – Brunori Sas

Wednesday, July 9 – Francesco Gabbani

Sunday, July 13 – Gianna Nannini

Other concerts

Thursday, July 3 – Alfa

Tuesday, July 8 – Nayt

Blues City 2025

As part of the Pistoia Blues Festival 2025, the side event series Blues City returns for the second consecutive year, bringing the historic center of Pistoia to life with live music and a vibrant atmosphere. From July 4 to August 8, the city’s squares and streets will host free performances by artists from all over Italy.

More information:

 ☞ https://pistoiablues.com/

Tickets: 

☞https://pistoiablues.com/biglietti/ 

Ville e Giardini Incantati 2025 – Concerts by the Orchestra della Toscana

The Medici family villas have been, for centuries, centers of excellence for art, culture, spirituality, and science. Each summer, they continue to play this role, renewing their bond with music through great classics, from Mozart to Beethoven and Puccini.

This year, once again, the enchanting concerts are being held in the stunning Medici villas and gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: 14 events in 9 villas, featuring the extraordinary Orchestra della Toscana, from June to July 2025.

Concert Calendar

Poggio a Caiano (PO), Villa Medicea

Friday, June 6, 2025 – 9:30 PM

DIEGO CERETTA conductor

GIACOMO BIANCHI violin

STEFANO ZANOBINI viola

Orchestra della Toscana

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra K 364

Franz Joseph Haydn / Symphony No. 101 "The Clock"

Florence, Villa Medicea La Petraia

Saturday, June 7, 2025 – 9:30 PM

(Same program as above)

Cerreto Guidi (FI), Villa Medicea

Thursday, June 12, 2025 – 9:30 PM

GIAMPAOLO PRETTO conductor

VIOLA BRAMBILLA flute

Orchestra della Toscana

Arthur Honegger / Pastorale d'été

Carl Stamitz / Flute Concerto Op. 29

Franz Joseph Haydn / Symphony No. 92 "Oxford"

Florence, Villa Medicea La Petraia

Friday, June 13, 2025 – 9:30 PM

(Same program as above)

Florence, Villa Bardini

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 – 9:30 PM

ARAM KHACHEH conductor

KLARA WINCOR cello

Orchestra della Toscana

Giovanni Sollima / Hide in orchestra (version for chamber orchestra)

Franz Joseph Haydn / Cello Concerto No. 1

Ludwig van Beethoven / Symphony No. 1 Op. 21

Cerreto Guidi (FI), Villa Medicea

Thursday, June 19, 2025 – 9:30 PM

(Same program as above)

Vaglia (FI), Parco Mediceo di Pratolino

Friday, June 20, 2025 – 6:30 PM

(Same program as above)

Poggio a Caiano (PO), Villa Medicea

Saturday, June 21, 2025 – 9:30 PM

(Same program as above)

Poggio a Caiano (PO), Villa Medicea

Friday, June 27, 2025 – 9:30 PM

GIOVANNI CONTI conductor

FABRIZIO FADDA clarinet

Orchestra della Toscana

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Divertimento for strings No. 1, K 136

Gioachino Rossini / Introduction, Theme and Variations for clarinet and orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Symphony No. 35, K 385 "Haffner"

Florence, Villa Medicea La Petraia

Saturday, June 28, 2025 – 9:30 PM

(Same program as above)

Florence, Forte di Belvedere

Monday, June 30, 2025 – 9:30 PM

(Same program as above)

Seravezza (LU), Palazzo Mediceo

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 – 9:30 PM

Wind Quintet

Luciano Berio / Opus Number Zoo

Nino Rota / Piccola offerta musicale

Giacomo Puccini / Fantasy from "La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Turandot"

Giuseppe Verdi / Overture from "Nabucco"

Cerreto Guidi (FI), Villa Medicea

Saturday, July 12, 2025 – 9:30 PM

GIACOMO BIANCHI violin

STEFANO ZANOBINI viola

Orchestra della Toscana

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra K 364

Franz Joseph Haydn / Symphony No. 57

Quarrata (PT), Villa Medicea La Magia

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 – 9:30 PM

ORT Sextet

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Grand Concertante Sextet for string sextet – from the Sinfonia Concertante K 364

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky / Souvenir de Florence Op. 70 for string sextet

Siena, a tranquil and quiet city during the winter months, changes face with the arrival of summer and the explosion of enthusiasm for the Palio. It is the most important feast in the city, a race of horses in the heart of the historical center, in Piazza del Campo, where ten of the seventeen districts that make up the city challenge one another, from July 2 to August 16, in honor of the Virgin Mary. The award for the winner is a silky painted drape, the Palio, that on July 2 will be dedicated to the Madonna of Provenzano. But the competitive aspect and the race in the field are only the tip of the iceberg which, at its basis, is made up of the work and the activities of the districts (contrade), true soul and pulsating heart of the city during the entire year. In the days of the feast, the atmosphere in the city heats up. On May 29, for the Palio of July, the horses are assigned randomly to the districts that take part in the race. It is the first moment when fortune, the true protagonist of the feast, makes a decisive verdict for the final victory. Even if anything can happen during the Palio, having a good horse raises the possibility for a victory. After the “tratta”, when the horses are assigned, the days

that precede the Palio are made up of rehearsals, one in the morning, one in the evening, when the jockeys try their horses before the decisive run, the evening of July 2. In the districts, during the days of the feast, dinners, songs and moments of gathering animate the streets of the city. Until the day of the Palio when the “historical walk” and the race magically renew this unique appointment through which Siena relives her glorious past.

It is possible to attend the Palio free of charge from inside the Piazza del Campo. We suggest you to reach the Piazza around at least 4.30 pm (unless you want to find a place at the columns, at the border of the track of tuff, which are usually occupied from the morning, especially those close to the Mossa – where the race starts - and Fonte Gaia – the fountain).
Inside of the square you can buy drinks to cool off, but there are no public toilets. We strongly suggest you to provide water and drinks and take at least a hat to protect yourself from the sun. For the large crowd that will reach the square and the heat, we do not recommend  to bring small children to attend the Palio in the Piazza del Campo.
There are also more convenient locations to see the Palio, with entrance fee. To purchase tickets for the tribune or balconies overlooking the square, try contacting the local Tourist Office.

Opera concerts in which at least 2 singers alternate among the most beautiful voices of the national opera scene accompanied on the piano. The most famous opera arias from the repertoire of Italian and international opera are scheduled, as well as the most famous classic Neapolitan songs.

90 minutes of live music with a break during which guests can enjoy a typical sweet of the city.

The concerts will take place every Wednesday from May to October 2024 in the Music Hall of the Grand Hotel Croce di Malta in Montecatini Terme in Via IV Novembre, 18 at 9.15 pm.

Tickets can be booked by calling +39 3518066988 or by sending an email to info@operaconcerto.it even on the day of the concert.

Further information is available on the website

www.thebestofopera.com.

From Tuesday June 3 Juòy 22, the Gallery extends its opening hours on Tuesday until 10.00pm (last admission 9.15pm). 

 As always, it is possible to book the visit directly from the site of the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence

https://www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.it/visita

or by calling  Firenze Musei: Tel +39 055 294883.

Shops open until midnight, music, and markets: in Pistoia, evening openings return every Thursday in July, with a complete offering aimed at involving residents and tourists.

The famous Antiques Fair of Arezzo is one of the most important and largest antique fairs in Italy, held every first Sunday of the month and the preceding Saturday.

Pictures and paintings, small jewels, ancient and modern furniture, carpets, clocks, silverware, toys, books and vintage prints, collection stamps, musical instruments, gramophones and radios: it is easy to be charmed and indulge in discovering one of the biggest and oldest Italian Antiques Fairs. 

In 1968 a famous antiquarian and collector of Arezzo, Ivan Bruschi, gave birth to this fair which still today fills with its curious bric-a-brac the old town centre, its streets, yards, Vasari Loggia and wonderful Piazza Grande, every first weekend of the month.

For two days the town changes into a multicolor scenery of treasures waiting to be discovered by tourists and collectors: over five hundreds exhibitors from all over Italy meet here with their furniture and objects of all periods and styles, while antiquarians and restorers have multiplied their business, opening their shops during the fair and showing their best items. Experts of antiques and modern antique collecting find here plenty of particular specializations, such as, for instance, scientific tools, Art-Nouveau stained glass windows, Art Deco furnishing.

First Sunday of the month: museums free entrance

It is a very important event involving all the State Museums with specials and free tickets access. Therefore, if you plan to visit Florence, Pisa, Lucca or any other Tuscan town our countless masterpieces without spending one Euro!

For instance in Florence you can visit: the Uffizi Gallery, Academy Museum, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, Bargello Museum, Medici Chapels, and many other attractions. All of them free of charge!

List of  State Museums in Tuscany HERE. 

“Da Chiostro a Chiostro”, scheduled in Prato on July 7th and 8th, from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM, is a food and wine event that winds through two symbolic places of the city: the Cloister of the Convitto Cicognini and the Cloister of San Niccolò. Here, some of the best restaurateurs, pastry chefs, and bartenders of Prato will offer traditional dishes and original creations, providing an authentic taste of local excellence.

Tastings and a unique atmosphere

Entrance to the event is free, while food and drinks can be purchased using tokens available at the cash desks inside the cloisters during the evenings.

In addition to culinary delights, the event offers the opportunity to admire the splendid historic cloisters, usually not open to the public, creating a perfect blend of flavor and culture.

In Cerreto Guidi on 5th and 6thJuly we will go back in time, to the month of July 1576, when Isabella, the beloved and favorite daughter of Cosimo I, was welcomed in a festive atmosphere to join her husband in the Medici Villa.

Within the walls of the sixteenth-century village, we will meet many groups of artists, nobles and commoners, see scenes of daily life and ancient knights, ancient crafts and historical games will be presented, accompanied by the sound of Renaissance music and dances.

Jugglers, fire eaters, magicians and actors will offer shows for young and old.

There will be several refreshment points, and in the ancient inns and taverns it will be possible to taste typical dishes.

In the Medici Villa, in the Pieve di San Leonardo, and in the Oratory of the Holy Trinity you will be welcomed by historical figures who will guide you.

Two days of incandescent atmosphere until the news of the mysterious death of Isabella, which took place in Cerreto Guidi on July 16, 1576, will be recalled.

It begins Saturday 5th July at 18.30 in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and will be repeated on Sunday from 17.00 to 24.00.

Admission includes an entrance ticket of € 5.00, reduced for residents of the Municipality to € 3.00 and total free for residents of the historic center and up to 18 years. A free shuttle service will be available from the car parks.

All information on:

 ☞ www.lanottedisabella.com

On July 4, 5 and 6, the traditional Medieval Festival takes place in Monteriggioni, with the traditional early medieval banquet scheduled for the evening of July 3th.

 In this small village, quoted by Dante in the Divine Comedy, a historical reenactment comes to life, focusing on the every day aspects of life during the Middle Ages, through the reconstruction of workshops, atmospheres and typical professions of that historical time period so important for this territory.

Furthermore, within the walls where, sheltered by the towers, the visitors are welcomed by theatre, music, medieval food, and the colours and smells of the time. 

The Monteriggioni Festival provides an opportunity to observe various aspects of medieval life, ranging from military and civilian aspects to the most spectacular ones represented by the performances of acrobats, jugglers, and musicians.

Complete Program here

The Cathedral of Siena contains numerous masterpieces from every epoch. A work that in many respects is exceptional, is the floor, "the most beautiful ... largest and most magnificent ... that ever was made" in the words of Giorgio Vasari, the fruit of a plan that took on concrete form through the centuries, from the XIV century up to the XVIII century. 

The techniques employed to transfer the ideas of the various artists onto the floor are marble intarsia and graffito: the procedure was initially quite simple but gradually attained a surprising degree of perfection: the first depictions were scratched onto slabs of white marble using a chisel and a drill, and the signs then filled with black stucco. This technique is known as "graffito". Then, coloured marble was employed in much the same manner as wood inlaying. This technique is called "marble intarsia".

The 56 intarsia of the floor are still largely in its original condition. As these artworks are quite sensitive, the entire floor is shown only a few weeks a year. Otherwise, the ground is covered and only a few works are visible for the many tourists that visit the Cathedral of Siena. 

Floor uncovering period in 2025: June 27th - July 31st; August 18th - October 15th.

Events Program at the Abetone Forest Botanical Garden in July and August 2024 in Italian

See Page Villas and Gardens for more info about Abetone Forest Botanical Garden.

The 25th edition of FOG - Youth Orchestra Festival returns, the summer music festival born in '99 in Florence to provide young musicians from around the world with the opportunity to participate in a unique musical experience in Tuscany. Among the beloved stops of the Festival is the city of Montecatini, which hosts young concert performers in the splendid setting of the Terme Tettuccio. The concerts start at 9:00 PM, except on July 27th when there is also a concert at 6:00 PM. Admission is free.

In the images, you can find the concert schedule.

Saturday Night Spa

Saturday, July 12, 19 and 26

from 7:00 PM to midnight

For an evening of pure relaxation, pamper yourself with a soothing bath under the stars in the thermal pool with rejuvenating whirlpools and

reinvigorate yourself with a steam bath in Europe's largest thermal cave at 34°C.

Includes:

Steam bath in natural thermal cave at 34°C (20 minutes)

Bathing under the stars in the 750 sqm thermal pool at 34°C with underwater whirlpools

Bathing in the Bioaquam thermal path at 34°C with rejuvenating whirlpools

Access to the Thermarium area

Access to the "Bioaquam Pavilion" the new covered and heated relaxation area of 310 m2

Lounge music

€35.00 by reservation

Bioaquam Café poolside open with à la carte menu

(payment upon consumption)

For more information, call 

+39 0572/9077992 or email terme@grottagiustispa.com

Torre del Lago and its ‘genius loci’, Giacomo Puccini that today and since that distant 1891, when the musician moved there, are the perfect representation of how a place can merge with the soul and spirit of those who have lived there, in the corner of Tuscany, which the musician defined as “Eden” and from which he could not break away for a long period of time, so as not to suffer from strong “torrelaghite" (strongly homesick), is where Puccini lived and composed. Life was marked by the silence of the charming landscape and the sound vibrations of the lake that allowed him to cultivate his passions, music, hunting, painting and friends. Puccini and his music permeate Torre del Lago, Viareggio and all of Versilia, which every year in summer celebrate their ‘genius’, who lived there for thirty years. A celebration of music, of his music, which has, as if a frame, the same atmosphere, colors and fragrances that seduced the musician. A few steps from his home, now converted into a museum full of documents and memorabilia, is the outdoor Gran Teatro entitled to the master, and that, since 1930 has been host the Festival Puccini. 

Here is the complete calendar of the Puccini Festival 2025:

TOSCA

📅 July 18 (Premiere)

📅 August 1

📅 August 9

📅 August 29

LA BOHÈME

📅 July 19

📅 July 26

📅 August 7

TURANDOT

📅 July 25

📅 August 2

📅 August 14

📅 August 22

📅 September 5

MADAMA BUTTERFLY

📅 August 8

📅 August 23

MANON LESCAUT

📅 August 30

📅 September 6

🌟 SPECIAL EVENTS

Morricone Story

📅 July 24

A tribute concert conducted by Marcello Rota, featuring soprano Susanna Rigacci and trumpeter Nello Salza.

Grand Opera Gala

📅 August 13

Conducted by Michelangelo Mazza, featuring Anna Netrebko, Martin Mühle, and Jérôme Boutilier.

Estasi ed Agonia

📅 July 31

A new and original opera, composed, directed, and performed by José Cura.

📍 All performances begin at 9:15 PM

🎟️ Tickets available on the official Puccini Festival website

A unique opportunity to enjoy world-class opera under the stars, in the very place where Puccini lived and composed some of his greatest works.

Purchase tickets per email: ticketoffice@puccinifestival.it

or on the official website: https://www.puccinifestival.it/en/ticket-purchase/

Second among the antique-dealers' market places of Tuscany for the number of its exhibitors and length of life, the Antique market of Lucca can boast of a solid tradition of quality and reliability thanks to professional antiquarians of high prestige who have always been an important presence in town. 

At the third weekend of each month (on Saturday and Sunday), from 8 am to 7 pm, Lucca opens its gates for a joyful event involving a large portion of the historical centre: from Piazza S. Martino, Piazza Antelminelli and Via Del Battistero - the historical antique dealers' street- ‚ to Piazza San Giusto, and Piazza S. Giovanni up to Piazza Bernardini. It is a gorgeous display of colorful stalls offering not only past vestiges of remarkable artistic value, but also traces of souvenirs impressed on a post-card, on a book, on a knick-knack or on an ornament. 

Furniture, clothes, fabrics, paintings, rare components of old instruments, lamps and chandeliers, old working tools, records..... a wide pattern of old or antique objects‚ patiently gathered and collected after explorations which

are getting more and more difficult. All these things speak to both the tourist and the lover, of a world, which has gone, but not willing to be forgotten yet.

Two unforgettable days around the most charming

streets of the town. It is Art facing Art, History meeting History. A really unique occasion to know Lucca better and taste the pleasure of peeping through the stalls in search of something beautiful to take home and - why not?- probably also making a good bargain! 

It is one of the most successful events of Italy.

You will see every kind of theatre, street bands, circus performances, puppeteers, ballad singers, waders, fire eaters, mime artists, jugglers, belly dancers, installations of all kinds and also glimpse of angels and devils. Party and entertainment everywhere and for everyone. 

There will be performances in every little corner for each taste on a short distance one from another in streets, side walks, archways and courtyards almost like in a labyrinth or in a magic box where the party never ends.

Further Information: 

☞ www.mercantiacertaldo.it

On the 16th of July a very curious ceremony takes place in Pistoia.

The statue placed on the right side on top of the cathedral that reproduces St. James will be dressed in a red cloak.

This ceremony is linked to an ancient legend that tells that St. James before devoting himself to the spiritual life was a horse broker: he bought horses at the market promising the seller to pay off the debt with the onset of heat, when he would have taken off his coat. To avoid paying, he was found in the month of July wearing a red wool cloak, declaring that "summer was late in coming".

The ceremony will be preceded at 5.30 pm by the historical procession of the city districts, towards the Cathedral.

At 6.30 pm, the red cloak will be placed on the shoulders of the statue of San James by the Fire Brigade.

On the occasion, the horses that will run the Giostra dell’Orso are also blessed. The ceremony, which attracts many Pistoians and tourists every year, is attended by historical figures with traditional clothes and trumpets and drums players.

The Giostra dell'Orso (the Bear Joust) is a modern version of the ancient Palio race that took place in Pistoia, in Piazza Duomo, from the first half of the thirteenth century, every 25 July for the feast of the patron saint of the city San Jacopo.This event has a long tradition in this little city and it has been suspended only in case of war, internal political disorders or the recent Covid-19 epidemics  in 2020 and 2021. 

Twelve cavaliers take part in this antique joust, 3 for each of the 4 city districts named after the old town gates baring the symbols of the Lion, the Dragon, the Griffon and the Deer. Each district is represented by three “compagnie”, with their own Captain, a flag, a cavalier, a trumpeter and a discrete number of halberdiers, altogether about 300 people who will participate in the parade filling up the streets with the antique colours of the characteristic medieval clothing to end up in the suggestive Piazza del Duomo. The cavaliers will enter the square on the signal of the trumpeters and the sound of the drums followed by the cortege. After having saluted the authorities and the representatives of the districts the cavaliers will take their positions in the archway of the Palazzo Comunale and listen to the herald reading the rules, then the joust is ready to start.

Two by two, the riders gallop with their lance lowered around the special track built around the square, util they reach the target made up of the figures of two bears and every time they hit the target they will be assigned a particular score. Points are awarded each time for hitting the target and at the end the winning district is proclaimed, while the rider who has individually accumulated the greatest number of points obtains the title of “Cavaliere speron d’oro di Pistoia e contado” (Horseman of the Golden Spur of Pistoia and surrounding area) but the great emotions are shared by everyone.

The Giostra dell'Orso takes place in Piazza del Duomo in Pistoia in the evening.

Program of July 25 2023

7 pm - Closing of the Holy Door of the Cathedral of San Zeno

7.15 pm - Historical parade

9 pm - Start of the Bear Joust

Admission: € 15 seats, € 7 standing seats.

Tickets can be purchased by sending an email to info@comitatocittadinodipistoia.it (payment on IBAN IT62V0306913830100000000706, SWIFT code BCITITMMXXX).

Tickets available from July 16 at the Municipality Office (Piazza del Duomo, corner of via torre di Catilina), from 9-12, 16-19, up to and including 25 July (excluding holidays).

One of the most important events of the Tuscan rock summer is back. The eighth edition of Serravalle Rock will be held from 26 to 28 July, as always in the magnificent setting of the Rocca di Castruccio in Serravalle Pistoiese.

The program for the three evenings described in the image.

On June 11 the 2025 edition of the Festa dell'Unicorno (Unicorn Festival), one of the most popular fantasy festival in Italy, will be held in the traditional village of Vinci, in the province of Florence will start. Mask parades, fire shows and medieval dances and music will be the protagonist of the three days festival in Vinci.

Diverse shows and performances will be staged all around the village, divided into nine main thematic areas for the occasion. While walking around the pictoresque streets of Vinci, you will be enchanted by magic dances, medieval games and cosplay. You will be able to immerse yourself in the setting and animations of the Steel Abyss and observe the Amazing Machines in the Steam Valley or try their hand at Medieval Games of the past in the Village of Gnomes and finally immerse yourself in the thrill of the City of Nightmares.

For more information about the tickets and the detailed program of the festival, please visit 

www.festaunicorno.com

(in Italian only)

Arti e Mestieri is an arts and crafts market in the historic center of Lucca, with a big number of exhibitors that meet every last weekend of the month in Piazza San Giusto, Piazza Cittadella and Piazza XX Settembre with many traditional and original products from Tuscany.

At Arti e Mestieri there are ceramists, painters, sculptors, leather, glass and papier-mâché artisans, weavers, jewelers, cabinet makers, seamstresses and embroiderers, knitting and crochet experts. The artisans-artists offer their exclusive products in a colorful market: bijoux in silver, ceramic and crochet, natural products for body care, fountain pens worked on the lathe, bags, belts and leather bracelets, painted stones, scented lavender, splendid paintings and sculptures.

On Sunday, July 28, from 9 AM to 6 PM, Pescia Antiqua returns to Piazza Mazzini and the historic center. This antiques, collectibles, crafts, and vintage market, which enjoys significant public success, will be held in the central Piazza Mazzini, the historic market square of Pescia. As always, it will attract a true army of curious visitors and enthusiasts looking for that special piece or item needed to complete their collection.

You will be able to search for furniture, paintings, coins, toys, stamps, and books: thousands of objects of all kinds, memorabilia steeped in history, telling the stories of those who previously owned them, seeking new owners who will restore them to their former glory.

On this occasion, local restaurants will offer special menus featuring typical dishes of Pescia cuisine, and public parking throughout the city, including those usually requiring payment, will be free.

On July 31 until August 4 the Effetto Venezia is back, the usual kermis has been enlivening the splendid district of Nuova Venezia (or more simply La Venezia) of Livorno since 1986. It is difficult to set out this “hotchpotch” of events that includes theatrical and musical performances of any type, with the guitti (strolling players) trying to draw in the passers-by, exhibitions of artists, some famous, other less, games and many other indoor and outdoor initiatives involving the whole eighteenth-century district (partially destroyed during the Second World War), with its typical canals, open to speedboats, and its “campielli”, the vaulted bridges and palaces, many of which are open to the public for the occasion.

There will be also many markets of antique and modern collectibles, many for charity purposes. It is really impossible to sum up the countless events scheduled. It is also impossible not to find something we like: theatre, street theatre, folklore, classical music, jazz, rock, markets of any type, tasting, sea contests, and fireworks which, the last night, will explode in the stunning setting of the Medicean Port…And if you are not interested in anything of all this, it will be a one-off show to walk and dive into the atmosphere of this little Venice of the Tyrrhenian Sea, which in August seems to celebrate its off-season Carnival….

Further information on

☞ www.effettovenezia.it