Lucca Pottery Festival 

Piazza del Giglio Lucca –from May 31st to June 2nd, 2025

An artisan ceramics fair featuring over 40 artists from all over Italy, showcasing unique handcrafted pieces. The event also includes educational workshops for both children and adults, as well as book presentations. From 9 AM to 8 PM, the 5th edition of the Lucca Pottery Festival takes place in Piazza del Giglio.

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. 

Free admission to all the State Museums on Italy's Republic Day.

List of State Museums of Tuscany HERE. 

The Festival is devoted to classical music and opera fans, its main purpose is to highlight the town’s musical  tradition, especially the great operas. 

This  season’s program, from April to October, presents 19 events, set in the most attractive thermal building of  Montecatini Terme, the Terme Tettuccio, which welcomes everybody as in a warm hug and where you can still hear the musical echo of the great composers  who have made Italian classic music famous all over the world.

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.

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

Small, round, red, delicious and rich in precious vitamins: it’s said that you eat one and you want another. It’s so true since it is truly impossible to resist this exquisite fruit that takes us hand in hand through a season that is all too brief.

In Lari, a lovely village that even charmed the Grand-Duke of Tuscany in the 19th century with its breathtaking views, the truly local cherry has been celebrated for over half a century since 1957, to be precise, with what is now one of the leading events in Italy devoted to this fruit. The event takes place in May 24, 25 and 31, and  June 1 and 2, 2025 where the Pisan town, the Tuscan centre of cherry cultivation, showcases many colourful stalls that bring the village streets to life with the best produce that compete to win the “golden cherry”.

A popular people’s festival that is enriched with itinerant shows, music, exhibitions, and gastronomic stands.

But the true and undisputed queen will still be certainly her: the cherry and the 19 different traditional varieties of this fruit that are produced in Lari and surroundings and other also "modern variations" of recent introduction: all worth tasting! Good, tasty, with more or less intense flavor, but ready to satisfy all tastes! 

More information:

Lari Tourist Office: +39 0587646258

In Volterra, on June 2nd, the Palio del Cero takes place from 5 pm to 8 pm. Originally born as a religious festival where the districts donated a substantial amount of wax to the city's churches, this event has evolved over the centuries into a vigorous and festive competition, the Corsa dei Ceri. This consisted of a race where participants would push heavy wooden machines, topped with large candles, through the streets of the historic center, ultimately to be donated to the city's patron saints.

Today, the competition is somewhat less strenuous. The defiance takes place between the eight districts, each composed of eight shooters (6 men and two women) who compete in two direct elimination rounds in Piazza dei Priori.

The particularity of the Palio del Cero lies in the fact that it is not a direct tug-of-war, but the two opposing teams, in addition to pulling the opposing team, have a towering structure of several quintals to move towards their own field. At the top of the tower is a candle, hence the name Palio del Cero (Palio of the Candle), painted every year by a Volterran artist, which rightfully belongs to the winning Contrada along with the banner with the white and red colors of the Municipality.

Before the defiance, a spectacular ceremony takes place, with the representations of the districts, the ladies in traditional attire, the musicians, and the famous Volterran flag-wavers parading through the city streets, creating a vibrant and engaging atmosphere.

GUIDED TOUR TO THE TOWER OF BARBAROSSA

Full price: 4,00 €

Reduced price: 3,00 €

(under 18 years old, over 65 years old, school trip, groups with 15 or more participants)

Free: disabled people and their carers, tour leader of groups with 15 or more participants, pilgrims, inhabitants.

GUIDED TOUR TO THE ORATORY

Full price: 2,00 €

Free: disabled people and their carers, tour leader of groups with 15 or more participants, pilgrims, inhabitants.

GUIDED TOUR TO ORATORY AND TOWER OF BARBAROSSA

Pass: 5,00 €

Free: disabled people and their carers, tour leader of groups with 15 or more participants, pilgrims, inhabitants.

JUNE

MONDAYS and FROM WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY

FROM 10 AM TO 12 AM / FROM 3 PM TO 5 PM

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY:

10 AM – 12 AM / 4 PM – 7 PM

CLOSED ON TUESDAYS

To visit the oratory and the tower, please go to the Tourist Information Office:

Piazza Magrini, 3 Serravalle P.se

Phone number: 0573/917308

E-mail: turismo@comune.serravalle-pistoiese.pt.it

Villa Medicea di Cerreto Guidi – Renaissance Dinner, June 7, 2025

8:00 PM – Dinner “Il Cavetto”, an evening inspired by the Renaissance tradition of majolica plates.

The atmosphere evokes the lavish banquets held upon the return to the villa of Grand Duke Cosimo I and his daughter Isabella after their hunting excursions.

Organ concerts with the presence of internationally renowned organists.

FREE ADMISSION

Program:

Thursday, May 15

University of Miami – Frost Chorale

Conductor: Matthew Brady (USA)

Friday, May 30

Ansgar Schlei (Wesel)

Wednesday, June 4

Choir of the “Niccolò Machiavelli” Institute

Conductor: Marco Musto

Friday, June 13

Tobias Horn (Stuttgart)

Friday, August 22

Hans-André Stamm (Leverkusen)

Friday, August 29

Stephan Leuthold (Bremen)

Friday, September 19

Bjorn O’ Wiede (Potsdam)

Friday, September 26

Stefano Pellini (Modena)

Tuesday, October 21

Choir and Chamber Orchestra – Hamburg Groß Flottbek

Conductor: Simon Obermeier (Hamburg)

Friday, October 24

Willibald Guggenmos (Augsburg)

All concerts will take place in Lucca, at the Cathedral of San Martino, starting at 9:00 PM

Free admission to all concerts

More details here

Saturday, June 7th, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Stork Day

Guided Observation at the Nest

A morning of birdwatching at the White Stork nest, observing with binoculars and spotting scopes, at a completely safe distance, the adult storks as they take turns feeding their chicks, which are growing day by day.

After centuries of absence, the White Stork has returned to nest in Tuscany, thanks to environmental protection measures and reintroduction projects carried out by associations and specialized centers.

Besides the pair in Fucecchio, the first to settle in our region since 2005, other storks now nest at the edges of the large wetland area in Monsummano Terme and in other locations across Tuscany.

During the visit, an expert Environmental Guide will be available to answer any questions about the life of storks. Thanks to binoculars and scopes, it will be possible to “spy” on their behavior from a distance, without disturbing them.

Free access – for info: info@naturaintoscana.it

Difficulty: none

Equipment: comfortable shoes, long trousers, binoculars

Participation fee: free guided observation

Meeting point: in front of the gate at Lago Borghese, Via del Fossetto, Monsummano Terme

From 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, families with children can also take part in the environmental event “Among Storks and Farms”, organized by Legambiente Pistoia – Valdinievole Area, at Azienda Agricola Le Palme on Via Ponte di Monsummano. The program includes visits to the educational farm, team and individual games, a farm bar, and a farmer's “aperi-lunch.”

For info and aperi-lunch bookings: +39 349 8048873

Saturday 7 and 14 June we are all invited to "A cena da Messer Giovanni", the medieval dinner in the streets of the ancient village of Certaldo.

The re-enactment of a perfect torchlit dinner, with typical dishes of the time, served by people in medieval costumes. As a tribute to the participants, the nice served of earthenware dishes and wooden cutlery. The artistic show of the "Black Dragon" Company is also foreseen.

Reservations HERE

Rievoka 2025: Valdinievole Through the Ages

📅 June 6–7–8, 2025

📍 Montecatini Terme – City Hall (June 6) and Thermal Park (June 7–8)

🎟️ Free admission

History comes alive in Montecatini Terme with Rievoka, the historical reenactment event that takes you on a journey through Medieval and Renaissance Valdinievole. Three unmissable days for families and history lovers, filled with life in the camps, falconry, ancient crafts, and much more.

🛡️ Highlights:

Military camps from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance

War machines, torture devices, and Leonardo-inspired models

Falconry shows with free-flight demonstrations

Storytelling and historical education for all ages

Ancient crafts, games, and medieval animations

Live music, dancing, and reenacted battles

Archery demos with the chance to try for free

📚 Not to miss:

🦢 Historical Conference:

“Medieval Communes of Valdinievole in the Time of Castruccio”

⚔️ Main Event:

Tournament of the Castles and Communes of Val di Nievole – a competition between historic local communities celebrating tradition and territorial identity.

An immersive experience to rediscover the past, surrounded by authentic costumes, sounds, and crafts. Bring your family and friends, wear comfortable shoes, and step into a journey through time.

📍 Montecatini Terme, June 6–7–8, 2025

🎟️ Free entrance

📍 Seminare Idee Festival (Sowing ideas) – City of Prato

June 6–8, 2025

Theme: Courage

Three days dedicated to culture, critical thinking, and active participation. From June 6 to 8, the city of Prato will host the first edition of the Seminare Idee Festival, a new public meeting space designed to promote dialogue between knowledge and generations.

Readings, conferences, dialogues, and meetings with leading figures from the worlds of culture, science, and entertainment will alternate in a rich and cross-disciplinary program. An opportunity to explore the theme of courage through multiple perspectives and languages, in a context that values curiosity, wonder, and participation as fundamental tools of knowledge.

All events are free to attend, subject to availability.

Seminare Idee presents itself as a permanent laboratory of thought and sharing, where diverse voices intertwine to give life to an inclusive and aware cultural community, capable of facing the challenges of the present with critical spirit and vision.

For the complete program, please visit the official website:

??https://www.seminareideefestival.it/seminare-idee-festival-programma-edizione-2025/>

In Pistoia, the second Saturday and Sunday of the month an antique fair is held which attracts  many dealers from all over Tuscany. Here you can find very valuable antiques: furniture, majolica, porcelain, jewelery, clocks, coins, old lacework, crystal goblets and profane and religious period paintings.

On the stalls you can find clothing, utensils and ethnic products, as well as magazines, comics, used garments and other items from the past. 

The market takes place in the so called Cattedrale - not to confuse with the real Cathedral - (Via Pertini) - eccept July and August.

There are about 100 exhibitors who animate the historic city center with various kinds of antiques every second Saturday and Sunday of the month except July and August.

You will find ceramics, glassware and cutlery for a romantic table setting and a very good range of embroidered linen (perhaps an untouched trousseau from a failed marriage). Also sepia paintings, watercolours, vintage  postcards (full of insight into how we lived in the past and complete with shaky handwriting), out-of-print books for the attentive book collector, silver and gold coins from every corner of the globe and much, much more.

Where: Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri, Piazza Garibaldi

📅 Saturday, June 7 – 6:00 PM

📍 Archbishop’s Hall – Lucca

Amor che ne la mente mi ragiona

Duo Martini Dominguez

Aurora Martini, voice

Alessandro Dominguez, guitar

📅 Friday, June 20 – 9:00 PM

📍 Cathedral of San Martino – Lucca

The First Jubilee of the New Millennium

Antonín Dvořák – Mass in D major Op. 86

Santa Cecilia Music Chapel of Lucca Cathedral

Organ: Niccolò Bartolini

Conductor: Luca Bacci

📅 Sunday, August 10 – 9:00 PM

📍 City Walls of Lucca

Walking Along the Walls

Antonio Dimasi, guitar

Francesco Gargano, guitar

📅 Saturday, September 20 – 9:00 PM

📍 Church of Sant’Alessandro – Lucca

Jubilee 1775: A Musical Journey between Lucca and Naples

Concert for soloists, choir and orchestra

Unpublished works by Pasquale Soffi and Fedele Fenaroli

Luigi Boccherini Chamber Orchestra

Celesti Armonie Choir

Conductor: Luca Bacci

📅 Sunday, October 5 – 6:00 PM

📍 Church of San Vito – Lucca (Encore)

The First Jubilee of the New Millennium

Santa Cecilia Music Chapel

Conductor: Luca Bacci

Organ: Niccolò Bartolini

📅 December (date to be defined)

📍 Teatro del Giglio – Lucca

L’Accademia – A Concert in the Style of Mozart’s Time

Final event of the series “The Musical Eighteenth Century in Lucca”

Organized by the Luigi Boccherini Study Center

📍 All events take place in Lucca.

🎟️ All events are free, but reservation is required via email:

prenotazioni@sagramusicalelucchese.com

Saturday, June 14th, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Birdwatching in the Padule

Guided Tour

A morning of birdwatching for everyone in the Padule di Fucecchio Nature Reserve (managed by LIPU), especially in the Le Morette area, which at this time of year offers the opportunity to observe many species of waterbirds.

Birdwatching—the observation and identification of birds in their natural habitat—is a simple, relaxing, and low-cost activity that can be done almost anywhere, even starting from your own garden.

Wetlands are ideal environments for beginners, and the Padule di Fucecchio is perfect: a training ground for newcomers that can also provide rare sightings for experienced birdwatchers.

This guided tour is open to everyone and especially dedicated to those who visit the Padule and would like to learn to observe and identify the bird species encountered during a walk in this unique ecosystem.

In June, the protected wetlands host all the colonial heron species, which nest in the rookeries of Fucecchio and Sibolla, as well as ibises and spoonbills, and the Purple Heron, which frequents the extensive reed beds.

On emerging islets, the Black-winged Stilt nests, while in the open waters ("chiari") one can spot families of Great Crested Grebes carrying their chicks on their backs, and other aquatic birds such as Shelducks, Coots, and Moorhens.

The tour is led by Enrico Zarri, an Environmental Hiking Guide with a long experience in birdwatching and nature education.

Reservation required – maximum of 25 participants.

Difficulty: none, flat route about 1.2 km round trip.

Equipment: hiking boots and binoculars.

Participation fee: €10 (reduced to €5 for ages 6–17)

🍷✨ La Toscana in Bocca 2025 – The Flavours of Tradition at the Emperor’s Castle

📍 Prato | 🗓️ June 13–14, 2025 | 🕕 From 6:00 PM

After last year's incredible success, La Toscana in Bocca returns to the stunning Castello dell’Imperatore in Prato for two unforgettable evenings of taste, conviviality, and Tuscan culinary excellence.

🍝 Live cooking and traditional dishes

From crostini to pici, from bistecca to lampredotto: each stand is a journey into the authentic flavours of Tuscany, crafted by local chefs and producers.

🍷 Tuscan wines and perfect pairings

Discover the finest wines of the Tuscan hills and enjoy curated pairings with traditional dishes.

🎶 Live music and a unique atmosphere

Enjoy a lively program of music and entertainment that will make the experience even more memorable.

💫 Free entry – food and drinks available for purchase

📍 Venue: Castello dell’Imperatore, Prato

🕕 Time: from 6:00 PM until late

Saturday Night Spa

Saturday, June 14, 21, and 28 

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

One of the oldest and still the most famous traditions of Florence is that of its traditional soccer, or its „soccer in costume“ as it is more commonly known. In fact it is said that „the game of soccer“ was born on the banks of the Arno, and only centuries later moved to the Thames where, after fine-tuning the rules, it gained the fame that it still bears today. And insofar as Florence is concerned, we know that at the beginning of the Middle Ages soccer was so popular between the youth of Florence, that in order to keep the peace it was decided that the game should be played only in the most important squares of the town. The players coming down to the field were aristocrats, ranging between 18 and 45 years of age, and dressed in the magnificent costumes of the period. And many centuries later, what remains of “soccer in costume”, is the evocative historical commemoration that takes place during the Festival of San Giovanni, Patron Saint of Florence. The formal procedure of the game, rather than soccer, is more similar to modern rugby. There are four teams in the tournament corresponding to the oldest districts of Florence, each of which is marked by a different color, with players in Azure from Santa Croce, White from Santo Spirito, Green from San Giovanni and Red from Santa Maria Novella. There are three games, two playoffs, and then the final (on June 24), the day of the Feast of San Giovanni) played in the splendid setting of Piazza Santa Croce, equipped with seats for hundreds of spectators.

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! 

The city history festival organized by the City of Lucca .

Lucca is a city with over two thousand years of history, marked by extraordinary events. 

Lucca Historiae Fest aims to tell this story through nine bastions where as many historical reconstructions will be set up to retrace the various periods that have characterized the city.

The festival will be devided in three main sections: the clock of time, which will see nine historical reconstructions (which will take place simultaneously) on the nine bastions, the performances, which will have an area dedicated to the former Balilla field, and the exhibitions, which will be set up in the casermette (small barracks). The history of Lucca will be told with an original mix of multimedia tools that will allow full enjoyment by a wide audience, from children to the elderly, from young people to adults.

The program is really rich and interesting and can be consulted on the website

 ☞  www.luccahistoriaefest.it 

Monthly appointment with Collecting in Florence, where the monthly market of all that is collectible takes place outdoors on the banks of the Arno in the Tuscany Hall car park in Florence. Among the various stands, enthusiasts will be able to find books, jewellery, small pieces of furniture, plates, candlesticks, clocks, chandeliers, dolls, porcelain, coins, records, DVDs, etc.

TUSCANY HALL Parking area Via Fabrizio De Andrè

Open from 10.00 to 19.00 in the parking area of the Theater.

FREE ENTRY.

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…)

Every year Florence celebrates the feast day of its patron saint, St. John the Bapist, with a series of events that involve the whole of the city. The fitting end to the celebrations consists of a spectacular fireworks fired off from the Piazzale Michelangelo and then fall down on the Arno River and on the whole city. As every year the show will be very exciting, a memory to keep until the next San Giovanni festivity. The fire has been the protagonist and the main attraction of this festivity since a long time, as in many pagan celebrations of the summer solstice around Europe, and the fireworks also has its antique tradition, present in Florence since the XIV century. Until 1827 the fireworks were fired off from the Piazza della Signoria, it was the Grand Duke Leopoldo II that decided to move it to the Piazzale Michelangelo because he considered the square too narrow and also because it was possible for more people to watch the show. The fireworks was preceded, as it is still today, by the offering of candles in the morning and the traditional procession parade, arranged by the ecclesiastic and the public authorities, which will finish in the Baptistery in order to pay homage to the relic of the Saint. They also used to run two “palii”, the vigil “palio” in Piazza Santa Maria Novella called “dei Cocchi” because the race was run by four wooden chariots and the Berberi “palio” that took place in the afternoon. But the main attraction of the event has always been the fireworks that Florentines, or tourists for that matter, don’t want to miss and for once they will be enchanted not by towers and bell towers on the skyline but with another breathtaking show up in the sky. 

Montecatini Jazz Festival – from June 26 to 28, 2025

From June 26 to 28, 2025, the streets, squares, and parks of Montecatini Terme will come alive with the Montecatini Jazz Festival – three days of free concerts featuring nationally and internationally renowned musicians.

Among the guests of this edition: The Red Dimes, Perugia Big Band, Dixie Brothers, Jazz Friends, and many more. Events range from street performances in the historic center to concerts in Piazza del Popolo, as well as more intimate shows in various city neighborhoods.

In parallel, a jazz workshop will take place, with a final performance by the participants.

A perfect occasion to experience live music surrounded by the elegance and energy of Montecatini.

📍 All events are free to attend.

Full program available 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.

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/ 

On the last Sunday of June, along the splendid flagdecked roads which line the Arno (Lungarni), to the roll of drums, the contest known as the Gioco del Ponte takes place. This is a Pisan mini-war in which annually the two parts of the city divided by the Arno "fight" to conquer the Ponte di Mezzo. This is a relic of the cruel feudal Gioco del Ponte which today has become part of a folklore exhibition and is among the most important event of its kind in Italy, not only because of the numbers participating, but also because of the richness of the 17th century costumes of velvet, brocade, silk, damask and its outstanding choreography.

Prior the main "battle" on the bridge, the "armies" representing both parts of Pisa, namely Mezzogiorno (south of the river) and Tramontana (north of the river), march in procession along the roads immediately adjacent to the bridge.

More than 700 participants take part dressed in splendid costumes, armed with swords, daggers and halberds. The Commanders are ornately dressed in suits of armour with plumed helmets, and some 40 horsemen are accompanied by the roll of 40 drummers.

This march along the banks of the river is quite unique and annually tens of thousands of tourists come to Pisa with the sole purpose of enjoying the spectacle. 

After the parade it is time for the wagon contest to begin.

Until several years ago, the battle between the two teams sent onto the bridge was to physically prevent their adversaries crossing and there was an actual "man-to-man” contest. Not surprisingly some ended up in the waters of the Arno or in hospital with a pronounced headache.

When the Gioco del Ponte was resumed after the 2nd World War, the battle between Mezzogiorno and Tramontana became less aggressive with the introduction of a metal wagon. Instead of the contest being a wielding of wooden clubs against shields, it became a type of tug-of-war instead. The team who is able to push the wagon and force the enemy to retreat off the bridge, is the winner.

The lack of physical contact has in no way diminished the rivalry between the teams

taking part and provocation between them goes on constantly throughout the year.

There is in fact a spy network of informers engaged in sussing out the make-up of the team in order to be able to measure its strength and the stamina required to oppose it. Veritable giants ultimately go onto the bridge dedicated to the frantic effort, which at times, results in illness.

Naturally, clandestine betting is the order of the day and is obviously followed by the inevitable arguments about a possible “fixed” event and "those wishing to get rich quickly”. Tradition requires that the winners celebrate their victory with a night of banqueting and toasting while

the losers spend the night in the dark. The lights of the entire area, the public streets and piazzas of the “loser” District, are switched off and half the city meditates in the obscurity of darkened streets on the reasons for the defeatand how to plan the return match.

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/

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.