Celebrations in Italy

If you are a pizza lover, come to Campania at the beginning of June. Every year the motherland of pizza, Naples, holds the main pizza festival in the world and one of the brightest events in Italy.
The festival lasts a little more than a week when Naples fills with the magical aromas of basil, mozzarella, and freshly baked pizza. If you are wondering whether Pizza Fest is worth taking a detour for, let us assure you that it is, as the Rome to Naples train time is just over an hour, yet the memories of the unparalleled flavors of pizza last a lifetime. It is the time when this sunny southern city becomes a place of pilgrimage for all fans of this famous Italian dish.

History of Pizza
The mouth-watering Italian specialty is believed to have been born in Naples, back in the 18th-19th century.

Natale di Roma or the Day of Rome is an Italian holiday, not a public day-off, but often lasting for 3-4 days. The celebration starts with the symbolic opening of the city gate. If you want to wish Rome a happy birthday, come to the Eternal City on the 21st of April.
One of the most popular activities of the day is the festive historic procession, which anyone can take part in, wearing a traditional costume. The whole procession is lead by the Goddess of Rome, selected at the annual competition, organized since 2004. Read more: 10 best things to do in Rome.

February is the month of carnivals when all Italian cities swarm with fancy masks, confetti, lights, and colors, creating a unique festive atmosphere. Tricarico, Viareggio, Cento, Putignano…
It's only the beginning of endless carnival locations in Italy. However, the most famous one takes place, of course, in Venice. Every year in the midst of winter Venice becomes a carnival stage for three weeks!
During this time performances take place at almost every corner - on the streets, in famous museums, theaters, and palaces. It is certain that this is the event that one should take part in at least once in a lifetime.

Every year Italians and tourists from all over the world come to an ancient Italian town of Ivrea to take part in the spectacular costume festival, the Carnevale d'Ivrea, that is accompanied by traditional orange fights, when you can "play snowballs" with oranges.
Сolorful festivals, held before Lent, are a good tradition in many countries of Europe and Italy is no exception. So if you don't mind participating in such a juicy festive event, plan your Italian tour in late February - early March.

Every Easter Sunday, outside the Duomo in Florence, there is an explosion of a cart called Scoppio del Carro, which dates back to the First Crusade. From Porta al Prato to the cathedral's porch, traditional oxen pull colorful carts decorated with ribbons, as in the 18th century. While the clergy procession arrives at the Baptistery from the Church of the Santissimi Apostoli, where the sacred rites begin, an iron cable is tied to the center of the cart so the dove can slide down.
In the nave of the cathedral, the dove descends the cable at noon, leaving a trail of smoke in its path. After colliding with the cart filled with firecrackers, it explodes and returns to where it came from. A wooden cart is surrounded by hundreds of smoke wisps, accompanied by the shrieks and bursts of whistles, while a pinwheel spins at the top and opens like the petals on a lily as it twirls.

One of the best-known festivals in Venice is the Marriage of Venice to the Sea, which celebrates the city's thousand-year history and its relationship with the Sea, and the art of "Voga alla Veneta" rowing. In addition, it is believed that the Venetian Republic celebrated Sensa (Christ's Ascension Day) during the Ascension Day celebrations.
Doge Pietro Orseolo II saved the inhabitants of Dalmatia from the Slav threat by coming to their rescue on 9 May in the year 1000, a festival commemorating two events in the history of Venice. The second event occurred in 1177, during the reign of Doge Sebastiano Ziani, when Pope Alexander III and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa signed a peace treaty in Venice, ending the century-long schism between the Papacy and the Empire. The Ascension Day Festival used to be the occasion for the Wedding with the Sea ritual. The Doge always observes this day on his state barge, the Bucintoro, docked next to Sant'Elena, which is on the level of San Pietro di Castello Church. A boat with gilt sides waited for the Bishop to bless him. The Festival culminated with a propitiatory rite emphasizing the Republic's dominance over the Sea: on the way to the channel between the lagoon and the Sea, the Doge tossed a gold ring into the water.

A unique event is held once a year in Cocullo, Abruzzo, on the first Thursday in May. The festival of snake capturers has been a tradition unchanged since the middle ages. During the festival, locals are honored for protecting themselves from snake bites and toothaches by San Domenico Abate.
This is one of the known Pagan rituals that has been preserved in Christian rituals. After the religious ceremony, they cover the statue with snakes and leave the procession to the sound of the church's bells. The snake catchers and women carrying cakes for the needy lead the procession at the front. At noon, when the snakes surround the head of the saint (a good omen), the spectators hope that the snakes do not slide to its shoulder or arms, which is viewed as a bad sign.

Throughout Italy, the Infiorata festivals are celebrated from north to south. Floral artists plan their designs months in advance and use the term "Infiorata" to describe them. In addition to dried and fresh flower petals, other organic materials, such as beans and wood shavings can also be used to create simple geometric pictures, flawless tapestries, and even religious masterpieces.
The petals of the flower carpet are filled with thousands of vibrant colors after a chalk design is sketched on the pavement. Ground coffee or soil is often used to highlight flower outlines. An Infiorata takes place in Noto, Sicily, which is regarded as one of the best in Italy. In May, it usually falls on the third weekend. One of the most famous Infiorata destinations is near Rome. Genzano's tradition of holding a flower carpet on Corpus Domini Sunday dates back to 1778. Approximately 2,000 square meters of flower mosaics cover this area. In this art installation, flower seeds and flowers amount to more than 500,000.