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The religious festival of Carnival or Carnivale as it is known in Italian, is taken rather seriously on the predominantly Catholic peninsula. This occasion of joy and celebration occurs some 40 days before Easter and is seen as a final oppurtunity to cut loose, celebrate and indulge oneself before Lent begins. The 40 days leading up to Easter in which Christians prepare for the crucifixion, death and ressurection of Christ by making personal sacrifices themselves. The event is celebrated in many cities, the most well know of which is Venice.

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With its canals and iconic architecture, Venice has been the setting for thousands of romantic breaks over the years. Used as a backdrop in countless movies, books and other works of art, Venice is a superb city for people looking to experience the finer things in life, and anyone in search of a romantic break will find much here to enjoy. Whether a couple is interested in life’s cultural attractions, or is simply looking for a taste of ‘La Dolce Vita’, Venice should provide them with more than enough to stay busy. (more…)

Florence already has many sights which tourists flock to year upon year, such as Florence Cathedral. However, if Italian art expert Maurizio Seracini is right, there will be one more reason for tourists to visit. According to The Telegraph in the UK, Seracini believes that he may have found the missing The Battle of Anghiari masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci hidden behind The Battle of Marciano in the Chiana Valley by fellow Renaissance artist Giorgio Vasari. (more…)

As a big fan of classical music and opera, I’m so excited about the upcoming Verdi Festival in Parma. The residents of Parma are celebrating it’s most famous resident Guiseppe Verdi with concerts and operas throughout October. The concerts and operas are being held at the Teatro Regio and other smaller venues across the city. This year Messa de Requiem and Nabucco are among the pieces being performed. The city will literally be alive with music!!

If you having been paying attention recently to the events taking place in Amalfi, then now is the time to. Since May 29th, the Ancient Maritime Republics Regatta has been unfolding in Amalfi. If you have never heard of this regatta before, here’s a quick run-down…. It “is a sporting and historical rievocation under the patronage of the Italian Republic President” and happens every year in a different city, normally in June. Now, it’s not to late to join in the festivities because tomorrow is the last day and they have lots of fun lined up! There is an historical parade at 4.30pm from Atrani, a Marine Republics fashion show at 9pm and the final spectacular, a fireworks show!! I went on Thursday and it was awesome. There was a storytelling show called ‘Le Pirate’ and everyone was enthralled. Just because the Ancient Maritime Republics Regatta has ancient in the title, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s boring!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the International Festival of Street Artists, “Artisti in Piazza”, in Pennabilli. Since its creation in 1997, the streets of Pennabilli come alive with musicians, mimes, clowns and many more…. There are also performances on stage at the Victoria Theatre. I loved it last year! There’s so much going on all the time and you always have to make sure you’re paying attention or you’ll miss out on something amazing! The festival is around for five days until Monday so if you fancy watching spectacular street artists from all over the world and you’re in the area, I highly recommend going.

Tonight is the first night of the 58th annual San Remo Song Festival, are we all ready for it? Get your flags and nibbles out and tune into TV Rai Uno in Eurovision Network where it is being broadcast from 21:10. Not many people know that the San Remo Song Festival actually inspired the Eurovision Song Contest so we have the Italians to thank for my favourite song contest of the year! The San Remo Song Festival also launched the career of none other than Andrea Bocelli, the world famous tenor. So I think we should all do our bit to raise the profile of this little internationally-known song contest!

Today, as some you may already know, is the first day of the annual Venice Film Festival which is now in its 64th year. As a lover of films, I’m extremely excited to see if Brad Pitt will win an award for his performance in the amazing The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. Seeing as Brad doesn’t tend to win the big award in the film industry (which I don’t need to name), it will be nice to see him win a prize of prestige, such as the Coppa Volpi. But who knows? I don’t tend to find the Venice Film Festival as predictable as the Oscars, so Brad may be in with a chance. So if you’re planning on visiting Venice between now and September 8th you may just see someone famous. Or if you’re unlucky, just a whole load of tourists!