Following the example of Rome's 'Notte Bianca' (White Night) all-night street celebration, Spoleto has organised an all-night celebration of wine and food.
From sunset on June 3 to sunrise the next day this picturesque town in the hills of Umbria will play host to thousands of revellers who will be able to taste fine wines and culinary delights not only in bars and estaurants but also at street stands and even in several of the town's historic palaces.
The all-night event is taking place as part of of the second Vini nel Mondo (Wines of the World) fair which from June 2 to 4 will offer wine and food tastings as well as hosting a number of concerts, art shows, street performances and theatrical productions.
The most important concerts will be a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons by the Rome Philharmonic Orchestra and a recital by soprano Katia Ricciarelli and tenor Gianluca Terranova. There will also be seminars and debates on such subjects as the quality of Italy's native grapes, the prospects for expanding Italian wine exports and rediscovering and protecting Italy's many wine and food traditions.
During the three-day event Christie's will stage a benefit auction of 30 prestigious and rare wines. Last year over 40,000 people attended the first edition of Vini nel Mondo at which 180 exhibitors presented some 2,000 labels.
The Notte Bianca, short for notte in bianca which in Italian means a sleepless night, has been staged in Rome for the past three years but originated in Paris. It is now celebrated in a host of other cities including Naples, Madrid and Berlin.
Spoleto is home to the Festival of Two Worlds.
