Articles by Michelle Fabio

At the annual Sagra del Carciofo Romanesco in Ladispoli (RM) from 17-19 April*, the Roman artichoke is king. For the 59th straight year, thousands wi…
Words by Michelle Fabio For Italians, the first of April marks the celebration of "Pesce d'Aprile" (April Fish), and antics are very similar to those…
Italy is famous for its spectacular celebrations surrounding Pasqua (Easter), and none is more explosive than the Scoppio del Carro in Florence on Eas…
Words by Michelle Fabio Surely you know all about the famous Palio of Siena that takes place every July and August in the medieval Tuscan city, but d…
On 19 March, the feast day of San Giuseppe, Italians celebrate St. Joseph as the foster father of Jesus and all fathers across the country—it’s Italia…
words by Michelle Fabio International Women’s Day (IWD) is held 8 March, and in Italy, it’s called La Festa della Donna. The first IWD was really a…
Every year at the end of February, the small northern Italian town of Ivrea comes under fruit attack during the Battle of the Oranges. Thousands come…
words by Michelle Fabio From the last Sunday of Carnevale to the following Tuesday, the city of Oristano in Sardinia takes on a pagan, medieval, myst…
Although Carnevale (Carnival) is celebrated throughout Italy, Venice's version with its elaborate, colourful masks and costumes is one of the oldest a…
Words by Michelle Fabio One of the largest religious festivals in the world takes place the first weeks of February in the Sicilian city of Catania wh…
Words by Michelle Fabio On the first Sunday in February, Agrigento, Sicily celebrates the first almond blossoms of the season in its Festa del Fiore d…
In January, the Aosta Valley celebrates La Fiera di Sant'Orso in the historical centres of Aosta and the small village of Donnas; the latter festival…
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to tour Dante Alighieri's circles of hell? Well if you have a free weekend and you're in Italy, you can f…
For many who have visited Italy during the colder months, enjoying cioccolata calda, or hot chocolate, becomes a fond memory. And for excellent r…
Words by Michelle FabioAlthough in other countries, you might begin to hear Christmas carols at the end of November, in Italy, holiday celebrations be…
Words by Michelle FabioThe presepi, or Nativity scenes, of Naples are probably the most famous in the world, and the markets along Via San Gregorio Ar…
Even as winter settles into the Bel Paese, Sicilians in Paternò, in the province of Catania, are celebrating. The Feast of Santa Barbara, the patron s…
Words by Michelle Fabio From 13-20 December, the city of Siracusa in Sicily celebrates "La Festa di Santa Lucia," the Feast of Saint Lucy, the patron…
Words by Michelle FabioItalians are busy throughout the autumn months collecting the year's harvest, and that includes olives, many of which will find…
Drive through the countryside in any Italian region during the autumn months and chances are good that you'll come across groups of people harvesting…