Italy's events, only where a date exists

Fixed dates you can book flights around

The Palio di Siena runs twice a year, on July 2 as the Palio di Provenzano and on August 16 as the Palio dell'Assunta, in Piazza del Campo, with 10 of the city's 17 contrade in each race. The dates do not move; only bad weather pushes a race to the following day.

Venice's Regata Storica is set the same way, on the first Sunday of September on the Grand Canal, with a costumed procession that recalls the welcome given to Caterina Cornaro in 1489⁹. The Calcio Storico final in Florence falls on June 24, the feast of Saint John.

The ones that move with Easter

Carnival in Venice runs in the days before Lent and closes on Shrove Tuesday, which is 47 days before Easter Sunday, so its dates change every year. The city has documented a carnival since 1094⁴ under doge Vitale Falier, made it an official public festival by Senate decree in 1296⁴, ended it in 1797⁴ with the fall of the Republic and revived it in 1979.

The Infiorate di Spello, in Umbria, follow Corpus Christi, the ninth Sunday after Easter: in 2026 they fell on June 6 and 7, with 1.5 km of flower carpets laid overnight through the old town.

Long seasons, not single days

The 61st Art Biennale, titled In Minor Keys and curated by Koyo Kouoh, runs May 9 to November 22, 2026 at the Giardini, the Arsenale and Forte Marghera, at 30 euro full and 16 euro reduced under 26. Art falls in even years and architecture in odd ones, so 2027 is an architecture year.

The Arena di Verona opera festival fills the summer: the 104¹⁰th edition is scheduled June 11 to September 11, 2027. Umbria Jazz has held Perugia in July since 1982, and its winter edition has run in Orvieto between Christmas and New Year since 1993.

Trade fairs that fill every hotel room

Vinitaly takes over Verona for four days in April, with the 59th edition set for April 11 to 14, 2027. The Salone del Mobile occupies Fiera Milano Rho, with the 65th edition April 13 to 18, 2027, and the city fills far beyond the fairground.

The 83rd Venice Film Festival ran September 2 to 12, 2026 at the Lido under Alberto Barbera. In autumn, Alba runs the 96th International White Truffle Fair from October 10 to December 6, 2026. The Giro d'Italia moves: it ran May 1 to 31 in 2026 and is set for May 8 to 30, 2027, closing roads along the route for a few hours at a time.

What is missing here, and why

Every event above carries a date from a primary source, and the 2 gaps we could not close are named below. Anything we could not date at all is absent, which is why some famous festivals are not here yet.

Two known gaps: the next Venice Carnival dates have not been published on an official channel we could read, and the Alba fair's 96 editions do not mean 96 consecutive years, because the fair was interrupted. Do not work back to a founding year from the edition number.

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