Italian Festivals in July

Italy has some of the best summer festivals in the world and these are ones you will not want to miss this July.

Join the Italians in Matera for The Feast of the Madonna della Bruna, locally known as La Festa di Maria Santissima della Bruna, as a the statue of the Holy Mother is carried through the streets to the Matera Cathedral Square. The festival procession finishes in the evening with fireworks over the ancient quarters of the Sassi, which is a Unesco World Heritage site.

Also in Italy is the L'Ardia di San Costantino in Sardinia. During the 5th and 7th of July about one-hundred of the most daring and brave horsemen of the village take part in a hores race. They do not race for prizes but rather for their devotion to Santu Antine or San Costantino.

Another Italian horse race is the Palio di Siena in Siena's central pizza. It is held on July 2nd and on August 16th. During the race in jockeys ride bareback as they circle the Piazza del Campo. The rece is preceded by a magnificent pageant, the Corteo Storico.

One of the most spectacular festivals in Italy is the Festa del Redentore. It is also one of the Venetians' most treasured festivities. It falls on the third Sunday in July, when Holy Mass is held in the presence of the Patriarch, followed by a religious procession. The festivity comes to a climax on Saturday night with fireworks against backdrop of Saint Mark's Basin. The weekend ends with a gondola regatta on Sunday.