Umbria Jazz Festival

                                                     Festivals of Italy

Umbria Jazz Festival

The Umbria Jazz Festival is one of the most important jazz festivals in the world and has been held annually since 1973, usually in the month of July, in perugia, Italy. Furthermore, the Umbria Jazz Winter Festival takes place annually in late December to early January in the city of orvieto.

The Festival was officially born August 23rd,1973 concerts of Aktuala and Thad Jones & Mel Lewis orchestra, in whose ranks one militant young Dee Dee Bridgewater, at natural theater of Villalago in Piediluco (TR). Merit of the efforts of Carlo Pagnotta, Perugino merchant and jazz fan.
The formula of the show for the first years is definitely different than it does today: touring and free, between some of the most beautiful locations in the Green Heart of Italy as well Villalago, Piazza del Popolo in Todi, Piazza IV Novembre in Perugia, the Romano theater in Gubbio, the Albornoz Fortress in Spoleto and Piazza San Francesco in Umbertide.

The success of public was enormous and immediate. Too enormous and immediate, so much so that there began to be logistical, organizational and security problems. The Umbria was bursting with so many people. To say, Count Basie once failed to reach the stage, caught in a traffic jam of people.

The heart of Perugia for 10 days becomes a global musical village, where every hour you listen to notes between the medieval buildings and squares. A real godsend for fans of good music. And not just for them.

Ferragosto

                                    Festival's of Italy
Ferragosto

Ferragosto or Assumption Day, is an Italian national holiday celebrated on August 15. Many businesses and shops in Italy are closed on August 15 although on the coast and near major tourist sites shops are more likely to be some open. Most museums and tourist sites are open on August 15. Many Italians head to the beach for Ferragosto, so the coast are full.

Traditionally, Ferragosto marks the start of Italy's vacation period so if you're in a city during the second half of August, you may find a number of restaurants and shops closed for vacation, chiuso per ferie, however near tourist sites there will be some open.

You'll find celebrations in many places in Italy on this day and the days before and after, often including music, food, parades, or fireworks.

Monterosso Beach

The popular tradition of taking a trip during Ferragosto arose under the Fascist regime. In the second half of the 1920s, during the mid-August period, the regime organised hundreds of popular trips through the Fascist leisure and recreational organisations of various corporations, and via the setting up of the "People's Trains of Ferragosto", which were available at discounted prices.

Carnevale

                                   Festival's of Italy
Carnevale

Carnevale, also known as carnival or mardi gras, is celebrated in Italy and many places around the world 40 days before Easter, a final party before Ash Wednesday and the restrictions of Lent.

Carnevale in Italy is a huge winter festival celebrated with parades, masquerade balls, entertainment, music, and parties. Children throw confetti at each other.

Mischief and pranks are also common during Carnevale, hence the saying A Carnevale Ogni Scherzo Vale, anything goes at carnival.

Carnevale has roots in pagan festivals and traditions and as is often the case with traditional festivals was adapted to fit into the Catholic rituals. Although carnival is actually one date, in Venice and some other places .

Masks, maschere, are an important part of the carnevale festival and Venice is the best city for traditional carnival masks. Carnival masks are sold year round and can be found in many shops in Venice, ranging from cheap masks to elaborate and expensive masks. Walking through the streets of Venice, it's a pleasure to view the variety of masks on display in shop windows. People also wear elaborate costumes for the festival and there are costume or masquerade balls, both private and public.

The Epiphany

                                               Festival's of Italy

The Epiphany 

 The Epiphany feast also known as La Befana, the witch who is celebrated on the Epiphany, a national holiday in Italy. On January 6 this witch rides around on her broomstick bringing gifts to children as she searches for the baby Jesus.

 La Befana’s search for Jesus references the three wise men, who visited and brought gifts to the miracle child. The La Befana Festival originates in Urbania, a town in the Le Marche region. And Urbania is where you should go for one of the largest Epiphany celebrations in Italy! The party, gift giving, and feasts go on for four whole days. In Rome, the Vatican also puts on a show for the Epiphany. People gather in St. Peter’s Square to hear the Pope commemorate the three wise men in a morning mass.

                           

In popular folklore Befana visits all the children of Italy on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany to fill their stockings with candy and presents if they are good. Or a lump of coal or dark candy if they are bad. In many poorer parts of Italy and in particular rural Sicily, a stick in a stocking was placed instead of coal. Being a good housekeeper, many say she will sweep the floor before she leaves. To some the sweeping meant the sweeping away of the problems of the year. The child's family typically leaves a small glass of wine and a plate with a few morsels of food, often regional or local, for the Befana

Palio di Siena(the horse race)

                                                       Festival's of Italy

Palio di Siena(the horse race)


The Palio di Siena ,known locally simply as Il Palio is a horse race that is held twice each year, on July 2 and August 16, in Siena, Italy. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards. The Palio held on July 2 is named Palio di Provenzano, in honour of the Madonna of Provenzano, a Marian devotion particular to Siena which developed around an icon from the Terzo Camollia. The Palio held on August 16 is named Palio dell'Assunta, in honour of the Assumption of Mary.

                                              

Sometimes, in case of exceptional events or local or national anniversaries deemed relevant and pertinent ones, city community may decide for a extraordinary Palio, run between May and September. The last one was in year 2000, to celebrate the entering of the city in the new century.

The race itself, in which the jockeys ride bareback, circles the Piazza del Campo, on which a thick layer of dirt has been laid, three times and usually lasts no more than 90 seconds. It is common for a few of the jockeys to be thrown off their horses while making the treacherous turns in the piazza, and indeed, it is usual to see unmounted horses finishing the race without their jockeys.

The earliest known antecedents of the race are medieval. The town's central piazza was the site of public games, largely combative: pugna, a sort of many-sided boxing match or brawl; jousting; and in the 16th century, bullfights. Public races organized by the contrade were popular from the 14th century on; called palii alla lunga, they were run across the whole city.

Battle of oranges

                                               Festival's of Italy


Battle of the Oranges

The battle of the Oranges is the biggest food festival in Italy and is the Food throwing festival of North Italy.The festival is of throwing Oranges to each other between two organised groups.In Italy it is known as Carnevale di Ivrea.
         It is similar to Tomatina from spain but the oranges unlike tomatos dont get squished or crushed until the bang over the helmet.

                                                                 

The festival's origins are somewhat unclear. A popular account has it that it commemorates the city's defiance against the city's tyrant, who is either a member of the Ranieri family.This tyrant tried to rape milers daughter on her wedding night but his plan backfired when the young woman instead decapitated the tyrant, after which the populace stormed and burned the palace.The orange symbolizes the removed testicles of the tyrant.

The carnival takes place in February: it ends on the night of Shrove Tuesday with a solemn funeral. Traditionally, at the end of the silent march that closes the carnival the "General" says goodbye to everyone with the classical phrase in dialect "arvedse a giobia a ‘n bot", translated as "we'll see each other on Thursday at one", referring to the Thursday the carnival will start the next year.

Calcio Storico (sport festival)

                       Festival's of Italy


Calcio Storico


This is a sport festival which has been more then 500 year old.It is a sport mainly a mix of football and rugby with bare knuckle boxing added in it.Calcio Storico is not a game for a faint hearted person ,especially those wh cant bare the sight of blood.

Calcio Storico

                     It is also known as Calcio fiorentino .it was originated in the 16th centuary.
it was inspired by a Roman sport of harpastum.
this festival became was much recognised  in the 17th centuary .

                               

It is also one of the most brutal game on earth.but as it was even played by some of the popes during the time of rennaisance .here are some of the teams that participiate during this festival.

• Santa Croce / Azzurri (Blues)
• Santa Maria Novella / Rossi (Reds)
• Santo Spirito / Bianchi (Whites)
• San Giovanni / Verdi (Greens)

RULES

Matches last 50 minutes and are played on a field covered in sand, twice as long as it is wide . A white line divides the field into two identical squares, and a goal net runs the width of each end. Each team has 27 players and no substitutions are allowed for injured or expelled players. The teams are made up of four Datori indietro (goalkeepers), 3 Datori innanzi (fullbacks), 5 Sconciatori (halfbacks), 15 Innanzi o Corridori (forwards). The Captain and Standard Bearer's tent sits at the center of the goal net. They do not actively participate in the game, but can organize their teams and sometimes act as referees, mainly to calm down their players or to stop fights.

The prize is also interesting, because along with the Palio, the winning team used to receive a Chianina, a type of cow. However, the prize has been reduced to a free dinner for the winning team; the players earn no other compensation.

INTRODUCTION

                                                    Festival's of Italy

INTRODUCTION

Italy for thousands of years had been regarded as the land of delicacy, taste, valor and the spirit that celebrates life in all its paradoxes.

Pasqua Festival 

This spirit of celebration championed Italy as the land of festivals. Italy boasts more festivals than the number of days in a calendar year.

Madiera festival 

 Sicilian Festa

Italy is a country well known for its festivals, and many tourists attend festivals in order to experience the Italian culture and traditions

 Here we have chosen a handful of the most popular festivals in Italy incorporating different aspects of Italian life and tradition, food, wine, music, sports, art, religious life, social life and political tradition. Every Italian festival has a long tradition that is rooted into some historic events or social, political or cultural aura of yesteryear. If you are planning to travel Italy during any of this festival mentioned below, don’t miss to participate in traditional cultural events and happening.       

It has been claimed that there are fewer days in the calendar year than there are festivals. Different categories of Italian festivals include: Italian food, cultures, traditions, wine, art, religion, music, and sports.