Sept. 30 – Oct. 9, Barcolana Regatta, Trieste. The annual boating competition in which 2,000 boat owners test their skills is the largest gathering of boats in the Mediterranean Sea. Music, food and wine accompany the races with the main event held on Oct. 9.
Oct. 1-10, Sagra del Miele (Honey Festival), Sortino, Sicily. This festival remembers the famous “honey of Hyblea” prized by Greeks and Romans. Special foods, fun and many varieties of honey are offered throughout the festival.
Oct. 5-8, Ibla Buskers Festival, Ragusa, Sicily. Street artists from all over the world amaze visitors with their performances. Acrobats, jugglers, actors, tightrope walkers, magicians, and illusionists perform in the baroque distract of Ibla over four days.
Oct. 10-17, Festival Dei Popoli (International Documentary Film Festival), Florence. Founded in 1959, the festival promotes and studies social documentary cinema.
Oct. 13-22, Eurochocolate Festival, Perugia. The International Chocolate Exhibition of Europe is held in the city’s historic squares. About 1 million people attend the delicious event every year.
Oct. 18, La Fiera di San Luca (Festival of St. Luke), Impruneta. One of the oldest surviving livestock fairs in Europe, the festival is held during the week of the feast of St. Luke. The fair combines farming and folk culture with religion. Donkey and horse races as well as fireworks commemorate the celebration.
Oct. 22, Venice Marathon. Since 1986, runners have blazed the course beginning on the mainland and ending in the famous St. Mark’s Square. The route includes Ponte della Liberta and Parco San Giuliano.
Oct. 26 – Nov. 5, Rome Film Festival, Rome. The event includes international film premiers, a competition and many different events.
Oct. 28-29, Sagra del Tordo (Feast of the Thrush), Montalcino, Tuscany. A spectacular event with drum parades and archery trials followed by a feast held
inside the castle walls.
Fall truffle fairs pop up all over Italy during the month of October. The largest festivals are in Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria, Le Marche, and the Emilia Romagna regions.
