Aug. 29 - Sept. 8 – Venice Film Festival. The 75th Venice International Film Festival will take place at Venice Lido with a premise to raise awareness and promote international cinema in all its forms as art, entertainment and as an industry. The line-up was announced in late July and includes American films “First Man,” the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” an American western film expected to be released on Netflix this year and “Vox Lux,” a musical drama starring Natalie Portman and Jude Law, among others.
Aug. 31 - Sept. 4 – Palio di San Rocco, Figline Valdarno (30 km southeast of Florence). Said to be one of the first palio competitions in Tuscany, this event includes five days of medieval competitions with jousting, archery and a horse race.
Sept. 1 – Palio di Asti. This exhilarating bareback horse race dating back to the 13th century features a historical procession which winds through the town center with more than 1,200 people representing the districts and neighborhoods over the medieval history of Asti. During the days preceding the race, the town is decorated with the flags of the different districts.
Sept. 1 – Rievocazione Storica, Cordovado, Friuli-Venezia. On this first Sunday of September, a noble wedding from 1571 is recreated. Festivities include a procession followed by an archery competition and tournaments where the town’s districts compete.
Sept. 2 – Regata Storica, Venice. The main event in the annual Voga all Veneta rowing calendar, the regatta is a unique sport that has been practiced in the Venetian lagoon for thousands of years. Today, it is particularly well-known for the spectacular historical water pageant that precedes the race.
Sept. 3-19 – MITO Settembre Musica, Milan and Torino. The MITO International Music Festival hosts a variety of musical performances in both cities during the month.
Sept. 7 – Feast of Rificolona, Florence. Believed to be one of the oldest festivals in Florence, the Festival of the Paper Lanterns is a procession on what is said to be the eve of the Virgin Mary’s birth.
Sept. 13 – Luminara di Santa Croce, Lucca, Tuscany. Illuminations of the Holy Cross is a beautiful procession that goes through the city’s historic center. Lucca is illuminated with thousands of candles at night.
Sept. 19 – Festival for the Feast Day of San Gennaro, Naples. As the patron saint of Naples, the city celebrates the miracle of the liquifying of San Gennaro’s blood in Naples Cathedral followed by eight days of processions and celebrations.
