Tuscany - The Basics - Part 12

Tuscany - The Basics - Part 12 cont.

Festivals

The whole of Italy has a large range of local festivals and Tuscany has its fair share. Saints’ days are one of the most common excuses for some kind of holiday or parade. Again many cities, small towns and villages have their own local saint whose mortal remains or image is carried through the streets accompanied by noise and general chaos. There are also plenty of other reasons for a festival and none of these are passed over. It may be to commemorate some local miracle or event, to showcase some local products or particular artistic talent.

Generally the festival season starts to happen around Easter, so tends to run from late April till September. You should always check for national holidays as these can mean that many services may not be easily available. If you want to get tickets for some of the major cultural festivals such as the Maggio Musicale in Florence or Spoleto’s Festival dei Due Mondi you will need to plan well in advance as they are very popular. If you cannot get a ticket then you can try an agency for tickets. They will cost you more but they can often offer tickets for major Italian opera and musical events, timed museum tickets or football matches.

Food and wine festivals

Food and wine based festivals are generally smaller than the religious and traditional events however I have found them to be very enjoyable. They generally celebrate the edible speciality of the region. This is accompanied by dancing and music from the local band, and finally will be topped off with plenty of fireworks at the end of the evening. At Easter and through the summer and autumn there are literally hundreds of such events. They are run mainly for the locals and are not designed as tourist events but are still enjoyable. If you want to find out what’s on in your local area ask at the tourist offices or check the local papers.

Opening hours and public holidays

Most local shops are open Monday to Saturday from 8/9am until around 1pm. They close for a long lunch and open again from about 3pm until 7/8pm. In the bigger cities such as Florence, it’s now becoming common for shops to stay open continuously from around 10am to 7. 30pm, but with shorter hours if they open on Sunday. Opening hours for museums, galleries and churches vary and tend to change every year, so check ahead. Restaurants will normally open for lunch around 12. 00pm and close at 3pm. They reopen again for dinner about 7pm. Many will also be closed for Sunday evening and Monday lunch.

Italy’s official national holidays will cause everything other than some bars and restaurants to close.
They are :- January 1, January 6 (Epiphany), Easter Monday, April 25 (Liberation Day), May 1 (Labour Day), June 2 (Day of the Republic), August 15 (Ferragosto; Assumption), November 1 (Ognissanti; All Saints), December 8 (Immaculate Conception), December 25, December 26.

Emergency phone numbers

These calls can be made from any phone and no coins are needed if it is a pay phone.

Police Carabineri 112
General Emergency Soccorso pubblico di emergenza 113