Sunday, August 18, 2013

Best Mid-summer Festivals in Tuscia



fields of sunflowers  near  Agriturismo Il Poggio, Vetralla
 The towns and villages in the Tuscia Viterbese just north of Rome are   perfect  for  laid back  vacations since  the area abounds with  luxuriant hills and forests and  there are cool  volcanic lakes and sandy  beaches close at hand. 
ceramics of Mara Santoni, Bolsena 

No matter where you are vacationing  in the Viterbo province a  plethora of festivals featuring artisans, free concerts,  food based  sagras and festivals with  music and dancing can be found within  the radius of  15-20 kilometres . 

 exported to Paris and  China  
It is impossible to mention all of them  so here are a few of my personal favorites discovered  over the  past  20 years. Please let us know which is  your  favorite  festival  by leaving  a comment below.

artisans' fair, Bolsena 
A complete list  can be found on the  Province’s website  while  indepth historical and travel articles in English can be found on my website (updated weekly) and in  our  books  which can be purchased directly or at  local bookshops

open air dining, Bolsena 
The long awaited   publication about the area in Italian  will be published  in November… per I miei lettori italiani,  a novembre  sarà  pubblicato  il mio libro  in italiano sulla zona .


basket maker, Bolsena 
terracotta  from CastelViscardo 
....even ostrich eggs 
Bolsena played host to an artisans and books fair  a few weeks ago where  a wide range of   local products were exhibited and sold including  pottery, olive oil,  terracotta floor tiles  and even ostrich eggs .  


Civitella Cesi's  fettuccine al tartufo 
Last weekend the tiny hamlet of  Civitella Cesi hosted  thousands of  diners who were served  fettuccini and other dishes flavored with truffles. 


Next Saturday (August 24)   the  town of  Vallerano  will be brightened for La Notte delleCandele   when  50,000 candles will glow and music and shows  will be performed  in  15 different piazzas around town.  
historic center  of Vallerano lights up 

Fireworks  expert Emidio told us that the  best (and most expensive) fireworks display  is that held in Vallerano  for the  festival of  San Vittore,   but those  put on by many of the  other towns in the province are also  pretty spectacular.

Another special festival has been brought to my attention by a reader in Orte: its  a good one, not to be missed...

 green  canopy of trees in  Villa Comunale, Vetralla  

Feel  like just  relaxing?  Don't miss out  on  local band concerts which are held in most towns as part of the Ferragosto festivities. 
 practicing  with the band

Vetralla's excellent band, founded over 100 years ago,  will be performing again  in Montefiascone  on  Tuesday, August 20th.



Villa Comunale was once the  private park of sculptor Pietro Canonica 

 When  its  very hot and humid, do as the local families do and take an evening stroll (passeggiata)  in the town park.
original  19th century  water fountain 

 Here in Vetralla it’s the Villa Comunale where people of all ages  come to stroll and enjoy  the cool evening breezes .   What is your favorite  public park?
lonely swan, Vetralla's Villa Comunale 



6 comments:

  1. BRAVA !!! BATTAGKINI ERANEL MIO STAND ! COMPLIMENTI E UN ABBRACCIO DI CUORE !

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  2. Tuscia, which is the area my family is from, is one of the many undiscovered treasures of Italy. Thanks so much for such a great article on what's happening there this summer.

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  3. Who needs to travel far away in these hot months when we have numerous festivals, sagre and happenings to enjoy right here in Tuscia... There is so much happening that its hard to decide which town to visit.

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  4. It's really nice to spend the afternoons to the Villa Comunale, especially during the summer, doing some jogging or walking with friends, enjoying the beautiful breeze of the evening. I also like the Banda Ottavio Pistella, which is very appreciated all over the Tuscia. The last concert in Montefiascone was great, despite of the cold in piazza Frigo!

    Chiara.

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  5. It's really nice to spend the afternoons to the Villa Comunale, especially during the summer, doing some jogging or walking with friends, enjoying the beautiful breeze of the evening. I also like the Banda Ottavio Pistella, which is very appreciated all over the Tuscia. The last concert in Montefiascone was great, despite of the cold of Piazza Frigo!

    Chiara.

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  6. Thanks for this wonderful review, Mary Jane. I'm pining it to the Rocca di Benano Pinterest board for our guests to use when they plan their vacations in the area.

    (PS - Ciao to Chiara, Rocca di Benano's wonderful architect!)

    Karen

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