The Carnival in Venice is said to have originated from an important victory of the "Repubblica della Serenissima" (Ancient name of Venice), in the war against Ulrico, Patriarch of Aquileia, in the year 1162. To celebrate this victory, dances and reunions started to take place in SAN MARCO SQUARE.

Take one look at the landscape from the banks of Lake Massaciuccoli in the city of Torre del Lago, Tuscany and it is easy to understand Giacomo Puccini’s inspiration for his operas. The great Italian composer, Puccini, once wrote to his friend Forzano, “I always come out here and take a boat to go and shoot snipes … but once I would like to come here and listen to one of my operas in the open air.”

The Giro d’Italia more famously known as the Giro, is a long distance bicycle race for professional riders. It is held in and around Italy over a span of three weeks in May or June.

Italy is known to us for its contribution in almost all the fields of arts. Films are no exception to it as they are the most fascinating and entertaining form of arts. The contribution towards the film industry is enormous.

Celebrating the wish of Giacomo Puccini, the renowned composer, 40,000 opera lovers gather to enjoy memorable music and drama at Torre del Lago, a quaint Tuscan town in Florence, Italy.

Verona welcomes you to her magical land of the most famous lovers in history, Romeo and Juliet. Verona is also known as Urbs Nobilissima, the second largest city after Venice with one of the best preserved artistic heritage in Italy.

The sky was a cloudless azure above Italy on Sunday, July 9th 2006, never mind that it was evening. The azzuri held aloft the FIFA World Cup for the fourth time, after a gap of nearly a quarter of a century, and the nation threw up its collective cap in celebration.

A sport for all times, the Calcio Storico or traditional football played in costume, in Florence, Italy, dates back to the 15th century. Woven with Italian brain, brawn and passion, the Calcio Storico was played by the aristocratic young noble men in front of the Basilica of Santa Croce.

The great historian, Ernest Renan described Assisi in eloquent words, “The profusion of art overcomes any imagination. Exteriors, interiors, doors windows, house-chimneys, everything is painted and sculptured”. Italy’s repertoire of festivals takes you to Assisi to enjoy the festival of the Calendimaggio or the Celebration of the Holy Week.

Tuscany draws you with an irresistible air to Arezzo transforming a land into a theater filled with a lifestyle of tradition, culture and cuisine. Arezzo which is about 80 kilometers from Florence hosts the Giostra del Saracino or the joust held at the Piazza Grande. This medieval festival displays facets of its old world charm, its famous history, tradition and its tasteful cuisine.

Italy takes you on a timeless travel to Sardinia to sense the mystery of miracles. As one of the most ancient lands in Europe, Sardinia has been through the Paeolithic Age, the Neolithic Age, right down to the present age. Displaying its ancient legacy, Sardinia unfolds her secret heritage with the age-old ‘Nuraghe’.

Florence takes you back to the ancient Crusade of 1099, the celebration of which culminated in the Easter festival of the Scoppi del Carro or the Explosion of the Cart. The history of one of the most fascinating festivals of Florence leads to the story of its origins.

Siena is essentially a medieval city. On July 2nd and August 16th every year, the city becomes alive with action and enthusiasm, and gets ready for one of the most famous and welcome folk festival, the Il Palio.

The Festival dei Due Mondi or the Festival of the Two Worlds is an annual summer music and opera festival. It is held in Spoleto each June to early July in Italy since 1958 by its founding composer Gian Carlo Menotti.

The city of Rome witnessed one the greatest festival of films. Movie enthusiasts and lovers had a real and rewarding feast they could carry in their memory for long.

The name says it all. Le Mille Miglia was the most fascinating, popular and nostalgic race of a thousand miles that was held in Italy from 1927 to 1957. It took place about 24 times between the pre and post war period.

Florence brings back the celebrations of the ancient ages and transforms them into colorful festivals showcasing tradition, culture and the pagan rites of times gone by. One of the exciting and brilliant festivals is the Festa della Rificolona that lights up the streets of Florence with an almost Oriental air and a pagan ambience.