JANUARY

Festa di Sant’Agnese, Sant’Agnese Fuori le Mura, Rome. In this ancient ceremony, two lambs are blessed and shorn; their wool is used later for palliums (Roman Catholic vestments). www.santagnese.com. January 21.

FEBRUARY

Carnevale, Venice. At this riotous time, theatrical presentations and masked balls take place across Venice and on islands in its lagoon. The balls are by invitation only (except the Doge’s Ball), but the street events and fireworks are open to everyone. www.carnevale.venezia.it. Two weeks before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

Festival della Canzone Italiana (Festival of Italian Popular Song), San Remo, Liguria. At this six-day competition, major artists perform previously unreleased Italian songs. www.sanremo.rai.it. Late February.

MARCH

Festa di San Giuseppe, the Trionfale Quarter, Rome. A decorated statue of the saint is brought out at a fair with food stalls, concerts, and sporting events. Usually March 19.

APRIL

Holy Week, nationwide. Processions and age-old ceremonies, some from pagan days, others from the Middle Ages. The most notable procession is led by the Pope, passing the Colosseum and Roman Forum; a torch-lit parade caps the observance. Beginning a week before Easter Sunday; sometimes late March but often April.

Easter Sunday (Pasqua), Piazza San Pietro, Rome. In an event broadcast around the world, the Pope gives his blessing from the balcony of St. Peter’s.

Scoppio del Carro (Explosion of the Cart), Florence. At this ancient observance, a cart laden with flowers and fireworks is drawn by three white oxen to the Duomo. At the 11am Mass, a mechanical dove detonates it. Easter Sunday.

MAY

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Florentine Musical May), Florence. Italy’s oldest and most prestigious music festival emphasizes music from the 14th to the 20th centuries, including ballet and opera. www.maggiofiorentino.it. Late April to end of June.

Giro d’Italia, nationwide. Road cycling is second only to soccer in national sporting affections. One of Europe’s three great endurance races, this month-long event celebrated its 100th staging in 2017. www.giroditalia.it.

Mille Miglia, Brescia, Lombardy. Vintage and classic cars depart Brescia and spend four days parading around the towns and cities of northern and central Italy as part of the annual “1000 Miles.” www.1000miglia.eu. Mid-May.

Concorso Ippico Internazionale (International Horse Show), Piazza di Siena, Rome. Top-flight international equestrian show held in the Villa Borghese. www.piazzadisiena.it. Late May.

JUNE

Festa di San Ranieri, Pisa, Tuscany. The city honors its patron saint with candlelit parades, followed the next day by eight-rower teams competing in 16th-century costumes. June 16 and 17.

Calcio Storico (Historic Football), Florence. A revival of a raucous 15th-century form of football, pitting four teams in medieval costumes against one another. The matches usually culminate on June 24, the feast day of St. John the Baptist. www.calciostoricofiorentino.it. Late June.

Gioco del Ponte, Pisa, Tuscany. Teams in Renaissance costume take part in a long-contested “push-of-war” on the Ponte di Mezzo, which spans the River Arno. www.giocodelpontedipisa.it. Last weekend in June.

Arena di Verona Opera Festival, Verona, Veneto. The 20,000-seat remains of Verona's Roman-era amphitheater is the venue for Italy's most famous outdoor opera season, now over 100 years old. www.arena.it. Late June to late August.

Biennale Arte, Venice. One of the most famous recurring art events in the world takes place every two years (in odd-numbered years). Even-numbered years see related events, including Biennale Architettura. www.labiennale.org. June to November.

JULY

Il Palio, Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany. Palio fever grips this Tuscan hill town for a wild and exciting horse race dating from the Middle Ages. Pageantry, costumes, and the celebrations of the victorious contrada (sort of a neighborhood social club) mark the spectacle. It’s a “no rules” event: Even a horse without a rider can win the race. July 2.

Umbria Jazz, Perugia, Umbria. One of Europe's top jazz festivals always attracts top-class artists. www.umbriajazz.com. July.

Puccini Festival, Torre del Lago, Tuscany. An outdoor lakeside venue is the stage for the Tuscan maestro’s blockbuster operas. www.puccinifestival.it. Mid-July to late August.

Festa del Redentore (Feast of the Redeemer), Venice. This festival marks the lifting of a plague in 1576, with fireworks, pilgrimages, and boating. www.redentorevenezia.it. Third Saturday and Sunday of July.

AUGUST

Il Palio, Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany. See July (above). This second annual staging is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. August 16.

Venice International Film Festival, Venice. Ranking second after Cannes, this festival brings together stars, directors, producers, and filmmakers from all over the world to the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido. Although many seats are reserved for jury members, the public can attend, too. www.labiennale.org/en/cinema. Late August to early September.

SEPTEMBER

Regata Storica, Grand Canal, Venice. A maritime spectacular: Many gondolas participate in the canal procession, although gondolas don’t race in the regatta itself. www.regatastoricavenezia.it. First Sunday in September.

Festa di San Gennaro, Naples, Campania. The cathedral is the focal point for this celebration in honor of the city's patron saint. Three times a year a solemn procession is followed by the miraculous “liquefaction” of the holy blood. September 19, December 16, and 1st Sunday in May.

Palio di Asti, Asti, Piedmont. Riders race for Italy's “second” Palio around the central square of a provincial Piedmont town. Expect medieval pageantry and daring horsemanship at an event with 800 years of history. www.astiturismo.it. First Sunday in September.

DECEMBER

La Scala Opera Season Opening, Teatro alla Scala, Milan. At the most famous house of them all, the season begins each December 7, the feast day of Milan's patron, St. Ambrose. It runs into the following July, then September to mid-November. Even though opening-night tickets are almost impossible to find, it is worth a try. www.teatroallascala.org.

Christmas Blessing of the Pope, Piazza San Pietro, Rome. Delivered at noon from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pope's words are broadcast to the faithful around the globe. December 25.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.