Last updated: October 2026
Tuscans don’t do half-hearted festivals. The whole town dresses up in medieval costume, there’s drumming in the streets for days beforehand, and somebody’s grandmother will tell you exactly why her district is going to win.
My sagre guide is about the food festivals. This one is about the big historic spectacles: horse races, jousts, crossbows, and whole cities lit by candles. Here they are through the year.
Quick calendar
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| January to February | Carnevale parades | Viareggio |
| Easter Sunday | Scoppio del Carro | Florence |
| Early May | Feste Medievali | Pescia |
| Late May and 14 August | Balestro del Girifalco (crossbows) | Massa Marittima |
| Early June | Volo del Ciuco | Empoli |
| Mid June | Giostra dell’Archidado (crossbows) | Cortona |
| 16 June | Luminara di San Ranieri | Pisa |
| 24 June | Calcio Storico final | Florence |
| Last Saturday of June | Gioco del Ponte | Pisa |
| Penultimate Saturday of June | Giostra del Saracino (by night) | Arezzo |
| 2 July | Palio di Siena | Siena |
| 11 to 12 July | San Paolino Luminara and crossbow palio | Lucca |
| 25 July | Giostra dell’Orso | Pistoia |
| 16 August | Palio di Siena | Siena |
| Last Sunday of August | Bravìo delle Botti | Montepulciano |
| First Sunday of September | Giostra del Saracino | Arezzo |
| First Sunday of September | Astiludio (flag throwers) | Volterra |
| Early September | Palio | Pescia |
| 7 September | Rificolona (lanterns) | Florence |
| Around 8 September | Historic parade | Prato |
| 13 September | Luminara di Santa Croce | Lucca |
| 14 September | Palio della Balestra (crossbows) | Lucca |
| Late October to 1 November | Lucca Comics and Games | Lucca |
Dates are for 2026 and 2027 where I’ve been able to check them. Some move a little each year, so always check before you go.
Winter and spring
Viareggio Carnevale
One of Italy’s biggest carnivals. Huge papier-mâché floats, often wickedly satirical, parade along Viareggio’s seafront. The 2027 parades are on 30 January and 4, 7, 9, 14 and 20 February. You pay to get into the parade area. Book ahead for the weekends.
Scoppio del Carro, Florence
On Easter Sunday (28 March in 2027), an ancient cart is pulled through Florence to the Duomo, and a “dove” rocket lit at the altar flies out and sets it off in a burst of fireworks. A good explosion means a good harvest. Get there early. The square fills up.
Feste Medievali, Pescia
My old town goes medieval for a weekend in early May (1 to 3 May in 2026), with costumes, music and the town’s districts (rioni) out in force. Find out more about Pescia.
Massa Marittima, Empoli and Cortona
- Balestro del Girifalco, Massa Marittima: a crossbow contest in medieval dress, held twice a year (24 May and 14 August in 2026).
- Volo del Ciuco, Empoli: the “flight of the donkey” from the church tower. Don’t panic. It isn’t a real one these days. 6 June in 2026.
- Giostra dell’Archidado, Cortona: crossbows and a historic parade in mid June (11 to 14 June in 2026).
June: Pisa and Florence
Luminara di San Ranieri, Pisa (16 June)
On the eve of the feast of Pisa’s patron saint, the buildings along the river Arno are lit by thousands of candles. As the sun goes down, the whole river glows. There are usually fireworks too. Then on 17 June, the saint’s day itself, there’s a historic boat race on the Arno.
Gioco del Ponte, Pisa (last Saturday of June)
The two halves of Pisa, north and south of the Arno, fight it out on the Ponte di Mezzo, pushing a heavy cart to win the bridge. Costumes, drums, a lot of shouting. 27 June in 2026.
Calcio Storico, Florence (24 June)
Florentine “historic football” is a cross between rugby, wrestling and a pub brawl, played in sand in Piazza Santa Croce. The four historic districts play heats in June, and the final is on 24 June, the feast of San Giovanni, Florence’s patron saint. Not for the faint-hearted. Tickets go fast.
Giostra del Saracino, Arezzo
Knights on horseback charge with lances at a wooden “Saracen” with a shield, in Piazza Grande. There are two each year: one by night on the penultimate Saturday of June (20 June in 2026), and one by day on the first Sunday of September (6 September in 2026).
Summer: Siena, Pistoia and Montepulciano
Palio di Siena (2 July and 16 August)
The big one. Ten horses, ridden bareback, race three times round the Piazza del Campo in about a minute and a half. The days before are full of trial races, parades and dinners in each district (contrada). On the day, the middle of the piazza is free and standing only, and it is packed. Get there early, take water and a hat, and don’t plan on leaving in a hurry. Seats in the stands and on balconies have to be booked.
The horse race may be over in a flash, but the drama lasts all summer.
Giostra dell’Orso, Pistoia (25 July)
Pistoia’s joust, held on the feast of San Jacopo, the city’s patron saint. Knights on horseback charge at two stylised bears in Piazza del Duomo, in the evening. Pistoia is an easy train ride from Florence or Lucca. See my rainy day guide for what else to do there.
Bravìo delle Botti, Montepulciano (last Sunday of August)
Teams from the town’s districts push huge wine barrels uphill through the streets to the top of the town. It’s every bit as sweaty as it sounds. 30 August in 2026.
September: the busiest month
Palio, Pescia
Pescia’s districts compete at archery in medieval costume. The 49th Palio is on 6 September 2026.
Volterra Astiludio
Flag throwers in Volterra’s main piazza on the first Sunday of September.
Rificolona, Florence (7 September)
On the evening before the feast of the Nativity of Mary, children carry paper lanterns (rificolone) through Florence, ending at Piazza Santissima Annunziata. Gentle, pretty, and lovely with kids.
Prato
Prato’s big day is 8 September, when the relic of the Virgin’s girdle is shown from the cathedral’s outdoor pulpit and there’s a historic parade. Events run over the days around it.
Asciano Palio dei Ciuchi
A donkey race in the Crete Senesi, with festivities through the week (6 to 13 September in 2026).
Luminara di Santa Croce, Lucca (13 September)
The night Lucca turns its lights off. At 8pm a procession by candlelight sets out from the church of San Frediano and winds through the streets to the cathedral of San Martino, home of the Volto Santo, the ancient carved crucifix. Windows and walls are lit with candles all along the route. It’s a beautiful, quiet, very special night.
The next day, 14 September, Lucca holds its crossbow palio.
Lucca does it in July too. The feast of San Paolino brings another Luminara on 11 July and a crossbow palio on 12 July.
Autumn: Lucca Comics and Games
Something completely different. Lucca’s walled town is taken over by one of the biggest comics and games festivals in Europe, with thousands of people in costume. In 2026 it runs from 28 October to 1 November. Great fun, but the town is rammed and the trains are packed. If you want quiet Lucca, avoid those days.
And at Christmas, the villages have their own traditions. Read about the living nativity in Castelvecchio.
Tips for festival days
- Book early. Rooms near Siena in early July and mid August, and in Lucca during Comics, go months ahead.
- Go by train if you can. Roads close and parking vanishes. See Tuscany without a car.
- Arrive early for anything you want to see from the front.
- Take water and a hat in summer.
- Watch the trial runs. For the Palio and the jousts, the rehearsals and parades in the days before are less crowded and just as atmospheric.
- Be respectful. These aren’t shows put on for tourists. They’re a big part of town life, and feelings run high.
- Check the dates every year. Organisers can move things for weather, Sundays or holy days.
And don’t forget the little village festas. They might not have horses, but they have home-made food and the whole village out in the piazza. That’s my kind of festival.
You might also enjoy:
- Tuscany sagre month by month
- The best time to visit Tuscany, month by month
- Sagra del Beccutino in Stiappa
Susan
