What's happening?

Welcome to the what's happening page, which is designed to tell you what's going on, on a month by month basis in and around Vinci and the surrounding area, as you may either want to plan your holiday to coincide with a particular event or else just want to see what will be on while you're here.
Please note:Due to the dates of these events changing each year I have labelled each as early, mid or late to give a general idea of when they will be on,unless that particular event is always the same date due to falling on a national holiday, however please check by using the links supplied. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]

Designed to give you a fuller appreciation of what's around you when you visit this region, the Toscana nel cuore, or The Heart of Tuscany, website below gives you lots of information about attractions in more local areas you might not have thought of trying.Have a look and see what you might miss out on.Click on the image to open the site on a new page.

As of  July 2017, opening hours at major sites like the Colosseum in Rome, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and Pompeii, have been extended until 10 pm on Fridays. On the first Sunday of each month, entry is free. The “Museum Night” (La notte dei musei) event, when museums are open late into the night, is now held twice a year (instead of just once), and entry will cost 1 euro.

As for entry fees, people under 18 are exempt from payment, while those aged 18-25  pay a reduced fee.

Anytime of the year, but especially good during the summer months is Aperitivo or Aperi-cena.This is where you buy a drink and then you can keep filling your tea plate from a great buffet style selection of pastas,meats, finger sandwiches and other light snacks.The food is included in the price of your drink, which will be about €8- €10.Being that you can keep filling up your plate it's no wonder that it has taken on the name Aperi-cena (Aperitif-Dinner).The most popular drink at the moment is a Spritz, which is prosecco, a dash of Aperol or Campari, and sparkling water served with a slice of orange to add a touch of colour
 There a number of great places to try out this experience, but a word of warning; if you are looking for somewhere where you can get a seat, avoid the bars that are close to cinemas or theaters as they will be packed before a performance although if you go on a night that Florence is playing football you'll have absolutely no problem! As there are a number of places where you can have this experience try searching on the web for 'Best places in (enter the city your interested in) for Apericena' Florence does seem to do particularly well with the number of places offering Apericena

First Sunday each and every month.I thought Arezzo's grand antique and collectables market should be given a mention, because it is the best in the region with over 100 antique stalls plus a multitude of  vendors of non antique, but still very interesting items .The market is always crowded, but always has a festive feel to it.

The Month of February:The famous Carnival of Viareggio takes place during the greater part of February with floats designed and built by a team of 5 or 6 including a master craftsmen, who almost all originate from Viareggio.Politicians and other popular figures come to see their own papier maché effigy close up and following a judging at the end of the festival a great firework display takes place.Click on the image to go to the official website:

Mid June: Pisa's Luminara takes place on the evening of June 16th in celebration of Pisa's patron saint San Ranieri, ahead of the feast day on the 17th.The architecture of Pisa along the river is lit up with literally thousands of candles and to top off this spectacle, around 11:00pm, there is a grand fireworks display.Get your OOOHS and AHHHS ready!

Last but one Saturday in June and repeated on the first Sunday of September) The Arezzo Saracen Joust is an ancient game of chivalry dating back to the middle ages and born of military training which involves the 4 quarters of Arezzo.The June event is held at night whereas the September version takes place in the afternoon.The day of the joust begins in the morning with the proclamation of the challenge being read out.This is followed by a colourful procession of over 300 characters in period costume through the city streets.One of the highlights of this is the men-at-arms being blessed  by the bishop of Arezzo on the steps  of the Duomo.

Mid June:Calcio Storico Fiorentino.This is a 'football match' held in Florence every year and consists of 4 teams battling to play in the final on the 24th.The rules allow for head-butting, punching, elbowing, and choking but punches from behind and kicks to the head are banned.Not FIFA rules but an interesting version of the glorious game.Click on the image for further information.

Early July: The Palio in Siena is known the world over.It is a horse race that dates back to the 1600's and takes place in the Piazza del Campo.There are 10 riders each representing their own 'contrada' or ward of the city.The event takes place twice a year, once on July 2nd and then again on August 16th.The lucky spectators are those who know someone with an apartment overlooking the piazza, otherwise you have to be in the centre of the town square very early to have a chance to see the event and you can imagine it becomes rather a squeeze long before the race even starts.The best way to enjoy the spectacle of the Palio is to visit Siena the day before the race when all the flags will be out, people will be dressed in their contrada's colours and you'll also possibly get to see one of the horses being led through the streets to receive its blessing at Church .Then the following day you can watch the event in the comfort of your accommodation with a cold drink.Click on the image below to open a link to the website of  'Il Palio'

Mid July:After your evening meal head for Certaldo for Mercantia; a festival of street performance.On average 80 different performances are laid on in various locations so you'll be spoilt for choice.Make sure you don't miss performances given in gardens and courtyards.Click on the image of Mercantia to be taken to their permanent site:

Late July: The biggest event for July in Vinci is the Festa dell'Unicorno or Festival of the Unicorn; an annual festival held near the end of the month that transforms Vinci into a medieval fantasy town, with falconry displays, music, magic shows, people in fantastic costumes and makeup, plus jugglers and fires shows.The event will obviously vary its content from year to year, but whatever is scheduled will always be fun for all age groups.Below is the image publicising the 2017 event.Please click on the image to be taken to the official page.

                                                                  And if you click here you can have a look at what it's like.

August 10th or the12th!! The night of San Lorenzo falls on the 10th of August and traditionally was the best time to see shooting stars which were said to represent the sparks coming off the fire where San Lorenzo was burnt by the Romans.Nowadays, due to astral adjustments the actual peak has moved to the 12th of August!Find a nice piece of ground to lie on away from light pollution, and just stare up at the night sky.Naturaly, if you see one, your natural instinct would be to shout out, but resist, as for the wish to come true you should keep your mouth shut and silently make your wish! 

October.'What is there to do in Tuscany in October' you may say, well the weather for one thing can be extremely hot.October is most notably known for the beginning of the olive harvest, usually starting around the 20th and finishing around mid December depending on the crop, which gives you the chance to try Extra Virgin Olive Oil as soon as it's pressed.Here in Vinci you can tour the Olive press to see the process in action.Ask us to contact the press to make an appointment

Lucca Comics and Games is an annual comic and game playing convention held in late October, the roots of which date back to 1965.It has shrunk , moved, been cancelled and grown again to be the biggest comics festival in Europe and second biggest in the world attracting 240,000 visitors in 2014.
Click the link here to open the page of their website in English