Within easy traveling distance of Casa Turrita, either by car or train, are many towns in Umbria, including Perugia, Todi, Assisi, Spoleto and Orvieto. Gubbio is about 2 hours north and Siena, in neighboring Tuscany, is just over an hour to the northwest. Florence, also in Tuscany, is about two hours away and Rome is less than two hours south.
Throughout the summer and into the fall, there are many different “sagras” celebrating everything from the lowly onion - there is even a sagra to celebrate celery! - to the best of Umbrian cuisine. There are also festivals offering theater, music and religious processions. A few are mentioned here:
April
Terre del Sagrantino
May
Early May
Calendimaggio - Assisi
A medieval event in May where traditional games are performed in period costumes.
May 15
Festa dei Ceri - Gubbio
This is a centuries old relay race from the main piazza to the top of Monte Ingino. There are three teams, each carrying a wooden statue (a cero) up a narrow mountain road made more narrow because of the throngs of people lining the roadway. The statues are of three saints, Ubaldo, Giorgio and Antonio and each weighs 200 kg. They race up the mountain to the church of St. Ubaldo. If you want to experience it like the locals do, stand in the Piazza Grande and feel the tension while waiting for the race to start…or wait along the roadway for your team to come along. However, if you want to experience the race but avoid the worst of the crowds, you can take the funicular up to the church and watch the crowd come surging up toward you. There is a bar at the top where you can leisurely wait for the race to reach you…
Last Sunday in May
Cantine Aperte - Montefalco
Many of the cantinas (wineries) featuring the famous Montefalco Sagrantino Wine
are open for the day. Various cantinas offer music and food and tours of the cantinas.
June
Mid June
 Mercato delle Gaite - Bevagna
A delightful traditional festival that takes place in the lovely center of Bevagna. For one week you can experience medieval Italy and see crafts being made in the traditional way, eat traditional food at outdoor taverns and experience Bevagna as it was centuries ago.
 Infiorata - Spello
9 weeks after Easter. If Easter is early, this could be in May.
There is a tradition in central Umbria on Corpus Domini, where they create incredible “paintings” on the streets with flower petals. Spello has brought it to a high art; the streets are painted in intricate designs-all with flower petals. It is an event that the entire town participates in. The planning starts the year before, with the preparation of the designs. The collection and preparation of the flowers and other plant materials requires several months. The Saturday night before Corpus Domini, the actual “painting” begins. Huge tents are erected, the designs are laid out on the streets and the workers start to compose the “painting”, which takes until about 9:00am on Sunday, Corpus Domini.
Giostra della Quintana - Foligno
Period costumes, traditional events
July
July 2
Festival dei Due Mondi - Spoleto
A well known music and dance festival, started by Giancarlo Menotti, celebrated together with Charleston, SC.
Mid July 10 days
Umbria Jazz - Perugia
A well known jazz festival in one of the most well preserved hill towns in Umbria.
Mid July early August
Summer Music Festival - Gubbio
A two week music festival
Late July to early August
Trasimeno Blues music festival - Lake Trasimeno
A music festival that offers a change from the usual classical program.
August
Early August
Two weeks of entertainment in the main piazza, including flag and drum competitions, period costumes and music.
Mid August
 Vinarelli - Torgiano
Acquarello means water painting in Italian. But for this
festival, the artists are painting with wine instead of
water.
Palio - Siena August 16, see July
September
 Wine Week - Montefalco
Spoleto Opera Season - Spoleto
The grape harvest, depending on the weather, begins in late September or early October. If you've always wanted to pick grapes, here's your opportunity!
October
Mid October
The event that celebrates chocolate in the city of chocolate. Need I say more? Attended by major creators of fine chocolate in Europe.
Giostra dell'Arme - San Gemini
A two week festival beginning the last weekend in September
that features
a series of interesting historical pagents.
The olive harvest, depending on the weather, begins in late October or early November. If you've wanted to participate in the olive harvest, here's your opportunity!
November
Mid-November
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