November Events in UMBRIA
Tutti i Santi - All Saint's Day
Date:
November 1st and 2nd
Where:throughout Italy
This day is an important holiday that celebrates the
saints and the family. Visits are made to church and
to the cemetery to visit relatives and friends, both
living and dead. Chrysanthemums are sold every-
where the week prior to All Saints. It is rather
touching to observe people cleaning up and decorating the ancestral cemetery plot with flowers and candles. A traditional holiday treat, found in
most pastry shops, are 'bones of the dead' a sweet,
chewy cookie.
Web Link: saints.catholic.org/feasts/allsaints.html
Fiera dei Morti (Fair of the Dead)
Date:November 1st to 6th
Where:Perugia
The Fiera dei Morti celebrates All Saints' Day in
Perugia, the regional capital.
Web Link:www.perugia.com/index.html
Antique Show and Market
Date:24th of October and through the 1st of November
Where:Perugia
This antique show features the wares of 32 highly specialized dealers who exhibit some of the most valuable and unique items available on the Italian market. The items date from the 1300s to the 1900s and can include, pieces from the recently re-patriated House of Savoia, and English silver from the 1800s. A very exclusive show that offers many one-of-a-kind treasures! It's held in Rocca Paolina. More information is available at (from the USA) 011-39-075.57.31.322.
Feste delle Castagne (Chestnut Festivals)
Date:during the month of November
Where:throughout Umbria and Tuscany
In October, we celebrate the chestnut harvest. Since the Roman era up until the 1950s, the chestnut was used by the contadini as a simple alternative to wheat for making bread. No part of the chestnut tree was wasted: its wood was worked into roof beams, floors and cupboards, as well as beehives, troughs and gutters. Its leaves softened the pallets of animals in stalls, while the tannin extracted from its bark was used for tanning hides. And the chestnut itself, eaten fresh, preserved or dried, provided flour and food for months after the harvest. In the mountains, chestnut flour was used to make many dishes -- pasta, desserts, and bread, in place of wheat and corn. While no longer considered a food staple, the chestnut is a part of traditional culture, as much a part of autumn as the chill in the air. There are some 2 million acres of chestnut forests in Italy and annual production comes in at around 80,000 US Tons. Almost every table and hearthside in Italy features a basket of chestnuts through the winter. Chestnut festivals take place from October to November, and help preserve the traditions associated with this age-old mainstay.
Antiques and Flea Market
Date:first weekend of the month
Where:Arezzo
An antiques and flea market is held in the main piazza
Truffle Fair
Date:first weekend of November
Where:Citta di Castello
This ancient walled city hosts an annual festival showcasing truffle and forest products. Stands of merchants display their wares -- pastas, cheeses, oils, cakes, breads -- for sale and sample. Traditional foods are served along with new wine.
Web Link:www.argoweb.it/tifernate/tifernate.uk.html
Sagra del Tartufo - Celebration of the Truffle
Date:first weekend of November
Where:Gubbio
This traditional delicacy gets a lot of attention at this time of year, and rightfully so. Gubbio's Celebration of the Truffle offers every variation of food and truffle-related product.
Sagra dei Olivi - Celebration of the Olive
Date:during November
Where:throughout Umbria and Tuscany
There are more than many small festivals held in small villages throughout Umbria and Tuscany during the autumn months. They are all celebrated according to local custom but you can count on good food (featuring the new, freshly pressed olive oil), wine and folk arts. At some fairs it is possible to tour a frantoio (olive press) and see the traditional techniques in process. For more information on specific locations call: 011-39-0577.27.16.51 (from the United States).
Web Link:www.davero.com/faq.html
Web Link:www.cucinaitaliana.com/oliveoil.html
Saint Martino Wine Festival
Date:November 4th-13th
Where:Orvieto
Orvieto hosts a 10 day wine festival featuring regional wines
Web Link:www.cittadiorvieto.com/index.html
Web Link:www.slowfood.com/
Festival of Saint Michael
Date:November 15th
Where:Gubbio
Many towns celebrate the festival of cuckolded husbands on November 15. Gubbio's version of this entertaining fertility ritual is highly recommended.
Antiques and Flea Market
Date:every second Sunday of the month
Where:Todi
An antiques and flea market is held in the Piazza del Popolo
Antiques and Flea Market
Date:every second Sunday of the month
Where:Spoleto
An antiques and flea market is held in the Piazza del Mercato
Antiques and Flea Market
Date:second weekend of the month with an annual fair in the spring
Where:Assisi
An antiques and flea market is held in the main piazza
Antiques and Flea Market
Date:November 11th
Where:Assisi
Sigillo's Saint Martino Festival offers samples of chestnut products and local wines.
Web Link:saints.catholic.org/saints/martintours.html
Celebration of Saint Fermina
Date:November 24th
Where:Amelia
Saint Fermina, an early martyr, was tortured to death during the persecutions ordered by Roman emperor Diocletian. Her body was discovered in 860 and brought to the hilltop church in Amelia, where a cathedral dedicated to the saint was later built. Saint Fermina is honored every November 24th with a solemn offering of huge wax candles in accordance with a tradition first begun in the 14th century. The village's narrow streets are filled by a parade of pageantry and historically accurate costumes.
Antiques and Flea Market
Date:third weekend of the month with an annual fair in the spring
Where:Gubbio
An antiques and flea market is held in the main piazza
Antique Furniture Market
Date:third weekend of the month, with an annual fair at the end of August
Where:Cortona
An antiques and furniture is held in the main piazza
Antiques Market
Date:third weekend of the month
Where:Citta di Castello
An antiques and flea market is held in the main piazza
