Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
July
Cyclists and walkers take to the mountains but everyone else heads to the beach,
meaning that accommodation prices in inland cities and towns drop as a result. Sum-
mer music festivals abound.
Festivals in Cortona
The hill town of Cortona is alive with the sound of music at its annual Festival of Sacred
Music, held early in the month, and Cortona Mix Festival, held late July to early August.
(
Click here
,
Click here
)
Music in Montalcino
Sip a glass or two of Brunello while mingling with Montalcino's winemakers at the town's
refined International Chamber Music Festival. (
Click here
)
Puccini Festival
Opera buffs from around the world make a pilgrimage to the small town of Torre del Lago
for this annual event in July and August (
www.puccinifestival.it
)
. Performances are staged
in an open-air lakeside theatre next to the great man's house. (
Click here
)
The Palio
The most spectacular event on the Tuscan calendar is held on 2 July and 16 August in Si-
ena. Featuring colourful street pageants, a wild horse race and generous doses of civic
pride, it exemplifies the living history that makes this region so compelling. (
Click here
)
Lucca Summer Festival
This month-long music festival (
www.summer-festival.com
)
lures big-name international
pop, rock and blues acts to lovely Lucca, where they serenade crowds under the stars in
some of the city's most atmospheric piazzas.
