The town of Carpegna, in Pesaro and Urbino, in the region of the Marche, celebrates its “Sega la Vecchia” Italian sagra in the form of the town sports festival every year. The four parishes of the town get together for a traditional meet, challenging each other in games, followed by a huge country banquet. The whole festival takes place on March 27 and involves sack races, hoop races, tug-of-war for both men and women, wood sawing, sled racing, and other old fashioned games.

At the end of the of this Italian festival, the team who wins parades through the town with the “vecchia”, meaning old lady - a folkloric statue figure who returns every year for the games - before burning the figurine in the piazza outside the town’s “palazzo”. Afterwards, the mess hall and benches are made available for the post-victory dinner. For more information, see the Carpegna site.

Continue reading: Mini olympics at Pesaro and Urbino: Italian town festival from Carpegna

The Italian tradition of “La Befana” or the witch who appears at Epiphany is one close to Italian hearts. It marks the end of the Christmas season and New Year festivities, and despite the commercial figure of Santa Claus bearing no resemblance to any particular Italian practice, La Befana is truly a native celebration. The end of the 12 days of Christmas on January 6th is distinguished by displays of village get togethers and the taking down of decorations.

If you’re looking for the essence of La Befana while spending your Epiphany in Italy, you should try going to a town near Urbino. In the region of the Marche, legend has it that the town of Urbania hosts one of the houses of La Befana, and the locals take the thing seriously. The medieval town hosts events in honour of the witch said to bring coal or sugary treats to children.

If you’re closer to northern Italy, try the province of Treviso for bonfires whose sparks are said to tell the future of the year just begun. Milan celebrates the tradition of the Three Wise Men, and a parade include the figures of the three kings, passes from the square in front of the Duomo, to the Sant’Eustorgio Basilica in the Navigli area of the city.

Photo | Flickr

Continue reading: Epiphany in Italy: celebrating La Befana

With this new festival dedicated to healthy, GMO free food and organized by the Institute of Natural Medicine, the city of Urbino steps into the spotlight once again. From 3 to 4 October, people will have the opportunity to take part in several important meetings in which experts will debate not only on the importance of healthy food but will also provide more than 60 ways to get a deeper insight into the subject, talking at length about nature therapy, shiatzu massages and a healthy and natural alimentation. According to the organizers, the festival aims to shed a stronger light on the dangers of genetically modified crops and thus to show the way that the Italian agriculture must follow to solve the current crisis.

Continue reading: Organic food festival, Urbino 3-4 October 2009

Keeping in the theme of beauty farms and health spas in Italy, the Due Campanili hotel in the Marche has a spring package for a weekend offer in Italy including accommodation, food and health spa treatments.

The hotel is at Montemaggiore al Metauro and is offering three nights’ stay in a double room, with half board, a dinner at the Due Campanili restaurant, massage and the use of the pool and sauna. The package is offered at 310 euros a person, or 385 euros if you prefer to upgrade to the junior suite.

The hotel can be found on hill above the mediaeval town of Montemaggiore al Metauro in the province of Pesaro and Urbino. The complex includes gardens, and a beautiful view over the plains, across to the Appenine mountains and the valleys of the Metauro river. The rooms all have private bathroom, and are in 13 separate cottages around the alleys of the old town.

Continue reading: Health spas in Italy: weekend packages for the Marche

We often use expressions such as “ the perfect place to relax and unwind ” or “ the perfect place to chill out and really get away from it all” but this time I swear they really fit the place; Ca’ Virginia, is a beautifully country house near Urbino, Umbria that a few years ago its owners turned into an amazing hotel. Surrounded by rolling green hills and thick woods, the place features a restaurant and well centre that guests can easily reach through a lift (no need to go outside and catch a cold after dipping into hot water!).

Actually the well centre offers a comprehensive list of beauty treatments including Turkish bath, different kinds of massage, Kneipp treatments and herbs teas. And if you are on a diet, don’t worry, the restaurant also offers a low calorie menu. For further information please click here

download the brochure.

Continue reading: Weekend and short breaks in Italy: Ca' Virginia near Urbino, Umbria

Along with the exhibitions devoted to Della Robbia and Giotto, this year we’ll have the rare opportunity to see Raffaello ‘s juvenile works which will be on display at the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche in Urbino from 5 April 2009 onwards. More than 20 paintings and 19 drawings will be on exhibition and for the first time visitors will also be able to compare his works to those of other artists (Raffaello’s father included)

The idea behind this rather astonishing display of artworks is to underpin the importance of the city of Urbino in Raffaello’s life and art; among these paintings and drawings the public will also have the opportunity to get a closer look at a series of majolica artefacts the artist created in his youth. Raffaello was one of most cultivated, influential and versatile artists of the Renaissance.

Raffaello and Urbino

Continue reading: Italian art: Raffaello on exhibition in Urbino