July is a month filled with small and large outdoor summer events. For the coming week, we have selected some of the best festivals in Tuscany for you from a seafood festival, the fun fantasy cosplay festival in Vinci, to the stunning 3D show projected on the cathedral of Siena.
Sagra del Pesce (Seafood Festival) – July 18 to July 24 – Capalbio
When: July 18 to July 24 – kitchen opens at 7.30 pm
Where: Circolo Culturale Ricreativo “La Torbiera” – Via Mar Ligure, 16 – La Torba (near Capalbio in the province of Grosseto)
Entrance: Free
Located in the beautiful area near Ansedonia and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the village of La Torba hosts its 37th Sagra del Pesce this week. The festival offers an excellent opportunity to taste local and traditional fish recipes. On the all-seafood menu, you will find fish, and octopus crostini, fish soup, and seafood rice. Main courses are fried calamari, shrimp and prawns, and grilled fish. Only fresh and local products are served.
Notte Bianca Figline Valdarno (White Night) – July 22
When: July 22, from 7.30 pm to 2 am
Where: Figline Valdarno (Province of Florence)
Entrance: Free
Website
Notte bianca (white night) means a sleepless night in Italian and a street festival with this name will start late and continue into the small hours of the night. The White Night of Figline will see its 5th edition this week with food stands and a market in the streets and squares of the old town center. The shops will be open until 2 am. Various street performances and shows will entertain the public on the main squares including street theater, children’s games, body painting and music.
Festa dell’Unicorno (Unicorn Festival) – July 22 to July 24 – Vinci
When: July 22 to July 24
Where: Vinci (Province of Florence)
Entrance: 12 € full price, 8 € reduced price for visitors between 11 and 16 years old and visitors in costume.
Website
Three days a year elves, fairies, goblins and other mystical creatures invade the birth town of Leonardo da Vinci for the Unicorn Festival. It is the largest fantasy festival in Italy and offers a unique mix of fantasy, magic and medieval with roleplaying games, cosplay, comics, shows, and music. The 12th edition of the cosplay fest will be bigger and better than ever with new larger areas for exhibition, concerts, and shows. Each thematic area will present a steady stream of concerts, events, performances, workshops to ensure a fun day out for visitors of all ages. Cosplay games and contests will be held on the main stage of the cosplay area in the presence of the famous American cosplayer Yaya Han along and many other international guests.
Borgo Nero Festival – July 22 to July 24 – Casole d’Elsa
When: July 22 to July 24 – 7.30 pm till midnight
Where: Casole d’Elsa (Province of Siena)
Entrance: 7 € full price, free entrance for children under 10 years old.
Website
The historical center of Casole d’Elsa will be transformed into a mysterious world with noir shows, magic, and unusual spectacles. Candles will guide you to the many performances all themed around the various aspects of the mysterious dark. There is also a gastronomic space where you can enjoy various specialties.
Divina Bellezza – Dreaming Siena – until September 30 – Siena
When: from July 4 till September 30
Where: Cathedral of Siena – Piazza Jacopo della Quercia
Entrance: 15 € full price, free entrance children under 6 years old and differently-abled and one accompanying person
Website
Dreaming Siena is a 3D visual show that is projected on the walls of the Cathedral of Siena. The show is a journey through the history of Siena, its works of art, its workshops, people, and traditions. Through the use of cutting-edge technology, the public is offered an immersive cultural show involving 3D images, sounds exploiting binaural technology, fragrances, and flavors. A sensory narration in four languages taking place inside the unfinished New Cathedral.
Show times: Every day from 4 July to 30 September 2016, except Sundays and between 13 and 16 August.
Siena Jazz Festival – July 24 – August 7 – Siena
When: July 24 – August 7
Where: Siena
Entrance: Free
Website
You are in for a treat if you are in Siena this summer, and you like Jazz music. The Siena Jazz Festival is about to enter its 46th edition with a rich program of 15 FREE concerts with over 100 musical groups in some various locations throughout the city.
Siena Jazz is an international summer seminar where 34 teachers among the best musicians in the world and 120 students from 15 different countries are brought together to learn, exchange experiences, break through cultural boundaries and make beautiful music together.
Program of Siena Jazz
July 24th – Piazza Provenzano – 9.30 pm
The openings concert will take place in the beautiful Piazza Provenzano on July 24th at 9.30 pm with the Siena Jazz Masters and the Georgian septet; that combines traditional Georgian music with Jazz.
July 25th – Piazza Provenzano – 9.30 pm – “Siena Jazz Masters.”
July 26th – Cortile del Rettorato – 9.30 pm – “Siena Jazz Masters.”
July 27th – Società Camporegio – 9.30 pm – “Jam session in Contrada.”
Società Camporegio, Via Camporegio
Concert by the teachers and students of the courses
July 28th – Società Il Leone – 9.30 pm – “Jam session in Contrada.”
Società Il Leone, Via Camollia, 209
Concert by the teachers and students of the courses
July 29th – Società L’Alba – 9.30 pm – “Jam session in Contrada.”
Società L’Alba, Via del Comune, 44
Concert by the teachers and students of the courses
July 30th – 31st – Società Romolo e Remo – 9.30 pm – “Final Concert first-week courses.”
Società Romolo e Remo, Via Pian d’Ovile, 92
August 1st – Piazza Provenzano – 9.30 pm – “Siena Jazz Masters.”
August 2nd – Piazza Provenzano – 9.30 pm – “Siena Jazz Masters.”
August 3rd – Piazza Provenzano – 9.30 pm – “Siena Jazz University Quintet” and “Chigiana meets Siena Jazz”
August 4th – Società Castelmontorio – 9.30 pm – “Jam session in Contrada.”
Società Castelmontorio, Piazza A. Manzoni, 6
Concert by the teachers and students of the courses
August 5th – Società G. Duprè – 9.30 pm – “Jam session in Contrada.”
Società G. Duprè, Vicolo S. Salvatore, 24
Concert by the teachers and students of the courses
August 6th – 7th – Società Mutuo Soccorso Castelsenio – 9.30 pm – “Final Concert second-week courses.”
Orti dei Tolomei
Jazz Marathon with 34 musical groups.
