All Saints' weekend in Italy: tips and ideas for the long weekend in 2022

All Saints' Day was instituted by the Church to replace and make us forget the pagan rites of the end of October. Many pagan holidays, from the Romans to the Celts, fell on these days and celebrated the end of the year, the beginning of winter and the dead were commemorated. The suppression of pagan rites took place by Gregory III while the day of the dead was established in 998.

Despite the suppression of pagan rites, the eve of All Saints remained rooted in the habits and customs of the population who continued to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of winter, but also a night of magic and fear in which you could talk with the dead or have fun with some tricks. In every Italian region, the festivity was deeply felt so much so that different traditions have been handed down today such as nougat in Campania or even more ancient the Aosta Valley traditions of setting tables in cemeteries or those of the Po valley of hanging sheets to rest the deceased.

The long weekend that runs from 29 October to 1 November 2022 is the right time to visit a very famous city in Italy, Bologna. There are many things to do in the city during the All Saints' Bridge or if you prefer on Halloween weekend events scattered around the city, exhibitions, festivals and parties, little-known places in the city centre and guided tours of the best attractions not to be missed.

You can visit the historic centre of the city and lose yourself among its arcades that contain part of the history of the Emilian city. You can visit Piazza Maggiore, the centre of the historic heart of Bologna and climb the two towers, Garisenda and degli Asinelli, which are commonly recognized as the symbol of Bologna and rise in the heart of the city at the intersection with the ancient Via Emilia. Then you can visit a market that has been active since the Middle Ages, the Mercato di Mezzo, within the Quadrilatero District and a few steps from Piazza Maggiore, open throughout the day.

Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy where you can touch the history with your hand. There are many things to see that you can see on the weekend of All Saints in the Tuscan capital whether you are passionate about art, food or urban trekking. Among the first stops, you cannot draw a visit to the "bride of Michelangelo", which is the basilica of Santa Maria Novella, a stone's throw from the railway station of the same name, which houses the famous crucifix by Giotto.

In the historic centre of Florence you can easily move on foot and reach the beauties of Piazza Della Signoria with the David and Palazzo Vecchio, or the Uffizi gallery with the Arno and Ponte Vecchio, up to the Renaissance complex of the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Flower that houses the famous Brunelleschi's dome. If, on the other hand, you love long walks, you can reach Piazzale Michelangelo and enjoy an incredible view of the whole city.

For many, this bridge also means a party with friends or family but this year in Florence you can also celebrate it unusually and originally, discovering the places of esoteric Renaissance Florence among palaces, gardens and secret places open to the public on Halloween.

Unlike other cities, in Naples, the feast of All Saints and the commemoration of the dead are celebrated with a particular form of devotion. In this city, there has always been a sort of special relationship with the afterlife in which myth joins tradition, suspended between the sacred and the profane.

In addition to mentioning the well-known attractions, we cannot fail to recommend some of the places where the esotericism in Naples is touched by hand. The first tip is a visit to the catacombs of San Gennaro alla Sanità, to those of San Gaudioso and to the nearby Fontanelle cemetery, where among skulls and tuff, you can perform small rituals of good luck. In the historic center you can visit the San Severo Chapel with the Veiled Christ and all the alchemist's experiments of the prince of San Severo.

Don't forget to try the famous soft nougat that is eaten by everyone these days and that you can find in every bar and stall in the centre.

The All Saints' long weekend is approaching, and it is a good opportunity to have some fun with friends or simply with the people we love. If you wanted to spend some time in Rome, there are tons of events and attractions to visit to spend time in the Eternal City.

All Saints in Rome is very popular because it derives from Roman culture, in which the dead were commemorated by having a meal near the tomb of a deceased loved one, to keep him company. In Rome, there are many ways to spend a day full of fun or even relaxation and of course, the classic traditional celebrations cannot be missed.

Among the multitude of unmissable places for the "Eternal City", St. Peter's Basilica cannot be missing, the largest church in the world with the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, the Roman Forum and the Colosseum: places that anyone should visit at least one once in a lifetime.

But still the Pantheon, the Borghese Gallery, the Campidoglio, the Trajan's Column, the Christian Catacombs and the Arch of Constantine up to the famous Trevi Fountain, the long Tiber and the beautiful Castel di Sant'Angelo.

The All Saints' Bridge represents for many an opportunity to visit Venice at one of the times of the year when the influx of tourists is somewhat weaker. Venice is certainly an excellent destination and the climate in recent years has often met the needs of visitors, who have been able to enjoy the Venetian autumn with splendid sunsets over the lagoon.

It goes without saying that visiting Venice represents something spectacular, at any time of the year thanks to its physiognomy and its inimitable characteristics. There are many places to see among the calli (the name of the streets of Venice) visit, above all the symbol of the city, Piazza San Marco which, together with its wonderful Basilica, the Rialto Bridge, with its romantic view, and the Bridge of Sighs, probably the most evocative, thanks to the history it carries behind it.