15 must-see events and exhibitions in Italy in June 2023

2023 marks the Centenary of the Italian Air Force (March 28, 1923 - March 28, 2023) and the National Aerobatic Patrol 'Frecce Tricolori' will hold a series of initiatives and celebrations throughout the peninsula that will continue until December.

After the solemn military ceremony held in Rome on March 28, the 'overflights' will touch the entire peninsula with the event entitled 'AM thanks Italy' (Aeronautica Militare thanks Italy) to thank, precisely, all Italian citizens who have served and supported the Air Force throughout its 100-year history.

The first event of the month will be the flyover of the Altare della Patria in Rome on the occasion of Italian Republic Day on June 2.

For all other overflights and events visit the official Air Force internet site.

Republic Day is celebrated every year on June 2 to commemorate the 1946 Institutional Referendum that sanctioned the birth of the Italian Republic.

The celebrations include a solemn ceremony in Rome at the Altare della Patria with the laying of a laurel wreath at the Unknown Soldier, a symbol of all the war dead who were never recognized, by the President of the Republic.

After the execution of the Italian National Anthem and the overflight of the Frecce Tricolore, a Military Parade of all Italian Armed Forces takes place along the Imperial Fora.

For the past few years, the President of the Republic wished the Gardens of the Quirinal Palace, home of the Presidency of the Italian Republic, to be open to all citizens.

We suggest that not to miss this opportunity because it is truly unique!

If you are fond of street art and love small villages, you just have to visit Civitacampomarano, in Molise.

For the past few years, the charming village has become a meeting point for famous Italian and international street-artists who each give life to the Festival "CVTà - Street Fest" under the artistic direction of Alice Pasquini, aka AliCè, ambassador of Italian street art around the world.

In 2014, the famous street artist accepted the invitation to paint the walls of the small village that was depopulating, and since then, every year, 6 internationally renowned artists come to Civitacampomarano to paint their work. The CVTà - Street Fest involves the whole local community and attracts many tourists and curious people to the small village to discover this hidden gem.

The Infiorata is an event related to the religious festival of Corpus Christi and takes place in June, the ninth Sunday after Easter.

The Infiorata consists of creating carpets of flowers or flower petals of religious, but not limited to, subjects along the streets and squares of some Italian cities.

The first Infiorata set up for the feast of Corpus Christi dates back to 1778 and was held in Genzano (Rome); since then, the most beautiful and famous infiorate in Italy have been held in Spello (Perugia), Genzano (Rome), and Noto (Syracuse).

Unlike most other Italian Infiorate, the Infiorata in Noto is not a religious event, but a "Salute to Spring" and is held on the third weekend of May.

Among the many infiorate that take place in Italy we mention the one in Camaiore (Massa) whose special feature is that colored sawdust is used.

The work of the 'infioratori' lasts the whole year: it begins with the picking of the flowers, the separation of the petals and the division by color and the preservation of this colorful and precious heritage. The preparation of the actual carpets of flowers begins on the evening of the eve of Corpus Christi and continues throughout the night.

On Sunday morning, the Corpus Christi procession flows over the beautiful flower carpets, and nothing remains of these artistic works of art…

The Mille Miglia is the most important classic car race in the world and originated in Brescia in 1929 as a speed race.

It is also known as the Freccia Rossa (Red Arrow) and runs along the historic route Brescia - Rome and back along 1600 km, or Mille Miglia!

This year it will take place from June 13 to 17 and, after departing from Brescia, it will pass through the most beautiful places in Italy among small villages, breathtaking landscapes and famous cities: Lake Garda, Verona, Marche, Rome, Tuscany, Piedmont and Milan. 

In the last stage, the 1000 Miglia 2023 will touch Bergamo, Capital of Culture 2023 along with Brescia, and will end here with the 1000 Miglia, the Night.

For details of the places crossed by the 1000 Miglia and other information on the historic race you can visit the event's official website.

In 2023, the 100th Opera Season will be celebrated at the Arena di Verona, and for the occasion an extraordinary Festival has been announced to be held from June 16 to September 9 in which the most successful and repeated operas since the first edition in 1913 will be staged.

It starts on June 16 with Giuseppe Verdi's Aida, the undisputed star of the Arena di Verona, and continues with George Bizet's Carmen, Gioachino Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto, La Traviata and Nabucco, and Puccini's Tosca and Butterfly: for opera lovers but also for all those who want to spend a wonderful evening in a unique setting, you'll be spoiled for choice!

For details of the events you can consult the official website of the Arena di Verona Opera Festival.

One of the most striking spectacles to be seen in June in Italy is surely the 'Luminara' di San Ranieri, patron saint of the city of Pisa.

On the evening of June 16, all the palaces, churches and towers overlooking the Arno River are decked out with 'Biancherie,' wooden structures that draw the outlines of windows and architecture, which support the more than 100,000 candles that feature this event!

At nightfall, the city lighting is turned off and a unique spectacle of pure fascination begins!

The next day, June 17, is the Palio di San Ranieri, the historic regatta between the crews of the 4 districts of Pisa who, after rowing down the course of the Arno River must win the winner's flag by climbing a 10-meter pole on a boat anchored in the middle of the river!

The last Saturday of the month is the Gioco del Ponte, the historical re-enactment that closes the Giugno (June) Pisano festivities.

It is a challenge between the Mezzogiorno (southern) and Tramontana (northern) teams who do battle by pushing a cart placed on the Ponte di Mezzo (Middle Bridge).

Not to be missed is the historical costume parade composed of about 700 participants dressed in typical 16th-century Spanish clothing that precedes the actual Game.

Every year the wonderful spectacle of the Flowering of the plateau of Castelluccio di Norcia is repeated, a unique event known as the Flowering of Lentils!

Umbria has always been famous for the production of these prized legumes, and for the past few years the Sibillini Mountains have become an evocative tourist destination to admire the variegated explosion of colors of the spontaneous flowering: yellow, red, purple, green, blue ... depending on the variety of flowers that bloom.

Flowering is from late May to mid-July, although the highlight is in the second half of June. Much also depends on the weather conditions, which cause the colors of the fields to change constantly and give us this unique spectacle!

The Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto is an international festival of music, dance, art, culture and entertainment founded in 1958 with the desire to unite the Arts of the European World and those of the American World.

The Festival opens every year on the last Friday of June (this year on June 23), and in the beautiful setting of Spoleto's historic center, foreign and Italian artists, established and emerging, will take the stage and enliven the Umbrian city for a full two weeks!

To find out the dates and performances of the rich Spoleto Festival program schedule, you can visit the event's official website.

The exhibition chronicles the long and rich activity of one of the most important masters of contemporary art through the iconic works of his career created from 1962 to 2023.

To celebrate the 90th birthday of artist Michelangelo Pistoletto, who was born in Biella, Piedmont, in 1933, the curators of the exhibition pay tribute to the master by presenting to the public his most famous works from 'The Venus of Rags' of the 1960s to the Third Paradise and new installations created specifically for the spaces of the Chiostro del Bramante full of creative energy. 

You can find all the information about the exhibition on the official website.