7 events no to be missed in Italy in July 2025

July 2025 promises to be a month full of interesting events throughout Italy, which will conquer both art and culture lovers and fans of local traditions. With the summer season in full swing, Italian cities and villages come alive with festivals, exhibitions, concerts, folk rites  that celebrate the rich historical and artistic heritage of our country. July in Italy offers something special for every type of visitor, so plan your trip already because for you, we have selected seven events not to be missed in Italy to fully experience the magic of the Italian summer!

Italy is a country extraordinarily rich in beauty offering a variety of landscapes ranging from mountains to sandy shores, from hills to magnificent islands. In July, from north to south, the Bel Paese offers a wonderful image of itself already for these aspects, but to them, which alone would deserve a trip, it adds numerous exhibitions of internationally renowned artists, popular traditions and musical events, which also tell you about the cultural richness of its regions. Visit Italy has therefore selected seven events not to be missed in July 2025, in as many beautiful cities. Let's see them together!

From 16 March to 20 July, Palazzo Strozzi hosts "Tracey Emin. Sex and Solitude", the first major solo exhibition in Italy dedicated to Tracey Emin, one of the most influential and discussed British artists in contemporary art. Known for her ability to transform personal experiences into intense and touching works, Emin is interesting because she deals with profound themes such as love, body, sexuality and trauma with a direct and provocative style. Despite being over sixty years old, she is still linked to the Young British Artists (YBA) movement, a revolutionary group of the 80s and 90s that marked an era with bold works and the use of unconventional materials.In the exhibition, it will be possible to see some of his most famous works, including intimate embroidery, neon writings and bronze sculptures that ideally dialogue with great artists of the past such as Munch and Schiele. Why is this exhibition worth your visit and we suggest you don't miss it? An unmissable opportunity to get to know an artist who has been able to make her life a matter of art.

The Palio di Siena, an event of great tourist attraction, is a traditional horse race that takes place twice a year, on July 2nd and August 16th, in the historic Piazza del Campo. In addition to the competition, the event is characterized by a rich program of rituals and celebrations involving the 17 city districts. In fact, the race, which takes place over three laps of the square and generally lasts no more than 90 seconds, includes before the race, for example, the competition for the choice of the painter who will paint the Palio of that year, the extraction of the districts that will participate and the blessing of the horses and the jockey, inside the oratories of the district.

But do you know the history of the Palio di Siena? Let's start by saying that the word Palio derives from the Latin Pallium which translated into Italian means drape, that is, banner, flag, to indicate the prize that the winner of the horse race received, that is, a precious brocade drape. At first, around 1200, the race took place in the streets of the various districts, until at the beginning of the 1600s it moved definitively to Piazza del Campo and today the drape is painted by an artist.

Another of the events not to be missed  in July 2025 is the beautiful Feast of the Redeemer, one of the most heartfelt celebration in Venice  which will take place from the 19th to the  20th.  But what origins does it have? The festival commemorates the end of the devastating plague epidemic that struck Venice in 1500. The Doge Alvise I Mocenigo, as a thank you to the Redeemer, promised to build a church on the island of Giudecca and commissioned the architect Andrea Palladio to make  it. The Feast of the Redeemer harmoniously combines faith, tradition and entertainment, attracting thousands of Venetians and visitors from every corner of the world every year.The ceremony is divided into three days:

- Friday evening: A pontoon bridge is created that connects the Zattere area to the Giudecca Island. In the evening, at the beginning of the festival, the Patriarch of Venice gives his blessing and the religious celebrations continue in the Church of the Redeemer.

- Saturday evening: Start with a stunning fireworks display in St. Mark's Basin, which creates a magical atmosphere.

- Sunday: the day is dedicated to the regattas of gondolas and caorline, which compete along the Giudecca Canal, after which the day ends with a mass in the Church of the Redeemer.

From 7 March to 6 July 2025, the exhibition Caravaggio 2025 which is  part of the Jubilee celebrations, will be held at Palazzo Barberini.The exhibition brings together 24 of the 90 autograph masterpieces left by Caravaggio, including the "Ecce Homo", recently rediscovered in Madrid, and the "Portrait of Maffeo Barberini". Also on display is the "Martyrdom of St. Ursula", the master's last painting,which during the phases of the recent restoration revealed three other faces. This exhibition offers the opportunity to admire works from rare collections and to reflect on Caravaggio's revolutionary impact, both in art and in the society of his time.

In July 2025, Agrigento will transform into a vibrant stage for cultural, religious, and artistic events designed to attract visitors from all over. The celebrations will kick off with the Feast of San Calogero, the city’s patron saint, affectionately known as the “Black Saint” due to his Eastern origins. The festival will be characterized by solemn processions, religious rites and a final fireworks display. 

Next up is the Hellenic Music Festival, scheduled for July 12–13 at the scenic Teatro Panoramica dei Templi. The lineup includes international artists such as Mogwai, Christian Löffler, and others, offering a rich and diverse musical experience.

That same weekend, on July 13–14, the city will host the International Smart Car Gathering, showcasing around 40 Smart cars from across Europe, displayed in various locations around Agrigento.

On July 16, Porto Empedocle will celebrate the traditional Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, featuring a picturesque sea procession, light shows, and the popular “Sagra della Padellata,” where visitors can sample delicious local dishes.

From July 12 to 28, the Italian Environmental Fund (FAI) will present the FAI Summer Evenings, with special openings of cultural landmarks, guided tours, and concerts in enchanting locations, inviting the public to discover Agrigento’s rich heritage.

In Rome this year the centenary of Surrealism is celebrated with an exhibition dedicated to the master Salvador Dalí, at the Historical Museum of the Infantry. This exhibition, open from January 25 to July 27, features about 80 works by the master from private collections. Salvador Dalí, a Spanish artist, is one of the most highly regarded exponents of Surrealism, famous for both the attention he has drawn to himself through unconventional behavior and an irregular life, and for the dreamlike and distorted images that populate his paintings.Deeply influenced by Sigmund Freud's studies of the unconscious, he explores the mind by merging dreams with the flow of time. His paintings, rich in symbols such as melting clocks, slender-legged elephants, and surreal landscapes, thereby create a very personal and easily recognizable pictorial language.

This exhibition, open to the public from April 9 to July 27, in the Historical Museum of the Infantry, in Rome, offers an unprecedented vision of Frida Kahlo's life, told through the photographs of Nickolas Muray, a photographer who immortalized the Mexican artist at various times between 1937 and 1946. The exhibition includes about 60 shots, in black and white and color, which show Frida in intimate and everyday situations, both alone and in the company of her husband Diego Rivera, friends and Muray himself, a friend of the couple. In addition to the photographs, you will also be able to admire Frida's personal items, such as her traditional Mexican clothes and the  jewelry, as well as  a selection of rare films about the couple and a faithful reconstruction of Frida's  art studio in Coyoacán.

You will agree with us that the offer of events not to be missed in July 2025 in Italy is fantastic! We are sure that you are packing your bags ready to leave so you don't miss anything and you do well, life must be lived now. Consider that quality cultural events await you but also cities of art and an amazing sea. Happy holidays!