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1 Chocolate kisses Every year in mid-October Perugia hosts the Eurochocolate Festival, a gourmet’s delight. Balls and bon-bons, carvings and hot drinks – all to celebrate the far from humble cacao bean. And naturally, there will be Baci (kisses) for all..
Trasimeno – the inland sea Lake Trasimeno, with a circumference of 45 kms, provides not only excellent fish dinners, but also good swimming, water sports and sailing. Among towns with easy access to the lake: Tuoro sul Trasimeno and Vernazzano, whose tower leans much more than Pisa’s ever did.
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3 Deruta ceramics Many visitors find room in their luggage for a bit of colourful ceramics and in Deruta the choice is dizzying. Sought after even by Renaissance noblemen, the charming little town has enjoyed 300 years of undisputed fame. Chances are good they might have something to catch your eye.
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St. Francis of Assissi Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone, better known as St. Francis, was the founder of the Franciscan Order and one of the patron saints of Italy. Giotto’s famous frescos tell his story on the walls of a Basilica far from Franciscan in grandeur.
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5 Spoleto From the last week of June to the middle of July Spoleto is stage and striking background for the Festival dei Due Mondi, Festival of the Two Worlds. With a full programme of music, theatre, performing arts and cinema, America meets Europe and art is in the air.
Pozzo di San Patrizio In the majestic town of Orvieto, not far from one of the greatest gothic cathedrals in Italy, is a fascinating well, designed by Antonio da Sangallo, whose double helix staircase allowed donkeys carrying water to travel without ever crossing paths. The same works for tourists.
96 For full details see www.invitationtotuscany.com
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7 Todi festivals In July the picturesque medieval hill town of Todi hosts the Todi Art Festival with art, drama and ethnic and classical music in their spacious central piazza. But with their own saint and pope Martin I, festivals may take a religious bend as well.
8 Gubbio’s Festa dei Ceri The ‘Race of the Candles’ celebrated in Gubbio on 15 May is an amazing tour de force of strength and crowd control. The ‘candles’ are huge wooden constructions of up to 280 kg. that are hefted by competing townsmen up the mountain to the Basilica of the patron saint.