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MONTALCINO
VILLAGE
FESTIVALS
Festa di
Primavera (Spring Festival)
Takes place each year during Easter and nearby holidays;
i.e. Easter, 25 April, 1 May weeks/weekends
Our
annual gastronomic festival staged and operated by the committee, members
and volunteers of U.S. Montalcino s.r.l (calcio, football, soccer). All proceeds in support
of the village football club. Traditional Montalcinese dishes, wine,
music and dancinG .......
Why
not plan your visit to coincide with a village festival? In Montalcino the
calendar is punctuated with events which are not only captivating, they
offer you an opportunity to understand how Italians have successfully
maintained a cultural identity in a shrinking computerised world.
La
Sagra del Tordo -
The Festival of the Thrush - is the most important cultural event in the
year, a spectacular tournament displaying ancient skills as well as fierce
rivalry and passion, but if you cannot be here for The Sagra, you may well
coincide with one of our other traditional events.
Calendar
of Events
Following
is a brief outline of just a few village events. You can go direct
to a page with a full description and pictures of our main event by
clicking:
La Sagra del Tordo
January
Befana - Epiphany
Epiphany
celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men bearing gifts for the Christ
child. It’s winter, often the village is coated in snow and the children
are wrapped in warm coats and wearing mittens and hats when the witch of
Befana arrives to hand out presents to the children who have been good.
February
Benvenuto Brunello
Welcome Brunello, around the third weekend of
February, celebrates the bringing
out of the new vintage of Brunello di Montalcino into the market place,
and a panel of experts assesses the harvest brought in five months ago.
This is a weekend when Montalcino is inundated with wine gurus and writers
who come to write…and examine…and drink...wine, wine, wine.
February
Carnivale 
Towards
the end of February the village stages festivals for the children who
dress up in carnivale costumes and wear masks. They dance, chase
each other trying to recognise their friends and cover each other with
confetti. Carnival finishes at the beginning of Lent, hence it is a time
of frivolous excess, the last big bash before Lent begins!
March
Lunch for our Ladies
Early
in March at various dining venus around Montalcino the neighbourhood men
prepare, cook, and serve a delicious lunch for the women who sit regally
at long tables enjoying the novelty. This morning the women will be
carrying little sprigs of yellow mimosa – it is Mothers Day.
Easter
 In
Montalcino Easter is a religious festival celebrated with an evening procession
of several hundred people following Cristo Morto – the dead Christ –
carried on a high platform around the village. Citizens light their
windows and door steps with candles and decorate doorways with
flowers…the priests lead the solemn procession and the townsfolk follow
in single files each side of banners, reciting prayers along with the
priest.
Spring Festival
(Takes place during Easter holidays each year)
The
spring festival, feast and dancing, takes place in the fortress on the
above dates to raise funds for our football club. The
women of the village work hard making pasta by hand, the men grill steaks
and pour wine for the entire eight days and nights. Visitors come from everywhere to
feast in the fortress on the cuisine of Montalcino.
May
8
Patron Saints Day
A
most important event in Montalcino celebrated for the entire weekend. The
Patron Saint of Montalcino is Saint Maria of Mercy, and devotions begin
with an evening procession to the church of the Madonna. On Sunday morning
the Madonna is unveiled in the Church, it is First Communion Day for the
children, and in the late afternoon we have Tombola in the piazza. The
Madonna is hidden away again in the evening.
June
Gara Podistica – Footrace
The
annual 3.5 kilometre footrace around the walls and up and down the steep
hills of Montalcino! Trophies and wine are the prizes – if you think
you’re fit, here’s an opportunity to test your endurance. If not,
don’t worry, many people walk the route just for the fun of
participating.
This
is my trophy in the Ladies Event
August
Apertura della Caccia
The
Opening of the Hunt Festival on the second weekend of August takes the form
of a historical procession through the village in medieval costume, and
then an archery tournament in the later afternoon. It’s a fabulous
weekend of pageantry and history, with plenty of eating and drinking.
September
Bees and Honey
An
annual gathering of Apiarists in the fortress where they exchange trends
and ideas, and sell honey in all shapes and forms, display information and
talk about the skill of bee-keeping, and the national and international
market. Economically, honey is an important product here.
October
La Sagra del Tordo
The
last weekend in October is the most important cultural event in the
Montalcino calendar. Visitors arrive from all over Italy, from other
countries in Europe, and even internationally to witness La Sagra del
Tordo. Go direct to – La Sagra del Tordo – to read the program and
details of how you can participate in this extraordinary weekend, click La
Sagra del Tordo.
November
Saint Cecilia 
is
the Patron Saint of music and in November our village Band and Choral
Group stage a delightful concert in our theatre. As well, the Band and
Choro perform at Mass in the church of the Madonna. The Band and Choral
Group contribute to all of the festivals and pageants in Montalcino
throughout the year, and today they’ll have their annual luncheon.
November
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Depending
on the timing of the olive harvest, a celebration is staged in the piazza
enabling citizens to taste the newly pressed piquant olive oil on toasted
crostini.
December
Buon Natale! Christmas
A
quiet religious celebration if compared with commercial razz-matazz in
many places. A beautiful outdoor nativity is erected under a huge Cedar of
Lebanon tree. The school children join hands to sing carols, and families
gather for the traditional Christmas meal.
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