March Festivals and Holiday Events in Italy

Depending on the date of Easter, Italy's Carnival or Mardi Gras, occasionally falls in early March. It's celebrated with parades, masquerade parties for little kids, and, in cities like Venice, elaborate masked balls.

Festa della Donna, or International Women's Day, is celebrated March 8 all over Italy. On this day, men bring flowers, usually yellow mimosa, to the women in their lives. Restaurants have special Festa della Donna meals and there are often small local festivals or concerts. Groups of women frequently have dinner together that evening, and some museums and sites offer free or reduced admission for women.

Saint Patrick's Day is March 17. Although not widely celebrated in Italy there are a few festivals, especially in Northern Italy. There's at least one Irish pub in most larger Italian cities, so you're sure to find someplace to drink a Guinness with fellow revelers on March 17. In cities like Rome and Florence, which have large international student populations, there are Irish pubs a-plenty.

Feast Day of San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph, Mary's husband), March 19, is also known as Father's Day in Italy. The day, which used to be a national holiday, is traditionally celebrated with bonfires and sometimes pageants with scenes from the life of Saint Joseph. Children give gifts to their fathers on San Giuseppe Day. Zeppole, a filled, doughnut-like pastry, are traditionally eaten on Saint Joseph's Day.

Easter sometimes falls in late March with events during Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter Sunday. Second to Christmas, it's the most important religious holiday in Italy and it's observed with piety by most Italians. As the seat of the Catholic Church, Vatican City in Rome is at the center of the action during Easter week, with masses, processions and papal ceremonies. If you plan to be in Rome during this time, make your hotel and flight bookings well in advance.

Caesar may have met his fate a few thousand years ago, but he's still remembered in Rome on the Ides of March, March 15. Cultural events are usually held in the Roman Forum near the statue of Caesar and a re-enactment of Caesar's death is held at the site of his assassination in the Torre Argentina archaeological site.

The Rome Marathon, held in late March, is a 42km run through the streets of Rome. Starting at the Roman Forum, the course passes some of Rome's most famous sites and the Vatican before ending at the Colosseum. Runners from all over the world participate. More than 30,000 casual runners participate in a shorter run that ends earlier. The city streets in Rome's historic center are closed to traffic for the event.

All things almonds are celebrated at Mandorlo in Fiore, a delightful spring festival in the Agrigento region of Sicily. The name literally means "almonds in bloom," and the festival includes culinary, artistic and cultural aspects. It's usually held the first part of March.

The Palio dei Somari, a donkey race between neighborhoods, takes place in Torrita di Siena (a medieval village near Siena in Tuscany), on Saint Joseph's Day, March 19. The festival also includes a colorful historic parade.

Festa della Primavera, a spring festival, is held many places in Italy on March 21. Often the festival is centered around a regional food. Spring festivals are sometimes held to coincide with Saint Joseph's Day on March 19, too. Le Giornate FAI is usually held the first weekend of spring and is sponsored by FAI, Italy's national trust. Numerous sites, including castles, palaces and archaeological sites not normally open to the public are open for a rare glimpse inside.