Assisi - Calendimaggio. This takes place for three days in the second week in May. The origin of today’s festival dates back to 1927 when singers from the various churches in the city came together to sing songs based on ancient melodies. The city divides into the Upper and Lower parts which compete for the prize of a banner. Success depends on the quality of the singers, the costumes, and the success in depicting scenes from the Middle Ages.

Gubbio - Corsa dei Ceri. This takes place on the 15th May. Possibly dating back to pagan times, it happens on the anniversary of the death of the patron saint of Gubbio, Sant Ubaldo. The ceri are three enormous wooden pillars, each weighing some four hundred kilos, each one carrying on the top the statue of a saint – Ubaldo, Giorgio, and Antonio. These are carried by three teams from the lower town up the hill to the church of Sant Ubaldo, on the top of Monte Ingino.

Spello- L'Inforata. On the day of Corpus Domini the main streets in Spello are covered in wonderful floral displays. The designs depict various religious scenes, sometimes invented, sometimes copied from famous paintings. The ceremony is linked to the ancient custom of throwing flowers in honour of the statues in religious processions.

Foligno - Giostra della Quintana. Takes place in the months of June and September. The festival has its origins in an ancient equestrian competition of the 17th Century, in which riders competed to display their loyalty to the Prince or his Lady. In today’s ceremony, ten riders, each representing one district in the town, compete with each other to insert the point of a lance in various rings. The festival is proceeded by a procession in traditional dress.

Bevagna - Mercato delle Gaite. Takes place in the second week in June, and derives its origin from the ancient political division of the town into four ‘gaite’ or areas. The most important moment of the event is the recreation of the mediaeval market in the last few days of the festival.

Spoleto - Festival dei Due Mondi. Takes place each year in the first two weeks of July. It was initiated in 1958 by Giancarlo Menotti. The festival is a very important international cultural event. Essentially it is a very high quality musical event, including ballet, opera, chamber concerts, orchestral performances, prose and poetry readings, but there are also exhibitions, drama, and film.

Perugia - Umbria Jazz. Takes place each year in early July, in Perugina. Started in 1973, it is now one of the most important jazz festivals in Europe, and attracts artists from all over the world.

Perugia - Eurochocolate. In October. Perugia seems transformed into a gigantic pasticceria, with displays, tastings, exhibitions, all devoted to chocolate. Other local towns and villages become involved, and the best of Italian ‘dolci’ are on display.

Orvieto - Umbria Jazz Winter. Takes place in December. Since 1993, Orvieto has hosted the winter equivalent of the jazz festival. Concerts take place in some of the most beautiful mediaeval buildings in the city.

Umbria- Christmas in Umbria. At Christmas there are concerts of sacred and choral music in many of the towns and villages in the area. Cribs are in all the churches, and there are also enactments of the nativity. At Gubbio, in lights picked out on the hillside, is ‘the Biggest Christmas Tree in the World.’