From now on, I solemnly swear I will start each month with a post about all the amazing events on the Maremma. That way my intrepid travellers will know where to go to experience the best this region has to offer.

It’s not by blind chance that I decided to start now. July is the party month in the Maremma.We’ve finally shaken off the last flecks of the winter chill and we’re ready to let loose and have some fun.

Summer is such a beautiful season over here. I love it with a fierce devotion that I can’t even describe to you rationally.

In one word, it is perfection. Not too warm, definitely not too cool. The perfect weather for walking though the streets of Tuscany and indulging in our national dessert, gelato.

But before I get all gushy with summer lovin’, here are the top 10 events in the Tuscan Maremma for July:

1. Vivamus, Manciano, 29 June- 8 July
Okay, so I might be a little biased about Vivamus. My husband is the assessor for tourism in the Comune di Manciano. This is his baby. He loves it as almost as much he loves me. While I’m a little bit miffed to be upstaged by an event, I have to admit, it’s one hell of  an event.

Nine days of festivities spread across the municipality’s six towns. There will be traditional music, food stalls, arts and crafts markets, fire dancers, fireworks, a massive paper hot air balloon, children’s games, an incredible night of performances from the Bergamo Theatre, medieval actors and a fashion show of 100 years worth of local costumes.

And that’s not even the best part. The night I cannot wait for and half of Manciano cannot wait for is on Friday 6 July when the Terme di Saturnia Spa Centre opens its pools for an extraordinary night of swimming, music and fireworks. In case you’ve never heard of Terme di Saturnia, they’re the incredible hot spring pools where the water flows at a constant temperature of 36°C. They never open their pools at night, so I can assure you, this will be something to remember.

Here’s the programme.

2. Vox Mundi Festival, Magliano in Toscana, 30 June- 3 August
Vox Mundi means Music of the World, and in four words, I’ve managed to tell you what this festival is all about. But seriously, Vox Mundi is one of the Maremma’s few internationally recognised events. It is hypnotic, enchanting, otherworldly and magnificent.

For a month, the spirit of international music transform the otherwise staid Magliano in Toscana into one huge festival. All of the concerts are performed outdoors with Magliano’s incredible Roman-Empire-meets-Middle-Ages wall as a backdrop.  Before each concert, you can indulge in snacks and glasses of the renowned Morellino di Scansano DOC, which is made locally.

Some of the bands featuring in this year’s events are Charlie Cannon Sisters and Brothers Gospel Group from the USA, orchestra group La Cumbia Chicharra from Colombia, Singing dancing multi-lingual sensation Karima Nayt  from Algeria and Brazilian samba star Rosalia De Souza.

You can buy tickets in Magliano di Toscana, online or via email at info@voxmundifestival.org. For adults they’re 12 Euro, 10 Euro for kids.

3. Notte dell’Archeologia, Pitigliano, 1 July- 7 July
On the evening of 1 July, there’s a guided tour of Pitigliano and its archaeological museum from 9pm with a champagne toast under the stars in the town centre afterwards. Tickets are €8 for adults and you can buy them at the tourist info centre in piazza Garibaldi.

Then from 4-6 July, you can visit the incredible Vie Cave or Etruscan super highways around Pitigliano with an expert tour guide. This is what I’m really excited about because these roads are simply amazing. Carved deep into the tufa rock, they look more like hulking cliffs than roads. With the forest around, you feel like you’re in another world all together. Tours start at 9.30 at Piazza Garibaldi. Tickets are €3.

4. Guided tours of Maremma WWF nature parks, Capalbio, Orbetello and Roccalbegna, 24 June – 8 August
The Maremma has three WWF recognised nature parks and they are magnificent. Visit them on your own and you’ll be blown away. Visit them with a tour guide and you’ll get the stories, legends and lessons in the local flora and fauna that will leave you gawping long after the sensory impact has worn off.

Capalbio‘s Lago di Burano, also known as Walt Disney’s lake has guided tours every Monday, Wednesday and Sunday from 6pm. Orbetello‘s Lagoon is on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 5pm, and Roccalbegna’s Rocconi Nature Park is on Sundays from 10am.

A definite for bird watchers and, if you happen to go to Rocconi, Apennines wolf watchers. The nature park is one of the few places in Italy that you can these very rare wolves in their wild element. You can book these tours from the respective town’s tourist information centres or by calling 0564.870198.

5. 71st Palio di Argentario Parade, Porto Santo Stefano, 8 July
Now this is a legacy in the Maremma. A traditional boat race that was, as legend puts it, started to end a family feud more than 50 years ago, it is the now the most highly anticipated festival on the Argentario Coast. Think the Palio di Siena, but on the open waters of Porto Santo Stefano and with boats.

Even if you don’t like boat races, the atmosphere in the port city on this weekend is electric. Everyone dresses up in team colours and the music never stops. The people of Porto Santo Stefano take their palio seriously. Those hunky men on the boat come from their quartieri (quarter) and represent their section of the city. To win is to win a year’s worth of bragging rights. The race is on 15 August, but on 8 July you can be a part of the pre-race ceremony and parade.

6. Amiata Piano Festival, Cinigiano, 19 July-9 August
If you know anything about classical music then you’ll know more than a few of the names that are playing at this festival. From the likes of Dmitry Sitkovetsky and Konstantin Lifschitz to Sir Peter Maxwell Davids, these are the big guns. And they’ll be playing is some of the most enchanting locations in Cinigiano.

The event promises to be seriously elegant and entertaining. Visit www.amiatapianofestival.com  for more information and tickets.

7. Festival delle Arti Visive e della Musica, Arcidosso, 27 July-29 July
A modern and quirky performance art festival in the enchanting city of Arcidosso is not something you should miss lightly. The event is divided into three sections – a gallery show with video projections, paintings and sculptures, a series of concerts from some of the world’s most interesting electronica dance bands and performance artists, and incredible street art by three Roman artists.

For more info, visit the tourist information centre in Piazza Indipendenza, Arcidosso.

8. Miss Italia regional finals, Castiglione della Pescaia, 28 July
If you want to see the Maremma’s most beautiful women as they vie to represent Italy in the Miss Universe contest stop by Castiglione‘s town hall at 9pm.

9. Notti dell’Archeologia, Sorano, 28-31 July from 6:30pm
A series of twilight concerts with wine and food. You can also get into Sorano‘s Archaeological Museum for free and even go on a guided tour of the city if you feel so inclined.

10. Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Paolo Buggiani: Factory Artwork and Subway Drawings, Follonica, 21 June-29 July
A street art exhibition in Follonica’s Pinacoteca Civica in the town centre.

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