Summer is one of the best times in Italy: sagre spring up in every small town, pranzo al mare is a weekend ritual, and aperitivo al fresco concludes nearly every work day. And that’s not to mention all of the events, exhibitions, music festivals, and shows that seem to erupt throughout this season, ensuring your cultural calendar is spent before the first leaves turn red. From Turin to Palermo, here are some of the can’t-miss events and exhibitions across Italy this summer.

ROME

Caravaggio 2025, Palazzo Barberini — Until July 6th

This landmark exhibition at Palazzo Barberini—in conjunction with the Jubilee—showcases 24 masterpieces by Caravaggio, offering an unprecedented opportunity to experience the breadth of his work, including autographed pieces from international collections and rarely seen paintings from private holdings. Highlights include the Ecce Homo from Madrid and the Portrait of Maffeo Barberini.

Villa Aurora Public Opening — Until July 6th

The 2,200-square-meter Villa Aurora, home to Caravaggio’s only known ceiling mural, opens its doors to the public, allowing visitors to experience this unique masterpiece in its original setting. This rare access coincides with the Caravaggio exhibition at Palazzo Barberini, and those with a ticket to that exhibition can visit the villa on weekends; visits might be subject to prior reservation.

En Route Exhibition, Vatican Apostolic Library — Until December 20th

To celebrate the Jubilee, this exhibition in the Vatican’s Library includes some 50 works from the Library’s collections of manuscripts and books, plus site-specific installations by three creative artists: Cesare Poma’s collection of newspapers, Chiuri’s tapestries highlighting Victorian-era women travelers, and Jovanotti’s global journey memorabilia.

Mario Giacomelli Il fotografo e l’artista, Palazzo Esposizioni – Until August 3rd

To celebrate the centenary of the famed photographer Mario Giacomelli’s birth, a major exhibition is taking place simultaneously in Rome at Palazzo Esposizioni and in Milan at Palazzo Reale. Organized by Azienda Speciale Palaexpo in collaboration with the Giacomelli Archives, it features around 300 original prints, many of which have never been exhibited before. The Rome exhibition focuses on the connections between Giacomelli’s work and contemporary visual arts.

FLOWERS. Dal Rinascimento all’intelligenza artificiale, Chiostro di Bramante – Until September 14th

The Cloister of Bramante in Rome is hosting the largest Italian exhibition to date on flowers. Featuring over 90 works from the 16th to 21st centuries, this exhibition explores the beauty, resilience, and ecological role of flowers. 

Frida Kahlo, la mostra, Museo Storico della Fanteria – Until July 20th

This exhibition showcases Frida Kahlo through the photographs of her friend and lover, Nickolas Muray. A renowned New York photographer, Muray captured Frida between 1937 and 1946, portraying not only her striking presence and Mexican heritage, but also the deeply personal world around her. His images played a key role in shaping the myth and magnetism that still surround her today.

Festival Rock in Roma, Citywide – From June 18th to August 1st

Rock in Roma turns 15 with a blowout lineup spanning rock, pop, hip-hop, and alt sounds, staged mainly at the Ippodromo delle Capannelle and Auditorium Parco della Musica. This year’s edition brings big names like The Smashing Pumpkins—still smashing after all these years—alongside Italian chart-toppers like Sfera Ebbasta.

Open-Air Cinema, Citywide – All Summer Long

During the warmer months, the city erupts with open-air cinemas playing cult classics, timeless favorites, and new releases in both English and Italian. “Il Cinema in Piazza” takes place in San Cosimato, Cervelletta, and Monte Ciocci—boasting views of St. Peter’s basilica—and you can also catch showings at Nanni Moretti’s Cinema Nuovo Sacher. Check their websites for the full schedules and price information.

MILAN

“Io Sono Leonor Fini”, Palazzo Reale – Until July 20th

This exhibition dives into the dreamlike world of Argentine-Italian surrealist Leonor Fini, whose work unravels ideas of gender, identity, family, and power. Through paintings, drawings, photographs, and fantastical costumes, Fini defied every label—just as the title, drawn from her own words, reminds us: “I am a painter… I just am.”

Adelita Husni Bey. Premio ACACIA 2025, Mueso del Novecento – Until September 28th

ACACIA Prize winner Adelita Husni Bey presents a photographic series created with the women’s team of the anti-racist rugby club “I Briganti.” Through themes like antifascism, defense, and interdependence, the work explores collective memory and challenges sociopolitical systems.

Gran Premio d’Italia, Monza circuit – From September 5th to 7th 

Start your engines: the 2025 Italian Grand Prix is hitting Monza, the high-speed temple just outside Milan. With 53 laps of pure adrenaline on a 5.793 km track, it’s one of the fastest races in Formula 1—and one of the loudest, thanks to the legendary “Tifosi” screaming for Ferrari in full red glory.

Ugo Rondinone. Terrone – Until July 6th

Hosted by GAM, this is Ugo Rondinone’s first institutional show in Milan. Curated by Caroline Corbetta, it places the Swiss-born, New York–based artist’s works in dialogue with the museum’s collection, tracing themes of land, roots, and migration through personal and collective memory.

TRAVELOGUE Storie di viaggi, migrazioni e diaspore, MUDEC – Until September 21st

This exhibition tackles the theme of travel through MUDEC’s own collection. Blending personal narratives, nomadism, and diasporic memory, it features works by artists like Yervant Gianikian and spills beyond the museum walls with public art and immersive citywide installations.

Mario Giacomelli Il fotografo e l’artista, Palazzo Reale – Until August 3rd

To mark 100 years since the birth of legendary photographer Mario Giacomelli, two major exhibitions open in tandem: one at Milan’s Palazzo Reale, the other at Rome’s Palazzo Esposizioni. Organized with the Giacomelli Archives, the show features around 300 original prints—many never seen before. Milan’s edition focuses on his lyrical side, tracing the relationship between his photography and poetry. 

I-Days Milano Coca-Cola – From June 2nd to August 27th

One of the largest music festivals in Italy, I-Days Milano Coca-Cola returns to the SNAI San Siro and La Maura racecourses with a star-studded lineup: Justin Timberlake, Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, Post Malone, and more.

Jess T. Dugan’s “Look at Me Like You Love Me”, Sala delle Colonne, Gallerie d’Italia Milano – Until October 19th

This tender, expansive exhibition by American artist Jess T. Dugan explores love, identity, and human connection through intimate portraits and self-portraits. Using soft pastels and large-format photographs, the show captures moments of quiet intensity and queer relationships.  

“An Unexpected Collection: The New Art of the 1960s and an Homage to Robert Rauschenberg”, Gallerie d’Italia Milano – Until October 5th 

Pop vibes, boldness and freedom—the ‘60s take over Milan with this exhibition, a vibrant tribute to Robert Rauschenberg, whose work helped redefine the boundaries of contemporary visual language. This expansive exhibition explores the radical experimentation of 1960s art across Europe and the U.S. and is a rare chance to see these significant pieces on display. 

“Tutti pazzi per i Beatles. The 1965 Concert in Milan in Publifoto Photographs, Gallerie d’Italia Milano – From July 24th to September 7th

Held in the Chiostro Ottagono, the show features 62 striking enlargements from the Publifoto Archive, capturing the Beatles’ arrival at Central Station, their press conference, and the two historic concerts at the Vigorelli Stadium on 24 June 1965. More than a chronicle, it’s a visual time capsule of Italy’s brush with Beatlemania—perhaps subtler than elsewhere, but no less real.

FLORENCE

Rificolona Festival, Citywide – September 7th 

This festival lights up the city with colorful paper lanterns carried by children and families. A procession departs from Impruneta and reaches Piazza Santissima Annunziata, where the celebration continues with blessings, a Rificolona contest, and traditional songs.

Il ritorno dei maestri del XX secolo: Metafisica e Surrealismo, Collezione Roberto Casamonti – From July 4th to August 2nd

This exhibition showcases four masterpieces of Metaphysical and Surrealist art by de Chirico, Savinio, Dalí, and Ernst alongside works by Miró, creating a dialogue between 20th-century avant-gardes and contemporary art. A must-see for modern art lovers.

Volti di un secolo – Newman, Sellers, Lemmon, Cinema La Compagnia – From June 1st to July 31st  

This mini film festival celebrates three film legends born in 1925—Paul Newman, Peter Sellers, and Jack Lemmon—with 42 screenings in original language. You can (re)discover Newman’s elegance, Sellers’ sharp humor, and Lemmon’s tender irony. Book your tickets in advance.

“Time for Women! Empowering Visions”, Palazzo Strozzi — Until August 31st

A sweeping survey of the Max Mara Art Prize’s first 20 years, this group show gathers nine women-identified artists whose Italy-based residencies sparked ambitious new works—video, sculpture, installations, and more. A vivid snapshot of evolving themes like memory, motherhood, mythology, and the female gaze, unfolding in the intimate spaces of La Strozzina.

Open-Air Cinema, citywide – All summer long

During the summer months, the Pitti Palace, Barberini Gardens, and Medici Chapels turn into an open-air cinema, with new and old films playing near nightly, both in Italian and English. Check their websites for the full schedule and price information.

Calcio Storico, Piazza Santa Croce  – From June 14th to June 24th

Calcio Storico Fiorentino is a spectacular, gruesome, ancestral match combining football, rugby, and wrestling, played between Florence’s four historic districts—i Bianchi di Santo Spirito, gli Azzurri di Santa Croce, i Verdi di San Giovanni (Duomo) e i Rossi di Santa Maria Novella. Dressed in 16th-century costumes, the players face off in a sand-filled Piazza Santa Croce. The grand final takes place on June  24th (Festa di San Giovanni), followed by a fireworks display from Piazzale Michelangelo.

Tracey Emin’s “Sex and Solitude”, Palazzo Strozzi — Until July 20th

Curated by Arturo Galansino, the show is Italy’s first major exhibition on the celebrated British artist, offering an intimate exploration of Emin’s raw, confessional work. Through over 60 pieces—paintings, drawings, sculpture, film, neon, and textiles, plus new works created for the exhibition—Emin delves into themes of sex, solitude, and the human body.

VENICE

La Festa del Redentore, Citywide – From July 18th to July 20th

For over 400 years, Venetians have celebrated the end of the devastating 1575 plague with this vibrant, citywide festival. Over three days, Venice comes alive with gondola regattas, live music, and a spectacular fireworks show that lights up the lagoon in a blaze of color.

La Regata Storica, Grand Canal – September 7th 

Held annually on the first Sunday in September, the Regata Storica begins with a parade of 16th-century-style vessels, complete with costumed oarsmen, before shifting to the competitive regattas—most notably the race of the gondolini, sleek gondolas rowed by Venice’s most skilled gondoliers. Though it draws crowds of visitors, the Regata remains a deeply local tradition, with Venetians lining the canal to cheer on neighborhood rowers and celebrate the city’s centuries-old connection to the water.

82nd Venice International Film Festival, Lido – From August 27th to September 6th  

The Venice Film Festival, held annually at the Lido, is the oldest film festival in the world and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1932, this year is the 82nd edition, and it combines international cinema with the singular atmosphere of Venice, drawing directors, actors, and critics to the lagoon. While the red carpet grabs headlines, the festival maintains a balance between glamor and serious film culture, with a strong focus on auteur cinema and new talent.

Tatiana Trouvé’s “The Strange Life of Things,” Palazzo Grassi — Until January 4th, 2026

The largest exhibition to date of contemporary French-Italian visual artist Tatiana Trouvé. Through intricate sculptures and immersive installations, the exhibition explores the poetic and transformative nature of objects, and Trouvé invites viewers into a world where memory, architecture, and materiality intertwine.

Corpi moderni. La costruzione del corpo nella Venezia del Rinascimento, Gallerie dell’Accademia – Until July 27th 

Curated by Guido Beltramini, Francesca Borgo, and Giulio Manieri Elia, the exhibition traces how the human body became a subject of science, desire, and artistic invention in Renaissance Venice. Masterworks by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Dürer, Giorgione, and Bellini appear alongside anatomical models, instruments, and everyday objects. At its center is the rare display of Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man, shown for the first time in six years.

“1932-1942 Il Vetro di Murano e la Biennale di Venezia”, Stanze del Vetro — Until November 23rd

The exhibition explores Murano glass at the Venice Biennale between 1932 and 1942, a period when it gained a dedicated space and official recognition as a significant art form. Showcasing works by leading glassmakers like Venini, Seguso, and Salviati—alongside designers such as Carlo Scarpa and Flavio Poli—the exhibition highlights how the Biennale became both a platform for innovation and a catalyst for artistic exchange.

Il seduttore: Il rinnovamento dell’immagine maschile al tempo di Casanova, Palazzo Mocenigo Museum – Until July 27th 

This exhibition explores how 18th-century men’s fashion became a language of elegance, intellect, and seduction. Centered on Casanova as both icon and observer of his time, the exhibition features garments from Venice and Florence that trace the shift from ornate displays of power to the refined simplicity of the modern suit—all within rooms styled in the taste of the era.

Patricia Leite’s “Cold Water”, Palazzetto Tito – Until July 27th

Cold Water is Brazilian artist Patricia Leite’s first solo exhibition in Italy, as well as the first solo exhibition by a South American artist at Venice’s Palazzetto Tito. Discover works Liete painted in São Paulo specifically for this exhibition, exploring a sensitive dialogue between light, landscapes, and memory with an aim to elevate international voices in art.

19th International Architecture Exhibition (Biennale Architettura 2025), Giardini & Arsenale — Until November 23rd

Curated by Carlo Ratti, this edition of the Biennale explores the theme “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective,” examining the role of intelligence—both human and artificial—in shaping the built environment. Architects, designers, and thinkers gather from around the world to address contemporary global challenges.

NAPLES

Euforia: Tomaso Binga, Madre Museum – Until July 21st 

This is the largest museum retrospective of the artist’s work to date. Featuring over 120 pieces—poems, performances, photographs, and collages—it traces four decades of Binga’s feminist and verbal-visual practice. Born Bianca Pucciarelli Menna, Binga adopted a male pseudonym to critique gender bias in art. Her playful, political work explores language, identity, and the body with irony and subversion.

Giambattista Pittoni e l’epoca di Casanova, Royal Palace of Naples – Until August 15th

This exhibition marks Casanova’s 300th birthday with three newly attributed paintings by Pittoni—Venus, Diana, and Apollo—shown publicly for the first time. Archival material from Casanova scholars Aldo Ravà and Salvatore Di Giacomo offers context on the writer’s time in Naples and his enduring myth.

“Due cuori e una capanna” (Two Hearts and a Hut), Gallerie d’Italia Napoli – Until September 14th

This photographic exhibition traces real love stories through the homes that shaped them. Shot between 2020 and 2024, Daniele Ratti’s photographs capture 42 spaces—from iconic villas to lesser-known gems—where couples built lives, memories, and meaning. A touching and aesthetic exploration of what it truly means to live together.

Estate a Napoli, Maschio Angionino – From August 6th to September 15th 

“Estate a Napoli” returns to the Maschio Angioino courtyard with a series of evenings featuring concerts, theater performances, meetings, variety shows, and awards. The program includes classical and contemporary dance alongside hip hop, ethnic and fusion dances, Latin dances, and tango. 

“David” by Jago, Gallerie d’Italia Napoli – Until October 26th

This installation brings “David”—Jago’s reinterpretation of the biblical giant-slayer—to the monumental entrance hall of the Gallerie d’Italia in Naples. On loan from the Jago Museum, the work draws from classical iconography but reimagines the myth through a contemporary lens. Sculpted from Carrara marble, David reflects artist Jago’s ongoing dialogue with history, material, and the public. 

“Who Are You, Naples?” as part of the JR: Chronicles project, Duomo di Napoli – Until October 5th

With “Who are you, Naples?”, French artist JR brings his Chronicles series to Italy for the first time, transforming the facade of Naples’ Duomo into a vast portrait of the city’s people. Built from 606 faces photographed across seven neighborhoods in just one week, the installation captures a fleeting but powerful snapshot of Naples’ identity. 

TURIN

Sonic Park Festival, Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi – From July 2nd to July 17th

This open-air music festival is held just outside Turin, with a two-week lineup including James Blake and ASCO. The Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi was the former hunting residence of the Savoy family and covers a whopping 31,000 square meters and another 150,000 square meters of park and green areas—worth a visit in and of itself. 

Flowers Festival, Collegno – From June 25th to July 14th 

Set in the leafy grounds of the former psychiatric hospital in Collegno, just outside Turin, the Flowers Festival returns for its 10th edition this summer. The park turns into a sprawling stage where Italian legends and up-and-coming acts play under the stars.

Adapted Sceneries, MAO – Until September 7th

A collaboration with the Gwangju Museum of Art, the exhibition brings together Korean landscape painting and works inspired by the May 18 Democratization Movement, pairing 19th-century brushwork with contemporary pieces that reflect on memory, place, and change. Set across the museum’s permanent collection spaces and ground-floor t-space, it’s a great introduction to a region and its stories, seen through ink and paper.

“Carrie Mae Weems: The Heart of Matter”, Gallerie d’Italia Torino – Until September 7th

Blending photography, video, and performance, this exhibition brings the acclaimed American artist to Turin for a wide-ranging retrospective that spans her career—from iconic series like Kitchen Table to new work commissioned specially for this show. At its center is Preach, a powerful installation on Black spirituality and resistance. With work rooted in often overlooked spaces, Weems invites us to see what lies beneath the surface.

Olivo Barbieri’s “Other Spaces”, Gallerie d’Italia Torino – Until September 7th

With over 150 works spanning three decades, this photographic exhibition offers a sharp, sometimes surreal look at a country in flux. From his first trip in 1989 to 2019, Barbieri tracked China’s explosive urban transformation, using techniques like selective focus and aerial photography to blur the line between real and imagined. The result isn’t documentary, but something stranger: a visual meditation on cities, change, and how we see.

PALERMO

Festino di Santa Rosalia, Citywide – July 14th

Every July, Palermo throws a party for its beloved Santuzza, Santa Rosalia. The Festino, held on the night of the 14th, is a citywide procession that winds from the Norman Palace to the sea, stopping at baroque corners and historic gates along the way. There’s music, lights, and fireworks—and lots of food: snails, sfincione, boiled octopus, watermelon. The celebration dates back to 1625, when the saint is said to have ended a plague by revealing the location of her remains on Monte Pellegrino. Since then, she’s been the city’s patron—and its most adored protector.

Gibellina Photoroad, Gibellina – June 20th to August 20th

Each summer, the quiet streets of Gibellina—rebuilt after an earthquake with bold architectural ambition—become an open-air gallery for Gibellina Photoroad. This is Italy’s only site-specific photography festival, where large-scale works, projections, and installations are placed directly in the landscape, free from the distractions of city clutter and light. This year is the festival’s fifth edition—and you’re not going to want to miss it.

LUCCA

Lucca Summer Festival – From June 28th to July 27th 

Each summer, Lucca’s Renaissance walls become the backdrop for one of Italy’s most beloved music events. The Lucca Summer Festival transforms the quiet Tuscan town into a stage for international headliners and Italian greats–including Jennifer Lopez, Nick Cave, Santana, Alanis Morissette, and Bryan Adams—with concerts held in the heart of the historic center. 

PADOVA

Vivian Maier, Centro San Gaetano — Until September 30th

Discover over 200 never-before-seen photographs by the pioneering street photographer Vivian Maier. This exhibition, curated by Anne Morin, offers a rare glimpse into Maier’s world, capturing the streets of Chicago and New York in the mid-20th century. Also on display are personal objects like her Rolleiflex camera.

PERUGIA

Umbria Jazz – From July 10th to July 20th 

Perugia pulses with brass, bass, and boundless energy during Umbria Jazz—Italy’s most iconic jazz festival. What began in 1973 as a roaming concert series now draws global legends and new voices alike to the hilltop city’s piazzas, theatres, and medieval streets. Expect 10 days of world-class music, late-night jam sessions, and aperitivos set to saxophone solos.

VICENZA

“Ceramics and Clouds. What Ancient Greek Ceramics Tell Us About Ourselves”, Gallerie d’Italia Vicenza
– Until March 22nd 2026


This exhibition bridges the gap between ancient Greek vases and contemporary comics, showing how timeless themes—love, war, identity, and desire—still resonate today. Four mythological figures, four ceramic masterpieces, and four illustrators—Lorenza Natarella, Elisa Macellari, Fabio Pia Mancini, and Gio Quasirosso—bring these universal questions to life in bold, graphic form. The result is a playful yet thought-provoking exhibition where ancient art sparks new conversations.

MONOPOLI 

PhEST, Citywide – August 8th to November 16th

This year marks the 10th edition of PhEST, a festival shaped by the sea it looks out on. Photography, film, and art spill into the streets, tracing the fluid, overlapping stories of the Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Africa. Less a fixed showcase than a living dialogue, the festival challenges the boundaries between truth and fiction, stillness and change, asking not what photography is, but what it’s becoming.

REGGIO EMILIA 

Viviane Sassen’s “This Body Made of Stardust”, Collezione Maramotti – Until November 16th 

Dutch artist Viviane Sassen unveils a dreamlike visual journey of two decades of her work where the human body, light, and color intertwine, curated by the artist herself. It is a sensory and poetic exploration of identity, dreams, and matter, through photography, video, and immersive installations that ultimately centers around the journey from life to death. 

BOLOGNA

Mohamed Bourouissa’s “Communautés”, MAST. PhotoGalleries – Until September 28th

The largest solo exhibition of the French-Algerian artist Mohamed Bourouissa offers an intense visual journey through twenty years of his work with photography, film, and installations. He illuminates the bonds between individuals and society, shedding light on communities that are often overlooked. Entry is free.