Assisi’s June Lavender Festival

Monet immortalized the lilac spread of lavender fields in 19th-century Provence and these days, the Castellini family’s lavandeto purple shades fan out in the valley below Assisi. At their late June/early July Festa della Lavanda – sixth edition this year – visitors meandered along paths in the family’s 4 acres of purple, white, blue, pink…

Ascoli Piceno’s Fritto Misto Festival

Fried foods might not be prevalent in the Mediterranean diet, but they’re definitely present… and you’ll find “il fritto” (or derivatives) in a few Italian idiomatic expressions, too: – “siamo fritti”, “we’re fried” means “we’re in trouble” – “mandare a farsi friggere” is best translated as “send someone off to fry themselves” i.e., ” tell…