Festival & Events

Because religion is deeply ingrained in the Italian culture, one, if not the, most important religious event celebrated in Amalfi is the Festa di Sant’ Andrea, translated as the Feast of St. Andrea. St. Andrea, considered as the Patron Saint of Amalfi, is honoured through two separate celebrations. First is on November 30, her birthday, where a statue of the saint is carried around the city in a solemn procession. Second is on June 27, where the city remembers how Saint Andrea saved the city from the clutches of the evil pirate Barbarossa. Unlike her more somber birthday celebration, Saint Andrea’s miraculous acts are commemorated by bringing a statue to the sea where a festival of fireworks and music await her and her staunch devotees.

The sea undoubtedly plays an important role in the history of Amalfi. Thus, every spring (usually in the months of May or June), the city celebrates her past as a Maritime Republic with a Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics. The Regatta features four perfectly recreated sea vessels and people dressed in period costumes to welcome the occasion. The four vessels stand for the four Maritime Republics of the past — Amalfi, Genoa, Pisa and Venice.

World famous composer Richard Wagner was once a native of Amalfi, particularly the town of Ravello. Perhaps it was the breathtaking view of the sea below that inspired him to create one of his more famous compositions — the Parsifal. Thus, as a tribute to his talent and creativity, the town holds an annual Wagner Music Festival at the Villa Rufolo every summer (from June to September). This event, which started in 1953, provides its audience with an assortment of symphony and chamber concerts as well as ballet and opera performances, theatre plays and film screenings. Despite the diversity of the presentations, they are bound together with a unifying theme the dream — as it is one of Wagner’s favorite topics.

Another equally important musical festival is held during the summer — the Sorrento Summer of Music. The event is held in the cloisters of the monastery of Saint Francis in Sorrento, with renowned cellist Uto Ughi at the helm. The audience is treated to hours of fine music, set against the magnificent backdrop of the Saint Francis. While there is an abundance of chamber and classical music, the Sorrento Summer of Music also offers various musical genres such as jazz and rhythm and blues. It also serves as a venue for ingénues in the music industry to meet and perform with the more recognized musicians of the time.

The year is capped off with the Incontri Internazionali del Cinema di Sorrento or the Sorrento International Film Festival. The competition, which began in 1963, gives tribute to the best Italian films, directors and performers, as well as foreign movies that were widely accepted by the Italian public.