Always February - March during the rainy season. You may get stuck in rising waters, so be prepared…read moreand have the pullover rain booties and an umbrella. They will sell ponchos as well. The costumes are elaborate and beautiful! Some terrifying. But all of them are handmade. You can purchase the carnivale masks all year round, and even have them custom made. I had our football teams made on a mask for my husband and I.

Carnival in venice started (according to wikipedia) in the 12th century..and is still celebrated…read moretoday. The event does atrract large crowds. What i liked - great for people watching & great costumes - good opportunity to dress up - flight of the angel(make sure to check the programm) Some tips: arrange accomodation on time and do invest in a mask.

A piece of history! Worthwhile to take a stop nearby the main square in Bologna and admire these…read morefeats of medieval architecture. As of end Dec 2023 both towers are closed for maintenance as the base and building materials have deteriorated and are no longer safe for tours. Prior to closing stairway access to the top via 498 steps (according to their website) was available for €5 to the taller tower Asinelli, with shorter tower Garisenda already under repair. There is a public website commune.bologna.it where anyone can donate to the restoration campaign.

Between the 12th and the 13th century, Bologna was a city full of towers. Almost all the towers…read morewere tall defensive stone towers. Besides the towers, there are still some fortified porticos that correspond to the gates of the 12th-century city. The richest families used these towers for offensive/defensive purposes during the period of the Investiture Controversy. In the 13th century, many towers were demolished or collapsed. Many towers have been used as a prison, city tower, shop or residential building. The 2 towers remained a famous sight of Bologna throughout the later periods; even Dante mentioned some of the towers in his Inferno.