history of the cherry in the specially decorated train interior. This celebration continues until mid-April. The second Sunday of April means a very unique commemoration. The city of Montese, population 3 thousand, holds its Remembrance of Fallen Brazilian Soldiers dedicated to the more than 15,000 Brazilian soldiers who landed in Napoli in July of 1944 to fight the Germans in the nearby Appenine Mountains. The conflict lasted almost 8 months and over four hundred were killed and thousands injured but they were credited with helping in the victory at Montese and elsewhere.
Now that you have the habit, start the month of May about a week early at the seaside resort of Cervia at their International Kite Festival that runs from April 23 to May 2. You might want to stick around or return for their Sposalizio del Mare (Marriage of the Sea) commemorating a event in 1445 when, according to tradition, the local Bishop of Cervia calmed a storm by pawning his pastoral ring. On the day of the Ascension, after a week of celebrations, a historical procession accompanies the Bishop to the open sea, where he blesses the Adriatic and tosses a wedding ring into the sea, surrounded by brightly-colored historical vessels. On the last Sunday in May there’s a Medieval Parade and Jousting Tournament near the fortress of Grazzano Visconti that you won’t want to miss. It commemorates the late Fourteenth Century marriage of the daughter of the local bigwig to the brother of the king of France. Finish the month in the historic city of Ferarra, population some 135 thousand, approximately 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Bologna at their Palio di San Giorgio Medieval Parade and Race. This race ran continuously from 1279 (the world’s oldest Palio) to 1869. There