September in Italy: Weather, Holidays & Festivals

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September (Settembre) is when you will find food festivals (sagre) dedicated to the flavors of autumn: porcini mushrooms, cinghiale, and more. A number of cities also celebrate their medieval traditions during September. September 19, the feast day of San Gennaro, is a local holiday in Naples.

What is the Weather in Italy in September?

Late September brings autumn, milder temperatures, and more rain. Along with October, this transitional month for tourism is part of Italy’s shoulder season and is a wonderful time to visit. Sightseeing, outdoor dining, and country drives are ideal activities for September.

The weather in September is also warm enough to go to the beach in most places—though you may find that many beach resorts and bathhouses close as soon as the month begins. The Italian mindset is seasonal and September is not considered a time to go to the beach, but a time to gear up for fall.

High temperatures in September in northern Italy, which includes Milan, Venice, Bologna, and Turin, average in the mid- to high-70s °F (low to mid-20s °C). On average, northern Italy gets about six days of rain in September.

Expect warm days and cool nights in central Italy in September. Average high temperatures for Rome and Florence in September hover around 80°F (27°C), with nightly lows around 58°F (15°C).

September in Southern Italy is warm and relatively dry, with about five days of rain. Daily temperatures range from highs in the low 80s (high 20s °C) to lows in the 60s (low 20s °C).

September Average Temperatures

	Florence	Milan	Naples	Palermo	Rome	Turin	Venice
High/Low F	80/58	75/58	79/59	82/70	81/59	73/63	75/59
High/Low C	27/14	24/14	26/15	28/21	27/15	23/17	24/15

Source: Accuweather

September in Italy: Holidays, Festivals, and Other Events

MiTo Settembre Musica

A classical music celebration shared by northern Italy’s largest cities Milan and Torino, MiTo Settembre Musica runs for three weeks during September and features performances by symphonies, orchestras, and choirs. The concert calendar usually posts in June.

First Sunday of September – Palio Horse Race in Asti, Piemonte

The city of Asti in Piemonte holds claim to the oldest bareback horserace in Italy, which has been run nearly continuously since the 13th century. The Palio di Asti takes place in September, typically on the first Sunday, but sometimes later in the month.

Early to Mid-September – Peperoncino Festival in Diamante, Calabria

A celebration of chili peppers in the Italian region where they are used the most. The Diamante Peperoncino Festival takes place over about a week in early to mid-September and features cooking and cultivation demonstrations by the Accademia Italiana del Peperoncino as well as lots of food stands where you can taste varieties of the fiery fruits.

Mid-September – Giostro della Quintana in Foligno, Umbria

September marks the second edition, or challenge, of Foligno’s twice-yearly jousting tournament, the Giostro della Quintana, an event that was revived in 1946. One of the bigger traditional events in Umbria, the Quintana features a Ring Joust and a parade of more than 700 locals dressed in 17th century costumes. See also the listing for June.

Mid-September – Palio Horse Race, Parma

Parma, in Emilia-Romagna, also holds a medieval horse race in September, pitting its five districts against one another. Learn more about the Palio di Parma.

September 19 – Feast of San Gennaro, Napoli and environs

Saint Januarius, known in Italian as San Gennaro, is the principal patron saint of Naples and he is celebrated each year on September 19, the alleged day of his martydom in the 4th century. This day is also one of three days throughout the year when the faithful go to Naples Cathedral to witness the liquefaction of the blood of San Gennaro. The Festa di San Gennaro is a local holiday, meaning that schools and businesses are closed.

September Calendar: Italy Anniversaries and Events

September 1

Birth of art patron Scipione Borghese (1577)
Birth of Vittorio Gassman (1922)

September 4

Feast Day of Rose of Viterbo
End of the Western Roman Empire (476)

September 5

Feast Day of Mother Teresa
Birth of Goffredo Mameli (1827), author of the Italian National Anthem (Inno D’Italia)
Cassius Clay wins boxing gold at the Olympic Games in Rome (1960)

September 6

Birth of Andrea Camilleri (1925)
Death of Luciano Pavarotti (2007)

September 7

Roman soldiers led by Emperor Titus plunder Jerusalem (70)
Birth of Giuseppe Gioachino Belli (1791), the “people’s poet” of Rome

September 8

Feast Day of the Nativity of Mary
Birth of Bernardino of Siena (1380)
Birth of Caterina of Bologna (1413)
Birth of soprano Giuseppina Strepponi (1815), muse and second wife of Giuseppe Verdi
7.2 magnitude earthquake rocks Calabria, killing between 557-2,500 people (1905)

September 9

Birth of Aurelian (214)
Construction begins on the Duomo of Florence (1296)
Birth of Cesare Pavese (1908)

September 10

Feast Day of Nicholas of Tolentino
Death of Federico da Montefeltro (1482)
Nazi German troops begin their occupation of Rome (1943)
Abebe Bikila wins the marathon, bare footed, at the Olympic Games in Rome (1960)

September 11

Birth of naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522)
Death of Beatrice Cenci (1599), young noblewoman condemned for murdering her abusive father

September 13

Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus is dedicated on Rome’s Capitoline Hill (509 B.C.)
Death of Titus (81)
Birth of Cesare Borgia (1475), an inspiration for Machiavelli’s The Prince
Michelangelo begins working on his statue of David (1501)
Death of artist Andrea Mantegna (1506)
Birth of composer Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583)
Death of writer Italo Svevo (1928)
Death of mountaineer Walter Bonatti (2011)

September 14

Rite of the Holy Nail at the Duomo of Milan, in which the relic is retrieved from the apse and put on display for two weeks
Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire following the death of his brother Titus (81)
Death of Dante Alighieri (1321)
Birth of Renzo Piano (1937)

September 15

Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows
Birth of Ettore Bugatti (1881), founder of Bugatti
Birth of Umberto II (1904), known as the “May King” for his reign of 34 days prior to Italy becoming a republic
Birth of cyclist Fausto Coppi (1919)

September 17

Feast Day of Roberto Bellarmine
Birth of Ranuccio II Farnese (1630), Duke of Parma
Death of Tobias Smollett, author of Travels Through France and Italy
Birth of mountaineer Reinhold Messner (1944), Bressanone/Brixen-born mountaineer who made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest

September 18

Birth of Trajan (53)
Domitian assassinated, Nerva declared emperor (96)
Birth of actor Rossano Brazzi (1916), star of Three Coins in the Fountain

September 19

Feast Day of San Gennaro
Birth of Antoninus Pius (86)
Death of Italo Calvino (1985)

September 20

The capture of Rome by the Bersaglieri completes the unification of Italy (1870)
Birth of Sophia Loren (1934)

September 21

Death of Virgil (19 B.C.)
Birth of Girolamo Savonarola (1452)
Birth of Maurizio Catellan (1960), controversial artist who sculpted the famous Dita middle finger statue in Milan

September 22

Death of artist Alessandro Allori (1607)
Birth of Andrea Bocelli (1958)

September 23

Feast Day of Padre Pio
Birth of Augustus (63 B.C.)
Death of Vincenzo Bellini (1835)
Birth of Paolo Rossi (1956)

September 24

Birth of Vitellius (15)
Death of Poliziano (1494)

September 25

Birth of Francesco Borromini (1599)
Birth of Sandro Pertini (1896), voice of the Italian Resistance during World War II and 7th President of Italy

September 26

Death of actress Anna Magnani (1973)

September 27

Birth of Lorenzo Cherubini, aka Jovanotti (1966)
Birth of Francesco Totti (1976)

September 28

Death of Pompey (48 B.C.)
Birth of Marcello Mastroianni (1924), notable actor who starred in La Dolce Vita

September 29

Birth of Pompey (106 B.C.)
Birth of Enrico Fermi (1901)
Birth of director Michelangelo Antonioni (1912)
Birth of Anita Ekberg (1931), the actress who waded in the Trevi Fountain in the film La Dolce Vita
Birth of Silvio Berlusconi (1936)

September 30

Feast Day of Saint Jerome
Birth of Monica Bellucci (1964)