From November 11 to December 11 2026 Italy becomes a grand stage of memory, where period costumes, precious fabrics, and ancient traditions recount the identity of the territories. On the occasion of the second edition of the National Day of Historic Clothing, promoted by the Ministry of Tourism, there are over 110 initiatives organized from north to south, gathered for the first time in the National Unified Calendar “Italy dressed in history.”
A month of events involves villages, towns, museums, tailoring studios, and artisanal workshops, with narrated dressings, parades, fashion shows, exhibitions and workshops open to the public. A cultural heritage that also becomes an opportunity to discover lesser-known destinations, support local craftsmanship, and experience slow tourism.
Here is a selection of events (the full program is available on the official site Italia.it).
Events in Northern Italy
In Piedmont, at Domodossola, the Civic Museums “Galletti” of Palazzo San Francesco host, from November 11 to December 11, an exhibition dedicated to the Ossolana elegance between the 19th and early 20th centuries. The display includes dresses, ornaments, hats, objects and artisanal crafts, accompanied on November 14 by a historical parade.
In Lombardy, in Lissone, on November 14 returns Prelude d’Inverno, with a revival of rural daily life of the early twentieth century. Figures in period costumes and folkloric groups cross the city’s streets, offering a slice of society from a bygone era.
In Veneto, on the other hand, November 15 the Forte Gazzera in Mestre hosts an exhibition of outfits and accessories spanning almost a millennium, from the year 1000 to 1920.
Events in Central Italy
In Tuscany, in Arezzo, from November 11 to December 6 you can visit Vestiti di Giostra, an exhibition dedicated to the historic costumes of the Joust of the Saracino. The display marks 70 years since the costumes were created in 1956 by Vittorio Nino Novarese.
In Lazio, in Orte, from November 11 to December 11 the project dedicated to the Ottava Medievale offers narrated public dressings, a widespread exhibition of five historic outfits in the city center and meetings dedicated to the history of costume. In Soriano nel Cimino, instead, on November 14 a parade is planned inside the Orsini Castle. In Minturno, on November 14, the Pacchiana dress takes the stage: a day to discover artisanal techniques, processes and gestures handed down over time, accompanied by a parade in the historic center.
In the Marche, in Potenza Picena, on November 15 the event “The Country, Many Years” takes the public back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a historical parade.
Events in Southern Italy and the islands
In Abruzzo, Scanno dedicates from November 11 to 22 a program focused on the women’s traditional dress.
In Campania, in Salerno, Bottega Sanlazzaro participates throughout the month with initiatives related to the Historical Procession of the Found Cross.
In Basilicata, in Pignola, from November 14 to December 11 there are planned extraordinary weekend openings at the Museum of Costume and Rural Civilization.
In Sardinia, in Quartu Sant’Elena, on November 14 a narrated public dress reveals the shapes, materials and ornaments of the Quartese traditional dress, followed by a historical parade.
In Sicily, Nicosia offers on December 10 and 11 an event dedicated to 16th-century garments: the program includes a tailoring workshop, a demonstration of dressing, and a show that recreates the welcome afforded to Charles V in 1535.
