If you want to see what true community spirit looks like, come to Spello. This incredible little town nestled atop a hill in the green heart of Italy, aka Umbria, is carrying on a centuries-old tradition that dates back to 1602. Known as the ‘infiorata’, the Spello Italy flower festival is one of the most moving sights to see as villagers band together in small groups and work through the night to create pure works of art together. Imagine exquisite tapestries depicting doves, imposing tigers, stars, the moon, people embracing, and religious scenes made entirely out of flowers. This is the magical Infiorata!

What is the Infiorata?

The Infiorata is a religious festival that sees the town of Spello decorated in incredible carpets or tapestries made entirely out of flowers. It’s a celebration of the Corpus Domini feast and a tradition that dates back to at least 1602. The town is broken up into small teams and spend the better part of the year collecting and growing flowers that will be used to create their carpets. On the weekend of the flower festival, the team kicks off creating their carpets throughout the town at around 9pm on the Saturday night. They work all through the night until about 7am when the priest and procession kicks off. The idea is that the priest will walk over the carpets throughout the town and finally into the church to commence mass in celebration of Corpus Domini.

When is the Spello Italy flower festival?

The exact date of the Infiorata changes every year as it’s based on the 9th Sunday after Easter. Generally, this means the festival is held on a weekend in June but the date won’t be the same every year. The easiest way to work out the date is to simply search for the date of the Corpus Domini feast and the year you’re interested in visiting.

5 Tips For Visiting Spello’s Flower Festival

Our trip to Spello during the festival is one of the highlights of my time in Italy and something I’ll remember forever. Not only are the flower carpets incredibly beautiful, but the atmosphere in this small town is pure magic. Teamwork and community spirit are in full force and you get such a great sense of connection- something I think everyone is craving after these pandemic years. Here are my top tips if you’d like to visit to make sure you get the most out of the Infiorata.

1. Arrive in Spello a few days before the festival

Sunday is the big day of the Spello Italy flower festival and there is honestly a sea of people who come in for a daytrip. This means parking lots are overflowing and you’re shoulder to shoulder with people all vying to get a glimpse of the flower carpets. We arrived on a Friday afternoon which was perfect as the town was still empty of tourists and full of excited locals preparing flowers for the event. It was lovely to stroll around Spello (it’s gorgeous!) without the crowds and chat to some locals who were preparing the flowers (painstakingly separating each and every petal from the flower stems).

2. Get accommodation in Spello’s Centro Storico

The day of the festival is honestly crazy and you’ll want to have accommodation right in the heart of Spello so you can nip back inside for some respite quickly and easily. Having accommodation in the centre will also more easily allow you to wander the town on the Saturday late at night, and/or get up super early on the Sunday before all the crowds arrive. Here are my top tips for accommodation in the most convenient locations to see the Infiorata:

• Albergo Il Cacciatore: One of few hotels in Spello. There’s a beautiful terrace with a stunning view
• Villa Elisa: If you’re looking for a villa with a swimming pool in the centre, this is it!
• Nel Cuore di Spello: Simple two-bedroom apartment
• Nel vicolo dei Baci: Ideal for two travellers
• Il Sogno: Cute two bedroom apartment

TIP: Beware booking an AirBnB during the Infiorata Festival as they tend to overbook and cancel the lower paying customer. This happened to us not once but twice when we visited and it was incredibly last minute, so stressful to find alternative accommodation.

3. Enjoy dinner in the piazza the night before the festival

The atmosphere in Spello on the Saturday evening is so fun and electric! The town doesn’t sleep all night and comes alive with all the shops open, stores selling mouthwateringly delicious porchetta panini or panini with salsiccia and beer. Rather than booking a restaurant on the Saturday, I recommend getting some street food and wandering around to watch as the villagers start working on their carpets.

4. Get up early on the Sunday

The crowds start rolling into Spello from around 8am and they come in full force! We visited in 2022 and it was a condensed program, so I can only imagine how busy it will be in future years. The best thing to do is head out at about 6am so you can view the flower carpets and wander in relative peace and quiet. Most of the carpets will be complete or nearly complete and it’s a joy to see them!

5. Pre-book lunch the day of the Spello Italy flower festival

The crowds stay around in Spello until around lunchtime, so it’ll be pretty difficult to wheel your suitcase out anytime before then. Instead, book a late checkout and enjoy lunch in one of Spello’s many excellent restaurants. Pre-booking is absolutely essential and you really won’t find a free table without a reservation on the Sunday. Try La Cantina for a really delicious Umbrian meal right in the heart of town.

Want to know more about Spello? Have a read of my blog post about visiting Spello Italy or look at Michele Damiani’s blog– she’s an American writer who moved with her family for a year to Spello and has many excellent articles (and an entire book) about her experience. Or why not add a trip to nearby Assisi too!

Looking for more travel tips for central Italy? Take a read of my blog on how to spend a weekend in Chianti.

Are you inspired to visit the Spello Italy Flower Festival? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and something I’ll remember forever. Let me know in the comments if you have visited before, or if you’re curious to see it for yourself!