Florence's paper lantern parade lights up a September of festivals

Florence's traditional paper lantern parade, the Festa della Rificolona, is among the events The Local Italy highlights in its roundup of 19 things not to miss this September. The annual procession, in which children carry brightly coloured paper lanterns through the city's streets, marks the eve of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and has deep roots in Tuscan folk tradition.

The Local's September list also includes an internationally attended literature festival in Mantua, placing Florence's lantern parade within a broader revival of cultural events across Italy as the summer holiday season winds down and the 'rientro' — the return to work and routine — begins.

For Florence, the Rificolona is more than a tourist attraction. It is one of the few civic festivals that still belongs to the city's residents, a counterweight to the postcard image of the Renaissance capital that draws millions of visitors each year.