The final stop on our journey was determined purely by the proximity to the venue for the Pearl Jam Concert originally scheduled for June 2020. We really had no idea what to expect from this small city when we booked the apartment on Airbnb other than easy access to the concert and a short train ride to Bologna airport for our flight home.

The neighborhood is filled with the scent of jasmine growing like weeds everywhere and lavender and rosemary lining the walkways. Our apartment was on the edge of the town where the city meets farmland with kiwi and Sangiovese grapes as far as the eye can see. To our surprise and good luck we found out June is the month long celebration of the Niballo Palio with traditions originating in medieval and renaissance Faenza. The city is divided into 5 districts (rione) with each area marked by the colorful flags. Each rione hosts special dinners, historical reenactments, special food stands and music every week leading up to the parade and final jousting event. It’s a spirited competition with everyone sporting the colors and cheering for their rione.

Faenza is home of the famous faïence pottery and has the International Museum of Ceramics, artisan studios, shops and international ceramics exhibitions throughout the city. For more information on Faenza click here. We are looking forward to Pete’s sister and nephew joining us this week for a few days so we will have more photos soon.