7 best art events in Italy you shouldn't miss

Italy has always had its finger on the pulse when it comes to art and design, and each year the country plays host to some of Europe’s most exciting events. We’ve rounded up the top hitters, from a design-centric weekend in Courmayeur to an art festival in the sun-scorched backstreets of Naples.

1. Courmayeur Design Weekend

February 2025
At the foot of Mont Blanc, with panoramic views of the highest peaks in the Alps, the glamorous ski resort of Courmayeur pulls out all the stops as host of this three-day contemporary design event in early February. Exhibitions are broad ranging, from avant-garde sculpture to contemporary furniture and lighting. The backdrop is sensational — taking visitors from the slopes to the city centre — with chic boutiques around the town transforming into open-air galleries to display their wares. Exact dates tbc.

2. Milan Design Week: Fuorisalone & Salone del Mobile

7-13 April 2025
Design Week returns in 2025 with Salone del Mobile, a vast furniture fair that embraces sustainability and cutting-edge style. This year’s event saw boundary-testing designs, including lighting crafted from branches by French designer Jérôme Pereira and installations inspired by flowing water from bathroom brand Kohler. Alongside Design Week is fringe fair Fuorisalone, with innovative installations, pop-ups, temporary events and parties held in secret locations around the city.

3. MiArt

4-6 April 2025
It’s worth heading to Milan before Design Week for the city’s modern and contemporary art fair, MiArt. Hosting more than 170 exhibitors from around the globe (and growing each year), the event kick-starts Milan Art Week. Local museums and private galleries present boundary-pushing, thought-provoking retrospectives, solo shows and new openings at carefully chosen venues across the city. Productions have included work from some of the most influential contemporary artists, from David Hockney to Fracis Alÿs.

4. Maggio dei Monumenti

May-June 2025
As Naples steps into summer, the southern Italian city hosts a month-long art and design festival with exhibitions, guided tours, public art showings, film screenings, street theatre and children’s workshops. The aim is to take art from out behind the ropes and glass you’d find in galleries, with around 300 events taking place in unusual, ordinarily off-limit locations, from historic palazzi to aqueducts. This year, they included the Royal Palace of Naples and the beautiful library of the Italian Institute for Historical Studies. Exact dates tbc.

5. Venice Art Biennale

10 May-23 November 2025
Spanning art to architecture, Venice’s biennale is set in the heart of the canal-woven city. The fair offers a fabulous roster of events, from modern art to sculpture, performance and installations. Alongside the main programme, you’ll find dance, theatre, music and cinema. Next year’s event will be curated by the architect and engineer Carlo Ratti, who stated that, “To face a burning world, architecture must harness all the intelligence around us.” It’s this theme he’ll be exploring at next year’s hotly anticipated event.

6. ArtVerona

October 2025
With its Romeo and Juliet associations, Renaissance architecture and elegant piazzas, the northeastern Italian city of Verona beguiles. In mid-October, the city showcases its flair for art at this three-day festival, held at the Veronafiere exhibition centre. The event brings together the cream of the Italian art world and hosts meetings with contemporary artists and critics, as well as talks with gallery owners and collectors. Emphasis will also be placed on artists who work with virtual reality, robotics, video games, 3D animation and nanotechnology. Exact dates tbc.

7. Artissima

November 2025
Enlivening the dullest days of November, contemporary art fair Artissima celebrated its 31st anniversary in 2024. The backdrop is the genteel Alp-rimmed city of Turin in northern Italy. With an emphasis on the innovative and experimental, this curator’s fair is where newfound talent, emerging artists and up-and-coming galleries have their moment to shine and sketch out a vision of the future. Artworks fetch upwards of €80,000 (£67,500), with buyers ranging from art aficionados to patrons looking for works for museums. Exact dates tbc.