Veneto

Festival name: Summer in the "Chess City"
Date: End of May through the end of July
Where: Piazza Castello
Town: Marostica
Province: Vicenza
Region: Veneto
About the event: Many fancy festivals entertain the town of Marostica throughout the summer, including the Festival of Cherries (May 25 and June 1); Ethnic Food Nights (June 24-28); Cars on the Road, a popular car exhibition (June 22); Jazz concerts (June 30-July 7); and much more. But the most famous of the traditions is the living chess game which takes place during even years on the second weekend of September (the next game is September 10-12, 2004).

The first game dates back to 1454 when Marostica was part of the Venetian Republic. That year, two noblemen fell in love with Lenora, the daughter of the Lord of Marostica's castle. True to the times, the noblemen challenged each other to a duel. To ensure that both his daughters would have a wealthy man to marry, the Lord suggested a chess game instead of a duel after which the winner would take the hand of his older daughter and the loser would marry his younger daughter.

The game was played on a feast day in the castle square with armed living people as chess figures. A festival with parades, banners and costumes surrounded the entire event, as it does today. The reenactment now uses more than 550 characters and lasts two hours. Nearly 4,000 visitors fill the castle square to celebrate the event. Lenora is elected from among 20 candidates at an authentic medieval dinner in early July.

For more info: Tel. 0424.72127-470995, www.marosticascacchi.it

Festival name: Asparagus Festival
Date: Late May (Every Year)
Where: Four locations
Town: Bassano del Grappa
Province: Verona
Region: Veneto
Food: Asparagus
About the event: Test your taste for Bassano's well-known delicacy at the spring asparagus festival. The town's white asparagus is known around the world for its high quality. It is so prized that it was given a legal name from the government: Asparagi DOC di Bassano.

On the streets of Bassano, farmers serve their prized asparagus alongside hard-boiled eggs with extra-virgin olive oil and a glass of Garganego wine. Awards for the best asparagus are presented at a folk-feast during the "Asparago d'Oro" competition.

But in the restaurants, the chefs organize their own festival called, "At the table with white asparagus." Unlike the simplicity of the farmers' asparagus, chefs mix the vegetable with exotic ingredients to yield gourmet dishes like glazed asparagus with almond sherbet and whipped oil.

The white asparagus differs from the more common green variety in that it has not been exposed to sunlight before harvest. It is therefore more tender and the entire spear is edible.

For more info: Riviera degli Olivi, Garda Tourist Office Tel. (+39) 045-725-6672, www.aptgardaveneto.com