The 49 Italian Trips You Must Make: Nos 43-49… Sporting Events

There is nothing quite like a calcio weekender. You don’t have to be a dyed-in-the-wool groundhopper to be salivating at the prospect of visiting historic stadiums in some of the most picturesque settings Europe has to offer.

But there’s more to Italy than football. The food and scenery, of course. The history, sure. But there are also plenty of other major sporting events taking place throughout the season which, with a bit of careful planning, can be paired with weekend of football.

Here, for the final part of our 49 Italian Trips You Must Make series, we’ve picked out seven.

1. ATP Finals

Turin may be home to Italy’s most successful and best-supported football club, but it is also the stage for the climax of the tennis season in the ATP Finals, which has been held at the Inalpi Arena since 2021.

World No 1 and home favourite Jannik Sinner will be looking to defend his title for the third consecutive time and become only the fourth player in history, after Novak Djokovic, Ilie Nastase and Ivan Lendl, to retain his crown three times on the bounce.

While the tournament begins during the November international break, Juventus host Venezia at the Allianz Stadium the day after the final.

If you are planning a trip to watch Juve, make sure to include a visit to the stunning museum the club have built right by the stadium. Our Turin playbook and stadium guide have all the information you need for your visit.

2. Six Nations

If the prospect of spending a balmy spring day in Rome, with a pint in hand watching some of the best rugby players in the world sounds attractive, then you’re in luck.

The Eternal City hosts three Six Nations fixtures in 2027, with Italy welcoming Ireland on February 13, France on March 6 and then Wales a week later on the closing weekend of the tournament.

Roma host Parma on the weekend of February 13, while Lazio welcome Frosinone on the weekend of March 6 and Juventus the following week.

There are few better places to watch rugby than the Italian capital in the late-winter/early-spring sunshine – so if you’re heading down to the Stadio Olimpico, make sure you check our guide on the best spots to grab a drink pre-game. And don’t forget to make time for an aperitivo after the match.

3. Strade Bianche

One of cycling’s most picturesque one-day races, the Strade Bianche takes its name from Tuscany’s famous white gravel roads that cut through the Chianti region, with its rolling hills, vineyards and charming medieval villages.

The race starts and ends in Siena, beginning at the stunning Medici Fortress and finishing in the iconic setting of Piazza del Campo after the brutal Via Santa Caterina climb, a cobbled ramp that takes riders into the heart of the city.

There are few more scenic backdrops to watch the great Tadej Pogacar in action. The Slovenian won the 2026 race with a trademark blistering finish, making it three victories in a row and four in the past five years. Can he make it four on the bounce in March 2027?

Fiorentina are at home on the same weekend and Florence is just over an hour away on the train.

4. Milan-Sanremo

Staying on the bikes, one of cycling’s five prestigious Monuments and the first major one-day spring classic in the calendar, Milan-Sanremo holds a legendary place in the Italian sporting landscape.

At 298km, the route makes the Spring Classic the longest professional one-day race in Europe and takes riders from Milan to the Ligurian city of Sanremo, via three of the most famous climbs in the sport – the Passo del Turchino, Cipressa and Poggio.

The latter is the final hurdle before the descent into Sanremo and offers spectacular views over the hills and the pristine waters of the Ligurian Sea.

And while Sanremo is mostly associated with cycling and the music festival, the local football club, Sanremese, have been making headlines of late. Part-owned by former Real Madrid and France star Christian Karembeu and with AC Milan legend Clarence Seedorf in charge of the academy, Sanremese have just signed former France international Yann M’Vila.

Can they become the new Como? The road is long, but they are ambitious and there has never been a better time to get on the bandwagon. Sanremese play at home against Asti on the same weekend of the Milan-Sanremo (March 20) if you want to combine cycling and football.

5. Rome Masters

Turin isn’t the only city in Italy to welcome Sinner-mania, with the Rome Masters set to be held in the capital in its traditional early-May slot again next year.

It is one of the standout tournaments of the clay season in preparation for the French Open at Roland Garros, which begins a week after the final in Rome.

There are few better sporting experiences than watching the best players on the planet strut their stuff at the Foro Italico, which is a stone’s throw from the Stadio Olimpico, on a balmy spring evening.

Plan your visit carefully and you could watch tennis and football on the same weekend, with Lazio at home on the weekend of May 8 and again the following week.

The Biancocelesti fans are currently boycotting home games to protest against owner Claudio Lotito, but don’t let that put you off visiting one of the great sporting cathedrals.

6. Italian Grand Prix

Only a handful of places in Italy feature more prominently in the country’s rich sporting tapestry than Monza.

The simple mention of the small Lombard town conjures pictures of its famous racetrack, the world’s third purpose-built motor racing circuit after Brooklands and Indianapolis, and the oldest in mainland Europe. They don’t call it the Temple of Speed for nothing.

With the exception of 1980, Monza has hosted the Italian Grand Prix every year since 1949 and has staged more Formula 1 races than any other circuit.

A blisteringly quick track, the Temple of Speed is also where the passion of the tifosi burns brightest as thousands of fans dressed in red descend on Lombardy to cheer on Ferrari and the new local hero, Kimi Antonelli. The 18-year-old became the first Italian to win his home race in more than 60 years this season and could be the world champion by the time Formula 1 returns to Monza in September 2027.

7. San Marino MotoGP

Monza isn’t the only track in Italy hosting a world championship race, as the MotoGP stops at the seaside resort of Misano Adriatico in Emilia-Romagna, which is home to the San Marino Grand Prix.

One of the most historic tracks on the programme, Misano is a 40-minute drive from Cesena, meaning you could manage a football-Moto GP double-header in the same weekend providing the fixtures fall kindly.

The race takes place on the second weekend of September, while Serie B fixtures will be released in June.

Should the Bianconeri not be at home, Cesena the city still deserves a place on the itinerary. From the Basilica del Monte to the Biblioteca Malatestiana – the world’s oldest surviving library – and delicious cuisine, there is something for everyone.