The six best summer festivals in Italy

The neoclassical colonnaded arena of Sferisterio is the venue for this reliable outdoor opera festival, a sort of Verona writ small. This year's operas include Carmen, Rigoletto and L'Elisir d'Amore.

Pavarotti and Friends
(00 39 051 5286802, pavarotti@ebcconsulting. com), Modena, 28 May; tickets £13-513 (£8-£313).

Famous for the Ferrari and balsamic vinegar, Modena is also the birthplace of Luciano Pavarotti, who returns every year for the Pavarotti and Friends festival, arguably the world's biggest crossover. This year's programme is not announced until May, but past events have seen the ageing supertenor duet with the likes of Anastacia, Céline Dion, Elton John, Tom Jones, Ricky Martin, George Michael and Barry White.

Pescara International Jazz Festival
(00 39 085 374198, www.pescarajazz.com, tickets not yet available), 16-23 July.

Urbino's only serious rival when it comes to jazz, this summer's programme is expected to include the Chicago Jazz Ensemble and the Gil Evans Orchestra.

Ravenna
(00 39 0544 249244, www.ravennafestival.org), 19 April-21 July, tickets £10-124 (£6-£75).

Principally a classical music festival, this summer promises an eclectic mix including Bob Dylan, Manhattan Transfer, tango king Astor Piazzolla's operita Mar?a de Buenos Aires and Ballet Argentino performing a tango evening.

Torre del Lago
(00 39 0584 359322, ww.puccinifestival.it), 19 July-24 August, £23-95 (£14-£58).

An idyllic open-air, lakeside opera festival dedicated to Puccini, who lived here. This season sees performances of Manon Lescaut, Turandot, Tosca and Madam Butterfly.

Verona
(00 39 045 800 5151, www.arena.it), 21 June-1 September, £19.50-154 (£11.60-£30.50).

Opera productions mounted in this 1,900-year-old 14,000-seater Roman arena are every bit as spectacular as the venue itself. Franco Zeffirelli's A'da is the best known - its monumental staging of the grand march has to be seen to be believed; this year he will be directing a new Carmen.