Ahead of Coronation Weekend, English Flair Enlivens One Hyper-Local Italian Festival

After two years of an inward-looking, cautious existence, totally at odds with the Italian way of life, theaters, museums and public spaces across Italy are full of activity again. All the usual local festivals and markets are back on the calendar, including in my little town of Battaglia Terme in the Veneto, which holds its own annual jamboree on May 1.

The traditional Canale Fiorito Festival — that’s “Canal in Bloom” — sees bridges and borders of the canal decorated wit