Interested in knowing about the different food festivals held in Italy? Find out how crazy the Italians are for food with the seasonal breakdown of Italian food festivals.
The Italians are obsessed with their food. Given the diverse and unique cuisine that they have why shouldn’t they be? To celebrate their love for food the Italians have a number of food festivals around the year. Each season has its own special food festival and every festival has its own history behind it.
Feast of the Star:
A presepio or crèche is there on the cart and is lit by a large star carried in a procession in Lombardy. People carry cheese, wine and salami as gifts for the three kings and consume them at the dinner feast on the day.
Epiphany:
This is one of the religious holidays of the year which is full of many different kinds of foods ranging from La pinza de Marantega which is bread sweet in taste and is prepared in Veneto and sagra bread in the town of Andreis.
Sagra delle Luganighe:
This festival sees the people feasting upon a type of sausage known as luganiga.
Festa di San Antonio:
This is one of the most unique festivals of the year where the youth collect lots of Fuel (wood) to form a 60 ft high pyre. Then they construct an ancient magician (witch) out of straw as a symbolic representation of winter and burn it in the pyre. Torta dura which is a hard cake is the treat of the day.
Feast of the Cherry Trees in Flower:
This is the first festival of the spring season celebrated in early April in Vignola which lies near Emilia-Romogna.
Sagra dei Garagoi:
During this festival the Italians feast upon sea snails known as Garagoi. Although it may seem a bit odd to those not familiar with the Italian culture but the people at Marotta near Pesaro enjoy this festival with full heart.
Sagra dei Gnocco:
This is a festival that sees the Italians feast upon potato gnocchi made from over 1400 (pound) potatoes which are prepared at Teolo close to Padua.
Sagra della Pie Fritta, Sagra dello stoccafisso and Sagra del Biscottofisso are other important food festivals of the spring season.
Summer Food Festivals:
Festa di Noiantri:
This is a festival held in Rome by the people who consider themselves to be special. Bruschetta is the treat of the festival along with which the locals sell some other arts and crafts items.
Sagra del Pecorino:
A cheese tasting festival in San Godenzo near Florence
Sagra della Nocciola, Sagra delle Lepre and Sarga degli Stacchioddi are other festivals held during the autumn season.
