Asti's Festival of Festivals

Asti's Festival of Festivals (Festival delle Sagre) is an annual celebration in Asti, Italy, held on the second weekend of September. It brings together more than 40 local organizations to showcase traditional Piedmontese dishes and rural customs in a lively open-air fair.

• Italy’s largest open-air restaurant with over 80 traditional dishes
• More than 40 local organizations serve regional specialties
• Sunday parade features 3,000 people in period costumes
• Held in Asti’s central Campo del Palio square
• Part of the Settembre Astigiano festival season

What it is

The Festival of Festivals, known locally as Festival delle Sagre, is a vibrant annual event in Asti, Italy, dedicated to celebrating the rural food heritage and traditions of the Piedmont region. Each year, Asti’s central Campo del Palio square transforms into Italy’s largest open-air restaurant, where visitors can sample dozens of authentic local dishes. The festival is a heartfelt tribute to the region’s agricultural roots, with recipes and customs handed down through generations, creating a sense of community and continuity.

Where it comes from

The festival began in 1974, conceived by Giovanni Borello, then president of the Asti Chamber of Commerce. Borello’s vision was to complement the city’s established wine fair, Douja d'Or, with a food-focused celebration that would highlight the culinary traditions of the surrounding countryside. Over the decades, the Festival delle Sagre has grown into a major event, drawing crowds from across Italy and beyond. The only interruption in its history came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was cancelled in 2020 and 2021.

How it is celebrated

During the festival, more than 40 Pro Loco organizations from the Province of Asti set up stalls in the Campo del Palio, each offering their own specialties. The menu features over eighty dishes, from rabbit agnolotti and rice with Barbera d’Asti to polenta with wild boar stew and local delicacies like farinata and fried bleak. Meals are served at communal tables, encouraging visitors to mingle and enjoy the convivial atmosphere. On Sunday, a grand parade winds through Asti’s streets, with over 3,000 participants in period costumes recreating scenes of rural life and the changing seasons, turning the city into a living museum.

Joining in

Visitors can join the festivities in Asti’s Campo del Palio, where the main food fair takes place. Expect bustling crowds, the aroma of traditional dishes, and a welcoming atmosphere. The Sunday parade is a highlight, offering a colorful glimpse into local history and customs. Arriving early is recommended to sample the widest variety of dishes and to find a good spot for the parade.

Sources and attribution

This page is Mela's own summary, written in new words. Its facts are drawn from the Wikipedia article Asti's Festival of Festivals, whose text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Each photo is credited to its author beside it. For the full account, read the originals below.

Read more

• Asti's Festival of Festivals on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Official websiteOfficial site
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data

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