One of the best things about visiting Italy in the autumn is having the opportunity to attend a festivala type of harvest festival or fair centred around one particular food or drink item local to the town hosting it.
A festival has a fairly broad definition: it could last for several weeks or one day, and might consist of anything from a raucous celebration with music and dancing to a lone food stall with a few wooden benches. It will usually be hosted in a field or a piazza, and entry is free.
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What all festivals have in common is the focus on eating and drinking fresh local produce, and the assurance that you won’t leave unsated.
Now, the good news is that October is by far the month with the most festivalswith a wealth of events taking place throughout the country that are worth seeking out if you’re in the area. So, here are some of the best festivals happening across Italy this month.
Campania
Chestnut festival, 7th-16th October in Calvanico, Salerno.
Annurca Apple Festival (‘annurca‘apple festival), 28th-29th October in Valle di Maddaloni, Caserta.
Sagra del Cinghiale (boar festival), every Friday of the month in Dugenta, Benevento.
Emilia Romagna
Sagra della Salamina da Sugo (salami festival), 5th-9th October in Poggio Renatico, Ferrara.
Romagna’s wine festival, 6th-9th October in Cotignola, Ravenna.
Sagra del Tartufo (truffle festival), 7th-9th October in Bondeno, Ferrara.
Sagra dell’Anguilla (eel festival), first three weekends of the month in Comacchio, Ferrara.
Lazio
Grape Festival Cesanese del Piglio (‘Cesanese‘ grapes festival), 30th September-2nd October in Piglio, Frosinone.
Enorvinio (wine festival), 2nd October in Orvinio, Rieti.
Castelli di Cioccolato (chocolate castles festival), 7th-9th October, Marino, Rome.
Festival of Tacchie with Porcini Mushrooms (‘tacchie‘ pasta and porcini mushroom festival), first two weekends of the month in Bellegra, Rome.
Roasted chestnuts are a staple of Italy’s October ‘sagre’. Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
Lombardy
Castagnata a Caglio (chestnut festival), 2nd-9th October in Caglio, Como.
Festival della Mostarda (mustard festival), 15th October-30th November in Cremona.
Fasulin de l’Oc with le Cudeghe (beans and pork rind festival), 29th-31st October in Pizzighettone, Cremona.
Sicily
Funghi Fest (Mushroom festival), 21st-23rd October in Castelbuono, Palermo.
Piedmont
Sagra del Ciapinabò (Jerusalem artichoke festival), 8th-9th October in Carignano, Turin.
Chocolate in Monferrato (chocolate festival), 16th October in Altavilla Monferrato, Alessandria.
A number of chocolate festivals take place up and down the boot in October. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP
Tuscany
Amiatino Mushroom Festival (‘believe‘ mushroom festival), 7th-9th, 15th-16th October in Bagnolo, Grosseto.
Sagra delle Frugiate (roasted chestnuts festivals), 9th and 16th October in Pescia, Pistoia.
Boccaccesca (local food festival), 14th-16th October in Certaldo, Florence.
Sagra del Tordo (local food festival), 29th-30th October in Montalcino, Siena.
Puglia
Calzone Festival (Calzone festival), 14th-16th October in Acquaviva delle Fonti, Bari.
Veneto
Festa del Baccalà (cod festival), 30th September-2nd October and 7th-9th October in Montegalda, Vicenza.
Festa delle Giuggiole (jujubes festival), 2nd and 9th October in Arquà Petrarca, Padua.
Mele a Mel (apple festival), 7th-9th October in Mel, Belluno.
Festa della Patata (potato festival), all Sundays of the month in Tonezza del Cimone, Vicenza.
Umbria
Black celery and sausage festival, 15th-16th October in Trevi, Perugia.
This list is not exhaustive. Did we miss out your favourite October festival? Leave a comment below to let us know.