Events and festivals

Farmer traditions of Abruzzo live in festivals and events that celebrate the harvest and the agricultural produce.

Among the festivals of Abruzzo

Every region in Italy has traditions and festivals that year after year have renewed their energy and interest. Ancient earth worships are still alive thanks to the events celebrated in spring, or to spiritual celebrations dedicated to the most religious tourists.

Each of the provinces of Abruzzo, Teramo, Pescara, Chieti and L’Aquila, has dozens of festivals dedicated to typical cuisine or to a particular product.  And there's a festival to suit everybody's fancy: from the festival of spelt (Montereale), to the festival of trout (Capestrano), from the festival of cuttlefish(Tortoreto Lido), to the festival of meat kebabs and porchetta (Torre de' Passeri).

Typical products and regional recipes are the chief protagonists of Abruzzo festivals, thanks to the particular conformation of the ground, that varies from the top of Apennines to the Adriatic Sea, in a triumph of flavors and aromas.

The virtù of Teramo

Every year, on 1st May, people of Teramo eat a very special dish: le virtù. A particular soup prepared with 7 types of pulses, 7 types of vegetables and 7 types of pasta. The origins of this recipe are uncertain, but the fact that it has survived till today and that it is celebrated with such pride by the inhabitants of Teramo, proves that virtù is a really good dish.

The Procession of the snake-catchers

This is a particular event that takes place in Cocullo, in the province of L’Aquila, every year on the first Thursday of May. The Procession of the snake-catchers is a religious event where the snakes captured at the end of winter (not poisonous ones, like grass snakes and colubers), are carried around the streets together with the relics of Saint Domenico. It is considered the most pagan among the Christian feasts, for its particular program and for the importance of  the behaviour of the live snakes, which gets different interpretations. Where the snakes go is crucial: if they slither towards the statue's arms, it is an ill omen, but if they twist around the head of the statue, it is a good sign.

National Agriculture Exhibition in Lanciano

Everyday farmers and producers offer the fruits of their work. At the end of September, Lanciano organizes this exhibition where, among the various stands, you will be able to find the genuine, tasty typical product of Abruzzo.

Activities, sport and fun in Abruzzo

• Horse riding
• Trekking
• Cycling tourism
• Thermal spas
• Food and wine
• Events and festivals