Abruzzese Prosciutto Festival and Ddù Botte Organetto Festival

The oldest festival in Abruzzo

The Abruzzese Prosciutto Festival in Basciano, located in the heart of the Teramo province, is a cornerstone of the Abruzzese summer. Founded in 1968 by the local Pro Loco, it returns with remarkable consistency during the second week of August and is considered the oldest festival in the region—a record earned over more than half a century of editions, interrupted only during the 2020 and 2021 health crisis.

Prosciutto takes center stage

The heart of the festival is the prosciutto from Abruzzo, aged for at least eighteen months, served at tables alongside traditional rural dishes from the Gran Sasso area. The food stalls, set up in the historic center around Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, open every evening at 6 PM and offer, in addition to prosciutto, the genuine flavors of Teramo cuisine. The dedication to quality has earned the event the Sagra di Qualità mark, a seal of excellence that the UNPLI assigns to the most authentic folk festivals in Italy.

The Ddù Botte Organetto Festival

Alongside the gastronomy, the event hosts the Abruzzese Ddù Botte Organetto Festival, a musical competition that attracts organetto players from Abruzzo, Marche, Molise, Umbria, and Lazio. Divided into categories, the competition includes auditions, semi-finals, and finals, with trophies awarded to the best performers of this instrument, which is a symbol of folk tradition in central Italy. The "Ddù Botte" organetto, the small two-bass instrument from which the event takes its name, accompanies the dances and songs that bring the evenings to life.

Music, folklore, and community

The program combines concerts, tribute bands, folk groups, and street performances, featuring parades of floats, book presentations on local roots, and the awarding of scholarships to students from the Municipality of Basciano. It is a deeply identity-driven celebration where the community comes together and welcomes visitors with the hospitality typical of the villages in the Teramo hinterland.

An authentic Abruzzo experience

Visiting the Prosciutto Festival means discovering the most genuine Abruzzo: the one found in small towns at the foot of the Gran Sasso, where gastronomy intertwines with folk music and a tradition passed down through generations. It is yet another reason to visit Basciano during the first ten days of August to enjoy five days of taste, folklore, and conviviality.