Aria di Friuli Venezia Giulia

ℹ️ Event concluded. The San Daniele Ham Consortium announced on February 9, 2024, in a statement titled "Aria di Festa bids farewell," that the event will no longer be held. The final edition took place from June 30 to July 3, 2023. No future editions are planned in San Daniele del Friuli.

Celebrating San Daniele Ham, from 1985 to 2023

For 37 editions, from 1985 to 2023, Aria di Festa was the premier event dedicated to San Daniele PDO Ham, organized by the San Daniele Ham Consortium in the historic town that serves as the home of this iconic product. In 2022, the event was renamed Aria di Friuli Venezia Giulia, broadening its scope to include the entire regional gastronomic heritage, and was held exceptionally from August 26 to 29; the following year, it returned to its historic name for its final edition in late June.

San Daniele, on Colle Massimo

The setting was San Daniele del Friuli, nestled on Colle Massimo between the morainic hills and the Tagliamento River. The microclimate of these heights, breezy and temperate, is what makes the ham's curing process unique: this is why the festival was experienced by strolling through the historic center, visiting open ham factories, squares, and palaces, in a continuous dialogue between product and territory.

Tastings, masterclasses, and experiences

The program intertwined guided tastings, masterclasses where San Daniele PDO was paired with wines, beers, and other PDO products, food stands, picnics to enjoy local specialties, and guided tours of the town's architectural gems. Alongside the ham, other regional delicacies were featured, such as Montasio PDO cheese, great Friulian white wines, and products from the "Io sono Friuli Venezia Giulia" brand. The event was promoted by the San Daniele Ham Consortium in collaboration with the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and PromoTurismoFVG, and was enriched by satellite events along the Wine and Flavors Route.

Why the event ended

In the statement of February 9, 2024, the Consortium explained that the event had "completed its cycle" and fulfilled its purpose. Created to revitalize the historic center following the reconstruction after the 1976 earthquake, the festival supported the growth of tasting, dining, and tourism activities, which are now stable and active year-round: "almost every day of the year there is a festive atmosphere in San Daniele." The Consortium has chosen to focus its promotion on the traveling tour Aria di San Daniele, which has been bringing San Daniele PDO Ham to major Italian cities since 2017.