Ben Venga Maggio — Pastoralism Festival

A spring festival in the mountains of Pistoia

Ben Venga Maggio is the event that welcomes the arrival of the warmer season in Cutigliano, a stunning village in the Pistoia Mountains, now part of the municipality of Abetone Cutigliano, in the province of Pistoia (Tuscany). The name evokes the ancient tradition of 'Calendimaggio' and famous Renaissance verses, but the festival focuses primarily on the present: three days where the village's historic center, dominated by the 14th-century Palazzo dei Capitani della Montagna, transforms into a vibrant stage for culture, music, and mountain gastronomy.

The Pastoralism Festival, the heart of the event

The most anticipated moment is the Pastoralism Festival, a historic appointment linked to the agro-pastoral identity of the Apennines, which has returned to Cutigliano after a long absence. The festival brings flocks, shepherds, and transhumance crafts back to the village, featuring stands from local agro-pastoral businesses and tastings of cheeses and typical mountain products. It is an opportunity to rediscover a heritage made of wool, milk, high-altitude pastures, and a rural culture that has shaped the face of these villages for centuries.

Music, conferences, and food communities

Alongside pastoralism, Ben Venga Maggio offers a rich and varied program. It starts with live music, followed by meetings dedicated to the promotion of the territory: conferences on the food community of the Pistoia Mountains, presentations of innovation projects and digital tools for local businesses, and in-depth sessions with experts and Slow Food representatives. The festival thus weaves together tradition and the future, focusing on producers, the quality of raw materials, and the defense of a vibrant, inhabited Apennine region.

• Concerts and live music in the historic center
• Conferences on the promotion of the mountain territory
• Agro-pastoral business stands with tastings
• Food and wine itinerary curated by the Pro Loco
• Guided tastings of mountain cheeses

A village to discover

Visiting Cutigliano during Ben Venga Maggio also means immersing yourself in one of the most evocative villages of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines: stone alleys, panoramic views, a thousand-year history linked to Pistoia, and a territory surrounded by forests, trails, and the peaks of Abetone. The event, organized by the Pro Loco of Cutigliano, combines the desire for spring festivities with the commitment to preserve and share the most authentic soul of the Pistoia Mountains.