Bustrengh Festival

A festival celebrating the poor dessert of Romagna

The Bustrengh Festival is one of the most cherished events in the spring calendar of Borghi, a hillside village in the Province of Forlì-Cesena, in Emilia-Romagna. Founded in the 1970s, the event has passed its fiftieth anniversary and continues to draw visitors to Borghi from all over Romagna, the nearby Rimini hinterland, and the Republic of San Marino. At the heart of the festival is the bustrengh (or bustrengo), the rustic dessert of peasant tradition born out of a desire to waste nothing in the kitchen.

The bustrengh and the secret recipe with thirty-two ingredients

The bustrengh is a "poor" dessert typical of the hilly and mountainous areas between Romagna, Marche, and San Marino. Once prepared to use up pantry leftovers, it has become a gastronomic symbol over time. In Borghi, the village 'azdore' still cook it today according to an ancient secret recipe said to contain thirty-two ingredients, passed down through generations and jealously guarded by families. During the festival, you can discover and taste the dessert in the evocative Casa del Bustrengh, set up for the occasion.

Three days of taste, music, and tradition

The event enlivens Piazza Santa Croce and the town's streets for an entire weekend in May. The program blends gastronomy, entertainment, and popular culture with a tried-and-tested formula:

• Food and drink stands open to enjoy bustrengh and traditional Romagna dishes;
• Concerts and live music evenings, from 80s-90s-2000s music to afro nights with DJ sets;
• Old-fashioned games and entertainment for families and children, with workshops and outdoor fun;
• Craft market with local products and regional creations;
• Holy Mass and procession to the Church of Santa Croce on the final day.

The Well Contest

The most anticipated and characteristic event is the Well Contest, the traditional challenge between the village districts. Participants, dressed in burlap tunics, transport water from the village's historic well using wooden wheelbarrows along the cobblestones to a scale: the district that manages to bring the most water wins. Amidst tests of strength, slips, and comical interludes, it's a moment of great popular involvement that cheerfully concludes the festival.

An experience in authentic Romagna

Visiting the Bustrengh Festival means immersing yourself in the most genuine Romagna, made of peasant tradition, hospitality, and conviviality. Borghi, with its compact historic center and the surrounding hills between Savignano sul Rubicone and Santarcangelo di Romagna, offers the ideal setting for a spring weekend of good food and popular traditions.