Cantarella Festival

The festival of the humble Romagna dessert

Every spring, the seaside town of Gatteo Mare, part of the Municipality of Gatteo in the province of Forlì-Cesena, opens the tourist season with the Cantarella Festival. At the heart of the event is the cantarèla (or cantarella), one of the oldest and humblest desserts of the Romagna peasant tradition: a simple mixture of flour, water, cornmeal, milk, and sugar, which families used to prepare with whatever little they had in the pantry. Today, this humble recipe has become the symbol of a popular festival awaited by residents and tourists.

A tradition that cares for the territory

The cantarella is prepared by volunteers from the 'Giulio Cesare' Cultural Recreation Centre, who also serve it in a filled version alongside a rich food stall of typical Romagna dishes: filled piadina, cuttlefish with peas, tripe, fried fish, and other local specialties. The event is organized by the association Uniti per Gatteo with the patronage and contribution of the Municipality of Gatteo and the Credito Cooperativo Romagnolo, confirming the event's strong roots in the local community.

Music, comedy, and families

The festival is not just about food: the evenings are enlivened by live concerts, DJ sets, and comedy shows designed for all ages, from Romagna folk music to tributes to beloved bands, to Celtic music and '70s-2000s revival. Ample space is dedicated to families, with bouncy castles, face painting, giant bubbles, traditional wooden games, fun workshops, magic, and juggling. There are also vintage car exhibitions, featuring American cars and the ever-present Fiat 500s from local car clubs.

A new era on Viale Europa

After years spent in Piazza della Libertà, from 2026 the Cantarella Festival will permanently move to the new event area of Parco del Gelso, on Viale Europa, conveniently served by a multi-storey car park with around a thousand spaces. A larger and more functional space, inaugurating a new phase for this early-season festival, now a landmark in Gatteo's spring calendar on the Riviera, in Emilia-Romagna.