Carpione Festival of Cazzago Brabbia

The fishing village on Lake Varese

Cazzago Brabbia is one of the most characteristic villages overlooking Lake Varese, in the Province of Varese, always linked to fishing and lake life. The historic ice houses are still preserved here, a testament to a world where lake fish was a precious resource to be preserved. The Carpione Festival was born precisely from the deep bond between the town and its lake.

Carpione, a traditional recipe

The star dish is fish in carpione, i.e., lake catch marinated according to an ancient preservation technique based on vinegar, onions, and aromatic herbs. A recipe from humble cuisine that enhances freshwater fish and which in Cazzago Brabbia becomes the symbol of an entire community. Alongside carpione, the festival offers other preparations based on local catches, with the collaboration of the fishermen's cooperative of Lake Varese.

A lake festival

The festival takes place in the evocative setting of the lakefront, in the Lago di Piazza area, where gastronomy meets the convivial atmosphere typical of village festivals. Organized by the Pro Loco in collaboration with the Municipality and the lake fishermen, the event is an opportunity to discover the authentic flavours of the territory and to experience Lake Varese in one of its most genuine expressions.

Between nature and tradition

Cazzago Brabbia is also a place of great naturalistic value, immersed in the landscape of Lake Varese and its reeds. The Carpione Festival thus combines the rediscovery of a gastronomic tradition with the pleasure of a day outdoors, in a context that tells the centuries-old relationship between man and water in this corner of Lombardy.