Castelferro – Donkey Sausage Festival

A gastronomic tradition of the Upper Monferrato

The Donkey Sausage Festival takes place in Castelferro, a small village in the municipality of Predosa, in the Province of Alessandria, in the heart of the Piedmontese Upper Monferrato. Established in the late 1970s, it is one of the most deep-rooted festivals in the region: the 2024 edition marked its forty-seventh anniversary, proving a rare continuity for a local feast. The event, held annually around mid-August, brings the Polisportiva M. Denegri area on Viale Rimembranza to life for several consecutive evenings.

The star: donkey meat

The heart of the event is donkey meat, an ancient and now rare specialty, prepared according to jealously guarded recipes. The signature dish is tapulone, a stew of finely minced donkey meat cooked for a long time, served with polenta. Alongside it, you will find the famous Castelferro donkey sausages, prepared following a secret recipe handed down by the festival's historic head chef, as well as roasts and cured donkey meats produced by the local butcher shop.

A local menu

The festival's kitchen is a journey through Piedmontese peasant tradition, featuring zero-kilometer products:

• Donkey sausages, roasts, and cured meats
• Polenta with tapulone, the festival's star dish
• Fresh agnolotti made in a local artisanal workshop
• French fries and grandma's peperonata
• Traditional cheeses and desserts
• Wines from the Cantina di Mantovana and local craft beers

Music, dancing, and fun for everyone

In addition to the gastronomy, the Donkey Sausage Festival offers free music and dancing every evening until late on the club's dance floor, stalls with local products and artisanal creations, as well as rides and attractions designed for children. A convivial and family-friendly atmosphere that makes this festival a landmark of the Alessandria summer.

Predosa and Castelferro

Predosa is a municipality in the Province of Alessandria nestled in the hills between the Upper Monferrato and the Ligurian Apennines. The village of Castelferro proudly preserves a unique gastronomic tradition, that of donkey meat, which the festival helps to pass down from generation to generation, attracting visitors from all over the province and neighboring regions every year.