Cuore di Balsamico

A week in the heart of Modenese black gold

Every February, the Municipality of Ravarino, a small town in the plains of the province of Modena, Emilia-Romagna, dedicates an entire week to Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena with the Cuore di Balsamico event. This is not just a simple festival, but a widespread tribute to one of the most famous and emblematic products of the Modenese territory, the black gold obtained from the slow acetification and long aging of cooked must in batteries of barrels made of different woods.

Ravarino and the original recipe

The link between Ravarino and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is deep and documented: the Municipality preserves the manuscript by Francesco Aggazzotti, dated 1862, considered the oldest document to have reached us describing the production process precisely and completely. It is to this historical heritage that the event pays homage, valorizing artisanal knowledge passed down through generations and today protected as a product with a protected designation of origin.

The town becomes a showcase of taste

During the Cuore di Balsamico week, over twenty businesses in Ravarino offer themed specialties: baked goods, chocolates, cocktails, and even beauty treatments prepared or reinterpreted with Traditional Balsamic Vinegar. It's an original way to involve shops, bars, pastry shops, and businesses in the town in a collective narrative that intertwines gastronomy, craftsmanship, and popular tradition.

Visits to vinegar cellars and side events

The event is complemented by initiatives that allow visitors to discover the world of balsamic vinegar production up close. Recent editions have included guided tours with free tastings focused on themes of love, time, and waiting, as well as bicycle excursions connecting Ravarino to local vinegar cellars, such as Acetaia Monari Federzoni. These are opportunities to understand how a product that requires decades of patience is made, telling the most authentic identity of the Modenese land.