Donnas Chestnut Festival

The Donnas chestnut festival

Every October, the municipality of Donnas, in the Lower Aosta Valley near Aosta, celebrates autumn with the Chestnut Festival, one of the most deeply rooted food and wine festivals in the region. The star is the typical Donnas chestnut, a fruit of ancient chestnut-growing tradition: according to a fascinating local theory, the town's name itself might derive from the donnasc variety of chestnut cultivated on the terraces surrounding the village.

A tradition organized by the Pro Loco

The festival is organized by the Pro Loco of Donnas and is traditionally held on the second Sunday of October, extending over the entire weekend. It's an event that brings together the town's generations around the chestnut and the flavors of Aosta Valley cuisine, in a festive atmosphere that attracts visitors from all over the valley.

Roasted Chestnuts, Polenta, and the Golden Chestnut

The program alternates gastronomic evenings and traditional moments. Friday is dedicated to the Bavarian dinner, with speck spätzle, pork knuckle, sausage, and themed specialties; Saturday features a dancing evening with an orchestra; Sunday, the main day, offers a traditional Aosta Valley lunch featuring polenta with sausage or stew. In the afternoon, volunteers distribute roasted chestnuts, the mendaye competition (chestnut roasting, open to all) takes place, and it all concludes with the awarding of the Golden Chestnut.

An Aosta Valley Autumn Identity

The Donnas Chestnut Festival is much more than a village festival: it's the moment when the community celebrates its connection to the mountains and to a fruit that has nourished generations. Along with the more famous Grape Festival, it tells the story of the food and wine identity of Donnas and the entire Aosta Valley Region.