Faeto Pork Festival

A celebration of identity on the roof of Puglia

The Faeto Pork Festival, known in the local dialect as the Fête de lu Cajùnne de Faìte, is one of the most distinctive winter events in the Daunian Mountains, in the remote hinterland of the Foggia province. It takes place every year on the first Sunday of February in Faeto, a tiny village of about six hundred inhabitants which, at 866 meters above sea level, is the highest town in Puglia. Established in 1982, the festival reached its 43rd edition in 2026 and remains much more than a gastronomic fair: it is a true cultural laboratory that brings together tradition, community, and the future of the territory.

The Black Pig and Faeto ham

The absolute star is the Black Pig of the Daunian Mountains, a small, native breed raised in the wild in the beech forests surrounding the village, from which Faeto itself takes its name. Its lean and flavorful meat is used to produce the famous Faeto ham, recognized as a Traditional Agri-food Product (PAT), along with lard, pancetta, capocollo, dry sausage, and soppressata. Throughout the day, food stalls offer these specialties and traditional peasant dishes like soffritto with crusty bread, alongside local cheeses, bread, and legumes.

The Franco-Provençal language

Faeto, together with the nearby Celle di San Vito, forms a rare Franco-Provençal linguistic island in the heart of Southern Italy: a language of Provençal-Dauphinois origin, inherited from settlers who arrived during the Angevin era, is still spoken here. The festival makes this a central element of its identity, starting with the event's bilingual name, and serves as an opportunity to promote and pass on this unique intangible heritage of Puglia.

More than just gastronomy

The program combines flavors and culture: in the morning, there are nature excursions in the woods surrounding the village and a conference dedicated to rural development, sustainable animal husbandry, and the Black Pig of Puglia supply chain, with the participation of institutions, universities, Confagricoltura, and agricultural entrepreneurs. The afternoon is dedicated to stalls, performances, and moments of sharing that bring the streets and squares of the historic center to life. It is the perfect opportunity to discover one of the most unique villages in Puglia and the entire Daunian Apennines.