Festa del Pozzo

The Festa del Pozzo, the heart of Gualtieri's summer

Every year, around the third weekend of June, the Municipality of Gualtieri, in the province of Reggio Emilia, gathers for the Festa del Pozzo, one of the most beloved village festivals in the Bassa Reggiana region. The event takes place in the majestic Piazza Bentivoglio, one of the most scenic monumental squares in Emilia-Romagna, enclosed by the portico and the architecture of the 17th-century Palazzo Bentivoglio.

A tradition reviving the Dew of Saint John

The Festa del Pozzo was born in 1984 on the initiative of the Gualtieri Pro Loco Tourist Association, which decided to revive an ancient popular festival from the 1940s linked to the Dew of Saint John. This is a charming peasant tradition connected to the summer solstice: on the night between June 23rd and 24th, the dew collected in the fields and around the wells was considered beneficial and a harbinger of good harvest omens. Originally, the festival was held around the public 18th-century well in the old Piazza Cavallotti, from which it takes its name; since 2010, it has moved to the larger and more central Piazza Bentivoglio.

Traditional cuisine under the portico

The pulsating heart of the event is the large evening restaurant set up in the square, where every evening you can enjoy traditional Emilian dishes and meat and fish specialties. Among fried gnocco, first courses, and main courses of Reggiana cuisine, the festival is an opportunity to dine in an unparalleled setting, outdoors and in the heart of the village.

Music and dancing every evening

The evenings are accompanied by a rich program of musical entertainment: liscio orchestras, DJ nights, and dance performances take turns, making the square dance until late at night. Romagnolo and Emilian liscio, in particular, remains one of the souls of the festival, faithful to the convivial and popular spirit of the event.

A village to discover

Experiencing the Festa del Pozzo is also an opportunity to discover Gualtieri, a village overlooking the Po River, famous for its Renaissance square, its Teatro Sociale, and its connection to the naïve painter Antonio Ligabue. The event, with free admission, attracts thousands of visitors every year from all over the province of Reggio Emilia and the Emilia-Romagna region, confirming its role as an identity-defining event for the entire community.