Festa della Comunità di Avesa

The festival of a village within the city

The Festa della Comunità di Avesa is one of the most established events in the neighbourhood festival calendar of Verona. Avesa, an ancient hillside district on the edge of Valpantena, retains the identity of a distinct village: and it is around the parish church and its ancient monastery that an entire community gathers every spring. Organized by the Parrocchia di San Martino Vescovo (Parish of Saint Martin the Bishop) with the patronage of the 2nd District of the Municipality of Verona, the festival is now in its 49th edition in 2026.

Veronese cuisine under the monastery arches

The convivial heart of the festival are the food stalls, set up under the arches of the ancient monastery next to the church, where traditional dishes are served: risotto al tastasal, bigoli, polenta and baccalà, luccio, pastissada, as well as the ever-present French fries and strauben, sweet fritters of Tyrolean origin. Every evening, starting from 7:00 PM, the Festa Area comes alive with food, historic flower stalls, and a charity raffle, the proceeds of which support parish and welfare activities in the area.

Art, memory, and solidarity

Alongside the food, the festival offers a rich cultural program: painting exhibitions, sacred art displays, and, for some editions, the rediscovery of local historical memory, such as the documentary on the Avesa gunpowder factory and the near-catastrophe of April 1945. There are also musical evenings with DJ sets and emerging local bands, areas dedicated to children, and solidarity initiatives. The Festa della Comunità di Avesa is proof of how a district can preserve its sense of belonging, year after year.