Festival Internazionale degli Spaventapasseri

A festival that reinvents peasant tradition

The Festival Internazionale degli Spaventapasseri is one of the most curious and beloved summer events in the Marche region. It takes place in Frontino, a tiny village in Montefeltro in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, awarded the Orange Flag by the Touring Club Italiano. Founded in 2014, the festival reinterprets the ancient figure of the scarecrow, called "baldacc" in the local dialect, in a creative way, transforming it into a form of street art that blends rural memory and contemporary fantasy.

How the competition works

The heart of the event is a prize competition for the most beautiful scarecrow. Schools of all levels, associations, families and individual enthusiasts create their own figures, enriching them with materials, colours, styles and inspirations from their region of origin: this is why the festival calls itself "international". The numbered works are displayed along the streets of Frontino's historic centre for the entire summer.

Visitors are the jury: strolling through the village alleys, they can vote for their favourite scarecrow by depositing a ballot in the designated ballot box. The votes are counted at the end of the season.

The awards ceremony and "Gira la Piazza"

The most voted scarecrows are awarded on the first Sunday of September, at the end of the dialect play "Gira la Piazza" held at the Teatro Titano in Frontino. The awards ceremony ideally closes the village's summer and brings together residents, participants and visitors in a moment of community celebration.

Frontino and Montefeltro

Visiting the festival is also an opportunity to discover one of the most charming villages in the Marche Region. Frontino retains an intact medieval layout, with its tower, church and panoramic views of Monte Carpegna and the lands of Montefeltro. The event, promoted by the Pro Loco (local tourism board) with the patronage of the Municipality of Frontino, is designed for a wide audience: adults and especially children, who will find characters dressed in the strangest and most amusing styles along the village alleys.

• Where: streets of the historic centre of Frontino (PU)
• When: July and August, with awards ceremony on the first Sunday of September
• How to participate: open to schools, associations and anyone who wants to have fun building a scarecrow
• Admission: free, the exhibition can be visited for free along the village streets

Combining street art, tradition and village atmosphere, the Festival degli Spaventapasseri is an invitation to slow down and rediscover the authentic charm of the inland villages of the Marche region.