Festival of Bortellina and Feast of Santa Cristina

A village festival in the Piacenza hills

The Festival of Bortellina, accompanied by the Feast of Santa Cristina, is one of the most cherished summer festivals in the Upper Val d'Arda. It takes place in Bacedasco Alto, a hamlet of the Municipality of Castell'Arquato, in the province of Piacenza (Emilia-Romagna), nestled on the summit of a hill separating the Val d'Arda from the Val d'Ongina, a few kilometers from the famous medieval village of Castell'Arquato. The event is held in the charming churchyard of Santa Cristina church, in an authentically village and convivial atmosphere.

Bortellina, queen of the table

At the heart of the festival is bortellina (in dialect burtléina), a simple fried flatbread made from flour and water, to be filled with the typical cured meats and cheeses of the area. It is a traditional street food rooted in poor peasant cuisine and still represents one of the symbolic dishes of Piacenza's gastronomy today. Alongside bortellina, the stalls offer the great DOP cured meats of Piacenza and traditional dishes:

• Prosciutto crudo, coppa piacentina, and salame piacentino;
• Spalla cotta;
• Tortelli and pisarei e fasò;
• Torta fritta, grilled skewers, and grilled salamella;
• The DOC wines of the Colli Piacentini cultivated on the hills of Bacedasco.

Music, dancing, and conviviality

Every evening, the food stalls open from 7:00 PM, while from 9:00 PM the steel dance floor livens up the evenings with live music, folk orchestras, and DJ sets. The program alternates evenings for young people with traditional dancing evenings, for an audience of all ages who fill the churchyard until late at night.

Tradition and territory

The festival originates from the devotion to Santa Cristina and the desire of the Bacedasco Alto community to promote the products of its hills. Organized by the local Pro Loco, the festival has free admission with voluntary donations, and it is a perfect opportunity to discover an authentic corner of Emilia-Romagna, combining a visit to the village of Castell'Arquato with an evening of good food and popular tradition.