Festival of Forgotten Fruits
The queen of autumn fairs among the ancient fruits of the Romagna Apennines
Edition 2026 not confirmed to date
This edition has not been confirmed by the organiser to date. We recommend checking before going.
About Forgotten Fruits
A festival that rediscovers lost flavors
The Festival of Forgotten Fruits is the event that has made Casola Valsenio famous, a small village in the Senio Valley in the province of Ravenna, in the heart of the Faenza Apennines in Emilia-Romagna. Born in the early nineties from the intuition of the Association for the Valorization of Forgotten Herbs and Fruits, it is now considered the undisputed queen of Romagna's autumn fairs, capable of attracting thousands of visitors over two weekends in October.
The protagonists: the fruits that modernity has forgotten
The common thread of the festival is ancient fruits, those that industrial fruit growing has progressively abandoned and which are recovered and valued here: jujubes, volpine pears, rose apples, arbutus berries, medlars, sorbs, azzeroles, quinces, cornelian cherries, pomegranates, walnuts, and hazelnuts. The true protagonists of Casola's autumn, however, are the chestnuts, the prized local chestnuts celebrated alongside the forgotten fruits. Over fifty local producers fill the streets and squares of the historic center with their stalls, offering zero-kilometer products and ancient plants to buy for your garden.
What to do at the festival
The festival is much more than a market. The village is transformed with installations and reconstructions that evoke the atmosphere of the rural world of the past. Among the experiences offered in the various editions:
- Guided tastings of wines from forgotten grape varieties, with gastronomic pairings
- Food stalls with autumn soups, chestnut cappellacci, chestnut cakes, desserts, traditional cured meats, and liqueurs
- Sensory and culinary workshops, dessert and jam competitions
- Visits to the Herb Garden Augusto Rinaldi Ceroni and to the Cardello, the historic home of the writer Alfredo Oriani
- Street art performances and folk music
- The Square of Forgotten Games, with wooden puzzles for children and families
Casola Valsenio, the village of herbs and forgotten fruits
Nicknamed "the village of herbs and forgotten fruits," Casola Valsenio makes biodiversity and peasant memory its identity. The famous Herb Garden, inaugurated in 1975, preserves hundreds of medicinal and aromatic species, and is the ideal setting for an event that combines gastronomy, culture, nature, and tradition. A day at the Festival of Forgotten Fruits is a dive into the flavors and scents of a rural Italy that risked disappearing.
Forgotten Fruits — edition 2026
For 2026, the Festival of Forgotten Fruits in Casola Valsenio remains one of the most anticipated events of the Romagna Apennine autumn. The festival has been held for decades on the second and third weekends of October, thus presumably on October 10-11 and 17-18, 2026.
Although the official dates and full program have not yet been published by the Pro Loco, the 2026 edition is anticipated by the Trail of Forgotten Fruits, a running race already scheduled for October 10th, 2026, which opens the festive atmosphere in the village each year.
As in previous editions, the usual producers' market with ancient fruits and chestnuts, guided tastings, food stalls, workshops, and performances in the historic center are expected.
It is recommended to check the final dates and program on the official channels of Pro Loco Casola Valsenio before planning your visit.
Programme Forgotten Fruits 2026
The detailed program for the 2026 edition has not yet been published by the Pro Loco of Casola Valsenio.
Based on recent editions, the festival is structured over two weekends with: a market of producers of ancient fruits and chestnuts in the historic center, guided tastings of wines from forgotten grape varieties with gastronomic pairings, food stalls (autumn soups, chestnut cappellacci, chestnut cakes, desserts), sensory and culinary workshops, dessert and jam competitions, visits to the Herb Garden and the Cardello, excursions and degustrekking, the Square of Forgotten Games for children, street art performances, and folk music.
The official calendar with times and locations will be announced by the Pro Loco in the weeks preceding the event.
Highlights Forgotten Fruits 2026
- Market of over 50 local producers with ancient fruits and chestnuts
- Tastings of wines from forgotten grape varieties
- Trail of Forgotten Fruits on October 10, 2026
- Visits to the Herb Garden and the Cardello
Prices Forgotten Fruits 2026
Practical information — Forgotten Fruits
How to get there
Casola Valsenio can be reached by car from the Via Emilia via Faenza or Imola, following the SP306 Casolana along the Senio Valley. The nearest train station is Faenza (Bologna-Rimini line), from which you can continue by bus or car.
When
The festival traditionally takes place on the second and third weekends of October, Saturday and Sunday.
Admission and information
Admission to the event is free; some activities (tastings, guided tours, workshops) may require booking. For information: Pro Loco Casola Valsenio, tel. +39 0546 73033, [email protected].
Tips
Wear comfortable shoes to walk around the historic center and the sloping streets, and bring a bag to buy fruits, chestnuts, and plants. On festival weekends, the village is very crowded: arrive in the morning to enjoy the market calmly.
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Where does it take place — Forgotten Fruits
Centro storico di Casola Valsenio
Centro storico, 48032 Casola Valsenio