Festival of Marinated Fish

The Comacchio marinated eel festival

The Festival of Marinated Fish is the event that every year, at the end of April, enlivens the Manifattura dei Marinati in Comacchio, the historic plant on Corso Mazzini where traditional marinated fish are still processed today. Born in 2016 as an open day for the Manifattura, the festival has become one of the most cherished food and wine events in the Municipality of Comacchio, in the heart of the Po Delta Park, in the province of Ferrara (Emilia-Romagna).

Eel, queen of the Valleys

The absolute protagonist is the eel from the Valli di Comacchio, a symbolic fish of a territory made of water, canals, and lagoons. Marinating is a centuries-old preservation technique: the fish, after being spit-roasted or fried, is immersed in a traditional brine made of vinegar, water, and salt. The festival tells this culture through the rooms of the ancient factory, among the large hearth rooms and the environments where the women responsible for marinating once worked.

What happens at the festival

The program combines taste, culture, and outreach. Among the usual offerings:

• Gastronomic stand on Corso Mazzini, open for lunch and dinner with typical traditional dishes: marinated eel, spit-roasted eel, and valley fish;
• Markets of typical products and crafts at the Loggiato dei Cappuccini;
• Tastings and free guided tours of the Manifattura, to discover the art of marinating and the history of the plant;
• Workshops for children and initiatives for families;
• Meetings and round tables on sustainable eel consumption and its protection;
• Music and entertainment along the streets of the center.

An event between tradition and sustainability

Over the years, the festival has increasingly focused on the theme of reasonable and sustainable consumption of eel, a species at risk, and on studies for its protection. The event is promoted by the cooperative that manages the Manifattura together with the Municipality of Comacchio and the Po Delta Park, combining gastronomic valorization, local identity, and commitment to the environment.

Comacchio, the "Little Venice" of the Delta

Visiting the Festival of Marinated Fish is also an opportunity to discover Comacchio, a lagoon town crossed by canals and bridges, including the famous Trepponti. A spring weekend of valley gastronomy, Delta culture, and watery atmospheres.