Festival of the Duck and La Fiuma Festival

The Duck Festival in San Benedetto Po

The Duck Festival is the gastronomic celebration of San Benedetto Po, a municipality in the province of Mantua recognized among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy and famous for Polirone, the ancient Benedictine monastery. "Nedar" means duck in the local dialect: the duck is the absolute protagonist of the festival, traditionally held on the first Sunday of October.

Cuisine and Figure Theatre

During the festival, restaurants and taverns in the village offer typical duck-based menus, in full respect of Mantuan tradition. Since 2021, the festival has been held concurrently with the La Fiuma Festival, a showcase of figure theatre: puppets, monologues, comedy, and many other theatrical forms alternate on the main stage, for all tastes and ages.

The Goose Palio

On the final day, the ancient tradition of the Goose Palio is renewed: in Piazza Teofilo Folengo, geese are released onto a track of about 200 meters, guided by jockeys of all ages, sparking the cheers of the village groups in a sort of small Siena of the lower Po Valley. A spectacular and identity-defining moment that makes the Duck Festival one of the most characteristic autumn events in the province of Mantua.