Grande Festa del Capunsel

The Grande Festa del Capunsel

The Grande Festa del Capunsel is the gastronomic event that celebrates the symbolic dish of the Alto Mantovano, the capunsel, every early July in Solferino (Province of Mantua). The event is organised by the Confraternita del Capunsel di Solferino, an association founded in 2004 with the aim of promoting and preserving this local peasant tradition specialty.

What is capunsel

Capunsel is a rustic, handmade pasta, similar to a small bread gnocchi, flavoured with cheese, spices, and nutmeg, and typically served with melted butter and sage. The variant characteristic of Solferino and the Alto Mantovano stands out for the presence of crumbled amaretti biscuits in the dough, which give the dish a delicate sweet flavour. Capunsel is protected by a specific decree and is recognised as a Traditional Agri-food Product (PAT).

The festival

During the festival, the centre of Solferino comes alive with long outdoor tables, where freshly drained capunséi are enjoyed alongside traditional main courses, typical desserts, and a good selection of local wines. The festival is completed by live music, activities for children, and evening shows, in an atmosphere of joy and conviviality.

Between history and morainic hills

Solferino, famous in history for the battle of 1859, is also a village nestled in the gentle morainic hills south of Lake Garda, in Lombardy. The Grande Festa del Capunsel is the perfect opportunity to discover its gastronomic side and to savour a dish that tells centuries of Mantuan peasant culture.