Homemade Bread Festival

The Homemade Bread Festival of Penna Sant'Andrea

In the heart of the Teramo hills, the small town of Penna Sant'Andrea, in the province of Teramo (Abruzzo), dedicates several summer evenings to the simplest and most precious product of the land: homemade bread. The festival traditionally takes place in the first week of August, transforming the streets and squares of the village into a large open-air bakery, where the scent of freshly baked bread accompanies music, dance, and conviviality.

Wood-fired bread and Teramo cuisine

The absolute star is the loaf of homemade bread baked in a wood-fired oven, offered in many variations: plain, stuffed with cold cuts, cheeses, and vegetables, or flavored with olives, onions, and rosemary. Alongside the bread, food stalls offer the famous pennesi fritters, the essential sheep arrosticini, and other specialties of Teramo cuisine, in a journey of genuine flavors linked to the territory.

The International Folklore Meeting

The festival is inextricably linked to the International Folklore Meeting, founded in 1976 by Cesare Baiocco and the then-mayor Antonio Fabri, and organized by the Laccio d'Amore Cultural Association. It is one of the longest-running festivals dedicated to folk dance and music: every year, Italian and foreign folk groups enliven the evenings with performances, parades through the village streets, and night shows. Past editions have hosted groups from Mexico, Poland, Croatia, Colombia, Ecuador, Hungary, Argentina, and many other countries.

The Laccio d'Amore, the village's identity dance

The symbolic heart of the event is the ancient Laccio d'Amore (Love Knot) dance, still felt and practiced today in Penna Sant'Andrea, especially during weddings. The weaving of ribbons to the rhythm of the saltarello recalls its original meaning as a good omen for the union of the spouses: an intangible cultural heritage that makes this corner of Abruzzo unique.

An event for families and visitors

The Homemade Bread Festival is a celebration for everyone: free admission, accessible spaces, evening entertainment, and a shuttle service make the event suitable for families, fans of popular traditions, and tourists visiting the Teramo area. A great opportunity to discover an authentic village in inland Abruzzo and its hospitality.