Lo magna' d' na vot' Festival

The flavors of the past return to the square in Ofena

Every summer, the small village of Ofena, perched in the heart of the Abruzzo hinterland near L'Aquila, rediscovers its culinary heritage with "Lo magna' d' na vot'", a dialect expression that translates to "the food of yesteryear." Organized by the Ofena Pro Loco in collaboration with the local municipality and the Realize social cooperative, the event brings Piazza Enrico Berlinguer to life with communal dinners, cultural gatherings, and live music.

A journey through traditional Abruzzese cuisine

At the heart of the event are recipes passed down orally—those scribbled on yellowed scraps of paper or tucked away in old family notebooks. Traditional local dishes, prepared using time-honored methods, are served at long tables set up in the square, where residents and visitors share food as a collective ritual. Cooking thus becomes the common thread connecting past and present, identity and community.

Workshops, talks, and music

The festival is more than just food and wine: over the years, it has hosted gastronomic writing workshops, talks on the relationship between food and identity, and participatory sessions where anyone can bring and share their own recipe, contributing to a collective cookbook dedicated to Ofena's culinary memory. Each evening is accompanied by live music, with cover bands and groups enlivening the square until late at night.

The Emigrant's Feast

The most heartfelt moment is the Emigrant's Feast, dedicated to those who left the village but never forgot it. A dinner in the square, meetings, music, and a midnight fireworks display precede the evocative traditional dance of the pupa—a fiery, puppet-like effigy that brings the festivities to a spectacular close and remains one of the most iconic symbols of Abruzzese folk festivals.

A village to discover

Nestled among the vineyards and landscapes of the Gran Sasso, the territory of Ofena is known for its particularly warm climate, which has earned it the nickname "the oven of Abruzzo." Participating in "Lo magna' d' na vot'" means not only savoring traditional cuisine but also experiencing the authentic atmosphere of a village that proudly preserves its roots.