Mondo Contadino

A festival dedicated to the rural heart of the Chiese Valley

Mondo Contadino is the annual September event that brings the agricultural and livestock traditions of the Chiese Valley and the wider Trentino region to the forefront. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Lake Roncone in the municipality of Sella Giudicarie (Province of Trento), the festival gathers breeders, farmers, dairy experts, families, and food lovers for a weekend dedicated to mountain farming heritage.

The cattle show: the pride of the event

The highlight of the festival is the cattle show, the true star of the weekend. Dozens of breeders bring their livestock to the lakeshore for a parade and the crowning of champions across various breeds, from Brown Swiss to Holstein, and from Pezzata Rossa to Rendena. Alongside the show, visitors can witness the hay-mowing competition (a traditional manual scything contest), the Junior Handler Competition, and demonstrations of the caserada, the traditional process of turning fresh milk into cheese.

The Formai da Mot Festival

The gastronomic heart of the event is the Formai da Mot Festival, which pays tribute to alpine cheese produced at altitudes of 1,500 to 1,800 meters using raw, freshly milked cow's milk. It is the fragrant, flower-rich grass of the high-mountain pastures that gives this cheese its unique quality and aroma. Throughout the festival, guests can sample cheeses from the valley's mountain dairies alongside other local, zero-kilometer products.

Market, cooking shows, and gastronomy

The lakeshore comes alive with a bustling market featuring stalls of local produce and traditional handicrafts. The event also hosts cooking shows where pastry chefs and culinary experts highlight local ingredients, such as Chiese Valley chestnuts, as well as traditional lunches featuring polenta carbonera, spit-roasted meats, and specialties prepared by the Breeders' Union. Creative workshops for children, vintage tractor parades, and live music round out the two-day program.

Organization and tradition

Mondo Contadino is organized by the Pro Loco of Roncone in collaboration with the Chiese Valley Breeders' Union, the Municipality of Sella Giudicarie, and the Madonna di Campiglio Tourism Board. Now in its sixteenth year, the festival has established itself as one of the most cherished autumn events in western Trentino, successfully blending rural memory, the promotion of mountain dairies, and slow tourism in a stunning natural setting.