Orentano Pizza, Beer and Net-Melon Festival

The summer festival of Orentano

The Orentano Pizza, Beer and Net-Melon Festival is one of the most beloved summer events in the Lower Valdarno area. It takes place in Orentano, a village in the municipality of Castelfranco di Sotto, in the Province of Pisa, attracting thousands of visitors from Tuscany and beyond every year. The star of the show is the pizza, prepared with simple, genuine ingredients—flour, tomato, and mozzarella—and expertly baked in the wood-fired ovens of the Spazio Feste.

A village tradition

The festival is organized by the same group that has managed the famous Orentano Children's Carnival for decades: the Ente Carnevale dei Bambini Pro Loco Orentano. This experience, combined with the village's community spirit, makes the event so well-curated and popular. More than just a gastronomic festival, it is a gathering place for the entire village and neighboring towns, where different generations meet over good food and music.

What to eat

The undisputed protagonist is the wood-fired pizza: on the busiest nights, the ovens turn out hundreds of them. Alongside the pizza, the festival restaurant offers a rich selection of traditional Tuscan cuisine, including grilled meats, crostini, lasagna, and other homemade specialties. There is no shortage of cold draft beer, the perfect companion for summer evenings, while the net-melon mentioned in the name is one of the local products celebrated during the event.

Music and atmosphere

After dinner, the Spazio Feste comes alive with dance orchestras and live music, engaging audiences of all ages in evenings of dancing and fun. Dining outdoors, immersed in the scents and flavors of the Tuscan summer, and then hitting the dance floor is the experience that has made this village festival special for over forty years.

When and where

The event is held every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the summer, at the Spazio Feste in Orentano, located at Via della Chiesa 121, which features a large parking area. Food stands generally open from 7:30 PM. Admission to the area is free; reservations are recommended for dinner, especially on weekends.