Paganica Bean Festival

The Paganica Bean Festival

The Paganica Bean Festival is a culinary and cultural celebration held in Paganica, a village in the municipality of L'Aquila, in the heart of the Abruzzo region. The event pays tribute to one of the area's most iconic products: the Paganica bean, a recognized Slow Food Presidium grown for centuries in the fertile Vera River valley at the foot of the Gran Sasso mountain range.

A product of excellence: the Paganica bean

Bean cultivation in the Paganica area boasts a centuries-old tradition, favored by the fresh, deep alluvial soils and the numerous springs flowing from the Gran Sasso. There are two main ecotypes:

• the pane bean (also known as the "oil bean"), beige with a hazelnut tint and a central eye, grown in the area since the mid-19th century;
• the white bean (or "pea bean"), ivory-colored and slightly rounder, imported in the late 19th century by the Marquis Dragonetti upon his return from a trip to Marseille.

Both are distinguished by their thin skin, high digestibility, and short cooking time—about thirty minutes—which is a hallmark of their quality.

A tradition reborn

The first Bean Festival dates back to 1972, organized by the then-parish priest Don Riccardo Fiaschetti; another rare edition was held in July 1988. After a hiatus of nearly forty years, the event was brought back to life in January 2026 by the La Fenice Cultural Association, which sought to revive a beloved community tradition with the involvement of numerous local organizations.

Flavors, rituals, and community

The festival blends traditional cooking, rural spirituality, and conviviality. The food stalls serve classic bean-based dishes, ranging from legumes seasoned with extra virgin olive oil to hearty soups with guanciale and crusty homemade bread. The event also features the blessing of the animals on the feast of Saint Anthony Abbot, the patron saint of farmers, complete with Mass and a procession, accompanied by a display of vintage tractors and Vespa scooters. The program is enriched by live cooking demonstrations, local choir performances, walks to the springs of the Vera River, workshops for children, and live music that enlivens the evenings in Piazza Umberto I, in the heart of the village.