Panettone Maximo

Panettone Maximo, Rome's most delicious leavened-cake festival

One day each late November, the scent of butter, vanilla, and candied fruit fills the Salone delle Fontane in Rome's EUR district: it is the day of Panettone Maximo, the festival entirely dedicated to artisanal panettone. Created to celebrate the great holiday leavened cake, the event has grown with every edition to become one of the most anticipated gastronomic appointments in the Capital, drawing thousands of food lovers and enthusiasts for a long, indulgent Sunday of tastings.

A national (and international) pastry competition

The heart of Panettone Maximo is the competition: dozens of artisanal bakeries and pastry shops arrive from all over Italy to have their creations judged by a high-profile jury, composed of master pastry chefs, world champions in the field, and food critics. The competing panettoni are divided into specific categories:

• Best Traditional Panettone, the classic challenge of the recipe par excellence;
• Best Chocolate Panettone, dedicated to the most indulgent versions;
• Best Gourmet Panettone, reserved for creations signed by top chefs and high-cuisine experts.

Alongside technical awards, the festival grants prizes for best packaging, digital communication, foreign press, and—not least—the People's Choice Award, because at Panettone Maximo, visitors also become judges: with your ticket, you can taste, compare, and vote for your favorite leavened cake.

Cooking shows, a market, and a family area

The day is not just about tastings. On stage, cooking shows feature pastry chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants, sharing the secrets and techniques behind the perfect leavened cake. All around, a true Christmas market with wine, chocolate, nougat, local products, and gift ideas kicks off the holiday atmosphere, while the area dedicated to children makes the event perfect for a family outing.

Every edition also has a strong charitable vocation: a portion of the panettoni is donated to local charities, turning the festival into a concrete gesture of generosity.

Where and when: the Salone delle Fontane in EUR

The setting is the monumental Salone delle Fontane, a historic exhibition space in the EUR district of Rome, in the Province of Rome (Lazio). Easily reachable by metro and large enough to host dozens of stalls and thousands of visitors, it is the ideal stage for an event that combines confectionery craftsmanship, entertainment, and conviviality. Panettone Maximo is usually held on the last Sunday of November, in a long day that stretches from morning until evening.