Pantelleria Asinabile

Pantelleria Asinabile, a celebration of the Pantesco donkey

Pantelleria Asinabile is the festival that celebrates the deep bond between the island's community and the Pantesco donkey, an ancient native breed that was long at risk of extinction and is now a symbol of the recovery of biodiversity and rural traditions in Pantelleria. The event, which began in 2025, established the recognition of Pantelleria as Italy's first "Donkey-Friendly Island", a territory that prioritizes slow mobility, knowledge, and the care of this animal.

A week of events across the Municipality of Pantelleria

For an entire week, Piazza Cavour, in the center of the Municipality of Pantelleria, transforms into "Donkey-Friendly Square": a large, open, and participatory space where exhibition stands, educational and recreational workshops, games for children, and an interactive enclosure where adults and children can meet and pet the donkeys alternate. The island's agri-food and craft businesses enliven the square with their products, in a blend of nature, culture, and taste.

Walks, conferences, and education

The program is divided into various recurring appointments. The "Donkey-Friendly Walks" are guided hikes to discover the island's natural treasures, leading to the Sibà enclosure where the Pantesco donkeys live; the evocative "Donkey Transhumance" accompanies the donkeys with Park guides from Punta Spadillo to Piazza Cavour, along a route suitable for everyone. The "Donkey Words" series brings together conferences, debates, and meetings with experts, writers, and travelers on the theme of pet therapy and the donkey as a travel companion, while Pantelleria's schools are involved with activities dedicated to students.

A community project between the Park, the Municipality, and the Sicilian Region

Promoted by the Pantelleria Island National Park in collaboration with the Municipality of Pantelleria, the Regional Department of Rural and Territorial Development of the Sicilian Region, and the "Asineria Asini di Reggio Emilia" association, the festival is part of a broader project, started in 2021, to bring the Pantesco donkey back to the island. The event involves the entire island community, in the province of Trapani, and looks to the future with new initiatives related to onotherapy, pet therapy, and multi-day experiential trekking. Pantelleria Asinabile is now one of the events that best tells the story of the identity of this strip of Sicily in the middle of the Mediterranean.