Pizzonte Festival

The Pizzonte Festival in Piccianello

The Pizzonte Festival is one of the most deeply rooted gastronomic events in the Pescara area. It takes place in Piccianello, a hamlet of the Municipality of Picciano, a small hillside village in the province of Pescara, Abruzzo. For over thirty years, the event has transformed Piazza XXIV Maggio and the village streets into a large popular gathering dedicated to a simple yet iconic dish of the local peasant cuisine.

What is a pizzonta?

The pizzonta (also known as pizzonte, pizzonde, or mazzafam depending on the dialect) is a leavened bread dough, mixed with water, flour, a little milk, oil, yeast, and salt, which is then fried until golden and fragrant. The name in the local dialect means "greasy flatbread": it was the food of feast days and the poor economy, now turned into an unmissable treat. It is enjoyed hot, accompanied by prosciutto and cured meats, but also with sugar as a dessert.

Gastronomy and specialties

Alongside the star of the show, the festival offers the best of Abruzzo's table:

• the famous sheep arrosticini cooked over charcoal;
• porchetta and salt cod with peppers;
• traditional local desserts;
• local wine and beer.

Access to the festival area is free: you only pay for what you consume at the stalls.

Music, crafts, and atmosphere

The Pizzonte Festival is not just about food. Along the village streets, exhibitions of local crafts—embroidery, crochet, painting, decoration, iron and wood working—are set up, while live folk music enlivens the evenings with tribute bands, ballroom dance groups, and group dancing. It is an opportunity to rediscover the culture and typical customs of the past in a convivial and family-friendly atmosphere.

A fixed appointment at the end of July

Organized by the Vivere Insieme Cultural Association with the patronage of the municipal administration, the festival is traditionally held on the last weekend of July. In 2025, the event reached the milestone of its thirtieth edition, confirming itself as a reference point for residents and visitors to the Pescara hills. Picciano, also known for its Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Elcina, offers an authentic glimpse of inland Abruzzo, between tradition, good food, and village hospitality.