Polenta Festival

A village festival in the heart of the Ferrara plain

The Polenta Festival is the most anticipated event in Dodici Morelli, a small hamlet in the Municipality of Cento, in the province of Ferrara, on the western border of Emilia-Romagna. Every autumn, when the countryside of the Bassa region turns into November colors, the community comes together to celebrate one of the oldest and most popular dishes of the Po Valley peasant tradition: polenta, steaming and generous, served in a thousand variations.

The realm of polenta

The heart of the festival is, of course, polenta, offered in its three most beloved versions: classic with a spoon, roasted on the grill, and fried. Accompanying it is a range of toppings that tell the story of the cuisine of these lands:

• house ragù and wild boar stew
• creamed cod
• mushrooms, melted cheeses, and grilled salami

The menu doesn't stop at polenta: pappardelle with wild boar or mushrooms and pumpkin tortelloni, a classic of seasonal Emilian cuisine, also arrive at the table. To finish, a parade of homemade desserts: from delicious polenta with Nutella to tiramisu, from panna cotta to chocolate salami cake, to sorbet.

The Pro Loco Tiramola and its history

The organization is handled by Pro Loco Tiramola, an association founded in 2019 from the merger of two cultural groups in the village, now boasting around eighty members and forty active volunteers. The name "Tiramola" has its roots in a curious local legend: the two districts that make up the hamlet long argued over where to build the church, until the Bishop ended the dispute by inviting them to stop their "pulling and pushing" (tira e molla). Since then, the inhabitants have ironically called the village "Tiramola," a name the association proudly adopted.

Conviviality and tradition

The Polenta Festival is much more than a gastronomic event: it is a gathering moment for the entire community of Dodici Morelli and visitors from neighboring towns. The covered and heated stand welcomes families on cold November evenings in a warm and familiar atmosphere, where volunteers serve at tables with the care typical of Emilian village festivals. An authentic opportunity to discover the genuine hospitality of the Ferrara Bassa, far from the most beaten tourist routes and just a few kilometers from the historic center of Cento, the birthplace of the painter Guercino.