Polentata in piazza

The festival that opens the year in Marcorengo

The Polentata in piazza is the traditional event with which the Pro Loco Marcorengo inaugurates its annual calendar of festivities. It takes place in Marcorengo, a small hilly hamlet in the municipality of Brusasco, in the Province of Turin, at the eastern edge of Piedmont, in an area of gentle slopes overlooking the Po valley and just a stone's throw from the Monferrato region.

It is one of those village festivals that mark the life of the community: no large festival stages here, but the warmth of a hamlet gathering around the table in the heart of winter. For many residents of Marcorengo and the surrounding area, it is an opportunity to meet up after the holidays and kick off the new season of events with a steaming plate of food.

Polenta takes center stage

As the name suggests, the queen of the day is polenta, a symbol of Piedmontese peasant cuisine: served hot and abundant, accompanied by traditional local toppings. The entire conviviality of the festival revolves around the main dish, with the public sitting together for a community lunch or dinner organized by the Pro Loco volunteers.

A community telling its story

Marcorengo was an autonomous municipality until the 1920s before becoming part of Brusasco: a local history that the hamlet still preserves today in its identity and its festivals. The Polentata opens a rich calendar that continues throughout the year with the Boiled Meat Dinner, Hills in Celebration, the Patronal Feast with the Biru Festival, the Feast of Saint Ursula, and the Bagna Cauda, all organized by the same Pro Loco.

• Where: Marcorengo, a hamlet of Brusasco (Province of Turin)
• When: Usually in February, at the start of the annual calendar
• Who: Pro Loco Marcorengo Tourist Association APS
• Signature dish: Traditional Piedmontese polenta

A simple and authentic event, perfect for those who want to discover the most genuine side of the Turin hills and experience a day of taste and community far from mass tourism circuits.