Pomaia Fava Bean Festival

The Fava Bean Festival, a symbol of spring in Pomaia

The Pomaia Fava Bean Festival is one of the most cherished gastronomic events in the Pisan Hills. It takes place in the small village of Pomaia, within the municipality of Santa Luce (Pisa), in the heart of the rural Tuscany region overlooking the Etruscan Coast. The absolute star is the baccello, the Tuscan term for fresh fava beans: a humble, fragrant legume that has accompanied local lunches and dinners for generations every April.

A tradition spanning decades

Founded in the late 1970s, the festival has maintained its authentic village-fair spirit throughout the decades. The 2026 edition marks the 47th, a sign of rare continuity driven by the volunteers of the Circolo Culturale Ricreativo Pomaiese, the Associazione Pomaiese, and the collaboration of the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, the renowned Buddhist study center based right here in Pomaia. The event is held under the patronage of the Municipality of Santa Luce.

Tuscan flavors on the table

The heart of the festival is the restaurant area, where you can enjoy traditional rural dishes every day:

• Fresh fava beans, to be shelled and enjoyed raw with pecorino cheese and 'baccellone';
• Tagliatelle and pappardelle with wild boar sauce, a staple of Pisan Hill cuisine;
• Vegetable soup and stewed fava beans;
• Grilled meats, including steak, porchetta, and roast pork loin;
• Homemade desserts to round off the meal.

Music, games, and entertainment

Beyond the food, the festival offers a packed entertainment calendar: aperitifs with DJs, live music, roving performances, dance shows, the traditional tug-of-war, a children's soccer tournament, and family activities. There are also craft markets and stalls featuring local products that bring the village streets to life during the festivities.

A village to discover

Pomaia is a surprising destination: a small village nestled in greenery, known throughout Italy for the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, one of Europe's most important Buddhist centers. Attending the Fava Bean Festival means combining the pleasure of good food with the discovery of an authentic, peaceful corner of the province of Pisa, amidst cultivated hills, olive groves, and the gentle landscape of the Pisan Maremma.