Rigoso Saint Mary Festival

A Ferragosto festival on the Apennine ridge

The Saint Mary Festival is celebrated every August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption, in Rigoso, a hamlet of the municipality of Monchio delle Corti, in the Province of Parma (Emilia-Romagna). Situated at over 1,100 meters above sea level, Rigoso is one of the highest villages in the Parma Apennines: its Ferragosto festival has been the highlight of the summer for generations for those who live or spend their holidays in this corner of the upper Val Cedra, at the foot of the Tuscan-Emilian ridge and at the gates of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park.

Flavors of the mountains

The festival is dedicated to the genuine products of the Apennine tradition. For lunch, the star is the excellent fried cake, to be enjoyed with local cured meats, while in the evening the village gathers around the large polenta: polenta served with sausage sauce, mushroom sauce, or gorgonzola, accompanied by mixed cured meats, homemade cakes, wines, and beer. Simple and genuine cuisine that tells the mountain identity of this part of the Province of Parma.

Music, stalls, and conviviality

In addition to food, the Saint Mary Festival offers the unmissable craft stalls and lots of music. The most anticipated moment is the dance party in the square, with orchestras and bands playing liscio and dance music that get young and old dancing until late at night. It is an authentic village festival, where the community of Rigoso and Aneta welcomes vacationers and hikers in a familiar and welcoming atmosphere.

Rigoso and the summer of Monchio delle Corti

The festival is part of a packed summer calendar that enlivens Monchio delle Corti and its hamlets from June to September, with festivals, concerts, hikes in the Park, and food and wine events. The next day, August 16th, Saint Roch is also celebrated. Reaching Rigoso for August 15th means discovering a vibrant and welcoming Apennine region, far from mass tourism, where the traditions of the patronal feast and Ferragosto merge into a single day of celebration.