The rice that bears the name of a village, at Cascina Vialone
In Sant'Alessio con Vialone, in the province of Pavia, rice is not just a food: it is identity. It was here, at Cascina Vialone, in 1904, that the rice variety bearing the name of this place, Vialone, was discovered. The Sagra del Riso Vialone celebrates this agricultural heritage every September, bringing the rice culture that shaped the landscape and economy of Lomellina and the Pavia region back to the forefront.
The heart of the day is the grand lunch held in the courtyard of Cascina Vialone, featuring traditional Lombard dishes with rice as the absolute star: risottos prepared according to local recipes. It is a convivial moment that requires booking, a sign of how popular this festival is, drawing people from all over the area for decades.
The sagra is not just about gastronomy. In the morning, the Viscontea cycling tour arrives at the farmhouse, where mass is also celebrated in the chapel of San Biagio. In the afternoon, there is space for conferences and in-depth discussions on sustainable agriculture and innovation, involving entities such as Confagricoltura Pavia and the University of Pavia. The festival thus acts as a bridge between peasant memory and the challenges of the rural future.
Organized by the Cascina Vialone agricultural company together with the local community and the Pro Loco (local tourism board), the Sagra del Riso Vialone is one of the most characteristic events of early autumn in the province of Pavia. For those who love good food and want to understand where great Italian rices come from, it is an unmissable stop.
For 2026, the Sagra del Riso Vialone is expected in early September at Cascina Vialone in Sant'Alessio con Vialone. The day will include the arrival of the Viscontea cycling tour in the morning, mass in the chapel of San Biagio, and the grand lunch in the farmhouse courtyard with traditional Lombard risottos. In the afternoon, as tradition dictates, there will be conferences and sessions dedicated to the region's agriculture.
Precise dates and the full program will be announced by the organizers in the weeks prior.
The detailed program for the 2026 edition will be announced by the organizers. The usual structure of the day includes:
The lunch with traditional risottos in the courtyard of Cascina Vialone, where the Vialone rice variety was discovered in 1904.
Sant'Alessio con Vialone is located southeast of Pavia. The sagra takes place at Cascina Vialone, on Via Cascina Vialone.
Lunch requires booking, usually via WhatsApp to 338 4753359 a few days before the sagra.
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Cascina Vialone
Via Cascina Vialone, 27016 Sant'Alessio con Vialone