Sagra dell'Ortolano

A festival dedicated to the vegetable garden and earth's produce

The Sagra dell'Ortolano takes place in Balanzano, a hamlet of the Municipality of Perugia located along the route connecting the provincial capital to Ponte San Giovanni, in the heart of the province of Perugia. Organized by the local Pro Loco (local development association), it is a village festival that celebrates Umbrian peasant cuisine and garden produce, faithful to a tried-and-tested formula that attracts thousands of visitors from the entire Perugian area every year.

Umbrian cuisine based on local produce

The strong point of the event is the rich menu of typical dishes, rigorously prepared with local and short-chain products. Among the offerings of the food stands, you will find:

• Appetizers such as bruschetta, prosciutto and melon, and the characteristic snail pâté
• Traditional first courses: tagliatelle with snail sauce, ravioli, gnocchi, and "capricci"
• Hearty main courses such as pork knuckle, loin, "agnello scottadito" (grilled lamb chops), and snails prepared in various ways
• Grilled and stuffed vegetable side dishes and the unmissable panzanella
• The "torta al testo" (flatbread cake) filled with prosciutto, sausage, wild greens, or rocket

Special menus are also available, from snail tasting to a baby menu for the little ones.

A certification that rewards sustainability

The Sagra dell'Ortolano is among the few Umbrian events to have obtained the 3-leaf regional brand, the highest recognition awarded by the Region to environmentally virtuous sagre: separate waste collection, waste reduction, and attention to the local supply chain are an integral part of the event.

Music and dancing every evening

In addition to food, the festival is a meeting point for the entire community: every evening there is dancing with live orchestras and DJ sets, in a convivial atmosphere that makes Balanzano one of the most popular summer stops on the Perugian calendar.