Sagra della Polenta di Corno Giovine

Polenta, the soul of the Bassa lodigiana

Corno Giovine, a small municipality in the province of Lodi nestled in the Basso Lodigiano plain a stone's throw from the Po River, dedicates a grand festival every October to the dish that more than any other tells the story of the peasant cuisine of these lands: polenta. The Sagra della Polenta, organised by the Amici del Presepe Association, is now a well-established event in the Lodi autumn calendar, capable of attracting thousands of visitors: in a single edition, around 2,700 portions were served in two days.

Carbonara, a handed-down recipe

The specialty that makes the sagra famous is polenta carbonara, prepared according to a recipe guarded and passed down from generation to generation by the polenta makers of Trentino-Alto Adige, who preserve its authentic and ancient flavour. Alongside it, polenta is offered in all its most beloved traditional interpretations: with cotechino (pork sausage), with baccalà (salt cod), with brasato (braised beef), and in more refined versions with pork knuckle, wild boar and horse meat. There is also polenta with raspadura, the typical Lodi cheese served in thin shavings.

Two weekends of celebration

The event takes place on the first two weekends of October, with polenta served on Friday and Saturday evenings and also at lunchtime on Sundays. The days begin with a walk along the riverbanks, continue with the artisan market and come alive in the evening with live music and accordion performances. On Sundays, there is also a religious moment, with a mass and procession linked to local tradition.

A community celebration

Behind the steaming cauldrons is the voluntary work of the Amici del Presepe Association and the entire community of Corno Giovine, which makes the Sagra della Polenta not just a gastronomic festival but an occasion for meeting and identity for the town and the entire Basso Lodigiano. A genuine event to discover the flavours and conviviality of the Lombard countryside along the Po.