Saint Anne's Festival in Cattaragna

The patronal feast of an Apennine village

The Saint Anne's Festival is the most anticipated event of the summer in Cattaragna, a charming hamlet in the Municipality of Ferriere, in the Province of Piacenza (Emilia-Romagna). Situated at over a thousand meters above sea level between the upper Val Nure and Val d'Aveto, this small village in the Piacenza Apennines is known as the "terrace of Val d'Aveto" for its panoramic views opening onto pastures, chestnut woods, beech forests, and pine groves.

The festival originates from the popular devotion to Saint Anne, the patron saint of the village for centuries and titular of the parish church, erected in 1757. It is a moment of meeting and cheerful conviviality that, year after year, brings together the inhabitants, summer visitors, and descendants who return to their native village to reconnect with their roots.

Between the sacred and the profane

The celebration retains the dual nature typical of Apennine patronal feasts: on one hand, the religious dimension, with the Holy Mass in honor of the patron saint; on the other, the village festival itself, with food stalls and musical entertainment that liven up the evening until late at night.

Flavors of the Piacenza mountains

The culinary heart of the festival are the food stalls, where you can taste the traditional dishes of the Piacenza Apennine mountains. Cattaragna's local cuisine is famous for specialties such as wild boar ragu with polenta and the characteristic local cheese San Stè, a product of the ancient high-altitude pastures.

A village that wants to live again

Behind the Saint Anne's Festival is the commitment of the Circolo A.N.S.P.I. Amici di Cattaragna, the association that animates the life of the village and organizes festivals, non-competitive walks, and themed evenings throughout the summer. Their philosophy is simple: "the mountains want to live again." The patronal feast is the moment when this will becomes most visible, when the village fills with voices, aromas, and music, and the outdoor tables fill up under the starry Apennine sky.