Saints Peter and Paul Festival

A Village Festival in the Heart of the Ferrara Lowlands

The Saints Peter and Paul Festival takes place every year at the end of June in Vigarano Pieve, a hamlet of the Municipality of Vigarano Mainarda, in the province of Ferrara. It is one of the most rooted and attended town square festivals in the Ferrara lowlands: founded in the 1950s, it has now reached its sixty-eighth edition and continues to attract visitors from all over the province.

Five Days of Shows and Tradition

For five evenings, the parish area in Via Mantova transforms into the center of village life. Every evening, starting at 7:30 PM, the food stall opens its doors, and the stage hosts free admission shows and entertainment. The festival, organized by the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul together with the Comitato Pro Civitate, maintains its genuine village festival character, where different generations gather around good food and music.

The Flavors of Ferrara Cuisine

The true star of the festival is the food stall, which offers the best specialties of the Ferrara tradition, many of which are shared with the famous Cappelletto Festival of Vigarano Pieve. Among the dishes served under the stars:

• cappelletti in broth and with various sauces, a symbol of local cuisine;
• fried pinzini, to be filled with cured meats and cheeses;
• piadina and mixed local cured meats;
• French fries and peasant cuisine dishes;
• typical desserts such as zuppa inglese and the Ferrara torta tenerina.

Shows, Funfair, and Fireworks

Alongside the food, the festival offers a rich program of evening entertainment with live music, dance orchestras, and shows for all ages. There is also a funfair for the little ones and, at the end of the festival, a fireworks display, which returned in recent years after a long absence and has become one of the most anticipated moments.

The Religious Dimension

The festival was born and remains linked to the devotion to the patron saints Peter and Paul. On the concluding Sunday, the community gathers in church for the Solemn Holy Mass, traditionally accompanied by the celebration of wedding anniversaries, intertwining the popular festival with the life of the parish of Vigarano Pieve.