Soup, Tripe and Meatball Festival

A festival dedicated to the flavors of the land

The Soup, Tripe and Meatball Festival is one of the most beloved gastronomic events in Bientina, a small village in the province of Pisa located in the Valdera area, between Monte Pisano and the Cerbaie hills. Every year, coinciding with the May Day long weekend, the Via Leonardo da Vinci sports field comes alive with long tables, the aromas of Tuscan cooking, and the typical cheerfulness of village festivals.

Organized by A.S.D. Sextum Bientina, the festival stems from the desire to showcase the most representative dishes of the peasant tradition: humble recipes that are rich in flavor, passed down from generation to generation and deeply rooted in the Tuscan territory.

The star dishes

The menu revolves around the three dishes that give the event its name:

• Tuscan soup: stale bread, beans, black kale, and garden vegetables, a symbol of peasant 'cucina di recupero' (leftover cooking);
• Tripe: cooked according to the traditional recipe, stewed with tomato;
• Meatballs: tasty and homemade, just like family tradition dictates.

Alongside these staples, the kitchen also offers first courses such as penne all'arrabbiata and pasta with Cinta Senese ragù, as well as meat main courses like roast beef, baked sausages, and Cinta pork scaloppine with porcini mushrooms. In the evening, the pizzeria is also open to satisfy both adults and children.

Hours and conviviality

The festival is open for both lunch and dinner. At lunch, service is self-service starting from 12:00 PM, while at dinner, you can enjoy table service from 7:00 PM. Large covered areas allow the party to continue even in case of bad weather, while the available five-a-side football pitches complete the family-friendly and sporty atmosphere desired by the organizing club.

Bientina and the Valdera area

Visiting the Soup, Tripe and Meatball Festival is also an opportunity to discover Bientina, an ancient castle mentioned as early as 793 and now a charming Tuscany village in the Valdera district. Not to be missed are the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, which houses the relics of Saint Valentine, the Church of San Girolamo, the Museum of Sacred Art, and the Etruscan Museum. All around, the vast plain that recalls the ancient Lake of Bientina, reclaimed in the nineteenth century, offers evocative landscapes just a few kilometers from Pisa and Lucca.