The Bandits of Sillico in the Garfagnana of Ariosto... at Dinner Time

When the bandits return to Sillico

On a handful of August evenings, the medieval village of Sillico, one of the most charming hamlets in the municipality of Pieve Fosciana, in Garfagnana (province of Lucca), transforms into an open-air stage. Cobbled streets fill with costumed performers, taverns glow with candles and wine, and visitors are transported back five hundred years to the era when Ludovico Ariosto served as commissioner and governor of the Garfagnana on behalf of the House of Este.

The bandits of the Garfagnana in the time of Ariosto

The central theme of the event is the banditry that characterized these valleys during the time of the author of Orlando Furioso: a phenomenon linked to poverty, the weakness of the state, and the harshness of the mountainous terrain, which made the Garfagnana a difficult borderland to govern. The re-enactment is built around this chapter of local history, featuring scenes, period crafts, and narrated moments that bring to life the daily existence of a Renaissance village in the Apennines.

A traveling dinner across bridges, palaces, and towers

The heart of the event is the traveling dinner: the public wanders through the village streets, stopping at various stations set up in the most scenic spots. Each stop offers a traditional Garfagnana dish designed to evoke the flavors of the era, while the belvedere offers the famous, breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains.

• At the bridge entrance: toasted bread with lard and herbs, crostini with olives.
• Belvedere: pasta and beans or spelt soup with wild herbs.
• Palace courtyard: spiced roast pork with herbs and beans.
• Tower: spiced fruit tarts and period desserts.
• Taverns: cured meats, cheeses, red beer, wines, and herbal infusions.

A village to discover

Sillico is a small village inhabited by the so-called sillichini, a lively and active community that, despite its small size, even maintains its own musical band, the Filarmonica G. Verdi. The event is organized by local associations—including Polis Sillico and the Associazione Muse del Diavolo—and has become a highly anticipated summer appointment in the Garfagnana, attracting visitors from all over the province of Lucca and Tuscany. In case of rain, the evening is postponed to the following day.