The Golden Cicciolo
The great festival of wood-fired cooked ciccioli in the Bassa reggiana
About Golden Cicciolo
The festival celebrating ciccioli
On the first Sunday of December, the historic center of Campagnola Emilia, in the province of Reggio Emilia, fills with the unmistakable aroma of pork fat frying in copper cauldrons. Il Cicciolo d'Oro is one of the most cherished winter festivals in Emilia-Romagna: a day entirely dedicated to ciccioli, the crispy snack born from the traditional processing of pork, still cooked over a wood fire here as per the ancient custom of the Bassa Padana pork butchers.
One hundred pork butchers and a traditional competition
The heart of the event is the gathering of one hundred pork butchers, who light their cauldrons along the village streets from the morning and compete in a test of skill and craft. A special jury, the Academia Iudices Salatii, judges them and awards prizes that have become legendary in the area: the Best Pork Butcher of the Year, the Best Under 30, the Most Beautiful Cauldron in the World, and the Cicciolo Rosa Certificate reserved for female pork butchers. It is a jovial yet serious competition that preserves and passes down artisanal knowledge that would otherwise risk disappearing.
The Guinness World Record Supercicciolo
The most anticipated moment is the cooking of the double Guinness World Record Supercicciolo: two enormous forms weighing approximately 180 kg in total, prepared in giant cauldrons with quintals of fat, are cooked over a wood fire throughout the day and then distributed free to everyone in the afternoon, packaged in bags. It is the symbolic gesture of the festival, making Campagnola the home of the largest ciccioli in Italy.
Gastronomy, markets, and music
Around the cauldrons, between Piazza Roma and the historic center, are stalls, markets, food stands, and lots of music. There's no shortage of gnocco fritto, mulled wine, hot chocolate, sausages, cotechini, and wine tastings, while catering is handled by local barbecue enthusiast groups. The event, organized by the Associazione Il Cicciolo d'Oro with the patronage of the Municipality of Campagnola Emilia, the Province of Reggio Emilia, and the Emilia-Romagna Region, also includes cultural competitions like Bassa in Letteratura and Bassa in Pittura, dedicated to the landscapes and faces of the plain.
A tradition lasting since 2000
Born in 2000 to promote a typical product of the Reggio Emilia area, the festival has grown to become an unmissable event on the Emilian calendar, attracting thousands of visitors from across the region and beyond. For those who want to discover the rural and convivial soul of the Bassa, Il Cicciolo d'Oro is the perfect occasion for a Sunday in December.
Golden Cicciolo — edition 2026
The Associazione Il Cicciolo d'Oro has confirmed the date of the 27th edition on its official website: Sunday, December 6, 2026, in Piazza Roma and the historic center of Campagnola Emilia (RE).
The usual protagonists return: the gathering of one hundred pork butchers with copper cauldrons lit by wood fire, the competition with the awards for Best Pork Butcher, Best Under 30, and Most Beautiful Cauldron in the World, the jury of the Academia Iudices Salatii, and the free distribution of the Guinness World Record Supercicciolo. Around them, markets, food stands, gnocco fritto, mulled wine, hot chocolate, and music, as well as the cultural competitions Bassa in Letteratura and Bassa in Pittura.
Programme Golden Cicciolo 2026
The detailed program with the schedules for the 27th edition will be published by the organization in the weeks preceding the event. Based on recent editions, the day typically unfolds as follows:
- Morning — Gathering of the hundred pork butchers and lighting of the wood-fired cauldrons along the village streets; opening of the festival with the "Inno al Cicciolo" performed by the band and distribution of fat to the pork butchers.
- Late morning — Lighting of the Supercicciolo cauldrons, opening of markets, stalls by schools and associations, and food stands between Piazza Roma and the historic center.
- Midday — Catering service with pork butchery specialties, gnocco fritto, and tastings.
- Afternoon (around 3:00 PM) — Meeting of the Academia Iudices Salatii jury to judge the competing ciccioli.
- Afternoon (around 4:30 PM) — Awards ceremony for the pork butchers.
- Afternoon (from 5:00 PM) — Free distribution of the double Guinness World Record Supercicciolo in bags.
The final times and any musical guests will be announced on the official channels of the Associazione Il Cicciolo d'Oro.
Highlights Golden Cicciolo 2026
- Free distribution of the double Guinness World Record Supercicciolo (two forms weighing approximately 180 kg in total).
- Gathering and competition of one hundred pork butchers with awards for Best Pork Butcher, Best Under 30, and Most Beautiful Cauldron in the World.
- Markets, gnocco fritto, mulled wine, and hot chocolate in the historic center.
Prices Golden Cicciolo 2026
Practical information — Golden Cicciolo
When
Sunday, December 6, 2026, from morning until evening, in the historic center of Campagnola Emilia (RE).
Where
Piazza Roma and streets of the historic center, Campagnola Emilia (province of Reggio Emilia), Emilia-Romagna.
How to get there
By car: A22 Reggiolo-Rolo or Carpi highway exit, then provincial roads towards Campagnola Emilia. By train: Reggio Emilia station, then bus connections towards the Bassa. A parking area for motorhomes is available at Via Abbazia 8.
Admission and costs
Access to the festival is free; the Supercicciolo distribution is free. Tastings and food stands are subject to payment.
Contacts
Associazione Il Cicciolo d'Oro — tel. +39 348 894 3075 (Aristide) or +39 320 721 3472 (Avio) — [email protected].
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Where does it take place — Golden Cicciolo
Piazza Roma e centro storico
Piazza Roma, 42012 Campagnola Emilia