Tossignano Polenta Festival and Borgo Macaroni Fair

A tradition that defies centuries

The Tossignano Polenta Festival is one of the longest-running festivals in Italy: its origins date back to February 1, 1622, when—according to local tradition—Mastrantonio da Farneto proposed to Governor Leonardo Sincia de Sermoneta to distribute free polenta to lift the spirits of the inhabitants, who were suffering from wars and famines. Since then, the ritual has been repeated every year on Shrove Tuesday, the last day of Carnival, in the medieval village of Tossignano, a hamlet of the Municipality of Borgo Tossignano, in the metropolitan city of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna. The event was only interrupted during World War II (1942-1945) and due to the Covid emergency (2020-2021).

Polenta and macaroni: two villages, one festival

The day stages a gastronomic rivalry that has become a shared celebration. In Tossignano, in Piazza Andrea Costa, cooks in yellow uniforms heat large copper pots outdoors and prepare polenta served with a pork and Grana Padano cheese ragù: each edition consumes about two quintals of flour and almost three quintals of meat. A few kilometers away, in the main town of Borgo, the Macaroni Fair takes place simultaneously, with pasta served with ragù in Piazzetta San Giovanni Bosco.

The exchange of ceramic plates

The most anticipated moment is the exchange of plates between the two communities: a delegation of polenta makers visits the macaroni makers (and vice versa) to give each other artistic ceramic plates, a symbol of peace and brotherhood between Borgo and Tossignano. The plates, made by the historic Cooperativa Ceramica di Imola, become collector's items each year.

Parade, music, and Polentabus

The festival is enlivened by live music, stalls, and a parade of allegorical floats and masks that starts from the Borgo school complex. A free shuttle service, the famous Polentabus, connects the valley parking lots to the village of Tossignano, perched on a hill and difficult to access by car. Volunteers from local associations also ensure home delivery for the elderly.

A Historic Carnival of Emilia-Romagna

Recognized as a Historic Carnival, the Polenta Festival is an identity event for the entire Imolese and Bolognese Apennines, capable of attracting thousands of visitors from all over Emilia-Romagna each year. More than a food festival, it is the celebration of a community bond that has been renewed for over four centuries.