The Best Italian Street Festival in Italy
Situated on top of a beautiful, rolling hill where the gleaming Fino and Piomba rivers join their courses, is Elice – a town that is about to take you back in time.
Elice is a small medieval village situated in the province of Pescara, part of the Abruzzo region of Italy. With historic churches, a majestic castle, and streets bustling with the passionate small-town Italian chefs, the bricks and stones throughout this small city are not only incredible to look at, they also have a story to tell..
Sagra Della Mugnaia and The Night of Ilex
Every year in July-August, the community of Elice gets together to create one of the most exciting food and culture celebrations and plunges us fully back to the middle age with the best Italian street festival in Italy. Sagra Della Mugnaia combined with The Night of Ilex is an experience you simply cannot miss if you are planning a trip to Italy during these months. To watch my full tour, visit my channel at Vincenzo’s Plate.
Why This is the Best Italian Street Festival in Italy?
When you come to Italy, more specifically you come to visit a small village like Elice, you experience the reality of just how important food is in Italian culture. While other parts of the world celebrate with festivals for numerous occasions, in Italy we celebrate local dishes and flavors because in Italy food is truly of utmost importance (if you’re reading this, you probably already know that).
With a street festival like The Night of Ilex, it’s an adventurous combination of traditional Italian food and Medieval themed festivities. It’s a culinary and cultural experience unlike any other.
Locals call it an annual ‘Sagra’ event, which mean it’s a diverse festival held in honor of food and tradition.
Elice, Italy Food Festival
The queen of the dishes is the traditional Maccheroni Pasta alla Mugnaia.
This is an is an uneven, long and thick fresh pasta that is hand-pulled to a diameter of about 4–6 mm. It is made using only water and semolina. The name literally translates to “the miller’s wife’s pasta” as it originated from
This is an is an uneven, long and thick fresh pasta that is hand-pulled to a diameter of about 4–6 mm. It is made using only water and semolina. The name literally translates to “the miller’s wife’s pasta” as it originated from
1200 AD. During the Sagra Della Mugnaia, it is served with a delicate, vegetarian eggplant sauce with rich aromas, Ricotta Salata and perfectly melted Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Festival tradition has all of the reenactment actors fed before the long line of guests arrive for the shows and other activities.
What to Expect at the Best Italian Street Festival in Italy: Sagra Della Mugnaia and The Night of Ilex
Across multiple night in July-August, the town is transformed back in time and you can almost breathe the medieval era in every corner of Elice, Italy.
We start the first night by exchanging money for medieval coins. Everything throughout the town is bought only using coins during this festival which is just another way that Elice brings the Medieval time to you.
Wandering the streets, the vendors have the most bizarre items you have to see here and you’ll see costumes that put all others to shame. Families and their children participate in this festival with endless amounts of hours going into the makeup and preparations.
Of course, it can’t be a food festival without an overload of delicious dishes, so while the children are wearing costumes and exploring the streets and shows, the older generations are preparing local dishes for the guests.
From homemade bread to fried cow cheese to Porchetta and of course, Arrosticini, the offerings are a myriad of diverse Italian options that all have mouth-watching aromas and eye-delectable delights of all shapes and sizes.
Medieval Reenactments Festival
One of the most unique parts of the festival are the costumes. Besides getting into costume, which is a really important part of the festival, guests are also encouraged to get into character alongside the actors and participate to have the complete experience. At the next Night of Ilex, you’re guaranteed to see the King, queen, soldiers, those with “leprosy”, fortune tellers, and many more characters that complete the medieval village.
The town of Elice is closed and locked for this multi-day event as every street corner has activities, performances, dances, archery, witchcraft, sword fighting, mythology, and much, much more to allow you to truly take a step back in time.
Don’t Miss the Best Italian Street Festival in Italy
Sagra Della Mugnaia combined with The Night of Ilex is one of the most spectacular historical reenactment and food festivals in Italy. The whole city really does get together to go back in time with you. With more than 400 re-enactors participate in the event, you won’t want to want to miss the next one.
Join my private exclusive Italian Tours “Italy Unexplored Tour” and experience the Real Italy like you have never seen before.
The tour is exclusive to only 10 passionate foodies and it’s very unique. (Click here to get more details)
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