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Sagra del Maiale e della Pecora

Last two weeks of July

Nine days of delicious dinners centered around local produce and capped off by traditional Maremman music and dancing, the Sagra del Maiale e della Pecora is Monterotondo Marittimo’s ode to their rich culinary history.

The star of the festival is a huge open air restaurant that’s set up in the pista ai castagni. The locals take it in turns to cook lunch and dinner throughout the festival, preparing classic dishes from Monterotondo Marittimo and the Maremma. We’re talking about lamb ragu (a delicacy that’s only made in this town) with Maremman tortelli, roasted lamb and pork, the beloved rolled and spiced pork dish – porchetta, chickpea soup and polenta.

When everyone sets down their forks, the party begins with a different type of entertainment each night. You can expect anything from Latin American music to tango performances, Italian dancing champions to karaoke and night time walking tours.

The only standard is the annual briscola competition, which is always riveting to watch regardless of whether you know the rules or not.

The Sagra del Maiale e della Pecora isn’t fancy, but it has the sort of charm of a local fete with a hearty dose of tradition and good, honest food.