The Italian “sagra” is a local festival focusing on food, usually one specific food that is in season or a specialty from that area (for example, nearby Treviso is famous for a purple leafy vegetable called radicchio and they celebrate it every year with a dedicated sagra).

I will never forget my first sagra…La Sagra dal Pesce a Le Forna on the beautiful island of Ponza near Rome. I was travelling with some Swedish friends and by chance stumbled across a playing field where a group of local men were making a large fire with coals. As the sun started to set the locals all congregated, sitting at long wooden tables in the field. We had no idea what was going on so we hung around to see what would happen and the men started to grill huge amounts of sardines. There were queues all the way down to the end of the field. In the UK we get so used to choosing from menus that we were surprised by the way that they could celebrate one food item like this, just this one type of fish, which was served alone on a paper plate with a chunk of bread and a glass of wine. Such simplicity. The music, the laughter, the fantastically fresh, slightly charred fish… what an experience!

In Venice and the lagoon there is a sagra for fish, mussels, and one for artichokes. If you are lucky enough to be in town when a Sagra is on, then we highly recommend that you go! Soak up a truly Italian experience with the locals. There are plenty of other amazing celebrations and festivals in Venice too – the Carnival, Redentore, and many rowing regattas. Kids will love the San Martino festival. We’ll keep you posted on the blog about upcoming festivals and sagre in the Venetian social calendar.