That one of Costano is perhaps one of the oldest festival of Umbria. It pays tribute to the centuries-old tradition of the roasted pork and the first edition dates back to the ’60s, during which time he was also guest a young Claudio Baglioni, famous Italian singer.
The feast of Costano is a very popular event, with large numbers and with a remarkable resonance. Each edition bases its success on the culinary excellence of Umbria, among them porchetta is the typical product symbol of this territory.
In the last ten days of August the festival of Costano attracts thousands of people take to the streets of the small town, a no touristic place for the rest of the year. An army of about 200 persons can serve almost 3,000 seats each feast days. When it begins the Festival of Porchetta, all the inhabitants of Costano contribute passionately to the success of the event; they like to say that on this occasion, “even the walls of the houses seem to go into fibrillation.”
The festival is set in an area of 8000 square meters; a part it is dedicated to the culinary stands where costanesi women churn out: homemade gnocchi, arvoltoli, braid, pork tripe, lamb coratina, recchia and knuckle of suckling pig and other delicacies from the typical Umbrian cuisine. There are also kiosks which sell the sandwich with roasted pork, a delight that is a shame to miss.
A large equipped area is dedicated to music and dance with the best orchestras of liscio and traditional Italian music to entertain the public with show, from late afternoon until the night (program 2019): 23 August – I Cugini di Campagna; 24 – Rodigini; 25 – Manuel Malanotte; 26 – Castellina Pasi; 27 – Omar Lambertini; 28 – Sara Sogno Mediterraneo e Orchestra di Daniela Nespolo; 29 – Matteo Tassi; 30 – Rossella Ferrari; 31 – Renzo Biondi; 1 September – Mario Ricciardi..
In addition, it came back, in the old town, “Costano in the square … .Drink & Food”. The central square is enlivened by the best live regional bands, interspersed with DJ sets by deep and chill out sounds. It is the ideal place to enjoy an aperitif, taste a selection of local wines, the beers, tastings of porchetta, and other tasty snacks; a breath of freshness, fun and aggregation for the younger.
Finally, it is important to maintain the historical memory and the traditions that they frame and have always been the main motor of the feast. Therefore it is important a tour inside the photo exhibition “A country, a craft: Costano and the porchettai men”, where you can see photos and objects of traditional country and learn about an ancient craft, passed down from father to son, on which the village has always based its economy.
La Porchetta Festival 2019 will take place August 23 to September 1 at Costano of Bastia Umbra.
If you stay in the structures of Subasio, a trip to the festival can be a good evening distraction and it can interval the cultural visits.
