The People, Experiences, Food & Wine - Back 2 Basics Style
Italy, with its rich culture and art, famous attractions and delicious food is a travel destination enjoyed by many.
In this 12 part series, Back 2 Basics Tradition’s “12 Day Culture Guide to Italy” will be showing you special and unique locations, people, experiences, and of course food and wine that you will not want to miss on your next Italian adventure.
We were priviliged to “road test” these experiences on our recent travels to Italy – so we know you will enjoy them too!
Don’t miss finding out about these other magnificent experiences
Experience 1 – Valdobbiadene
Experience 2 – Bassano Del Grappa
Experience 3 - Bigolino
On our way back from Bassano Del Grappa (see experience 2) to Ponte Vecchio (our next adventure) we stopped off in the small village of Bigolino to experience the traditional festival (or “Sagra”) in honour of St John, or San Giovanni, the local patron Saint of the village.
Bigolino is located on the Piave River, which is one of the longest and most rapid flowing rivers in Italy. Set against a slope of about thirty meters, Bigolino has a varied economic structure unlike many other villages in the area and has served as an important and ancient trade and military route.
The Sights
Bigolino is also home to many holy monuments including the main church, which dates back to 1085 and is dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo. With quite a few other smaller holy sites, there are many opportunities to participate in local feasts during the year. These include the “Madonna della Rosa” celebrated on Mother’s Day, “San Rocco” on 15th and 16th August, Santa Barbara on the 4th December and “Santi Filippo and Giacomo” on the 1st May.
The Sagra was a truly memorial experience. After mass, we joined with many locals to feast on many local foods including polenta, cooked Borlotti beans (faggiola), roasted sausages and pork ribs.
Have you visited Bigolino and enjoyed one of the many held traditional festivals? Please let us know in the comments below.
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