Rimini Food Exhibit February 7 - 11

Artisans in the specialty food sector steal the show from the industrial giants. More than 1,000 exhibitors show up each year in this resort town gathering of restauranteurs, food producers and distributors.

SnowForTri begins February 9 in Piancavallo

This is the Italian Winter Triathalon that includes 8 km of foot racing, 20 km of mountainbiking and 10 km of skiing. From here, in modified form, the event transfers itself to sister cities in Malles (BZ) around March 7, Courmayeur (AO) March 20, and finally to Cortina (BL) where the event ends around the March 28.

Saint Bello Festival, February 12

This commemorates the handsome priest, Fra' Benigno (so good looking that he was dubbed Saint Bello), from the noble Florentine Medici family, who arrived in the Lombard town of Berbenno in 1466 and founded a monastery that still exists today.
A long, religious parade starts the festival, which follows the main road of the town and picks up participants as it passes its intertwined neighborhoods and farms. The day concludes with a big banquet with a rich menu (comprised mainly of rice, chicken, sausages and local wine) where chickens are cooked in giant pots and fished out one by one by the hungry attendees with giant fork-like instruments. The local wine cellars of the area, which are plentiful, all open their doors for the day and offer free samples of their delicious grape beverages.

Commemoration of the Challenge of Barletta

On February 13th, 1503, the historical Challenge between 13 Italian horsemen and 13 French horsemen was fought. Among the Italians were Ettore Fieramosca, Fanfulla da Lodi and Fabrizio Colonna. As in all folk festivals, the rich scenography and beautiful costumes of the performance are equaled by the display of the local handicrafts. This one is a real winner and curious spectators come from all over Italy to attend.

Publication Date: 2003-02-09
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=2331