The Bread and Garden Festival of Grognardo

The Municipality of Grognardo, in collaboration with the Pro Loco Tourist Association, organises the

Bread and Garden Festival

16-17-18 July Grognardo (AL) Parco del Fontanino

Farming tradition, typical dishes that have the same authentic taste as once upon a time, wheat, the smell of freshly baked bread, the fresh vegetables from the garden... But also fairy tales, legends, poems, music and country dances handed down from father to son, the wizard's games and the magic of the little mouse that frees itself from the trap. They seem like many colourful brushstrokes of a great painting, and indeed, painting will be the other great protagonist of the three days of celebration in Grognardo.

Grognardo is a small hilltop municipality with extraordinary natural beauty, immersed in a totally uncontaminated landscape, where there are no factories or warehouses, only woods, paths, valleys, hills and cool streams. Getting to Grognardo is easy: it is about 8 km from Acqui Terme, 100 km from Turin and 125 from Milan.

The 2010 edition of the Bread and Garden Festival will open on Friday 16 July with the inauguration of the exhibition of the painter Concetto Fusillo, an artist native to Lentini, in Sicily, but transplanted to the North, and struck by the beauty of the Alto Monferrato landscape, but also by the depth and absurdity of certain manifestations of human nature. From these emotions and reflections were born the surprising, original and authentic works of the exhibition “Violence, Impostures, Oddities”, which will remain open at the Town Hall of Grognardo until 1 August 2010.

There will also be space for all the other painters, professionals and amateurs, who will take part in the First Extemporaneous Painting Competition titled “Grognardo and its Environment”. The competition will take place on Sunday 18 July from 8.30 to 17.00, the artists will create extemporaneous works inspired by the beauties of the Grognardo area (monuments, landscapes, woods, streams, crops).

As nature and the uncontaminated landscape are Grognardo's greatest tourist attraction, the Sunday morning walk will be an opportunity for visitors to get to know the panoramic paths of the botanical and wildlife environmental education trails. For walkers a refreshment point will be set up along the route, and at the end of the walk they will be offered focaccia and wine at the municipal premises.

The Municipality of Grognardo offers as many as four cycle-pedestrian routes (blue, red, yellow and orange route), which can be tackled on foot, by mountain bike, but also on horseback.

THE PROGRAMME:

Friday 16 July – Opening evening

17.30 Town Hall: Inauguration of the exhibition of the painter Concetto Fusillo and toast 18.30 Parco del Fontanino: “Happy hour” – Aperitif with vegetables, bread and music 19.00 “Peasant” dinner with soups, minestrone, omelettes, grilled vegetables and good wine 21.30 Municipal Garden: “Seira Piemunteisa”: “I Amis” and poets sing our lands

Saturday 17 July – The threshing festival

In the night cool of the Fontanino

17.00 Piazza IV Novembre (S. Antonio) arrival of Angelo and “i soi böi” Parade and music through the village with the trio “Giannetti Folk” arriving at the Fontanino Snack of times gone by with distribution of focacce, facaccini and bread “La Ghirla” 18.30 Aperitif with vegetables from our gardens 20.00 Dinner of the threshers with ancient, substantial vegetable dishes Minestron cui tajarein e sipe id verdira – fritä e verdire rustie – salam e firmägg 21.30 Great re-enactment of the threshing of wheat Threshing with sticks – Threshing with manual machines from the 1800s Threshing with threshing machines and engines from the 1900s Country dance – music and dances of the dads and grandparents with the trio “Giannetti Folk”

Sunday 18 July – The reapers' festival

The bakers of the Mountain Community display their bread Stalls of local products – Crafts – Various events and exhibitions – Games and Music

8.30 Departure of the walk through the woods. Refreshment point along the way First Extemporaneous Painting Competition “Grognardo and its Environment” In the municipal premises, for the walkers, focaccia and wine 10.00 At the Fontanino: Breakfast of the reapers with warm focacce and ancient sweets The distribution of the “Ghirla” continues, the special bread of our festival 12.00 Tasty aperitif with fresh white wine Reaper's lunch with tagliatelle, minestrone, vegetable omelettes, focacce, sweets and wine 15.00 Piazza S. Antonio: The wizard Lermino (from Lerma) and the mousetrap (which will be released). Games for children 17.30 Church square: Stories, thoughts, music and images by M.K.G. (Mirko Grasso) with the participation of Marco Marengo. Municipal Garden: Award ceremony I.

Painting Competition “Spiga d'Argento 2010” to the bakers 18.00 Bread school: children can learn to knead and bake good bread 19.00 Rich Musical Farewell Dinner

FOR INFORMATION: Municipality of Grognardo

0144/762103

Pro Loco of Grognardo

0144/762272 0144/762127

Travel story on Grognardo: