Hanging out at Todi’s Porchetta Festival

Back in May, I went to Todi with my husband to take part in Todi’s Porchettiamo Festival for its sixteeth edition.

Todi is a beautiful Italian hilltown in the Italian region of Umbria, and most of the festival was held on the town’s postcard-perfect medieval square, Piazza del popolo.

Porchetta is a pork roast, where then interior is scooped out and stuffed with garlic, herbs, salt and pepper.

Although porchetta is typical of central Italy, stands at the festival come from all regions of Italy, so we tried a spicy Calbrian version of this dish, served with spicy ‘Nduja, created with pork fat and chili peppers. It was an interesting taste.

But the entire square is filled with stands, so you can try porchetta prepared in numerous styles. There is also plenty of wine and beer on hand.

There are even options or those who don’t eat pork. A park at the twn’s ramparts had additional food options, including the wonderful stuffed olives of Ascoli, in neighboring Marche. Even if I was happy to eat porchetta, I kept enough space for the stuffed olives rom my favorite Ascoli Piceno shop as well!

We didn’t eat porchetta all day, however. There’s plenty to see around Todi, and we took time to walk its picturesque streets, descended down to the ancient Roman cisterns, climbed the San Fortunato belltower, and visited “Todi’s Sistine Chapel” and the beautiful seventeenth century frescoes of the bishop’s palace… all worth a visit during your visit to Todi.

If you are in Rome or Umbria next May, be sure to take time out for then Porchettiamo Festival in beautiful Todi!