Faeto Ham Festival: the excellence of pork curing in the heart of the Bosco Difesa 

The Alta Valle del Celone holds one of the longest-standing food traditions in Puglia. Every year, on the first Sunday of August, the Faeto Ham Festival (Sagra del Prosciutto di Faeto) returns, a celebration born to promote the renowned local cured ham and the cured meats of the native black pig. The event attracts many visitors not only from Puglia but also from neighbouring Campania and Molise, making it a reference point for anyone looking for summer events in the villages of the Monti Dauni.

The whole festival takes place in a cool, natural setting, ideal for tastings, food stalls and local crafts. For travellers planning their summer and wondering what to do in Faeto in August, this long-standing festival is the perfect occasion to combine food culture with exploring the territory, helped by the cool air of the village at eight hundred metres above sea level.

The Ham Festival in Faeto in August: history and Franco-Provençal identity

 The Ham Festival in Faeto in August is rooted in a long pork-curing tradition, deeply linked to the cultural identity of the place. Faeto stands out as a Franco-Provençal village in Puglia, a rare linguistic and historical island in southern Italy. In this exceptional setting, the art of curing and ageing meat has been handed down for centuries, woven into the social fabric of the community.

The festival, historically dedicated to Faeto ham, a Traditional Agri-food Product (PAT) of Puglia (in dialect ffet’ d’ lu prusutte), celebrates an excellent product handed down for generations. Ageing strictly follows traditional methods, benefiting from the unique microclimate of the valley and the surrounding woods.

This annual event, supported by the Puglia Region, aims to strengthen the promotion of the territory and to obtain the prestigious PGI label for the ham, protecting an important local supply chain. Those exploring the traditional food festivals of the Daunian Subapennines will find on the producers’ stalls a rich selection of typical flavours:

• Faeto cured ham, with its unmistakable, naturally aged flavour.
• Local soppressata and lard, prepared according to old pork-curing recipes.
• Cheeses and typical products of the artisan food tradition of Daunia.

Nature and flavours: a day in the Bosco Difesa 

The event finds its ideal setting in the green, away from crowded tourist circuits, offering a perfect example of slow travel in Puglia’s inland areas. The natural area of the Faeto woods offers nature walks that combine the pleasures of the table with long, refreshing walks among majestic trees and natural springs, ideal for lovers of trekking and walking routes.

During the day, the atmosphere in the shade of the trees is made even more engaging by live music, entertainment and stalls of typical products, creating an immersive and authentic experience. The ham festival in the Monti Dauni thus combines the excellence of the table with the celebration of the surrounding environment, confirming the importance of safeguarding the intangible heritage of inland Puglia.

Discover the Alta Valle del Celone

The Ham Festival is just one of the wonders that make up Faeto’s heritage. Explore the other places, traditions and itineraries of the Alta Valle del Celone: from the history of the Franco-Provençal villages to the unspoilt nature of the Monti Dauni, from local food and wine to the routes between Faeto, Celle di San Vito and Castelluccio Valmaggiore.