Sagra dell'acciuga (Italy)
Principally an agricultural town, Valverde (267 Km. from Palermo) produces grapes, citrus fruits, vegetables, olives, and fruit. The "sagra dell'acciuga" (anchovy festival) is characteristic, held in the month of August. The municipality counts 6.699 inhabitants. It rises on a hill area, 305 meters above sea-level.
Period: August.
For more information, contact: Valverde Town Hall, tel. ++39 095-524065 fax. ++39 095-525161.
Montechiaro d’Acqui (Italy)
Napoleon travelled through this region, and the area was once home to the famous Salt Way, a route for merchants peddling this once-valuable commodity throughout Europe. Although miles from the sea, the nearly village of Montechiaro d'Acqui holds an anchovy festival every summer to remember a devious merchant who avoided paying the high tax on salt by topping up his salt barrels with a layer of anchovies. To this day anchovies play an important part in the local cuisine.
Period: Unknown.
For more information, contact:
The Festa de l'Anxova (Spain)
Costa Brava is the name given to the Catalan coast which runs from the Spanish-French border to the mouth of the Tordera, between the towns of Portbou and Blanes. Between the headlands are small secluded coves and beaches with pine groves running down to the waters edge and long sandy beaches which provide a contrast in scenery. At the southern end of the Gulf of Roses is L'Escala, a seafaring town and long established fishing port, L'Escala has the charm of a sheltered coast.
The Festa de l'Anxova (Anchovy Festival) offers a sample of the town's maritime traditions. L'Escala is renowned for its anchovies, which are still cured and salted in the same way as the Romans did them two millennia ago. Carnival is celebrated the weekend before Ash Wednesday. The fun starts on Friday evening when King Carnestoltes arrives in the town and declares that during Carnival "tot s'hi val" (anything goes!). There are dances every evening each requiring a different fancy dress costume. On Saturday the children all dress up and parade around the town before going to a children's dance. On Sunday there is the main parade with floats and lots of colourful costumes. The festivities end on the Tuesday evening with Carnestoltes being burnt and the symbolic burial of the anchovy.
Period: February-March.
For more information, contact: Tourist Bureau, l'Escala-Empúries.
Anchoiäde de bienvenue aux vacanciers (France)
Located in a beautiful area with sun, lavender and cicadas, the town of Le Lavandou is located at the foot of the Massif des Maures in the heart of the Côte d'Azur, the Mediterranean coastal region of the south of France. In early August, at the start of the summer holiday, it holds an Anchoiäde de bienvenue aux vacanciers (Welcome Anchovy Bake) outdoors at the Place H. Adam.
Period: early August.
For more information, contact: Entertainment/Events Department, Le Lavandou, Avenue de la Grande Bastide - F-83980 Le Lavandou, Tel: +33 (0)4 94 00 41 72 - Fax: + 33 (0)4 94 71 83 38, or Tourist Bureau, Le Lavandou.
Anchovy Festival (Spain)
Rincon de la Victoria, one of the villages around Malaga, Spain, hosts an Anchovy Festival each fall. Since the 1960s Malaga has been one of the biggest beach resorts in the Costa del Sol. The city's coastal area is divided into three routes, one of which is The Route of the Anchovy, along the promenade of El Palo.
Period: October.
For more information, contact: Town Hall +3495240 23 00; or try this tourist-friendly site, Malaga.us.
We have heard of Anchovy festivals in Turkey and elsewhere. As we develop pertinent information, we will post it here.
