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Collestatte Chestnut Festival
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By Patricia Glee Smith
Collestatte - All over Italy local festivities or sagre are held to celebrate harvests, saints or special foods. Umbria has its fair share and it's worthwhile to take the time to visit some of them; they are usually held on weekends, and sometimes there are several going on in any area at the same time. There is a lively one in Collestatte, a village in the hills of the Val Nerina in Umbria (northeast of Terni, just past the Cascatta delle Marmore, a spectacular waterfall developed in the middle ages).
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A short winding drive into the hills and Collestatte appears above you. It is decked out for its annual "festa" celebrating the local wine and roasted chestnuts. The wine flows from the ancient fountain in the main square and the chestnuts are roasted over wood fires nearby. Local dancers perform the old music and dances of the region, while specialties of the region are served up as a moveable feast, all over town (the first course served in one place, the second course in another, and so on).
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Once you are done eating, drop by the newly opened natural history museum, il Museo Magalotti. It is in a small, ancient building, and contains exquisitely presented displays of local flora and fauna, complete with exhaustive information provided by its enthusiastic staff. They are happy to answer any questions you might have and give you pointers for nature walks in this beautiful region . . a must after an afternoon's worth of wine, chestnuts, and local fare!
--contributed by Patricia Glee Smith (see bio), accomplished artist and very involved archaeology afficionado based in Otricoli, Umbria. Click here to view her artwork.
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