Twentieth Annual Bondola Festival Serves 20,000 with 12 Quintals of Mortadella
From the 30 kilograms in 1981 to the 12 quintals yesterday, there are always new satisfactions offered by the now classic “Pam, bondola e vim.” At 9:55 AM yesterday, Commander Piergiorgio Rosati, at the controls of the helicopter from Alpicopter di Arco, deposited in the heart of Piazza delle Erbe — through the narrow passage offered by the picturesque and mellow sea of red-tiled roofs of the historic center — the gigantic mortadella destined to satisfy the appetites of hundreds of gourmets already waiting for the twentieth edition of “Pam, bondola e… vim,” the socio-musical-gastronomic event of Club Bacionela.
The parade and gastronomic activities
Waiting for the enormous sausage, weighing slightly over 8 quintals, together with the club volunteers led by President Gianfranco Benatti and coordinated by Secretary Giancarlo Tonelli, were the provincial tourism assessor Marco Benedetti and Mayor Cesare Malossini. The first was responsible for, while the bondolone, after the souvenir photo in the center of the square, was pushed under the covered pavilion, the opening ribbon was cut, followed by the much more challenging cut of the first slice.
The entire operation took only a few minutes but was more than enough to bring the waiting gourmets to the brink of impatience. They were subdued by the packers, who had already begun slicing the second mortadella, weighing only 3.5 quintals, and distributing richly filled sandwiches.
Results and statistics of the event
The start of production of the bondolone dropped from the sky proved providential to ensure that the already underway machine did not leave a single eager taster dry. The break between 1 PM and 3 PM allowed the festival to extend, enlivened by the music of Raft Dixieland Band, Stewart Academy Wind Band & Choir, and Crazy Sound (formerly Misantropi), until the first darkness fell.
At the end of the day, at least 20,000 mouths devoured 12 quintals of mortadella, 25,000 sandwiches, 800 liters of wine (white and red), and 600 liters of bitite. Even more remarkable are the figures from the twenty-year history, which began in the characteristic but too cramped headquarters on Concordia street, with a 30-kilogram bondola, bread, and wine in proportion.
Since then, the friends of Club Bacionela have distributed free of charge 82.8 quintals of bondola, 200,000 sandwiches, and 5,500 liters of wine and 3,000 liters of bitite. They initially paid for these themselves but gradually expanded the network of sponsors. Since 1996, when they moved to Piazza delle Erbe and launched the first giant bondola of 7 quintals, they have also received spontaneous donations from participants in the feast, deposited in green demijohns.
