Lonato Agricultural Fair Highlights Local Traditions and Research
The 43rd Regional Agricultural Fair of Lonato continues today, being the first in our region to kick off the series of trade events. A busy Sunday filled with sports, artistic, and cultural activities complementing the event, which hosts over 120 exhibitors from the agricultural, artisan, and gastronomic sectors.
Events and conferences of the event
Tomorrow evening at 8:30 PM, despite the fair closing at 10 PM tonight, a conference will be held at the municipal building on the evolution of agriculture from the 1600s to today, featuring Senator Sandro Fontana, Engineer Agostino Mantovani, and Dr. Roberto Berveglieri.
Yesterday morning, the vice-president of the regional council and Agriculture Councillor, Viviana Beccalossi, together with the Agriculture Councillor of the Province of Brescia, Gian Paolo Mantelli, cut the ribbon for the second consecutive year. Also present were Antonio Vizzaccaro, Chief of Staff to Minister Pecoraro Scanio, then the mayor of Lonato Morando Perini with the entire municipal council, the mayors of Castiglione delle Stiviere and Desenzano, and many other civic and military authorities.
Reality and values of the fair
“It’s a return to origins, to roots,” Viviana Beccalossi emphasized. “The Lonato fair has managed to maintain this identity because fairs should be festivals where the local population can meet after a year. Kudos,” she added, “to the organizers for providing space and valorizating local traditional products and organic farming.”
Consumers demand these guarantees, and the Province of Brescia is among the first in Italy to advocate for a citizens’ protection policy. Provincial Councillor Mantelli echoed this sentiment, praising Brescia’s local products.
The culture of grappa
Among these sought-after products with deep historical roots is grappa. Marino Damonti, a renowned and refined restaurateur and an avid collector of grappas, has written a valuable book about it, kept at his establishment on Via S. Giuseppe, in the heart of Lonato.
The book, titled «Grappa, a tradition not to be forgotten», maps out the Italian distilleries, which number 121 (over 600 a century ago), and traces their history through the centuries.