Pastrengo Celebrates Local Culture, Events, and Gastronomy in Spring
Pastrengo will be at the center of events and gatherings for a month. From the inaugural gala on April 27th to the grand gala on May 19th, Pastrengo will relive the Carica dei Carabinieri on April 30th. It will also host, for the second year, Le corti storiche, a reenactment of late nineteenth-century arts and crafts, with tastings of Baldo cheeses, along with two new features: the opportunity to taste the asparagus, the local seasonal delicacy, paired with Garda extra virgin olive oil and Bardolino DOC wine, and the chance to win a limited edition, numbered commemorative bottle.
Events and Festivals
From May 11th to 13th, the fifth edition of La-go Rock Festival will be held. Giorgio Benamati, mayor of Pastrengo, briefly reflects on the significance of the event: «Pastrengo is so connected to its history, the Carabinieri are so close to Pastrengo. It is an undeniable and inseparable bond that has revived and showcased the courage and significance of the Carabinieri for 153 years. Our festival is a people’s celebration rooted in tradition and the community’s sensibility. These events harmonize well within a homogeneous territory, one to be promoted, such as Cavaion and Rivoli, where resources, products, and wealth share the same vitality.»
A celebration close to the heart of Marco Zaninelli, Commissioner of the Azienda provinciale turismo Riviera degli Olivi, who frames it within local initiatives: «These events offer historical, cultural, musical, sporting, traditional, and gastronomic insights, of local and regional interest: additional services that the inland areas can and should provide for the lake and its tourists, creating a comprehensive promotion in collaboration with local authorities, the Apt, and the Chamber of Commerce.»
Emphasizing then the promotion of seasonal products, which should be favored throughout the year, Zaninelli introduces a new initiative: «And now the Asparagus Road is born, connecting the towns of Rivoli, Cavaion, and Pastrengo. Soon, Garda asparagus will also be established.»
Promotion of Territory and Local Productions
Shared sentiments and directions are evident, even in the words of Fabio Poggi, president of the Associazione strade del vino e dell’olio. «Our wine, Bardolino DOC, should serve as a backdrop to showcase the territory, alongside extra virgin olive oil; because by selling wine and oil, we promote the territory. A network of ideas and innovations must be created, involving restaurateurs, public administrators, and producers, to expand the tourist offer.»
This view is supported and reinforced by Claudio Valente, representative of the Camera di Commercio and a staunch supporter of local producers. «The fortunate idea of this event is that it combines architectural and landscape beauty with the quality of local products and foods. We are increasingly facing an intelligent tourist who is also an informed consumer.»
Then Armando Luchesa, mayor of Rivoli, with his proposal: «We welcome with enthusiasm the Asparagus Road and propose the Fortifications Route, starting from Rivoli, passing through Cavaion and Pastrengo, and ending in Peschiera del Garda.» A subtle challenge was also issued by Giancarlo Sabaini, mayor of Cavaion: «It is commendable that the protagonist of our May 2001 is the local asparagus. But we must make a greater effort: invite restaurants to serve the genuine, local, and verified product. Our new ‘charge’ will be to revitalize this typical product, increasingly rare in restaurants, often imitated and counterfeited.»
Finally, Carlo Rigoni, president of the Circolo artistico La Carica, introduced the national poetry contest: «After twenty-one years of a national painting competition, this year the Circolo proposes the first poetry contest, divided into three sections: Italian language, Venetian dialect, and historical theme. The contest, sponsored by the Municipality of Pastrengo, the Region, the Province, the Apt “Riviera degli Olivi,” and the newspaper L’Arena, has already received 250 poems from across Italy.»
The official inauguration will take place next Saturday in Piazza Carlo Alberto.