Traditional Songbird Competition Draws Enthusiasts at Cisano Festival

Enchanting melody. A choir of over 300 small songbirds took center stage yesterday morning at the «Sagra degli Osei» in Cisano. A centuries-old event for enthusiasts of a very particular kind, part of a traditional concert always held on September 8th. «A splendid morning – emphasizes Vittorio Zanoni from Castelnuovo, who has been involved in the event’s ornithological sector for years – for the singing competition. Blackbirds and thrushes, but also finches, larks, and redstarts, from the first light of dawn, have sung love songs with a series of notes that rival any choir».

Well-disposed in the shaded cages, the flock of songbirds chirped and trilled until late morning, delighting keen experts and engaging the strict jury tasked with ranking the best singers. «The overlap with other similar events in Lombardy – explains the event’s president, Alberto Salvetti – deprived us of breeders from Brescia and Bergamo. Nevertheless, we can consider ourselves satisfied with the significant turnout of the public. It encourages us to continue following the tradition, even if the event must adapt to changing times».

Indeed, a festival that has emerged from the shadow of the church bell tower, expanding along the lakeside and the Gardesana road. An extension of the market stalls from the town center to the Lido area, showcasing game bird and poultry exhibitions, agricultural-oenological equipment, and hunting weapons displays.

The highlight of yesterday was the awards ceremony for the best spring singers and the chioccolo contest, with or without the fipple. The «Marzan» plaque, the most coveted recognition, was awarded to Nicola Benvenuti from Affi, a thirty-year-old who celebrated his birthday yesterday; he is a baker by profession. «It’s a passion – the winner emphasizes – that I inherited from my grandfather and then my father, which demands considerable sacrifices. Every day, I dedicate three hours to over 100 birds that are monitored constantly; I also experience great satisfaction from the efforts».

List of awardees

For the best spring singers:
– Blackbird: 1) Guerrino Rossi (TV); 2) Rocco Grieco (BG); 3) Antonio Balasso (VI).
– Finches: 1) Vittorio Sala (MI); 2) Nicola Benvenuti (VR); 3) Luciano Erculiani (VR).
– Savi’s Warbler: 1) Tiziano Masseri (CO); 2) Raffaele Zambon (PN); 3) Giuseppe De Paola (PN).
– Bottaccio Thrush: 1) Augusto Visano (UD); 2) Romano Sala (MI); 3) Bruno De Beni (VR).
– Lark: 1) Alvio Carlini (UD); 2) Giancarlo Signorini (VR); 3) Luigi Spillare (VR).
– Tordina: 1) Nicola Benvenuti (VR); 2) Vittorio Sala (MI); 3) Alfredo Toniatti (TN).
– Indigenous-odd groups: 1) Luigi Spillare; 2) Giancarlo Signorini; 3) Sergio Spillari (all from Verona).
– Chioccolo contest: 1) Gianni Rossi (VI); 2) Giuseppe Bellotti (BG); 3) Pietro Marchesi (BG).