The national ‘Primi piatti’ festival in Foligno: a sell-out event attracting over 100,000 visitors
From 24 to 27 September, the town in Umbria will host a festival dedicated to first courses. A round-up of recipes from the coast to the mountains, from pasta to rice. A record turnout is expected
Key points
There is hardly anything that can better capture the essence of Italia, its diversity and its traditions than a first course. This is because it can be made with seafood, evoking coastal regions, or feature produce from the land, the woods and the mountains. It is usually based on pasta, the queen of the Italian table, but it can also be based on rice, another product deeply rooted in Italian culture and in the production of which Italia remains the European leader. Although the ‘main course’ in international cuisine is the second course, in Italian cuisine the main course remains the first. It is called this not only because of its place in the sequence of the meal, but also because, for many Italians, it is the dish that defines the meal.
For the past 27 years, that is to say since 1999, first courses have had their own national festival: I Primi d’Italia , held every year in Foligno (Perugia). The 2026 edition of I Primi d’Italia was unveiled last night in Rome and will take place from 24 to 27 September in the Umbrian town, which is aiming for a sell-out.
200 companies and 60 chefs in attendance, with over 100,000 visitors expected
Launched in the late 1990s with the aim of promoting pasta as a symbol of the nation’s culinary culture, the festival has grown over the years to include over 200 companies, 60 chefs, 119,000 organised tastings and 106,000 visitors at the last edition (almost double the town’s population of 55,000), offering a comprehensive tour of the most representative pasta shapes and traditions from each region, whilst awarding a special prize to leading professionals who have distinguished themselves in their field over the course of the year.
“For 26 years,” commented Aldo Amoni, president of Epta Confcommercio Umbra and organiser of the event, Aldo Amoni – *I Primi d’Italia* has been showcasing our country through the extraordinary variety of regional traditions linked to first courses, highlighting time-honoured knowledge, producers and leading figures in contemporary cuisine. Foligno reaffirms its status as a meeting point for those who wish to savour Italia on a journey through its cuisine and the region’s natural beauty, which continues to convey the value of Italia’s gastronomic heritage to new generations as well.”
11 ‘Villaggi del Gusto’ ready
At the heart of this 27th edition are once again the historic taverns of the Rioni della Quintana, which, over the course of the four days, will be transformed into Villaggi del Gusto, 11 tasting areas in Foligno’s historic centre, where visitors can sample recipes, discover specialities and meet producers from different parts of the country. From Mantua-style tortelli to classic Umbrian, Romagna and Sicilian dishes, to specialities from the coast and the mountains, right through to pasta dishes featuring truffles, as well as gluten-free and vegan options.
