Discover what to do in Grumolo delle Abbadesse: Villa Chiericati, the rice festival, the steak festival. Want to know more? First of all…
Where is Grumolo delle Abbadesse?
The municipality of Grumolo delle Abbadesse borders Gazzo to the north, Montegalda to the south, Camisano Vicentino and Grisignano di Zocco to the east, and Torri di Quartesolo and Longare to the west.
Villa Chiericati
Located in the hamlet of Vancimuglio on Via Nazionale (45.50313476183604, 11.644130083931039), the spectacular Palladian mansion stands isolated in the boundless rural scenery of an agricultural estate bordered by clear canals and lush hedges.
Flanked by a massive porticoed rustic building, the Renaissance stately residence is divided vertically into three sectors, the central one of which, advanced relative to the lateral ones, features a grand pronaos rhythmically marked by four Ionic columns, accessible via a white staircase.
Completing the vertical development of the structure is the dentilled triangular pediment surmounted by solemn statues depicting mythological and legendary figures.
Facing Via Nazionale, the majestic wrought-iron gate is enclosed between two massive red brick structures in which, framed by semi-columns, two niches open with two white statues: on the left, a male figure displays an object in his left hand which, stretched upward, escapes the perimeter of the semicircular space, creating a suggestive and dynamic perspective effect that seems to animate the sculpture with life of its own. On the right, a woman holds an object at her side, perhaps a cornucopia.
Through the sharp spikes of the gate, arranged to form an elegant wavy profile crowned with teardrop-shaped tips, one glimpses a frontal view of the long avenue leading to the distant façade of the sixteenth-century building, behind which the profile of the Piccole Dolomiti fades on the horizon.
Betrayed by the lush overgrown vegetation that climbs and envelops the steps and columns, the state of neglect in which Villa Chiericati unfortunately lies gives the structure an aura of decadent charm that makes it even more romantic.
the Tagliata festival
The Tagliata festival takes place every year in July in the hamlet of Sarmego. The 2022 edition was held from July 1 to 6.
An unmissable appointment for food lovers, the fair will allow you to savor exquisite dishes based on Sorana, a cow under twenty months of age. If you can’t resist specialties based on tender, flavorful meat with a pink and juicy heart and a brown, slightly crunchy crust, or you want to enjoy a nice plate of gnocchi with ragù or bigoli in sauce accompanied by craft beer and top-quality wines, the long-awaited summer festival will certainly be for you!
The event also includes dance evenings to the rhythm of traditional dance orchestras and tribute rock bands, as well as breathtaking fireworks displays.
The rice festival
The traditional event takes place every year in September in Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII. The 2022 edition was held from September 16 to 20.
Reclaimed starting from the 11th century by the Benedictine nuns of the Abbey of San Pietro di Vicenza, the green plain marked by long rows of cypress poplars offers pleasant panoramic views of the charming village renowned for rice cultivation, introduced to these places in the 16th century.
The event promotes the value of biodiversity both through the rich menu, whose undisputed protagonist is the exquisite ‘Risotto dea Badessa’ (Abbess’s risotto), and through locally produced rice varieties such as Vialone Nano and Carnaroli, available at the Grumolo farmers’ market.
If you are wondering what to do in Grumolo delle Abbadesse and wish to immerse yourself in the bygone atmosphere of a centuries-old country fair among glasses of wine, mugs of beer, and exquisite dishes, the rice festival is an opportunity not to be missed!
