Poggibonsi hosts Palio del Pigio grape-crushing festival

The Palio del Pigio, a traditional grape-crushing festival in Poggibonsi, is holding its 2026 edition. The event, organized by the Associazione dei Rioni di Poggibonsi, celebrates local agricultural heritage through a competitive grape-crushing contest where participants use their feet in large wooden vats to extract must.

Winners compete for the prestigious ‘Boccioni’ trophies. The festival was founded 22 years ago in 2004 by Alessio Berni and a group of local enthusiasts. Although the intellectual property of the event was donated to the Municipality of Poggibonsi in 2012, the festival remains a central identity symbol for the community.

A key element of the tradition is the ‘Inno de Il Pigio’, an anthem composed by Alessio Berni and Duccio Limberti that is played before the competitions begin.