The port city of Livorno invites the public to visit the city this weekend, August 22-24, for its Cacciucco Pride Festival. The star of the festival is the iconic dish of Livorno, cacciucco, a hearty seafood stew, not surprising with its history of fishing and shipping.
During the weekend, visitors will find performances, tastings, music, artisans and local color all for their enjoyment. The organizers aim to promote tourism and introduce folks to Livorno’s culture and its culinary specialty.
Traditionally, the spicy seafood stew evolved on whatever the fisherman caught that day and particularly what his wife prepared from the fish not sold at market. Other similar seafood dishes, bouillabaisse from Provencal, Spanish zarzuela, Greek kakavia, and caldeirada from Portugal, originated in the same way. In San Francisco Italian-American fishermen conceived cioppino, flavored with a wine and tomato broth and containing the Dungeness crab found in the San Francisco Bay. A Vietnamese sweet and sour fish stew, Canh Chua Ca’, includes bean sprouts, elephant ear mushrooms, pineapple, okra, tomato and tamarind. Livorno’s cacciucco traditionally encompassed five kinds of fish and seafood for the five Cs in the name, seasoned with a broth of onions, tomatoes, leeks, garlic, fennel and bay leaf as well as crushed red pepper.
During the weekend Piazza Mazzini becomes “Cacciucco Village” with many exhibits and activities. Artisans and restaurants display their best with marching bands and educational presentations alongside. “Shark Free Cacciucco”, an EU program to raise awareness of the creatures and their endangered status, maintaining they are “not dangerous but in danger.”
Shops and restaurants remain open late all three evenings.
On Friday at 9:30 pm Lynn Drury, singer, songwriter and guitarist from New Orleans, performs her mélange of blues, folk, rock, reggae and voodoo reminiscent of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Local musicians join her on the stage at Cacciucco Village in Piazza Mazzini for a lively performance.
On Saturday evening, the restaurant Alle Vettovaglie hosts Samuele Borso’, known as a “One Man Show”, during the dinner hour beginning at 8:30 pm. The restaurant, located in the Mercato Centrale, is known for its cacciucco as well as crostino cacciuccato and offers many local versions of seafood. For reservations, call +39 347/748/7020.
The festival culminates on Sunday at 9 pm in Piazza Mazzini with a DJ set with DJ Raffalli. (rita kungel)
For further information and schedule of events, see the festival website: https://cacciuccopridelivorno.it/
