Pro Loco: How Italians protect their traditions

You might have noticed street signs saying “Pro Loco” while walking through the picturesque towns around Lake Como, Italy. Have you ever asked yourself what that could mean?

A“Pro Loco” is an organization that is run by local volunteers to ensure that regional traditions are not forgotten. Almost every town or commune in Italy has its own “Pro Loco”, which organizes all year long events or festivities and the local “sagra”. A sagra is a festival, where local history or culinary specialities are celebrated. Popular variants are festivals for olives, wine, cheese, polenta, or in autumn for example chestnuts.

Although the main intention of “Pro Locos” is to help in keeping local traditions alive, these events are also highly frequented by tourist.  The friendly atmosphere, typical food from the area and often a few market stalls with a small range of products, welcome locals as well as visitors  giving people a reason to come together and chat over a drink.

Why not take a look at the following link for some further information on sagras in Lombardy regoin http://www.sagre.it/lombardia