# Festa delle Verdure in Isnello, Madonie wild greens > Festa delle Verdure in Isnello: three April days devoted to the wild greens of the Madonie, with walks led by a botanist, farmhouse dishes and a conference. - Page: https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-delle-verdure-traditional-vegetables-isnello/ - Updated: 2026-10-19 - Other languages: [Italiano](https://www.lemadonie.it/eventi/festa-delle-verdure-isnello.md) · [Español](https://www.lemadonie.it/es/eventos/fiesta-de-las-verduras-tradicionales-de-las-madonie-isnello.md) · [Français](https://www.lemadonie.it/fr/evenements/fete-des-legumes-anciens-isnello.md) · [Deutsch](https://www.lemadonie.it/de/veranstaltungen/fest-der-traditionellen-gemuese-der-madonie.md) ## At a glance | | | |---|---| | 2026 edition | 10 – 12 April 2026 | | Where | Piazza Mazzini, old town and the countryside around Isnello, [Isnello](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/isnello/) | | Category | Nature | | Recurrence | Every year, April, two or three days | | Organiser | Pro Loco di Isnello, con il Comune di Isnello | | Price | Free entry | | Source | https://cefalunews.org/2026/04/12/le-verdure-spontanee-nel-parco-delle-madonie-biodiversita-identita-e-comunita-convegno-ad-isnello/ (checked on 2026-10-19) | ## Programme 19th edition, with the conference on the wild greens of the Madonie Park. The Festa delle Verdure Tradizionali e Antiche delle Madonie is the wild greens festival of [Isnello](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/isnello/). It is held in April, when wild fennel, borage and other wild greens grow in the fields: there are walks in the countryside with a botanist, traditional farmhouse dishes cooked by the Pro Loco and a conference on the biodiversity of the Madonie Park. In 2026 the nineteenth edition ran from 10 to 12 April. It was created by the Pro Loco of Isnello, which runs it every year with the town council. In 2024 entry was free. ## Why wild greens Between late March and the first days of April the Madonie countryside fills with edible plants. For centuries they were a resource for Isnello families, who lived from shepherding and working the land. Over the years the Pro Loco and the council have built an ethnobotanical project, with studies published by Idimed (Institute for the Mediterranean Diet) and the University of Palermo. Part of the festival is for schools. In 2026 Pro Loco members told pupils about wild greens, how they are used in cooking and their dialect names, and opened a school vegetable garden at the "Luigi Pirandello" school, which the children look after with the volunteers. "So that all this carries on and is not lost," explained mayor Marcello Catanzaro and councillor Lorena Onorato. ## The 2026 programme These were the main events, from Balarm and Madoniedintorni: - **Friday 10 April, morning**: opening of the school vegetable garden, an exhibition on food traditions linked to wild greens and a tasting prepared by students of the Cefalù catering school with the Pro Loco; - **Friday 10 April, evening**: in Piazza Mazzini, tastings of artisan products made with greens, craft beers and a concert by the Miles Jazz Club with a tribute to Mina; - **walks in the countryside**, organised by the Pro Loco and led by Professor Rosario Schicchi, director of the Palermo Botanical Garden; - **Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April**: exhibition of wild greens and tasting of farmhouse dishes cooked by Pro Loco members in the old town; - **conference "Le Verdure Spontanee delle Madonie"**, with botanists, nutritionists, doctors, tourism operators and the president of the Madonie Park authority, Giuseppe Ferrarello. At the conference Ferrarello said that wild greens are "a fundamental element in the relationship between people and the environment". If you are coming from outside, the advice is simpler: go on a walk with the botanist in the morning and eat the Pro Loco's dishes at lunch. ## Past editions The festival is held every spring, with few exceptions. In 2020 it stopped because of the lockdown; the following year the fourteenth edition took place online, as a "Social Edition" on the page of the See Isnello association, from 5 to 11 April. In 2024 the seventeenth edition was on 20 and 21 April, with the round table on Saturday, tastings on Sunday, folk dancing, street artists and a jazz street band. ## Getting there, where to stay and what to do nearby Isnello is about 21 km from Cefalù (35 minutes) and about 76 km from Palermo (1 hour 25), according to our calculation on OpenStreetMap without traffic. The sources do not mention dedicated parking. Before you set off, check the [Isnello weather](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/weather/isnello/) and bring suitable shoes for the walk in the fields. For a place to sleep there is the list of [where to stay in Isnello](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/isnello/where-to-stay/). Isnello celebrates again a few days later with the [SS. Crocifisso](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/celebrations-for-the-ss-crocifisso-isnello/), between late April and 1 May. If you love the Park's nature, see the [Madonie nature](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/nature/) section; the village's other events are among the [events in Isnello](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/isnello/events/). ## Past editions - 2024: 20 – 21 April 2024. [Source](https://www.balarm.it/eventi/week-end-del-gusto-a-isnello-c-e-la-festa-delle-verdure-antiche-delle-madonie-131214) ## Frequently asked questions ### When is the Festa delle Verdure in Isnello? The festival is held in spring, in April, when wild greens grow in the Madonie countryside. In 2026 the nineteenth edition ran from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 April; in 2024 the seventeenth took place on 20 and 21 April. The 2027 dates have not been released yet. ### What are the wild greens of the Madonie? They are edible wild plants that grow in fields and on the edges of woods, mainly between late March and early April, such as wild fennel and borage. For centuries they were a resource for shepherd and farming families. In Isnello every plant has its dialect name, which the Pro Loco also teaches in schools. ### Do you pay to take part? In 2024 the festival had free entry and the same went for the activities in the square. Some activities, such as guided walks in the countryside, may require booking: the programme is published on the channels of the Pro Loco and the Comune di Isnello. ### What do you eat at the Festa delle Verdure? Pro Loco volunteers cook traditional farmhouse dishes made with wild greens, served in the old town on Saturday and Sunday. In 2026, on Friday evening in Piazza Mazzini, there were also artisan products made with greens such as wild fennel and borage, and craft beers. ### Are there walks with an expert? During the festival the Pro Loco organises walks in the countryside to discover wild plants, led by Professor Rosario Schicchi, botanist and director of the Botanical Garden of the University of Palermo. Dates and times of the walks are in each year's programme. ### How do you get to Isnello? Isnello is about 21 km from Cefalù (35 minutes) and about 76 km from Palermo (1 hour 25), according to our calculation on OpenStreetMap without traffic. The sources on the festival do not mention dedicated parking. ## Sources - [Balarm, Festa delle Verdure tradizionali 2026](https://www.balarm.it/eventi/la-festa-delle-verdure-tradizionali-sulle-madonie-degustazioni-musica-ed-escursioni-145221) - [Madoniedintorni, XIX Festa delle Verdure spontanee (8 aprile 2026)](https://madoniedintorni.com/2026/04/08/isnello-tutto-pronto-per-la-festa-delle-verdure-spontanee/) - [Cefalunews, convegno sulle verdure spontanee (12 aprile 2026)](https://cefalunews.org/2026/04/12/le-verdure-spontanee-nel-parco-delle-madonie-biodiversita-identita-e-comunita-convegno-ad-isnello/) - [Balarm, 17ª edizione (2024)](https://www.balarm.it/eventi/week-end-del-gusto-a-isnello-c-e-la-festa-delle-verdure-antiche-delle-madonie-131214) - [Balarm, XIV Sagra delle verdure Social Edition](https://www.balarm.it/eventi/xiv-sagra-delle-verdure-social-edition-da-isnello-una-carrellata-di-sorprese-online-e-video-esclusivi-116569) --- Markdown version of the page https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-delle-verdure-traditional-vegetables-isnello/, from Le Madonie (lemadonie.it), an independent guide to the Madonie. Facts with source and date of check.