Festa dei Cjarsons: Sutrio’s Ravioli Celebration in the Heart of Carnia
Each summer, Sutrio’s streets fill with butter, smoked ricotta, and dozens of sweet-and-savory ravioli, turning the mountain village into a pasta lover’s paradise.
FEASTS&FESTIVALSFRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA
Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Province / Nearest City: Udine / Sutrio (Carnia)
Title: Festa dei Cjarsons – A Mountain of Flavors in a Single Raviolo
Introduction:
On a summer Sunday in the mountain town of Sutrio, the streets are filled with the aroma of caramelized butter, smoked ricotta, and herbs plucked directly from the fields. The Festa dei Cjarsons is a big bash of Carnia's most-loved pasta, and there are opportunities for visitors to try dozens of permutations—all with a secret filling and family lore attached to each one.
Origins and Meaning:
Cjarsons are old-fashioned stuffed pasta from Friuli mountain ranges, characterised by sweet-and-savoury filling ingredients. This festival was initially created to save and promote the cooking tradition of Carnia, where there was one recipe per valley and per family. The event encourages local homecooks, restaurants and family kitchens to repropose their versions, transmitting a tradition which is as varied as the territory itself.
Event Atmosphere:
The streets of Sutrio become one large open-air kitchen with stalls along the main piazza and side streets. Each stall offers steaming plates of cjarsons with butter and ricotta affumicata, sometimes topped with sugar. Some are old-fashioned—potatoes, ricotta, mint, cinnamon—others innovative with chocolate, wild herbs, or even raisins soaked in liqueur. Traditional music, costumes, and the ringing of laughter turn the tasting into a whole community fete.
What to Expect and How to Join:
The Festa dei Cjarsons occurs sometime in late June or early July. Admission to the town is gratis, but you can purchase a tasting ticket and sample from several stalls. The portions are small enough so you can try various versions without becoming stuffed too early in the event. Local Friuli wines and local crafted beers are on offer for pairing with your tastings.
Address: Piazza Liberta, Sutrio, Udine Province
How to Get There:
By car: From Udine, follow the SS52 in the direction of Tolmezzo, then signs for Sutrio; approximately 85 km (1 hour 30 minutes).
By public transport: Buses run from Udine to Tolmezzo, with connections to Sutrio, but schedules are limited—plan ahead.
Nearby Food & Stay:
Stay in Albergo Diffuso Sutrio, a dispersed-hotel concept based on refurbished village dwellings. In addition to cjarsons, give frico (potato and cheese pancake) or orzo e fagioli (bean and barley soup) a go in local osterias.
Conclusion:
La Festa dei Cjarsons è di più di un festival gastronomico—even a cultural repository of Carnia's traditions and tastes. Go there with an open mind and empty belly and indulge in tasting the mountain regions of Carnia raviolo after raviolo.