Grape Festival

Every year, over a weekend in October, Capoliveri celebrates the grape harvest with the Festa dell'Uva. The village's four districts – Fortezza, Baluardo, Fosso and Torre – turn lanes and squares into scenes of life from the past and compete for the Bacco (Bacchus) trophy.

How it began

The festival was founded in 1996 by a group of Capoliveri residents from the Giuseppe Verdi cultural association, who wanted to bring back the memory of the harvests of the past. Today it is organised by the Pro Loco of Capoliveri and involves the whole village.

The districts and their scenes

Each district is named after one of Capoliveri's old fortifications and has its own colour: blue for Fortezza, red for Baluardo, green for Fosso and yellow for Torre. Every year the districts choose a historical theme and stage it in their streets, with performers in costume, workshops of old trades and, without fail, a wine cellar where grapes are pressed. An external jury visits the scenes and, on Sunday around sunset, announces the winning district.

The programme

• Friday: blessing of the district banners and games for young people.
• Saturday: tastings of Elba wines, including Aleatico, and local produce, with a traditional-dish contest between the districts.
• Sunday: parade of the districts to Piazza Matteotti, the jury's visit, the scenes opening to the public and the announcement of the winner.

Tips for visitors

• On Sunday afternoon the districts' scenes are open to the public: it is the best time to walk around the village.
• Capoliveri is a hilltop village with narrow lanes: leave the car outside the centre and walk up.
• In the evening the festival carries on in the square with music and dancing.