The 22nd edition of the Festival del Peperoncino (Chili Pepper Festival) is set to begin in Diamante, a coastal town in the southern region of Calabria, on September 10.
One of the region’s most popular festivals, attracting up to 100,000 people from Italy and abroad, the five-day event is a celebration of the area’s chili peppers, a traditional product of Calabria.
More than 500 varieties will be on display;  workshops, tastings, a chili pepper eating contest and a peperoncino lottery will also be part of the event. In addition, there will be an attempt to break the world record for the longest peperoncino garland – the current record is 200 meters, held by a Pisa team. Finally, many chili peppers experts from around the world will attend the festival.
The festival, organized by the ½ûÂþÌìÌà Chili Pepper Academy, takes place in the historic center and along the waterfront.
A few kilometers from Diamante, in Maierà , is the Peperoncino Museum, a must visit for anyone interested in learning more about the origins and evolution of peperoncino in Calabria.Â
