Missoltino — agone caught, salted and air-dried following a method handed down through generations of fishermen — is one of Lake Como’s most distinctive culinary specialities. There is no single place to discover it: the tradition is shared by several fishing villages around the lake, and resurfaces every summer in village festivals that celebrate the craft. This itinerary suggests two stops, at different points in the summer season.
Dervio, the capital of agone
In Dervio, the Sagra del Misultin is held at Parco Boldona, on the lakefront, generally between late June and early July. Besides meals featuring misultin, the festival offers a display on turning agone into misultin, a free boat ride on the traditional “Lucie” boats, and an aquarium with local fish species — enough for one of its organisers to call the village “the capital of agone”.
Mezzegra, since 1964
In Mezzegra, a hamlet of Tremezzina, the Sagra del Missoltino is one of the lake’s longest-running food festivals: inaugurated in 1964, it reached its fifty-ninth edition in 2024. It is generally held in late August, with two evenings of open kitchens, grilled missoltini with toasted polenta, and live music.
The same preservation method — cleaning, salting, air-drying threaded on strings, and pressing into a tin with bay leaves — is shared by several other fishing villages on the lake, from Bellagio to Tremezzo and as far as Domaso.
Practical information
- The two festivals are held at different points in the summer, not on the same weekend: Dervio between late June and early July, Mezzegra in late August. Exact dates change from year to year: for the current calendar, refer to the respective municipalities and Pro Loco associations.
- Both events take place in an open-air public park, with kitchens and a dining area.