Do as the Veronese do — fall in love with gnocchi! Especially on this one special day, always during Carnival on the final Friday before Lent. This year, that's February 21.
History comes to life each year in Verona, as one man is honored to dress the part of Papá di Gnocco and lead the parade, holding an enormous fork with pride, as if it were a veritable king’s scepter.
Why? It is said that back in 1531, there was a severe famine that brought skyrocketing flour prices. Those who suffered the most were the poorest people, in particular, the residents of San Zeno, Verona. The risk of death became a sad reality for many of them.
Thomas De Vico, a noble man of Verona, took to heart the situation and collected enough money to provide the gnocchi (one of the main dishes consumed at the time by the poor people). When Thomas De Vico died, he left an important sum of money in his will, to be distributed each year to the residents of San Zeno, for wine and gnocchi on this day, the last Friday of Carnevale.