The Gnoccata is a traditional festival held in Guastalla every three years: it commemorates the popular uprising that took place in the mid-19th century , when townspeople protested against the oppressive tax on milled grain.

The event recalls that very insurrection, when a group of millers and scholars - joined by common folk - gathered in a satirical procession to celebrate the imagined advent of a new, just and benevolent king who would restore fairness across these lands. The revolt culminated in a popular feast, during which traditional gnocchi were distributed - soft, thick dumplings made from milled wheat flours, potatoes and eggs. In its symbolic meaning, the celebration concluded with the crowning of the "new king", renewing the people’s hope for a brighter, fairer age that would relieve the communities of the Bassa Reggiana from their misery.