Ferragosto is over! It's harvest time. This is a great time for feste and sagre.
For the uninitiated (or those new to this site), according to wikipedia, a sagra (plural: sagre) is a local festival, very often involving food, that often ties in with a historical pageant or sporting event, such as a joust or a horse race (where it is called a palio). From May onwards, the number of sagre and feste increases, almost exponentially, until around November time, when it trails off as Italians huddle next to the fire and wait for Ballando con le stelle to come on the TV.
I love sagre and feste. I think they are one of the best things about Italy. They combine local food, history and culture, and moreover, they are a great day out.
Here's my selection of the sagre and feste happening in Lazio over the month of September. There are many more happening throughout Rome and Lazio. To find out more, check out the LazioExplorer twitter feed and facebook page for updates on other sagre and feste this month.
Oktoberfest
13th-22nd September - Rieti, Prov. di Rieti
Fancy a bit of Germany? No, not in Munich, but in Rieti, from the 13th to the 22nd September. In its 8th year, this festival, which is one of the largest beer festivals in central Italy, will play host to over 15,000 people, with music, DJ sets, authentic Bavarian dishes (roasted piglets and pretzels), and, most importantly, certified 'augustiner munchen' beer. What's more to like? All this takes place in the Edelbier pub, which is actually housed in a palace that was built in the 1700s.
Festa dei Santi Marciano e Giovanni
13-23rd September - Civita Castellana, Prov. di Viterbo
(Main days 16th- 18th)
The whole of Civita Castellana comes alive in this festival of the two saints of Civita, Marciano and Giovanni. Starting on the 13th, and incorporating a city-wide holiday (on the 17th), the city plays hosts to religious celebrations, fairground and a market, live music, fashion shows (this year's highlight is a dog fashion parade...), and much more. An overview of this year's program (in Italian) can be found here. If you want more information about Civita Castellana, so you can make a full day of it, click through to my post on Civita.
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| Civita gets busier than this, but is no less pretty for it |
14th-16th and 21-23rd September - Oriolo Romano, Prov. di Viterbo
Oriolo Romano, about 40km northwest of Rome, 30km south of Viterbo, is the place to be for mushrooms. Head to the splendid setting of Piazza Umberto I° for olive oil, wine, meats, cheeses, and homemade pasta, all accompanied by locally-foraged mushrooms. There will be live music and street performances every evening, so get there early to get a good seat. More information (in Italian) can be found here.
Sapori di Mare
21st-23rd September - Sperlonga, Prov. di Latina
Three days of fish. I love that. OK, OK, you may not like fish like I like fish, but, if you're in the area and you fancy a cheap, locally-sourced meal, you could do worse than heading down to Piazza Fontane for a taste of the sea. As usual with sagre, it's not just about the food. There's also stalls with local food and wine, plus, a little randomly, a salsa band playing Cuban and Latin beats, a blues night, and events to keep the kids entertained. What's not to like, unless you don't like seafood that is. More information, and the full programme (in Italian), can be found here.
15th Sagra della polenta
22nd-23rd September - Villa Santa Lucia, Prov. di Frosinone
Prefer polenta to fish? Get down to Villa Santa Lucia (near Cassino) on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd for all the polenta you can eat. The polenta itself is served at 9pm on each day, but there is live music, exhibitions and demonstrations throughout the evening. The Sunday is also filled with demonstrations of farm animals and agricultural vehicles. The full schedule can be found here.
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| Polenta with beans |
Buone sagre a tutti!
Photo credits (click the link):
Weissbier
Civita Castellana
Fungo porcino
Polenta
