Ancient Press Pasta Festival

A festival built around a tool

The Ancient Press Pasta Festival takes place in Fontana Perrelli, a hillside village in the Municipality of Minturno, in the province of Latina. Located in the far south of Lazio, where the region borders Campania and the Garigliano valley, the event's name says it all: the focus is the torchio, a manual wooden and iron press. Until a few generations ago, local women used this tool to push semolina and water dough through, creating a thick, textured pasta perfect for holding onto rich sauces.

The event, which began in the mid-2010s and has grown with each edition, is more than just a culinary evening; it is a small exercise in collective memory. The press is brought back to life in front of the public, and around it, the story of the wheat harvest and the agricultural cycle that defined life in the southern Pontine area is retold—the same rural world that comes alive every summer in Minturno during the more famous Sagra delle Regne.

The heart of the festival: rustic food stalls

From the early evening, Piazza Padre Pio hosts food stalls run by local volunteers. The undisputed star is the press-made pasta, served with traditional local sauces alongside other rustic-style dishes—simple recipes made with local ingredients. The service is classic village-festival style: long outdoor tables, generous portions, affordable prices, and a queue that becomes a social event in itself.

• Pasta made with the ancient press served with traditional rustic sauces
• Side dishes, cured meats, and cheeses from the southern Pontine region
• Local wines and homemade desserts
• Live demonstrations of the ancient press technique

Music and dancing under the stars

After dinner, the evening continues with live music: local bands and dance orchestras liven up the square until late, with a repertoire mixing ballroom music, Italian classics, and folk songs. This is the most popular part of the festival, where the square transforms into a dance floor and the event truly becomes a community celebration.

Why it's worth the trip

Minturno is a hilltop village located just a short distance from the sea, featuring a castle, medieval walls, and the nearby Minturnae archaeological site with its Roman theater. Visitors can easily combine the festival with a day of sightseeing: the coast of Scauri and Marina di Minturno is just minutes away, as are the Garigliano River and the Aurunci hills. Because it is small and organized by locals, the Fontana Perrelli festival offers a direct connection to the community that larger events often lack.

A staple of the Minturno summer

The event is part of the rich summer calendar of the Municipality of Minturno, which offers dozens of events between July and August across the historic center, Scauri, and the Roman theater. The Ancient Press Pasta Festival traditionally occupies a July evening, often a Saturday, and is designed as a short but intense celebration to be enjoyed in a single night.