Anise Ring Donut Festival

The festival of Viterbo's signature pastry

Every year in June, the Santa Barbara district of Viterbo transforms into a large village festival within the city: it is the Anise Ring Donut Festival, dedicated to the pastry that best embodies the local rural tradition. For an entire weekend, the parish grounds and the streets of the neighborhood fill with food stalls, outdoor tables, live music, and families: an authentic popular event that has grown edition after edition to become a staple in the Tuscia festival calendar.

A neighborhood celebrating around the parish

The festival is organized by the Santa Barbara Parish together with the District Celebration Committee, under the patronage of the Municipality of Viterbo. It is deeply rooted in the community life of the area: local chronicles recall that the festival began even before the current church was built. Since its first edition in the early nineties, the event reached its 37th edition in 2026, keeping its spirit intact: a festival created by neighborhood volunteers for the whole city, where the religious dimension—with the procession in honor of Saint Barbara—coexists with the convivial atmosphere of dinners and dance evenings.

The anise ring donut, a traditional rural pastry

The absolute star is the anise ring donut, the quintessential Viterbo pastry: a ring of dough scented with anise seeds, with a dry and fragrant texture that, in the rural tradition of Tuscia, accompanied celebrations, snacks in the fields, and glasses of wine in which it is still happily dipped today. During the festival, the donuts can be tasted and purchased fresh from the oven at the stalls, alongside local dishes served at the outdoor dinners.

What to experience at the festival

The format follows the well-established tradition of great neighborhood festivals:

• Procession through the neighborhood streets in honor of Saint Barbara, the event that traditionally opens the festivities, historically accompanied by a marching band and fireworks;
• Food stalls featuring anise ring donuts and the flavors of Viterbo cuisine;
• Outdoor dinners and dance evenings with ballroom orchestras and live music;
• Games, sports, and charity initiatives that have involved local associations like Avis over the years, with walks, tournaments, and entertainment for children.

A festival in the heart of Tuscia

The festival is also an opportunity to discover Viterbo, the capital of the province of the same name in northern Lazio: the City of Popes preserves one of the best-preserved medieval centers in Europe, featuring the San Pellegrino district, the Palace of the Popes, and the nearby thermal baths. In June, the climate is ideal for combining the Saint Barbara festival with a visit to the historic center or an excursion among the villages and lakes of the Viterbo Tuscia area.