Arcinazzo Romano Chestnut Festival

The Arcinazzo Romano Chestnut Festival

The Chestnut Festival is the most iconic autumn event in Arcinazzo Romano, a small village of just over a thousand inhabitants nestled on the Altipiani di Arcinazzo, at an altitude of about 830 meters, in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the heart of Lazio. Surrounded by the Simbruini, Ernici, and Affilani mountains, the village has celebrated this event for over half a century as the most anticipated moment of the year: an event that reached its 51st edition in 2025, a sign of a deep-rooted and unbroken tradition.

The marrone, king of autumn

The absolute star is the Altipiani marrone, a premium variety of chestnut grown in the woods covering the slopes of the Simbruini Mountains. Larger, sweeter, and more fragrant than the common chestnut, the marrone is the symbol of local identity and the foundation of a small rural economy based on harvesting, selection, and processing. During the festival, it can be found in a thousand forms: steaming roasted chestnuts prepared along the streets of the center, artisanal desserts, jams, creams, and chestnut liqueurs, as well as typical dishes of the Lazio mountain cuisine.

A festive weekend

For the entire duration of the event, the village comes alive around Piazza San Giorgio and the small squares of the historic center, where the food stalls and main entertainment are concentrated. The program, which is renewed every year, has always intertwined some fixed ingredients:

• Stalls and tastings dedicated to the marrone and local products;
• Live folk and traditional music, with dance evenings in the squares;
• Trekking and guided excursions in the chestnut groves and along the trails of the Simbruini Mountains;
• Craft markets and local excellence;
• Visits to the village and its churches, to discover the history and landscapes of the Altipiani.

The atmosphere is that of a genuine village festival: the scent of roasted chestnuts mixing with music, families strolling among the stalls, and the volunteers of the Pro Loco and local associations keeping the celebration alive. It is no coincidence that the event attracts visitors every year from all over the province of Rome and the nearby Ciociaria.

Arcinazzo Romano and its Altipiani

Known as a small mountain resort just a few kilometers from Rome, Arcinazzo Romano is immersed in pristine nature made of chestnut woods, beech forests, and wide plateaus. The festival is the ideal opportunity to combine the pleasure of good food with an autumn trip in the open air, amidst relaxation, tradition, and the discovery of one of the most evocative corners of the Apennine Lazio. An appointment that, edition after edition, continues to tell the deep bond between this community and its forest.