Arrosticino Festival

A festival born in the shadow of the Castello Orsini

The Arrosticino Festival is one of the most successful new additions to the 2026 summer season in the town of Fiano Romano, located in the Metropolitan City of Rome, in the Lazio region. The inaugural edition took place on June 19 and 20, 2026, in Piazza Caduti di Nassiriya, the square opening up at the foot of the Castello Ducale Orsini, the historic heart of the village. The concept is simple and effective: bring the signature dish of the Abruzzese pastoral tradition—the arrosticino—to a Lazio square and build two evenings of celebration around it for everyone to enjoy.

The arrosticino: a ritual, not just a dish

The arrosticino is more than just a skewer of cubed lamb: it is a ritual originating from Abruzzo's shepherds, which spread throughout Central Italy thanks to transhumance, the seasonal movement of flocks that for centuries linked the pastures of Abruzzo to the Roman countryside. Fiano Romano, overlooking the Tiber Valley and historically crossed by these pastoral routes, has a far from coincidental connection to this specialty. At the festival, the arrosticini are cooked on the traditional elongated grill, known as a fornacella, and served piping hot, accompanied by fries, bread, and other delicacies.

The program of the first edition

Both evenings followed the same schedule, designed for families and groups of friends:

• Friday, June 19 — food stands open at 7:00 PM; at 9:00 PM, a dance performance by the Urban Artists school.
• Saturday, June 20 — food stands open at 7:00 PM; at 9:00 PM, a performance by the Fusion Academy school, followed by a DJ set by DJ Marco until the end of the evening.

Next to the stands, a children's play area was set up, making the event particularly suitable for local families.

Organizers

The festival is promoted by the Ragazzi del Mazzafrusto association in collaboration with A.S.D. Cavalli sotto la Torre, two highly active local groups, with the patronage of the Municipality of Fiano Romano. The event is part of the Estate Fianese 2026 program, the municipal festival that brings squares, parks, and streets to life from June to September with concerts, food festivals, open-air cinema, and activities for children.

The atmosphere

Attendees describe a village festival in the best sense of the term: long outdoor tables, cheerful queues in front of the grills, the historic center illuminated, and the massive castle acting as a backdrop. There are no imposing stages or big-name headliners, but rather a sense of conviviality that is exactly what one looks for in a summer festival in Lazio: good food, affordable prices, and staying in the square until late.

Why it's worth the trip

Fiano Romano is located just over thirty kilometers from Rome, making it reachable in half an hour by car from the capital via the A1 motorway exit. An evening at the Arrosticino Festival can easily be combined with a visit to the Castello Ducale Orsini, walks along the Tiber, or a detour to the nearby archaeological site of Lucus Feroniae. As this was the first edition, the event is still young, but the public success of 2026 suggests it will soon become a permanent fixture on the summer calendar in Fiano.