Bread, Oil and...

The green gold of the Sabina in celebration

In mid-November, when the valley's olive mills work day and night and the village air is scented with freshly pressed oil, Montelibretti opens its historic centre for "Bread, Oil and...", the event that has been showcasing the extra virgin olive oil of the Roman Sabina for nearly twenty years. We are in the province of Rome, in the Lazio region, just over forty kilometres from the capital, in a landscape of ancient olive groves that rises gently towards the Lucretili Mountains.

The formula has remained unchanged over the years, and that is precisely its strength: no big stages or expensive shows, but the product at the heart of everything. Wood-fired bread, new oil poured while still cloudy and with that characteristic peppery bite, and the ellipsis in the title that leaves room for everything else the territory has to offer — cheeses, cured meats, Lazio IGT wines, and homemade desserts.

An ancient olive-growing tradition

Sabina oil is among the oldest in Italy and has obtained the Sabina PDO designation, a recognition that protects a production documented since Roman times. There are four main cultivars, which are explained at every tasting stand: the rustic and typical Carboncella, the Frantoio, the Salviana, and the Leccino. Their combination creates a balanced extra virgin oil with a medium fruitiness and a slightly spicy finish, which local producers bring to the square to share directly with the public.

What to find in the village

For two days, the main street is closed to traffic and transforms into a long open-air market. The recurring sections of the event include:

• Olive Oil Square: local mills and olive farms present their extra virgin, PDO, and organic oils, with guided tastings;
• Oil Itinerary: guided tours of active olive mills, with a free shuttle service, to follow the journey of the olives from harvest to cold pressing and taste the new oil on bruschetta;
• Art and Memories Market: stalls featuring crafts, gift items, and local products;
• Street food: stations serving bruschetta, arrosticini, grilled meats, cured meats and cheeses, and traditional sweets;
• Dedicated menus in the village restaurants and taverns, built around the new oil;
• Children's activities, workshops, photography exhibitions, and folk music in the squares.

The village hosting the festival

Montelibretti is worth a visit even beyond the festival. The village preserves its medieval layout around Palazzo Barberini and the Church of San Nicola, and from its viewpoints, the gaze wanders over the Sabina countryside to the profile of the mountains. The main squares — Piazza della Repubblica, where the information point is usually located, and Piazza Chiesa Nuova — are the two hubs around which the event revolves.

A community event

"Bread, Oil and..." is not a tourist-trap event: it is organized by the Pro Loco Montelibretti, with the help of local volunteers, millers, and shopkeepers. The result is a convivial celebration where visitors from Rome find the same warm welcome as those from neighbouring Sabina towns, and where questions about acidity, harvesting, or oil storage always find someone ready to answer.

When to go

The event traditionally falls on a weekend in mid-November, open from morning until evening. It is the best time of year to buy new oil directly from the mill, often at better prices than in supermarkets, and to combine the visit with a tour of the Sabina area, including Palombara Sabina, Moricone, and Nerola.