Cancelli Snail Festival

A peasant festival in the heart of the Apennines

The Cancelli Snail Festival takes place every summer in the hamlet of the same name, Cancelli, a small mountain locality in the Municipality of Fabriano, in the province of Ancona, in the Marche Region. Nestled in the hilly landscape of the Fabriano Apennines, the event is one of the most deeply rooted gastronomic events in the Ancona hinterland: with over forty years of history, it represents a moment of celebration and community for the inhabitants of the hamlet and for the numerous visitors who reach Cancelli every year.

The snail, queen of the table

The absolute protagonist of the festival is the snail, prepared according to traditional local recipes, generally with tomato sauce and local herbs. Alongside the signature dish, the food stalls offer a rich menu of Marche and Apennine peasant cuisine.

• Snails cooked according to the traditional recipe
• Grilled castrated lamb
• Local cured meats board with crescia
• Gnocchi with goose sauce
• Monte Maggio tagliatelle and river prawn tagliatelle
• Mixed fried fish

Origins and tradition

The festival was born in the early eighties from the associative will of a group of citizens of Cancelli, united in a recreational association. Today the event is organized by the C.R.A.L. Domenico Bilei and has established itself as a fixed event of the Fabriano summer, capable of combining the valorization of a typical dish with the conviviality typical of village festivals.

Atmosphere and entertainment

In addition to the gastronomic part, the evenings are enlivened by live music, dance orchestras, and entertainment for all ages, in a genuine and family atmosphere. The stalls generally open in the evening, transforming the small hamlet into a meeting point for the entire valley.

Cancelli and the territory of Fabriano

Visiting the Snail Festival is also an opportunity to discover a little-known corner of the Marche: the hamlet of Cancelli is located in the mountainous territory of the Municipality of Fabriano, a city famous for its handmade paper production and its medieval historic center. Its location, close to the border with Umbria, makes the festival a draw for visitors from neighboring provinces as well.