Cantine Riaperte

A village that reopens its cellars

There is a moment every summer when Fumone stops being just the famous panoramic village in the province of Frosinone and transforms into a large open-air tavern. It happens when the ancient cellars carved beneath the houses of the historic center—spaces mostly closed for the rest of the year—light up to welcome visitors. This is the essence of Cantine Riaperte, an event promoted by the Municipality of Fumone in collaboration with the Pro Loco Fumone degli Ernici APS.

The name says it all: it is not just about opening doors, but about reopening places that belong to the collective memory of the town. The cellars, once the heart of the domestic and agricultural life of the Ernici families, regain their original function for one night as spaces for meeting, storytelling, and sharing.

A food and wine trail in the historic center

The formula is simple and effective: you walk. Visitors wander through the alleys and stairways of the village, moving between arches and panoramic squares, and at every stop, they find an open cellar with its own offerings. Local wine is the common thread, but the route is above all a journey into the cuisine of Ciociaria: handmade pasta, legumes, local cured meats and cheeses, and traditional desserts, largely prepared by the Pro Loco volunteers.

Those who know Fumone know that its charm also lies in the setting: the village dominates the Sacco Valley from an altitude of over 700 meters, and summer evenings here are cooler than in the valley below. Exploring the cellars while catching glimpses of the nocturnal panoramas of Ciociaria is an integral part of the experience.

Folk music as a soundtrack

The tastings are never silent. The route is accompanied by folk music performances, with roaming groups moving between the squares and rest points: accordions, tambourines, and traditional central Italian songs. Over the years, groups such as Gruppo Folk Fumone, Arantiqua, Trallallero, Cavesja, and Saltaralla have solidified the sonic identity of the event: no monumental stages, just music that travels through the town and sweeps up passersby.

The Summer Calendar in Fumone

Cantine Riaperte is not an isolated event. It typically marks the opening of the summer season for the Municipality of Fumone, a program that runs until the end of August with dance performances, sporting events, book presentations, concerts, theater, activities for children, painting exhibitions, the Fumone Birra Fest, and the Dinner under the Stars. The cellar event thus serves to kick off the season and draw residents, returning emigrants, and visitors to the town.

A recovered tradition

The festival has roots in the town's historical events and, after some interruptions, was deliberately revived thanks to the volunteer work of the Pro Loco and the support of the municipal administration. Mayor Matteo Campoli and Pro Loco President Michele Cecchetti have repeatedly emphasized that this event is a symbol of a community that knows how to open up and welcome, capable of uniting history, culture, food, and social life.

When it takes place

The date is not fixed: the event has historically been held in July, but it has also been scheduled in September (as in the 2025 edition, on September 5th), before returning to early July in 2026. It is therefore advisable to check the channels of the Municipality of Fumone and the Pro Loco each year. The start time is traditionally set around 8:30 PM, when the heat of the day has faded and the village lights up.

Why it is worth the trip

• An intact medieval village, among the most scenic in southern Lazio, visitable in the evening in a festive atmosphere
• Authentic Ciociaria cuisine, prepared by volunteers rather than commercial stands
• Live and roaming folk music, with no barriers between the audience and the musicians
• A genuine village atmosphere, where the visitor is welcomed more as a guest than a customer
• The free shuttle service that solves the main problem of a hilltop village: parking