Chestnut and Local Produce Festival of Norma

A tradition spanning over half a century

The Chestnut and Local Produce Festival is the signature event of Norma, a small village in the province of Latina perched high in the Lepini Mountains, in the heart of southern Lazio. Now in its 56th edition in 2025, the festival is traditionally held on the last Sunday of October, now extending to the preceding Saturday, and has for over fifty years been the moment when the entire community gathers around the fruit that defines its autumn.

The chestnut groves, the landscape, the produce

The chestnut of the Lepini Mountains is no mere folkloric excuse: the groves climbing the slopes above the village have shaped the local economy for generations and continue to provide the raw material for the festival. Alongside the roasted chestnuts, cooked on traditional braziers using a method passed down from family to family, the festival showcases the entire basket of local products from the Pontine and Lepini territory: extra virgin olive oil, cheeses, cured meats, honey, preserves, homemade desserts, and local wines.

The gastronomic trail in the historic center

The heart of the event is a food and wine trail that winds through the streets and squares of the historic center, with stands set up by local associations and regional producers. You walk from stall to stall, tasting and buying: it is the classic formula of the Italian festival, applied here to a compact village that is easily explored on foot. The main hub is Piazza 1° Maggio, from which the streets animated by the festival branch out.

Folklore, music, and street performers

The program goes beyond gastronomy. Recent editions have featured folk music groups, flag-waver performances from the districts of Cori, processions of folk groups, and shows by jugglers, stilt walkers, and fire-eaters along the village streets. There is no shortage of activities for children, with workshops, entertainment, mascots, and games that make the day perfect for families.

Norba: archaeology alongside the festival

The festival is also the best time of year to discover the heritage of Norma. The Civic Archaeological Museum and the Archaeological Park of Norba—the ancient Latin city destroyed in 81 BC and famous for its polygonal walls—remain open during the event and offer guided tours. It is a rare combination: you can go from the roasted chestnuts of the square to the cyclopean walls overlooking the Pontine Plain in just a few minutes' walk.

Why it is worth the trip

• One of the oldest and most popular autumn festivals in the province of Latina, with an estimated attendance of around 18,000 visitors.
• Free admission and tastings without reservation.
• A panoramic village overlooking the Pontine Marshes, a short distance from Latina and Rome.
• Archaeology, nature, and gastronomy all in one day.

For those who want to discover the less touristy side of Lazio, the one of hillside villages and living peasant traditions, the Norma Chestnut Festival is an event that deserves to be marked on your calendar.