Chianina Steak Festival

A festival dedicated to the queen of Italian meat

Every year, during the first week of July, the small village of Lubriano, in the province of Viterbo (Lazio), becomes a landmark for Chianina beef enthusiasts. The Chianina Steak Festival, organized by the Pro Loco of Lubriano, takes over the «Giandomenico Pistonami» municipal park for four days—a well-equipped green space overlooking the Valley of the Badlands, just a few kilometers from Civita di Bagnoregio.

The event was born in 2008 and has established itself as one of the most anticipated food and wine appointments in the upper Tuscia region: a local event that has managed to grow without losing the familiar character of Lazio festivals, where volunteers serve at the tables and the embers stay lit until late at night.

The PGI Central Apennine White Veal

The heart of the festival is the promotion of the Protected Geographical Indication «Central Apennine White Veal» brand, of which the Chianina breed is the crown jewel. The Municipality of Lubriano is a founding member of the National Association of Chianina Cities, and the event follows the association's guidelines: rediscovering the historical breeding territories of the breed, recovering rural traditions, and introducing the public to a supply chain that here is not just folklore, but real economy.

The Chianina is one of the oldest and largest cattle breeds in the world, raised for centuries between Tuscany, Umbria, and upper Lazio: it is the meat of the true «fiorentina» steak, and in Lubriano, it is told before it is even served, with meetings and discussions on the future of farming.

At the table: the festival menu

The food stand offers a journey entirely built around Chianina beef. Among the dishes that return from edition to edition:

• Appetizers from the Teverina tradition, with cured meats and bruschetta;
• Pasta with Chianina ragù, slow-cooked according to the local recipe;
• Chianina stew, the humble dish that tells the story of using the whole animal;
• Grilled steak served by weight, chosen by the customer and cooked on large open embers;
• Teverina wines and products from wineries in upper Lazio.

The «by weight» steak formula, with the cut selected directly at the counter and brought to the table after cooking, is the event's signature and is what drives many visitors to arrive from Orvieto, Bagnoregio, Viterbo, and neighboring Umbria.

Live music and atmosphere

Every evening is accompanied by live music: dance orchestras, folk groups, and local bands take turns on the stage set up in the park, in a festive atmosphere that lasts until night. The Pistonami park is equipped with a children's play area and a camper area, a detail that has made the festival a popular destination for itinerant tourism.

Lubriano and the Valley of the Badlands

Visiting the festival is also an opportunity to discover Lubriano, a village of a few hundred inhabitants perched on the edge of the Valley of the Badlands. From the town's viewpoints, you can enjoy one of the most famous views in Lazio: Civita di Bagnoregio, «the dying city», suspended on its tuff spur. Those arriving for dinner can therefore spend the afternoon on scenic walks, visiting the churches of the historic center, and exploring the paths that descend towards the badlands.

The combination of landscape, gastronomic tradition, and local hospitality makes the Chianina Steak Festival one of the events that best captures the identity of the Viterbo Tuscia region in midsummer.