Christmas Market and Padellaccia Festival

A festival that opens the Christmas season in Sabina

In Poggio Mirteto, a village overlooking the Tiber valley in the province of Rieti, December 8th is more than just the Feast of the Immaculate Conception: it is the day the town transforms and officially begins the Christmas period. The historic center fills with stalls, the scent of woodsmoke, and music, while Piazza Martiri della Libertà becomes the heart of an event that combines two distinct but complementary souls: the Christmas Market and the Padellaccia Festival. Both initiatives take place simultaneously on the same day, and for over twenty years, they have drawn visitors to Sabina from Rieti, Rome, and all the towns in the valley.

The Christmas Market in the square

The market occupies the main square and the streets of the center with exhibitors of antiques, handicrafts, and local products. It is the perfect opportunity for early gift shopping: small antiques, handmade items, and decorations, alongside the gastronomic specialties of Sabina, starting with extra virgin olive oil, the true productive symbol of this territory. Everything is accompanied by music and Christmas carols, in a simple, village-style setting that is part of the day's charm.

Padellaccia, a humble peasant dish

Padellaccia is the reason many head to Poggio Mirteto on December 8th. It is a humble dish of peasant cuisine, prepared with trimmings and less noble cuts of pork: scraps seasoned with spices and cooked over a very low flame in an old pan—the large, blackened pan from which the dish gets its name. It is not a gourmet recipe, but the result of a domestic economy where nothing from the pig was wasted: slaughtering took place between December and January, which is the origin of the link to this date.

At the stands set up by the organizers, padellaccia is served in abundance, along with polenta and local wine. It is honest, flavorful, and hearty cuisine, perfect for a cold early December day, and those who want to taste it should arrive early: the stands open at 12:30 PM and queues form quickly.

Music, carols, and the tree lighting

The day is marked by events from morning until evening. At noon, the Garibaldina Municipal Band of Poggio Mirteto plays to accompany the opening of the food stands. In the afternoon, Christmas choirs perform, while the Pro Loco offers a Christmas aperitif at their stand. At dusk comes the most anticipated moment, especially for families: the lighting of the Christmas tree and the nativity scene, which closes the day and leaves the town illuminated throughout the holiday period.

Poggio Mirteto and Sabina

It is worth arriving a few hours early to visit the village. Poggio Mirteto retains a medieval layout of narrow alleys, featuring Palazzo Farnese, a 13th-century clock tower, and historic churches in the center. The town is located in the heart of Sabina, just over half an hour from Rome, in a landscape of olive groves descending toward the Tiber. The community is also known in the Lazio region for another event, the Carnevalone Poggiano, one of the oldest historical carnivals in Italy: a sign of a town that deeply values its collective celebrations.

Why visit

• A single day, December 8th, combining a market, food festival, music, and tree lighting
• A unique, identity-defining dish not found elsewhere, served in abundance at popular prices
• A historic Sabina village less than an hour from Rome, also accessible by train
• A familiar, village atmosphere, suitable for children

Organized by the Pro Loco of Poggio Mirteto with the patronage of the Municipality, the event remains one of the most genuine ways to start Christmas in Lazio, far from the crowds of the capital.