Cicerchia and Serena Wheat Bread Festival

A festival celebrating the flavours of the Aurunci Mountains

In the heart of the Aurunci Mountains, perched between Latina and the border with Campania, the small village of Campodimele preserves an ancient gastronomic tradition. Every summer, in the Taverna hamlet, the community gathers for the Cicerchia and Serena Wheat Bread Festival, one of the most cherished events in the summer calendar of this town in the province of Latina, southern Lazio. Now in its thirty-sixth year, the festival is a journey through time and the genuine flavours of local rural life.

The Campodimele chickling pea, a legume with ancient roots

The undisputed star of the evening is the Campodimele chickling pea (cicerchia), a legume with remote origins: brought to Italy from the Middle East, it was already cultivated and appreciated in ancient Rome for soups, purees, and bread. In Campodimele, this legume found its ideal home, becoming a celebrated local excellence with DOP status. Alongside the chickling pea, the Serena wheat bread takes centre stage—an ancient native soft wheat cultivated by a few local farmers, served as characteristic small loaves and crostini.

A traditional menu

The evening's menu, curated by the Campodimele Pro Loco, is a tribute to the chickling pea prepared according to the traditional recipe, enriched with robust and genuine flavours. Highlights include:

• Chickling peas cooked in the traditional style, with guanciale and Serena bread crostini;
• Sausage, dry-cured pancetta, and Marzolino cheese;
• Serena wheat bread rolls;
• Fresh and aged cheeses, honey, Campodimele legumes, and homemade preserved vegetables;
• Traditional local desserts.

A community celebration

The festival is more than just a food and wine event; it is a moment of gathering and sharing where the village embraces its most authentic values. Producer stalls bring the Taverna hamlet to life, offering visitors the chance to learn about the village's typical products and discover a corner of Lazio still connected to the rhythms and flavours of the past. The event is part of the rich summer programme in Campodimele, which also features other festivals, the patronal feast of Saint Roch, and numerous cultural and musical events throughout August.

Campodimele, the village of longevity

Known as one of the most fascinating villages in the province of Latina, Campodimele owes part of its fame to the extraordinary longevity of its inhabitants, often attributed to a simple and healthy diet based on legumes, cereals, and local products. Attending the Cicerchia Festival means savouring not just a dish, but an entire lifestyle rooted in the land of the Aurunci.