Colli Ceriti Grape and Wine Festival

A harvest festival spanning over sixty years

The Colli Ceriti Grape and Wine Festival is the most iconic cultural event in Cerveteri, a town of Etruscan origin located on the coast north of Rome, in the Lazio region. Established in 1964 and organized by the Municipality of Cerveteri, the festival reaches its 63rd edition in 2026, cementing its status as one of the most anticipated late-summer events in the Metropolitan City of Rome. For four days, spanning the last weekend of August, the historic center and Parco della Legnara come alive with color, music, and the scent of must to celebrate the harvest and the wines of the Colli Ceriti.

The seven Rioni and the parade of allegorical floats

The heart of the festival is the competition between the seven Rioni (districts) — Garbatella, Madonna dei Canneti, Boccetta, Casaccia, Fornace, Fontana Morella, and San Pietro — which spend months crafting their papier-mâché allegorical floats. Each year, a common theme guides their creativity: for the 2026 edition, the theme is "The World in Celebration: A Journey Through Great Festivals," a global tour of the world's most famous popular feasts. The unveiled floats depict the Chinese New Year (Casaccia), the Mexican Día de los Muertos (Madonna dei Canneti), the Sanremo Music Festival (Boccetta), the Notte della Taranta (San Pietro), the Indian Holi Festival (Fornace), the Bavarian Oktoberfest (Fontana Morella), and the Portuguese Festa do Flor de Madeira (Garbatella). The grand float parade, featuring performers and costumed groups, is the highlight of Sunday and draws thousands of visitors to the streets of the town center.

The grape-stomping competition and wine culture

One of the most characteristic moments is the grape-stomping competition: representatives from each Rione stomp grapes barefoot in wooden tubs, with the first to fill their container with must declared the winner. It is an ancient ritual that evokes the farming labors of the past and engages the audience with great enthusiasm. Alongside the competition, the Wine and Flavors Square, set up in Piazza Santa Maria, hosts dozens of wineries from across Lazio, offering tastings, local product stalls, and regional culinary specialties.

Music, shows, and atmosphere

The evenings come alive at Parco della Legnara, the stage for concerts and performances that continue late into the night, typically concluding with a fireworks display. Stalls, food stands, handicrafts, and family entertainment round out a program designed for all ages. The festival is part of the Estate Caerite, the summer event series organized by the Municipality of Cerveteri.

Cerveteri, between Etruscans and vineyards

Visiting the festival is also the perfect opportunity to discover Cerveteri, the ancient Etruscan Caere, famous for the UNESCO-listed Banditaccia Necropolis and a hilly landscape dedicated to viticulture. The harvest festival thus unites the memory of the Etruscan past with the rural pride of the Colli Ceriti, in one of the most deeply rooted popular traditions of Lazio.