Coregone Festival

A festival born on the shores of the lake

The Coregone Festival is one of the most anticipated summer events in Capodimonte, a small village overlooking Lake Bolsena in the province of Viterbo, in the heart of the Lazio Tuscia region. Every year in August, the picturesque Viale Regina Margherita waterfront transforms into a large open-air restaurant dedicated to the coregone (whitefish), the prized freshwater fish that serves as a gastronomic symbol of this corner of Lazio.

The event has its roots in 1981, when a group of friends gathered for a barbecue on the lake shore using fish donated by local fishermen. From that spontaneous initiative, originally linked to the celebrations of Saint Anthony Abbot, the idea was born to move the event to the height of summer to introduce the village to tourists. Today, the festival is organized by the Coregone Festival Committee, named in memory of Franco Grossi, the most passionate organizer of its early days.

Whitefish as the star of the table

The heart of the festival is, naturally, the food. During the festival evenings, about nine quintals of fish are grilled, cooked over embers using twelve cubic meters of wood: an impressive effort that fills the waterfront with aromas and aromatic smoke. The menu revolves around three great classics:

• Grilled Coregone, the signature specialty with a delicate and balanced flavor;
• Penne with Coregone sauce, a traditional lake-style first course;
• Marinated Coregone, a highly appreciated appetizer for lovers of lake fish.

Everything is accompanied by wines from the surrounding hills and a convivial atmosphere that draws residents and visitors from all over the Lake Bolsena area every night.

Music, conviviality, and charity

Beyond the gastronomy, the Coregone Festival offers evenings of music and entertainment by the lake, with dancing and animation accompanying the outdoor dinner. The setting is the promontory of Capodimonte, dominated by the imposing Rocca Farnese, with the sunset over the lake providing some of the most beautiful views in the Tuscia region.

One aspect that makes the event special is its charitable vocation: the proceeds from the festival are donated to social and charitable causes for the benefit of the Capodimonte community, keeping intact the spirit of friendship and generosity that inspired that first barbecue in 1981.

Why attend

Attending the Coregone Festival means experiencing the authentic summer of Lake Bolsena: great lake cuisine, popular tradition, music, and an enchanting landscape. It is an ideal opportunity to discover the coregone and the typical flavors of the province of Viterbo in one of the most fascinating locations in Lazio.