Da Piazzetta a Piazzetta

A village that becomes an open-air restaurant

Da Piazzetta a Piazzetta is the most anticipated food and wine event of the summer in Poggio Moiano, a town in the province of Rieti, in the heart of the Sabina region of Lazio. For one evening in late August, the historic center sheds its daily rhythm and turns into a large open-air lounge: the small squares, alleys, and stairways of the village become stops on a culinary itinerary where history, music, and gastronomy meet under the stars.

The concept: walk and taste

The idea is simple, which is why it works so well. Instead of concentrating everything in one space, the event spreads the dinner throughout the village: you start at one small square with an appetizer and continue from one clearing to the next, from one stairway to another, discovering a new course and a new view of the village at every stop. Visitors don't just sit; they walk, wander through the arches and stone houses, and chat with the volunteers and residents who open the doors to their most beautiful corners.

The cuisine of Sabina

The common thread of the tour is Sabina D.O.P. extra virgin olive oil, one of the first protected designation of origin labels recognized in Italy for oil and a true symbol of this hilly territory. It is no coincidence that the itinerary opens with bruschetta, the most direct and honest way to understand what good, fresh oil is all about. Recent editions have showcased Sabine peasant cuisine in all its nuances:

• Bruschetta with Sabina D.O.P. extra virgin olive oil
• Coratella alla sabinese, a traditional offal dish from the pastoral heritage
• Local cheeses, both fresh and aged
• Handmade pasta with a rustic ragù
• Fallone, the typical local stuffed pizza
• Grilled meat with seasonal salad
• Traditional local desserts

Music, dialect, and street performers

The tour is not just about food. Along the way, you will find street performers, local musical groups, traditional folk songs and dances, and readings of dialect poetry that capture the language and irony of an agricultural community. This is a part of the event that the locals cherish: the evening doesn't end with the last dessert, but continues in the main square with live music.

Poggio Moiano and Sabina

Poggio Moiano overlooks the Turano Valley, just over an hour from Rome, in an area where centuries-old olive groves have shaped the landscape since antiquity. The village retains a compact historic layout, made of narrow streets and small open spaces: the very configuration that makes an event like this possible, designed to be experienced on foot. Those arriving from outside the region will find an excellent summary of Sabina in a single evening: the oil, the cheeses, the handmade pasta, the dialect, and the hospitality of a village in inland Lazio.

Who organizes it

The event is promoted by the Pro Loco of Poggio Moiano, a very active association in the local calendar, which also organizes the Infiorata del Sacro Cuore, the Wild Asparagus Festival, the Carnival Party, and the Christmas Markets. The organizational machine is entirely volunteer-based and involves a large number of local families.