Fallone Selciano Festival

The fallone, a symbol of Selci's peasant cuisine

The fallone selciano is a rustic calzone made with simple bread dough—water, flour, yeast, and salt—rolled out and sealed around a generous filling of wild greens: wild chicory, chard, broccoli rabe, and other seasonal wild herbs, sautéed in a pan with garlic, Sabina extra virgin olive oil, and sometimes a hint of chili. It is traditionally baked in an oven, preferably wood-fired, which gives the crust a fragrant crunch and an unmistakable aroma. It is the quintessential humble dish of Sabina farming families, born from the need to use what the fields offered, and has now become the village's gastronomic banner.

A festival born from the Pro Loco

The Fallone Selciano Festival has been organized by the Selci Pro Loco, with the patronage of the Municipality, since the early 2000s. The thirteenth edition took place on June 26, 2016, confirming a deep-rooted tradition that recurs every year at the end of June. The Pro Loco deserves credit for recovering the ancient fallone recipe, passed down through generations, and transforming it into the heart of one of the most anticipated and popular festivals in the region.

What to expect during the festival

The festival day follows a well-established routine that combines taste, folklore, and fun:

• Market of Sabina knowledge and flavors: stalls featuring local products along the village streets, from extra virgin olive oil to cheeses and traditional sweets;
• Fallone tastings, freshly baked and served continuously from the food stand, accompanied by wine from local producers;
• Roto Gp of Sabina: the fun and spectacular race of hay bales pushed by hand through the village streets, with a "Mini" version dedicated to children;
• Live music and apericena in the square to end the evening in high spirits.

Alongside the fallone, the stand often offers other hearty dishes of Sabina cuisine, such as homemade pasta and grilled meats.

Selci, a village in the green heart of Sabina

The Municipality of Selci is a small hilltop village in the province of Rieti, Lazio, about 45 kilometers north of Rome, nestled among the olive groves that produce one of Italy's most renowned extra virgin olive oils, the Sabina PDO. The festival is also an opportunity to discover the village's compact historic center, the views over the Tiber valley, and the nearby villages of Lower Sabina, such as Forano, Cantalupo in Sabina, and Poggio Mirteto.

Why visit

Because you won't find the fallone in restaurants: it is a dish that lives in homes and village festivals, and the Selci festival is the best place to taste it in its most authentic version, in a genuine atmosphere made of volunteers, lit ovens, and crowded squares. An ideal event for those who love true festivals, far from mass tourism circuits.