Fara Cipollara

Fara Cipollara, the onion festival that tells the story of a village

There is a vegetable in Fara Filiorum Petri, a small town in the province of Chieti nestled between the slopes of the Maiella and the Abruzzo hills, that is much more than just an ingredient: it is a symbol of identity. The Flat White Onion, sweet, crunchy, and rich in water, gives its name to Fara Cipollara, the festival that transforms the village's historic center into a large open-air restaurant every first weekend of August.

A Slow Food Presidium vegetable

The history of this onion dates back to the 14th century, when monks at the Sant'Eufemia convent cultivated a specific variety in their gardens that perfectly adapted to the clay-rich, water-abundant soil of the area. Since then, the farmers of Fara have been known as cipollari. After facing extinction, the variety was recovered from the seeds of the last remaining grower and is now a Slow Food Presidium, cultivated without chemical herbicides and using environmentally friendly practices.

Taste takes center stage in the alleys

During the festival, the village comes alive with nine food stalls set up by the town's districts and associations, where the onion is prepared in a thousand ways: the traditional cipollata, slow-cooked in earthenware pots until soft and sweet, roasted onions, fresh salads, dishes with liver, and many creative reinterpretations. Local bread, cured meats, and Abruzzo wines are also available. Thanks to the collaboration with AiC Abruzzo (the Italian Celiac Association), many options are also available in gluten-free versions.

More than just food

Fara Cipollara also features a market, workshops for adults and children, live music, and folk performances that accompany the evenings. Strolling through the alleys of the historic center, surrounded by scents, tastings, and popular traditions, is the best way to discover an authentic corner of inland Abruzzo and the community that, generation after generation, has managed to preserve its most precious vegetable.

Organized by the Association of Flat White Onion Producers of Fara Filiorum Petri, with the support of local associations and the municipal administration, the event is a staple of the Abruzzo summer and one of the most iconic gastronomic festivals in the province of Chieti.