Feast of Our Lady of the Snows and Tortiglione Festival
The patronal feast and the serpent-shaped dessert of Penna in Teverina
About Feast of the Tortiglione
Devotion and Gastronomic Tradition
The Feast of Our Lady of the Snows is the patronal feast of Penna in Teverina, a village in the Amerino region of Terni province, and is celebrated in early August around the 5th of August. The religious festival commemorates the ancient miracle of Our Lady of the Snows on the Esquiline Hill in Rome, recognized by Pope Liberius.
The Tortiglione, Umbria's Serpent Dessert
The Tortiglione Festival, dedicated to the village's typical dessert, is paired with the patronal feast. The tortiglione (or torciglione) is an ancient, twisted serpent-shaped dessert, prepared with sweet and bitter almonds, sugar, eggs, lemon, and other closely guarded ingredients. Its sinuous shape evokes ancient propitiatory rites related to rebirth and the cyclical nature of time.
The Secret Recipe Competition
The heart of the festival is the gastronomic competition among the village women, who challenge each other in preparing the tortiglione while keeping their family recipes secret. Food stalls, convivial gatherings, and musical evenings revolve around the dessert, enlivening the historic centre of Penna in Teverina, in a summer event eagerly awaited by the community and visitors.
Feast of the Tortiglione — edition 2026
The 49th edition of the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows and Tortiglione Festival takes place in Penna in Teverina from August 1st to 5th, 2026. The festival combines the religious dimension (the observance of Our Lady of the Snows on August 5th) with the gastronomic one, featuring the tortiglione as the star of the traditional competition among the village women.
In the evenings, the historic centre comes alive with food stalls, convivial moments, and music.
Programme Feast of the Tortiglione 2026
The detailed program for the 2026 edition, including stall times, religious procession, tortiglione competition, and musical evenings, will be published by the Pro Loco and the Municipality of Penna in Teverina in the weeks preceding the festival.
Usual structure: festivities from August 1st to 5th, culminating in the observance of Our Lady of the Snows on August 5th and the gastronomic competition dedicated to the tortiglione.
Highlights Feast of the Tortiglione 2026
Practical information — Feast of the Tortiglione
How to Get There
Penna in Teverina is located in the lower Tiber valley, in the province of Terni, near the border with Lazio. By car, it is accessible from the E45 and SS204; the nearest reference airports and train stations are in the Terni-Orte area.
When
The festival takes place in the first days of August, around the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows (August 5th). Events and food stalls are concentrated in the historic centre.
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Where does it take place — Feast of the Tortiglione
Centro storico di Penna in Teverina