Ferragosto Casaprotano (with Porcini Mushroom Fettuccine Festival)

The Ferragosto Casaprotano: Half a Century of Celebration in the Sabina

There is a time of year when the tiny village of Casaprota, perched among the ancient olive groves of the Sabina in the province of Rieti, doubles its population and transforms into a joyful hub of celebration: this is the Ferragosto Casaprotano, a week of festivities running from August 8th to 15th. Established in the 1970s, the event reaches its 51st edition in 2026 and remains one of the most cherished summer rituals in the Rieti Sabina, drawing visitors from Rome and across the Lazio region, less than an hour from the capital.

The Queen of Festivals: Porcini Mushroom Fettuccine

The heart of the event is the famous Porcini Mushroom Fettuccine Festival, scheduled for August 12th and 13th. Here, the fork is king: the fettuccine are hand-rolled according to the recipe passed down by the village women, dressed with porcini mushrooms gathered in the Sabini Mountains and flavored with the DOP extra virgin olive oil of the Sabina, one of the oldest and most prized in Italy. More than just an outdoor dinner, it is a collective ritual of taste where the Casaprota community showcases its gastronomic identity. Alongside the fettuccine, the food stands offer other local traditional specialties throughout the week, from amatriciana to truffle gnocchi.

A Week of Music, Tournaments, and Community

The Ferragosto Casaprotano is about more than just food. For eight days, the historic center hosts concerts, dance evenings with traditional ballroom orchestras, DJ sets, card and sports tournaments, children's competitions, and popular games that involve both young and old. The week typically opens with the "Giuseppe Verdi" Philharmonic of Casaprota and the Casaprota Music Festival, and concludes on August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption, with Holy Mass at the Sanctuary and the final grand evening in the square. It is a deeply popular, free, and inclusive festival where conviviality matters just as much as the program.

A Village to Discover

It is well worth arriving in Casaprota at a leisurely pace to lose yourself in its medieval village: Renaissance portals, stone alleys, the Church of San Domenico, Palazzo Filippi, and panoramic views over the Sabina hills, dotted with olive groves where the porcino mushroom—as they say around here—is almost sacred. The Municipality of Casaprota provides a designated area for campers, convenient for those who want to experience the festival without a care and fully savor the atmosphere of the Sabina mid-August.