Festa Grande a Mezzagosto… as it was 2000 years ago

A Roman festival celebrated for two thousand years

The Festa Grande a Mezzagosto… as it was 2000 years ago is one of the most original events in the summer calendar of Priverno, a town in the province of Latina, nestled in the heart of the Lepini Mountains in the Lazio region. The event is inspired by an epigraphic document: in 137 AD, the magistrate Titus Flavius Scopellianus, elected for the second time as the city's leader with the rank of duovir praetor, treated the community to a grand feast featuring sweet flatbreads and honeyed wine. It is this very day that the city brings back to life every mid-August.

Where it takes place: the Privernum Archaeological Park

The event is held at the Privernum Archaeological Park, in the Mezzagosto area, along the SR 609 Carpinetana road, about five kilometers from the historic center of Priverno. The park spans a dozen hectares and serves as an open-air museum: you can still see the forum, the domus with their mosaics, the baths, and the public facilities of the Roman colony, which was inhabited until the 12th century before the population moved to the hill where modern-day Priverno stands. In the evening, with scenic lighting and costumed performers among the ruins, the site takes on a truly unique charm.

What to see and do

• Guided tours at sunset through the remains of ancient Privernum, with stories about the homes, streets, and public spaces of the Roman city.
• Thematic displays set up as they would have been in Imperial Rome, featuring everyday objects, clothing, coins, and tools explained by experts.
• Ancient crafts: demonstrations of Roman craftsmanship, from textile weaving to pottery, curated by the SPQR cultural association.
• Children's workshops, including the famous simulated archaeological digs, which allow little ones to experience the work of an archaeologist under the guidance of museum staff.
• Archaeo-gastronomy: tastings of dishes reconstructed from ancient recipes and mulsum, the honeyed wine of the Romans.
• Music and theater in the evening, often in collaboration with local summer festivals in the Lepini area.

The honey pizzitelle

The gastronomic symbol of the festival is the honey pizzitelle, prepared and offered by the Pro Loco Priverno APS according to a recipe that evokes the crustula, the sweets distributed by Scopellianus to his fellow citizens. It is the gesture that symbolically closes the evening and, more than any reconstruction, links today's community to that of two thousand years ago.

A community event

The Festa Grande a Mezzagosto is organized by the Municipality of Priverno together with the City Museum System and the Museums of Priverno, with the support of the Compagnia dei Lepini and the participation of the Pro Loco and local associations. This is not a commercial event: admission to the park, shows, and activities is free, and the stated goal is to promote an archaeological site that remains little known relative to its true value.

When to go and how to plan your weekend

The event traditionally falls around August 20th, the date that ancient sources associate with Scopellianus's celebrations. It is part of the Priverno Estate calendar, which from June to September brings together the Palio del Tributo, the Fossanova Medieval Festival, Svicolando, the Notte Bianca, and various local theatrical and musical reviews. Visitors from out of town can easily combine the festival with a visit to the Fossanova Abbey, a Gothic-Cistercian masterpiece just a few kilometers away, and the medieval village of Priverno, home to the Archaeological and Medieval Museums.