Festival of Ancient Flavours

A festival suspended over the Lepini Mountains

The Festival of Ancient Flavours is the most anticipated summer event in Rocca Massima, a small town in the province of Latina, Lazio, famous for being the highest settlement in the Pontine territory. From this vantage point, overlooking the final ridge of the Lepini Mountains, the gaze wanders on summer evenings across the Pontine Plain and, when the air is clear, all the way to the sea. It is in this setting that the Pro Loco of Rocca Massima organizes an evening entirely dedicated to traditional cuisine every year in mid-July.

The food and wine trail

The format is that of a food and wine trail: not a single dining area, but a series of stalls distributed along the alleys and stairways of the historic centre, with the hub in Piazza Largo Secondo Mariani. Visitors purchase dishes stop by stop, walking through the stone houses of the village, and thus compose their own dinner at their own pace. The event deliberately maintains an intimate scale, with kitchens and tables concentrated around the central square: those looking for a massive festival will find the opposite here—an authentic, human-scale village celebration.

What to eat

The menu revisits the peasant cuisine of the Lepini, that of the shepherds and farmers who cultivated olives on the terraces around the village. Among the dishes that return every year:

• Bread and oil, with extra virgin olive oil produced in the local groves;
• Local olives and cheese;
• Pappardelle with mushrooms and sausage, the festival's signature dish;
• Sandwiches with capocollo and mushrooms;
• Traditional local desserts;
• Local wine, served along the entire trail.

Music, crafts, and exhibitions

The evening is not just about gastronomy. Musical groups enliven the alleys and the square, accompanying the stroll, while certain spaces are reserved for crafts and exhibitions set up in the historic centre, dedicated to photography or contemporary art. It is a way to introduce visitors, many of whom arrive from neighbouring towns and the plain, to a village that remains quite secluded outside the festival season.

A quarter-century of history

Born in the late nineties as a celebration promoted by the youth group of the Pro Loco, the festival reached its twenty-fifth edition in 2026, a milestone that confirms its deep roots in the life of the village. The original idea—to rediscover the hidden alleys of old Rocca Massima together with the cuisine of the past, with a young and modern perspective—has remained the same over the years and is still the hallmark of the event.

Why it's worth the trip

Rocca Massima is easily reached from Latina, Velletri, and Artena, and is an ideal stop for those who want to combine a traditional dinner with a scenic walk. The village is also known for its nearby observatory and the hiking trails of the Lepini: those who arrive in the afternoon can spend a few hours exploring the village and its viewpoints before the festival stalls open at sunset and the alleys fill with people.