Fettuccine alla Trebulana Festival

A festival named after a Roman city

The Fettuccine alla Trebulana take their name from Trebula Mutuesca, the ancient Sabine-Roman town that once stood where Monteleone Sabino is located today. This village of a few hundred inhabitants is perched nearly 500 meters high in the Sabine Mountains, in the province of Rieti, Lazio. The festival celebrating this dish has become one of the most anticipated gastronomic events in the Sabina region; in 2025, it reached its twenty-fifth edition, a rare milestone for a local village feast.

The dish and its recipe

The recipe has been passed down orally for generations and allows for no shortcuts. The dough is made from flour and eggs, rolled strictly by hand with a wooden rolling pin, and cut to a thickness that local cooks consider a well-kept secret. The sauce combines peas, tomato, mushrooms, ham, and bacon in a balance that is both rustic and surprisingly delicate. For those preferring a meat-free version, the local Pro Loco has long offered fettuccine aglio e persa, seasoned with garlic and marjoram, which is equally rooted in local tradition.

What to eat beyond the fettuccine

The food stalls offer much more than just the first course. Over the two evenings, visitors can sample other Monteleone and Sabine recipes, starting with grilled sausages and bacon, paired with local wines and Sabina PDO extra virgin olive oil, one of the province's recognized culinary treasures. To finish, enjoy simple traditional peasant desserts, including anise biscuits.

• Hand-rolled Fettuccine alla Trebulana, the festival's signature dish
• Fettuccine aglio e persa, a historic vegetarian alternative
• Grilled meats, local sausages and bacon
• Sabina PDO olive oil and local wines

Music, markets, and village atmosphere

The festival is more than just a dinner; both evenings feature live music in the village squares and a market dedicated to crafts and local products, showcasing producers and artisans from the Sabina area. The atmosphere is that of a classic summer festival in the Lazio hinterland: dining outdoors among stone alleys, chatting late into the night, and enjoying views over the Sabine hills.

A village to visit before dinner

Those arriving in the afternoon have time to discover significant archaeological and religious heritage. Just a short walk from the center is the Trebula Mutuesca archaeological site, featuring the remains of a Roman amphitheater, while the civic archaeological museum houses artifacts recovered from excavations. Just outside the town stands the Sanctuary of Santa Vittoria, a Romanesque church built on a paleo-Christian foundation and famous for its catacombs: one of the most significant monuments in the Sabina region.

Why it's worth the trip

Located just over an hour from Rome and half an hour from Rieti, Monteleone Sabino offers a two-evening synthesis of what makes this corner of Lazio so interesting: a unique recipe, a hilly landscape at the foot of Mount Terminillo, and a historical layering that spans from the Sabines to the Middle Ages. It is a small-scale festival, authentically managed by the community, where the price-to-quality ratio remains that of a traditional village feast.