Fettuccine Festival

A village festival in the heart of the Roman Tuscia

The Fettuccine Festival is the most anticipated summer event in Canale Monterano, a small town in the province of Rome (Lazio), overlooking the forests of the Monterano Regional Nature Reserve. Passionately organized by the Contrada Casenove, the festival turns Piazza Caduti di Nassiriya into a large open-air dining room every year, where the aroma of hand-rolled fettuccine mingles with live music and the joy of summer evenings.

Fettuccine, the queens of the table

The undisputed stars are the handmade fettuccine, prepared according to ancient local rural recipes. Every evening, the food stalls offer the pasta in numerous variations: country-style, with porcini mushrooms, wild boar ragù, sausage and truffle, tomato and basil, and the classic cacio e pepe. The menu is completed by appetizers featuring bruschetta, local cured meats and cheeses, and traditional main courses such as snails, Roman-style tripe, wild boar stew, and mixed grilled meats.

Local specialties

The festival is also a showcase for the excellence of Canale Monterano. During the evenings, you can discover and taste the town's signature products, such as Pane Storico—a saltless bread baked in a wood-fired oven according to ancient tradition—and the extra virgin olive oil from the surrounding hills, both authentic hallmarks of Lazio's culinary heritage.

Sports, music, and conviviality

Beyond fine dining, the event offers a rich calendar of activities. Every evening, live music enlivens the amphitheater adjacent to the square, with bands and groups accompanying dinner until late. Sunday morning is dedicated to outdoor sports, with the Casenove Run and mountain bike rides through the trails and ruins of ancient Monterano, in a successful fusion of gastronomic celebration and outdoor living.

A village to discover

Attending the Fettuccine Festival is also the perfect opportunity to visit one of the most evocative places in Lazio: the ancient village of Monterano, a ghost town abandoned in the 18th century, featuring the remains of the castle, the aqueduct, and the church designed by Bernini, all nestled within the nature reserve. A spectacular landscape that provides the backdrop for a festival capable of telling the most authentic soul of the Roman Tuscia.