Forcella in Sagra Festival

A Ferragosto festival in the mountains of Ciociaria

Forcella in Sagra is the summer festival of Forcella, a small hamlet in the municipality of Pescosolido, in the province of Frosinone, in the easternmost part of Lazio. It traditionally takes place around mid-August, during the Ferragosto period, when the village repopulates and the streets leading to the church fill with long tables, food stalls, and stages for live music. It is a village festival in the most authentic sense: born from the initiative of the parish community and carried forward by volunteers, it has grown over the years to become one of the most anticipated events of the Pescosolido summer.

The territory: Pescosolido and the Comino Valley

Pescosolido is a town of just over a thousand inhabitants nestled on the slopes of the Monti della Meta, at the gateway to the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. Its location, between the Liri valley floor and the high-altitude forests, has shaped a sober and hearty mountain cuisine, consisting of homemade pasta, legumes, wild herbs, and locally raised meats. Forcella, a tiny hamlet with a few dozen residents, is one of the scattered settlements that dot the municipal territory: quiet in winter, and vibrant in summer thanks to the return of families originally from the area.

The food: traditional peasant dishes

The heart of the festival is the food stalls, set up and managed by volunteers, who offer a different specialty each evening. Among the dishes that have marked recent editions:

• Tagliolini and beans, the soup that traditionally opens the festivities;
• Maltagliati with asparagus and bacon, one of the most requested first courses;
• a selection of typical dishes of Ciociaria and mountain cuisine, with grilled meats, seasonal side dishes, and homemade desserts;
• local wines and draft beer, served until late at night.

Prices remain the affordable ones typical of village festivals: you eat by the portion, without reservations, at communal outdoor tables.

Live music and entertainment

Each evening concludes with a concert or a show on the stage set up in the festival area. Recent editions have featured bands from the Lazio and Abruzzo circuit—such as Onda Libera and the Gianluca Live band—alongside tribute bands dedicated to the great names of Italian music, particularly Vasco Rossi. The final evening is traditionally reserved for a major comedy guest: in 2025, Uccio De Santis closed the event before a packed square. Ballroom dancing, orchestra music, and DJ sets complete a program designed for all ages.

A community event

Organized by the Parish of Maria SS.ma di Pompei in Forcella, the festival maintains a strong bond with the religious and associative dimension of the village: the secular celebration intertwines with moments of devotion and intergenerational connection. For many emigrants, it is the annual occasion for a homecoming, and for visitors, a direct way to connect with the life of an Apennine village that finds its full voice in the summer.

Why visit

Those spending the summer in the area—between Sora, Alvito, Campoli Appennino, and the trails of the National Park—will find a simple and genuine evening in Forcella: you eat well, spend little, and dance under the stars. There is nothing constructed for mass tourism, and that is precisely its value. The altitude also guarantees cool evenings even in the middle of August, a non-negligible detail for those arriving from the plains.