Frascati District Tournament

Frascati tells its story through its districts

In the heart of the Castelli Romani, just a few kilometers from Rome, the Municipality of Frascati has rediscovered one of its most engaging traditions with the District Tournament: the challenge between neighborhoods. Launched in 2025 by a group of locals led by Luca Grifantini and supported by the municipal administration, the event quickly became the most attended appointment of the city's summer, filling the stands of the historic sports facility on Via Conti di Tuscolo once again.

This is not just a simple sports competition. The tournament is a community-building tool: each district builds its own team, chooses its colors, prepares banners and chants, and organizes its supporters. For a month, Frascati thrives on good-natured local rivalry, affectionate banter, and evenings spent together in the stands, with a cross-generational participation involving children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly.

Ten districts on the pitch

The 2026 edition increased the number of participating neighborhoods to ten, with the addition of two new teams compared to the first edition. The competing districts are:

• Sciadonna
• Lucullo
• Fausto Cecconi
• Fontana Vecchia
• Vermicino
• Cocciano
• San Pietro
• Porticella (new entry)
• San Rocco
• Cisternole (new entry)

The teams are divided into two groups, with a knockout phase leading to the grand final in early July. It is played as 11-a-side football, with about 250 adults and youths involved on the pitch and eighteen local volunteers directly involved in the organization.

An event designed for the whole family

Matches are played almost every evening under the floodlights, with times scheduled to allow those who work to reach the stadium without rushing. Admission is free, and this is perhaps the aspect that most contributed to the event's success: anyone can stop by, sit in the stands, meet their neighbors, and cheer for their district. Around the pitch, groups form to chat and discuss the previous day's results.

The municipal administration covers medical assistance costs with an ambulance present throughout the tournament and guarantees referees thanks to the collaboration with UISP Lazio. Resources come from the surplus of the tourist tax, in a logic that gives back to residents a portion of what is generated by Tusculan tourism.

Frascati, the Castelli Romani, and Lazio

Frascati is one of the most beloved destinations in the province of Rome, in Lazio: famous for its Tusculan villas, the Scuderie Aldobrandini, and of course for the white wine that bears its name, the city lives on a close relationship between the historic center and the peripheral districts. The District Tournament was born from this fabric and reflects its social geography: Vermicino and Cocciano, the most populous areas furthest from the center, compete against historic districts of the ancient core like San Pietro and San Rocco.

For those visiting the Castelli Romani in June, attending an evening of the tournament is an authentic and free way to get in touch with the real life of the city, far beyond the classic tourist itinerary of wineries and villas. After the match, the local fraschette in the center stay open late: porchetta, coppiette, and a glass of Frascati DOC are the natural conclusion to the evening.

A young but already intense hall of fame

The first edition, in 2025, ended with the victory of Borgo San Rocco, which managed to beat San Pietro 1-0 in a final followed by a packed stadium. The following year, San Pietro took its revenge by winning the title with a clear final victory against Porticella. A rivalry just born, but one that has already found its audience.