Frattaccio Festival

A historic festival in the heart of the Mainarde

The Frattaccio Festival is the most anticipated summer event in San Biagio Saracinisco, a tiny mountain village in the province of Frosinone, southern Lazio. Perched at an altitude of over 800 meters on the slopes of the Mainarde mountains, inside the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, the village comes alive every August 8th. The narrow streets of the historic center fill with aromas, music, and visitors to celebrate a humble, iconic dish of mountain cuisine. In the past, the festival has drawn over two thousand visitors in a single evening—a remarkable number for a town that today has only a few hundred residents.

Frattaccio, the fried polenta of the Apennines

Frattaccio is a rustic cornmeal preparation typical of the central-southern Apennines: the polenta is spread out, left to firm up, then sliced and fried in lard, oil, or butter until it becomes a golden, crispy treat, traditionally served alongside legume and vegetable soups. It is a symbol of a mountain culinary tradition that wasted nothing and knew how to transform simple ingredients into intense flavors. During the festival, you can taste it in its most authentic version, prepared according to the recipe passed down through local families.

Dancing, folk music, and fireworks

The festival takes place among the squares and alleys of the historic center. Beyond the gastronomy, it offers a complete evening of celebration: traditional dances, folk music, and, as a grand finale, a fireworks display that lights up the Mainarde sky. All this happens in a town where folk music is a way of life: San Biagio Saracinisco is famous for having one of the highest numbers of active bagpipers in Italy—musicians who carry the zampogna tradition across the peninsula throughout the winter.

San Biagio Saracinisco, a village of history and emigrants

The territory of the Municipality of San Biagio Saracinisco holds ancient traces: polygonal walls and an Etruscan-style necropolis linked to the Samnite Caraceni, with artifacts on display in a permanent exhibition, testify to trade exchanges dating back to well before Rome. The town, marked in the 20th century by the battles of the Gustav Line and significant emigration to Belgium, France, Germany, and Northern Italy, finds its extended community reunited every August. Just a few days after the festival, on August 18th, the Emigrant's Festival is celebrated, making this period the liveliest time of the year for the village.

The territory: National Park, Lake Selva, and Mount Meta

Attending the festival is also an opportunity to discover an untouched corner of the Lazio mountains. Nearby, you will find Lake Selva (or Lake Cardito), a mirror of water at about 1,000 meters altitude beloved by hikers and fishermen, beech forests rich in mushrooms and truffles, and the peaks of the Park, dominated by Mount Meta (2,241 meters). The municipality is also part of the production area for Pecorino di Picinisco PDO, and local tables offer specialties like tordiglione, polenta seasoned with liver sausages and vegetables: a gastronomic heritage that the festival helps to promote.

The 2026 edition

The 2026 edition of the Frattaccio Festival is scheduled for Saturday, August 8th, as confirmed by the official summer events calendar of the Comino Valley. The detailed program, including times and musical guests, has not yet been published; however, as per tradition, food stalls in the historic center, dancing, folk music, and the final fireworks display are expected.